Bachmann’s remarkably detailed new ‘00’-gauge model of City of Truro, launched on Friday 4th December at Toddington. Count the rivets – yes, they are all there! (Photograph: Bachmann Europe Ltd)  


The real thing in 12" to the foot scale! Photo: Darin Fryatt  

Midday, Friday 4th December 2009: Model maker Bachmann took the covers off one of the finest examples of the model-makers art you could possibly imagine.  It was a 4mm/1ft (00) limited-edition model of No. 3440 'City of Truro' and the backdrop of the launch was the real thing, at Toddington station.

No. 3440 'City of Truro' was one of ten locomotives built new between March and May 1903 at Swindon, with 3440 becoming the 2000th locomotive to be built there in April of that year. Originally numbered in the series 3433 - 3442 they were renumbered in 1912 to become 3710 - 3719, with 'City of Truro' becoming No. 3717. A further ten locomotives (3400 - 3409) were rebuilt from Atbara Class locomotives between September 1902 and February 1909 to make a total of 20 locomotives in the class.

'City of Truro's' status in the railway world and one which ultimately led to its preservation was that it was alleged to have been the first locomotive to have been recorded at a speed exceeding 100 mph. Whilst working the "Ocean Mails", the train taking mail from a ship after docking at Plymouth onwards to London Paddington, a speed of 102.3 mph was recorded by using stop watches timed between the quarter-mile posts at the lineside by Charles Rous-Marten, an employee of 'The Railway Magazine'.

From the information available it became apparent that the locomotive reached a speed of just over 100mph. It would be another 30 years before a locomotive was officially recorded at this speed, when another National Railway Museum icon 'Flying Scotsman' was recorded on 30th November 1934 and verified by the use of a Dynomometer car, which is currently housed at the National Railway Museum, to record the speed in a scientific way.

'City of Truro' was withdrawn in 1931 and preserved by the London & North Eastern Railway in the original York Railway Museum (now closed). After passing into the ownership of British Railways on nationalisation in 1948, it was returned to traffic by British Railways Western Region in 1957, operating from Didcot. It was extensively used on special trains (as well as revenue earning ones) until 1961 when it was again retired. It has returned to traffic twice more in 1984 and 2004 and is currently part of the National Railway Museum's National Collection. It operates on heritage railways and is normally based at Toddington on the Honeybourne Line.

Model railway enthusiasts have long demanded a model of this locomotive and their patience has been rewarded by the appearance of the model - just in time for Christmas. The model is produced exclusively for the National Railway Museum and will only be available through the NRM at York (whilst stocks last) or on-line from www.nrmshop.co.uk (Customer Services telephone 01925 467 150 open 8am to 8pm to Christmas, then from 10am to 4pm afterwards).

Intially the model will be available as a limited platinum edition. This is supplied in a special platinum coloured box, with a certificate and a plinth on which to display the model. Once these are sold out they will not be available again. This model will retail at £195.00 + postage and packaging. Later a standard model will be available and this will be produced in a standard Bachmann / National Railway Museum box complete with history of the locomotive on the rear box sleeve. The standard model will retail for £145 + postage and packaging.

Graham Hubbard, Managing Director of Bachmann Europe Plc said: "Just as the Prototype Deltic caught the attention of railway modellers across the world, we are sure that the second model to be released will be equally welcomed."

   
Ashleigh King, Acting Head of Retail for the NRM said "Together with Bachmann, we decided to release 'City of Truro' as our next model because it is an iconic locomotive from our collection that has a fantastic story to tell. It has prevalence in people's minds and we thought it would be nice to give enthusiasts a model that they can see up and running today at the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway."

        
Ian Crowder, spokesman for the Honeybourne Line said "As custodian of this historic locomotive, we are delighted to host the launch of the new National Railway Museum Exclusive Edition OO scale model manufactured by Bachmann. The detail on the model is stunning - here are slight differences on each side of the prototype that have been faithfully reproduced. We're pretty intimate with the engine but we hadn't noticed that one side doesn't quite match the other until it was pointed out by Bachmann when they came to take measurements."

"'City of Truro' is a popular locomotive with our many visitors and is equally admired by our footplate crews. It is an iconic locomotive and one which established itself as a record breaker."

Each sale will support the NRM in its vital work in preserving Britain's railway heritage, and providing public access to the national collections.
The GWR is hoping to obtain a supply of models from the NRM that can be offered through the station shop.

Photographs of the launch will appear shortly.