Love Wrenn locos, I think they look superb when running and from a distance - the slightly crude oversize details together with an excellent finish seem to just look so good in real life when running round a layout. Easy to handle too
Wow wow wow, you lucky bugger Graham. These locos are amazing. Proper valve gear and connecting rods, you can't take you eyes off them. Beautiful instructional film as always. Thanks for sharing these wonderful locos. Ian.
Thanks for the comment Ian and yes, I am indeed a lucky bugger, these Wrenn locos are absolutely gorgeous with a great presence on the track too, they look heavy just looking at them! I have received today the last one for now which is the ‘Windsor Castle’ in a beautiful blue livery which I hope to show running soon along with the 8F. 👍🏻. Cheers for now mate. ……….. Graham
Hi Graham, I fully agree. I had a couple of Wrenn locos that led me down the Hornby Dublo route and am in the process of building a three rail layout. I dont really have any childhood memories of three rail as Hornby stopped producing them in 1964 and i wasn't even born until 71. But as you so eloquently put it the crudeness is the charm. My favourite locos are the 0-6-2 tanks of which I now own several including an LMS version with a horse shoe motor and dates to around 1948 and still works faultlessly. Looking forwards to seeing many more on your layout. Best wishes Steve.
Hi and thank you for the comment and I’m pleased that it bought back a few memories for you like they have done for me too. Cheers for now mate. ………..Graham
A fabulous little collection of WREN locomotives in excellent condition and run very well after your maintenance and upgrading of them. If I remember correctly that you used code one hundred track on Lakeside which helps with the Wren's running on the layout. For as you know the large flanges on the wheels would otherwise Sleeper Chair Ride on any lower profiled track. Though seeing these items running, the solid sound of the metal wheels and valve gear moving is wonderful to my ears. One of my fave hypnotic sounds in real life is the clickity clack of rolling stock on the rails. Enjoy your reliving of a bygone era in model form.
So spooky. Just before this came up I was watching OOBill going through a 1st Edition Wrenn catalogue, saying he has a couple but he'd like to get more, especially City of Glasgow! Too late - Graham's got it! ;-)
Hi Davie and thanks for the comment, I’m a great OOBill follower and yes I saw that video too, I have the 1st and second Issues of the wren catalogue and they make for inspiring reading - and collecting! There are still more I would like to get when finances allow but I can safely say that I do have the City of Glasgow now though! 😂. Cheers for now mate. ……….. Graham
Wow … thanks so much Graeme … that was highly enjoyable … just the sight of these magnificent locos brings a smile to my face … they were made properly, and as solidly as the real things !! A great dose of nostalgia, I hope you are both well, All the very best 🙏
Many thanks for the comment Nigel, it’s much appreciated. I’m so pleased that you found this video enjoyable and I enjoyed making it too. ‘Magnificent’ and ‘mighty’ are two words that spring to mind when I’m looking at these because of their shear weight and presence on the track are just the right words to describe them, you wouldn’t want to put a modern plastic version doing a head on with one of these as I know what would come off worse! 😂. Anyway, I’m pleased that you enjoyed it this and it brought a smile to your face. Cheers for now mate. …………Graham
@@GrahamFoulston Thanks very much for replying Graham to my comment. That's the great part about the hobby sharing ideas and learning new ideas from other people to improve our Channel's so l have like and subscribe to your channel too .Stay safe DD.
Superb models. And another interesting thing is that Hornby Dublo/Wrenn locos with walschaerts valve gear have working radius rods. All the modern stuff leaves this static; so much for all the super detail! Sorry to comment so late after the initial posting, only just seen your fine presentation.
Wow Graham, I've got the 4MT in GWR green, my dad bought it for me when I was about 12 or 13, it's still running on my layout now 60 years later, having been given to my son in the 70s and now my grandchildren play with it when they come around. Never had a layout for years but keep a lot of both my original and my sons stuff. I admire the work you've done with them to keep them working and indeed preserving them for the future. But I must admit that Duchess of Hamilton takes my breath away, Magnificent, take care Graham, Eddy xx
Hi Eddy and thank you for the comment and yes, that Duchess of Hamilton is a beauty, so very attractive. That’s really nice to hear that your grandchildren still play with the old locos from way back when, I bet there won’t be many playing with the new stuff today in 50 years time! So pleased that you enjoyed it, it makes these videos all the worthwhile. Cheers for now mate. …………. Graham
The engines are beautiful Graham. Thank you for showing them to us. When I was a child my father often took me to a general merchandise store called Levin's in Philadelphia where we lived. They had a large display of "O" gage trains in their store front window. These were true scale "O" gage models, not Lionel toy trains. Now at 78 years of age I still remember Dad taking me to see them. Ironically I now model in "N" scale because that is all that space permits. Watched your latest video on the rebuilding of your Gentry (spelling?) yesterday. You are doing a beautiful job. Best Regards. Ken May Oxford, Georgia U.S.A.
Hi Ernest and thank you for such a great comment sir, I really appreciate that. I think a lot of us ‘more mature’ folk can remember our dads taking us to show and model shops when we were kids - that was part of the deal back in those days wasn’t it - the dad was pretending to do it for the kids but were actually doing it for themselves! 😂. I’m not far behind you at 73 and it’s almost like I’m trying to cram as much in now before I eventually pop my clogs, I’m busier now than when I was working before I retired but I’m enjoying myself, that’s the main thing and these little Wrenn locos are bringing a big smile on my face again as I remember my youth. The Gentry is coming along nicely especially as the engine and body will be going on the chassis in the very near future - within the month I would think. 👍🏻👍🏻 Take care my friend and I hope you will enjoy my further updates of both Lakeside and the Gentry (and yes, you did spell it right). . Graham
Many thanks Brian and it’s nice to see these old ladies running once again on the track and I’m pleased with the outcome of them all. Cheers for now mate. ……….. Graham
Excellent Graham. I’m not bothered about detail and I have just bought a Hornby Princess Elizabeth (still waiting on the post) in LMS Crimson. It was a choice of black or crimson, but I love the crimson colour of LMS. I also have a Duchess of Sutherland which is a 70’s model. Tender driven with a ringfield motor. Goes really well. I think the early Hornby’s and Wrenns take us back to better times
I’m a great LMS crimson lover too although I think the blue of some of these Wrenn locos takes some beating though, but that’s just my opinion. I certainly agree with you (and many others from the sounds of some of these comments) that the old locos from way back when we’re far better in quality (but not necessarily in detail) than our present offerings from certain manufacturers, only time will tell I guess if these modern things will still be running in 50 years time like these old girls are today. Cheers for now mate. ………. Graham
I have 11 so far...been lucky only one that I had to return..I love them,built to lasting getting quite proffecient at serviceing them....patients is required though.
Hi David and with the arrival of the Sir Nigel Gresley A4 today then that brings me to 10 - so catching you up! 😂. I love these Wrenn locos and I have no doubt that I will be getting a few more as and when I see one I like and at a good price. Cheers for now mate. …………Graham
Hi George, it always was getting done but I just haven’t shown much of it lately but I will be doing an update on it shortly. Cheers for now mate. ……….. Graham
Hi Frank and thanks for the comment and yes, these old classic locos are in good shape considering how old they are, I’ve seen much newer locos in much worse state than these and to be honest it’s just a few paint chips here and there, nothing mechanically wrong with them, they’re good runners now too. Cheers for now mate. ………. Graham
i wish i still had mine as i am sick of it these days ive got bits falling off the new ones left right and centre and i am very carefull with all my stuff but after 50 years of doing this hobby the bug still carries on.great video more of these would be great thank you Dave
Hi David and thanks for the comment, I know exactly what you mean about stuff falling off, it drives me insane, what annoys me more is finding some small black plastic thing on the track and I have no idea what it is or what it’s come from, I have a small plastic box with lots of different plastic bits in it of various sizes, shapes and colours, I don’t why I save them to be honest as they will never be fitted again. I have a Wrenn 8F and the Windsor Castle which I have to show so you can look forward to seeing those. 👍🏻. Cheers for now mate. …………Graham
A nice trip down memory lane. I worked at the Bournemouth model railway when I was still at school back in the mid seventies and we sold Wren products in the shop. I owned City of Glasgow which I got as a Christmas present but I bought London and Birmingham, which was green for the princeely sum of around £12 each out of my earnings. I also had a Castle but I don't remember what that cost. Probably the same so they were a good investment in the long term for who ever bought them after me as I traded them in to go into N gauge where I have been ever since. For some reason Glasgow lost it's vroom. Not sure why but I thing it needed re magnetising which was beyond my ken then and probably now but when they were running they looked magnificent and somehow more realistic than the Hornby Rovex Oliver Cromwell Britania. which looked very shiny and very plastic along side the Wren engines in their matt paint work. I hope you have as much fun as I did back in the day. Great video. Many thanks.
Many thanks for your comment Langdon, it’s greatly appreciated. Well it sounds as though you had a great time working in the shop, I’m not sure I could have lasted there very long with all that temptation in front of me, I think I would have been constantly broke from buying so much! I have a remagnetiser which I use on all my Wrenn locos and it makes a huge difference to the performance once the magnet is remagnetised, it is quite noticeably improved. I think that is one of the problems (even today) that you can tell quite easily normally when something is made from plastic rather than metal, the finish of the paint is normally a big give away and these Wrenn locos all have the same Matt/satin finish to the rather than being glossy which makes all the difference in my opinion. Cheers for now mate. …………Graham
Hi Graham. Great to see you're able give a new lease of life to these locos. Please to see they are giving you great entertainment and they look great running on your layout.
Hi Tim and thank you for the comment, the entertainment value is huge especially seeing it go for the first time after a total dismantle, conversion and clean, it’s very satisfying, plus of course it gives these locos a new lease of life where they may have normally been stuffed away in boxes in the loft which is a great shame. More to come me thinks! 😉. Cheers for now mate. …………. Graham
You made my day watching someone with such a passion for these old locos. One day a fellow came into my store with five shopping carts full of a torn down train layout based on the Southern Railway. It was almost all old Hornby Dublo and some Wrenn and Farish, somewhat modded to resemble the Southern prototypes. I restored what I could and of course sold them off as I myself am into O scale. Cheers, Dan.
Hi Dan and I’m glad I made your day, it certainly made my day as this was the first time for me to see this small collection of Wrenn locos all running on the same day, something I didn’t think would be possible had materialised into a good working collection of classic models with their very own characters. I had great fun making this video and I hope you had enjoyment from it too. Cheers for now mate. ………….Graham
Oh yes, the blue one with gold pin striping is absolutely lovely. I like the new one too. You can hear the heft of them when they’re running. If it hit you in the knee at speed it would hurt. 😊😊😉. This must take you back.
Hi Rob and many thanks for the comment and yes, I think if one of these hit you anywhere it would hurt, they are pretty much a solid bit of metal, with that huge motor inside then there’s not much spare room inside which makes them even heavier! Cheers for now my friend. ……….. Graham
You just have to love the 4MT Class, so workmanlike. A proper stable of old ladies you are collecting, they are lovely. The Gert & Lil Railway lives on.
Hi bruv and thanks for the comment mate, yes I do seem to be gathering a nice collection of these old ladies with a few more still to collect and the nice thing is that I will be able to run them all on Lakeside even though it’s all DCC. What a diffence these are in comparison to the modern day stuff where I have no fear in picking these up without anything falling off them, they are wonderful toys from yesteryear and bring back many happy memories. I think I shall have to name a couple Gert and Lil - probably the two 4MT’s! 😂😂. Cheers for now mate. ………. Graham
Well I have today received the last Wrenn loco for a while which is the Windsor Castle which is in a beautiful blue and looks gorgeous, so that and the 8F will be shown soon trundling around Lakeside in the not too distant future. 😉. Cheers for now mate. ……….. Graham
Hi ya Graham. I had a sneaking suspicion when you were so pleased with that first Wrenn, we would be seeing more. What a wonderful stable you have now. Being of a certain age, I loved my Dinky Toy vehicles. So I understand the attraction. I recently found a Dinky Hillman Minx. Which was my mother’s first car my father bought for her in the late 50s. She adored that car until she had to drive it in San Francisco, with all it’s hills. She was not happy with the delicate ballet one needs to quickly release the clutch and push the gas pedal. Lol. Thanks for sharing all your lovely Wrenns. Take care. See ya next time.
Hi Norman and thanks for the comment. I had a sneaky feeling that I would get more too! They have become very addictive, they are such super models/toys to own and are as solid as a rock. I have a massive collection of Dinky Toys (including the Hillman Minx) and so can fully understand why you like it as it has that connection with your Mother and my collection reminds me of my childhood which I guess is the same for these Wrenn locos too. Anyway, glad you enjoyed it as I enjoyed making this video. Cheers for now mate. ……….. Graham
Brilliant, I've been looking at getting some older 2nd hand locos recently, the new stuff looks great, but seems more designed for a display cabinet rather than racing around the track. As a kid back in the 70's, the only wrenn item I had was a Peek Freens van wagon, the weight and quality stood out from all my Hornby stuff, I still have it and all my old Hornby and Lima stuff. I've been considering secondhand and Hornby railroad, doing some detailing again, proper railway modelling. The only problem I can remember with my Wrenn wagon, was that because of it's weight, if it was near the rear of a train, it would cause all of the lightweight Hornby wagons between the loco and it to fall over and derail, Thanks for the video Graham, I think these old locos look absolutely fine and run so well Cheers Rich
Hi Rich and many thanks for the comment, I love these old Wrenn locos, I know they won’t be for everyone but I like them so that’s the main thing and I think they also bring back the nostalgia to model railways again, they even smell like the locos I used to have as a kid! 😂. They aren’t particularly expensive to buy at the moment either - certainly a lot cheaper than the modern day stuff, unless you go for the rarer models in mint condition and they can be over £1000 but they are not for me, I want to run mine on my layout and not keep them stuffed away in boxes or display cases. After converting them to DCC and giving them a full strip down and clean (which is enjoyable in itself) then they run absolutely fine. The biggest advantage of them of course is that if you look at them a bit funny then they don’t get offended and throw a hissy fit and drop plastic bits all over the place! 😂😂😂. Cheers for now mate. ……….. Graham
Just Beautiful to watch the Locos glide along the track, the best runners I've seen thus far of all the model that are available in the market. Thanks Graham for the detailed presentation, the only reason I stayed away from them is the difficulty in DCC conversion, but you've given me fresh impetus to look at them again. Cheers, Michael
Hi Michael and thank you for the kind comment and so pleased that you found this video useful to you. The hardest part of this is insulating one of the brushes but if push comes to shove then it could be done with a pice of heat shrink but not shrunk - anything really just to isolate the brush from the chassis do that and the rest is just soldering 4 wires from the decoder. Grey and orange to each brush, black to ground on the chassis and red to the pick ups. Do that and the jobs done! Hope that helps and cheers for now. …………Graham
Hi Graham your right child hood memories come flooding back, great to see and watch your Wrenn loco's tearing up the track. Here's to the next and next Wrenn loco on your track, there is a certain charm about these loco's and who cares if the motors are protruding out of the loco, as always the number one rule of railway modelling applies. Thanks for sharing this video, take care..
Hi Barry and thanks for the comment, we didn’t care about the motors sticking out the cab back in the day, all we cared about was that we had a loco going round our track, probably on the front room carpet, that was enough for us, well it was for me anyway. And today we can look at them with a sense of charm and the childhood memories that have returned. I love theses Wrenn locos, something refreshingly different to them, like an old classic car. Even the old boxes have the same smell to each other of old cardboard. Lovely. Cheers for now mate. ……….. Graham
My eyes are 70+ years old too my friend and I only see joy when I look at these gorgeous locos, they bring back some wonderful memories of my childhood too. I am so surprised that without exception that each and every one of them was in such good condition which goes to show that not only were they well built but looked after too which as kids, back in the day we were taught to look after our stuff as money was tight back then. Cheers for now mate. ………..Graham
Hi Mark and thanks for the comment and funny you should mention about a display case for the because I was thinking along the same lines too, it would seem a shame to stuff them into a drawer when I’m not running them so for them to be in a display case seems a great idea. Anyway, glad you liked all the locos. 👍🏻. Cheers for now mate. ……….. Graham
Hi Graham , the best thing about these loco's is the livery on them . The colours are truly outstanding , reminds me of my Hornby Dublo collection I had in the late 60's . Cheers.........Peter
Hi Peter and thank you for the comment, well Wrenn took over from Hornby Dublo so not surprising these remind you of them and you’re right, the colours are great aren’t they. Cheers for now mate. …………Graham
A fantastic selection of locos. I particularly liked the City of Glasgow (that blue is brilliant) and the City of London (the brownish magenta) and, lastly, the Duchess of Hamilton (striking black with strong detailing lines). We're all drawn to different liveries, of course, but those three had the most striking colors to me! Nice demonstration of classic models from bygone days. Detailing and realism are probably better, and the modern tech offers so many more things to do, but that modern tech can be fragile, and going with more plastic nowadays over metal to save money is not necessarily an improvement. It is hard to call the quality today "better," just different. Great video and I love the walk-through!
Hi Anthony and thanks for the comment, as regards the quality between these and modern day locos then I think that although large and clunky, the Wrenn models IMO have better mechanics in them, much more robust which is why I guess they have lasted for so long. I just think it’s lovely to see these old classics running around on my DCC layout without any issues and it’s because they are classics that I find them so attractive. I think I’m come to the conclusion that I haven’t a favourite now, after running all together yesterday for the first time then they are all my favourites! 😂. Glad you enjoyed it and hopefully there will be a couple more in the following week running on the track to show you. Cheers for now mate. …………Graham
Great Video Graham -Wow that collection grew -No need to apologies for the Speed of the class 4 tank speed they were known to have done 90mph on the London Tilbury and Southern Region!
Hi Michael and thank you for the comment. 90 mph!? Wow, I didn’t realise they could reach those kind of speeds! I was running them a bit too quickly though but I have to admit that I just wanted to see how they ran to be honest as this was the first time that I had run them all together. Anyway, glad you enjoyed the video. Cheers for now mate. ………..Graham
I haven’t been to a toy fair for ages David, I used to love going round them but I haven’t seen any advertised lately, maybe it was the Covid thing which knocked them on the head but if I see one advertised then I will go. Cheers for now mate. …………..Graham
Wow they are gorgeous Graham ' they look very at home on Lakeside' ...difficult to choose a favorite but probably City of London in that BR Crimson' ...or maybe the eye catching City of Glasgow ...perhaps the black Duchess ...no, all of them and they even sound nice and heavy too' great video, take care.
Many thanks Ralph and I’m under the same conclusion - I can’t make up my mind now, I think they’re all my favourites! 😂😂😂. Cheers for now mate. ………..Graham
Nice collection of old Wren locomotives, Graham. Lovely to see them running again on Lakeside. The LNER Pacifics never had rear pony trucks they had Cartazzi axleboxes, providing limited freedom for the wheels to move aside between the fixed rear frames of the loco which were, I believe, 6 feet apart. The wheels were flanged, however, the curves generally used in OO are usually far tighter than you would find on the prototype, hence the need for flangeless wheels when using these axel boxes. I’m not sure if Cartazzi axleboxes were used by other groups. Back in the day, Dinky cars and OO/HO railways were generally toys aimed at children, so detail was not an issue and also expensive to manufacture. However, model railway layouts were increasingly being built by adults as a hobby, because as we all know, boys never grow up, they just get bigger toys. 😂 As the hobby grew and with advancements in technology, manufacturers catered more for the requirements of adults, for more prototypically accurate locomotives and stock. Unfortunately, it is priced now for adult wallets rather than a child’s pocket money, as it was in the 50s and 60s. Best, Jason.
Many thanks Jason for the comment and greatly appreciated and I bow down to your knowledge, all I know is that all the Wrenn locos I have have the articulated rear bogie and it works just fine for me. My new Hornby Hush Hush has the fixed rear bogie with a massive gap under the flangeless wheels and looks awful plus it serves no purpose at all unless of course you are taking it up a gradient where I assume the wheels would eventually rest on the track momentarily. Anyway, these all work fine for me so I guess that’s all what matters but thank you for explaining it. You are right about the pricing too, even as an adult then I have to now think twice before deciding to buy a new loco because of the higher prices. One of the reasons for me buying second hand. 👍🏻👍🏻. Cheers for now mate. ………..Graham
@@GrahamFoulston I’m all for being authentic, Graham, but the use of Cartazzi axles in OO/HO scale with flangeless wheels that usually sit above the track and hang over the track on tight curves, is not a good look. Personally, I would prefer the pony truck, despite not being prototypical. If you have a P4 layout with 4 foot minimum radius curves with appropriate gauge widening and prototypical gradients and points, then fine, you can implement flanged wheels on Cartazzi axles. In OO/HO with the typical curves and gradients used by most modelers, the compromise used on the Hush Hush to try and circumvent the engineering issues that arise on typical layouts, for me, is not a good move. Best, Jason.
Hi Dave and many thanks for the comment, Hornby Dublo is even older than Wrenn as it was Wrenn who took over from Hornby Dublo so yours must be very old indeed and that class 20 was a bargain for £25!! Cheers for now mate. ……….. Graham
Good for you mate and I can fully understand why you love them to bits, these are just fantastic models/toys from years gone by and bring back some happy memories for me. Cheers for now mate. ……….. Graham
Like you Graham I remember well the Wrenn range. I too was at Hamleys around the same time (maybe we even saw each other). Hamleys of course also had the fantastic (at the time) layout running around the balcony in the centre of the showroom. My first Wrenn was City of Liverpool and my second was Barnstaple. What appealed to me most was the huge weight difference over the Hornby version meaning it could tow enormous rakes of coaches. One must of course remember that these were toys at the end of the day, and as such most had a few chips on them. A few years ago there was a guy who did immaculate restorations on these locos, indistinguishable from an original. He also sold the full range of transfers. No idea if he is still around. A few years back people started to notice they had almost disappeared and they were fetching many hundreds of £s on eBay and at auction. Seems strange how the price has fallen flat again. I too still love them Graham. In my opinion some of the finest models of their era. To own a Wrenn made you a serious player in the model train fraternity. The important thing at the time was not the detail of the locos and stock, but the things you could do with the scenery. Providing your layout looked good then that was happiness!! In the late 50s early 60s I had a free pass to the show at Central Hall, Westminster due to my Uncles position as boss of the Midland Bank who owned the building, and had the honour of meeting some of the truly great modellers of the time, but sadly brain fade leaves much now forgotten, but I do remember getting to handle some of the prototype Wrenn and Hornby locos prior to release. Keep on Graham, you will soon have a fine collection!!! Cheers, Bob
Hi Bob and thanks for that fascinating comment, that was a great read - thank you. You are absolutely correct, these were toys back in the day and I have just been trying to explain that to someone else who has commented as he was saying that the 4MT’s I have shown were not accurate as they differed from region to region but that wasn’t the point, as long as these Wrenn locos gave a reasonable representation of a tank engine then that’s all what mattered to most of us kids, why should we care about such details when half the motor on some of them was sticking out the cab anyway! 😂. It was all about the engineering quality of them which made them stand out and the proof of that is that all these locos I’ve shown are still running today and still look in excellent condition - I wonder what the Hornby Hush Hush will fair like in 50 years time! Anyway, I’m happy (more than happy) in being able to collect these wonderful model toys from yesteryear, they bring back some happy memories for me and to be honest, then that’s all what matters. Cheers for now mate. ……….. Graham
Lovely video Graham..seeing your new collection and then running smoothly around your layout. Certainly did bring back memories of my one and only Wrenn loco..which was in LMS black like yours but named City of Stoke-on-Trent. Great stuff..all the best.
Hi Tim and thanks for the comment, it’s amazing that so many people have commented to say that they had at least one Wrenn loco in their younger days and some still have them which to me speaks volumes on the build quality these Wrenn locos have and hopefully I have shown that in this video, when you consider that all these locos I’ve shown are about 50 years old then that’s not bad going - especially as they are all still running. Cheers for now mate. ………..Graham
They are a look back at what we as kids all loved and enjoyed my first train set was a second hand hornby set with a steam and a desiel locos and a ew coaches and some wagons those locos had heavy huge motors and were heavy also but they were plastic bodies but as my intrest grew and my stock of wagons and carrages grew those two locos could pull all the wagons and carrages without a problem even when i tried to weigh the wagons to give the things some weight to pull they would just go and go. I soon learned about the cleaning o the motors and wheels and got to be real good at a quick pitstop to keep the brush wear rom creating shorts in the motor or the wheels getting spotty pickup etc. These things have stayed with me all my life as i grew up and had other things i was into that had electric motors and such and was where i irst started to learn about circuits and how things work. Yes todays stuff is more like what they are trying to model but if you put one of these old locos up against a modern one i bet the old ones run better and pull harder and without having to add weight to locos to take a reasonable load up a grade!
Thanks for the comment mate and I totally agree with what you are saying, these were made to be pulled apart and serviced which is what my dad taught me to do many, many years ago now and like you, these things stay with you to venture into other areas. These Wrenn locos won’t be for everyone’s taste, I appreciate that and problem for the younger generation then they want detail rather than engineering excellence which is fine I guess, but I find these locos so very attractive in the crude, honest way plus they are getting on for about 50+ years old now and are still running sweet. That’ll do for me. 👍🏻👍🏻. Cheers for now mate. ………..Graham
I couldn’t agree more with you Gareth, I appreciate that they won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, especially between the younger folk but I just love them, I find them so attractive in a classical way and they bring back many happy memories for me too. Cheers for now mate. …………Graham
Hi Graham some very nice locos i like the Glasgow Blue in particular I heard you say as a kid you went to Hamleys I wonder how much it has changed I Went to Hamleys a few years ago an enjoyed the store so much Here in Australia we have never had a toy store like Hamleys spent quite a long time there i felt like a kid again enjoy the video Thanks Regards Greg
Thanks very much for the comment mate, much appreciated. I went to Hamleys way back in the late 50’s, early 60’s I guess, can’t remember exactly when but it was about that sort of time and I expect that it had changed a lot by the time you went and obviously the toys were totally different too but a great experience none the less. Pleased that you enjoyed the video, it makes it all the worthwhile. Cheers for now mate. ………..Graham
Many thanks for the comment John and so pleased that you enjoyed looking at these old classics. I keep changing my mind on my favourite, I have come to the conclusion that they’re all my favourites! 👍🏻. Cheers for now mate. ………..Graham
In my opinion, some of these models actually stand up to their modern counterparts (well, almost). The 4MT's especially, if it weren't for the clunky con rods. The detail on them is excellent even for a 50-60 year old model! The handrails aren't even that much over scale, if they were perhaps half a mm or so thinner they'd be spot on. I much prefer the articulated pony trucks, I detest Hornby's logic with the fixed ones on the modern equivalents, I think it's down to laziness and cost saving more than anything else because they don't have to manufacture a completely separate part for it, meaning they can make it part of the body tooling instead. Thank you for making this video, it's inspired me to get back into fixing up old models like the Tri-ang B12 that my late dad had (of the preserved B12 at the NNR, 61572/8572). I might just be tempted to buy a second set of bodies for it (Loco and tender) to paint into LNER apple green as the preserved example 8572!
Hi Tim and thanks for the comment and I’m with you on pretty much everything you say, even down to the pony trucks, I still don’t understand why it has gone like that when the articulated version worked just fine but what do I know? I like your idea of a second body for the B12 and repainting it, great idea and you still keep the originality of original - neat! Cheers for now mate. ……….. Graham
Hi Russell and thanks for the comment mate and funnily enough the postman delivered the Windsor Castle (in blue) this morning, I have converted it to DCC this afternoon and its now running on Lakeside so that’s all nine now complete. 👍🏻👍🏻. Cheers for now mate. ………. Graham
Good evening Graham or should we start calling you mr wrenn just kidding my friend as I said before like you I remember these models and the easier days of our youth. I as you know run older models with newer ones.but I long for the old days when you buy a brand new engine and its has parts .missing or breaks down with in minutes. (Well rant over ha ha) nice to see you moving in to L.M.S or ex L.M.S nice to see the old Duchess in war time black.. well my friend I've really enjoyed this video. keep safe
Hi Stephen and many thanks for the comment, the unreliability of some of the modern stock is one of the reasons for me looking at the old stuff which although less detailed were a lot more solid and a lot more reliable in my opinion although I know some will disagree with me on that - they normally disagree with me about something!! 😂😂. And what better way than to start with the Wrenn locos, beautiful models of yesteryear and of my youth which spark off so many happy memories. I’m happy as a sand boy. 👍🏻👍🏻. Cheers for now mate. …………Graham
Hello graham so good to see these engines in there new home they may be rough round the edges but who cares they still look great and will there modern equivalents still run when they are that age there little pieces of history I bet the people who built them never guessed that they would be still running after all these years very enjoyable video cheers for now al 🚂🚂👍🤗😃👋
Hi Al and thank you for the comment, these locos are just so pleasant to work on, no fear of anything breaking off or falling apart and very straightforward engineering which still works faultless today, I’m really enjoying myself doing these Wrenn locos and I’m sure this won’t be the end of the collection either! Cheers for now mate. ……….Graham
Hi Graham. I am like you, like my Wrenn loco's, I have similar loco's, four fully working and four that have totally seized up and need a complete strip down. Best regards Alan at " Buckland Junction " :o)
Lovely locos Graham. When any loco is running around a layout you can't see the detail on it so detail isn't everything. They certainly don't make them as good as that anymore. Thanks for the video Take care Basil.
Hi Basil and thanks for the comment and what you say is very true, when it’s running then you can’t really tell that it’s lacking in the detail the modern locos have, only when stationary and you are up close but even then it doesn’t really matter as long as you accept it for what it is - a toy of yesteryear but a good toy at that and something that has lasted for about 50nyears and still going strong. Cheers for now mate. ……….. Graham
Totally agree the City of Glasgow has a great look. Big fan of colorful British steam, like the other locos locos you showed (excepting the 2nd one in basic black). U.S. engines had gorgeous colorful livery in the 1800s, but mostly turned into boring black in the 1900s, and the few that had color schemes were mostly awful, with exceptions like the Southern Pacific 4449 (my favorite) and the Southern 1401 (in Smithsonian collection). The Wren engines may not be to "fine scale standards", but I think they look just fine. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Robert and thank you for taking the time and trouble to comment, we have had a good variation in liveries over the years and even more so these days with vinyl wraps coming into play. I’m not too bothered about the fine scale or lack of it as regards these locos as they more than make up for it with their very own character, no doubt in another 50 years time then todays models will look old hat, not that I will know because I will be long gone! 😂😂. Cheers for now mate. ………..Graham
I was amazed how much these went for at some of the auctions I attend. They are very collectable. Good job for converting them to DCC. My perosnal favourites are of ocurse the LMS locos. I've just bought the Bachmann Silver Jubilee loco in a wooden presentation box. Such a lovely loco and it is LMS. I have ordered the new Hornby/SVR loco too.
Hi Graham you lucky fellow your video has brought back a lot of memories for me I Had a duchess class, a black 8f ,Cardiff Castle and Barnstable but I lost all of them a long time ago. However i did manage to pick a class 8 f up in war department grey and it was converted to DCC with sound lights and smoke it was a lucky find I will pop up a video of this loco in action once again thanks for all your videos they a re a great help to all of us modelers Kind regards Martin
Hi Martin and thanks for the comment, I wonder where your old locos are now? The 8f would be good to see, I may decide to choose one of these and add then extras now that they have all been converted to DCC but I will have to choose carefully. For the smoke then I will certainly have to choose one which doesn’t have the screw going down the chimney to hold the body onto the chassis which I thought the 8f had but I may be wrong. Be good to see it though! 👍🏻. Cheers for now mate. ……….. Graham
A very nice collection there Graham and I look forward to seeing the new ones under their own steam too. once converted. I always wanted the Wrenn locos back in the seventies' but had to make do with Hornby instead lol
Hi Dave and thanks for the comment, I have converted one more this morning so just another to do which I will hopefully have by the end of the week, it still hasn’t been delivered to me yet! We couldn’t afford the Wrenn locos so I’ve had to wait until now to get some but like you, it was always Hornby at the time which were fine but I wouldn’t touch them with a barge pole at the moment. Cheers for now mate. …………Graham
Hi Graham I really like your layout. - I hope it doesn't sound too pedantic but I would like to further some information on Wrenn. They set up as G & R Wren in 1950 producing 2 & 3 rail trackwork. In 1960 they branched out into manufacturing electric cars similar to Scalextric in 1/52 scale and changed their name to Wrenn 152. In 1952 Lines Bros who already owned Meccano Ltd and the brand names of Hornby & Dublo bought the controlling share in G & W Wrenn Ltd. The same year George Wrenn saw all of Hornby Dublo tooling at Meccano and after some negotiation bought all Hornby Dublo tooling. In 1965 Wrenn started producing Hornby Dublo loco's & rolling stock under the brand name of Wrenn was then bought out by Dapol in 1993 and then 3 avid Wrenn collectors got together and bought Wrenn from Dapol. So the models you have are actually Horny Dublo. But I agree with you, they are beautiful models for all their faults.Alan
Hi Alan and many thanks for that very informative comment, I knew some of that but there was a lot there I didn’t know so thanks for that. All interesting stuff although I have to disagree with you about “. . .all their faults” though. 😉. Cheers for now mate. ………. Graham
Pluckey little fellows. I like the crude nature of the old models too, Graham. Triang Spot on & Wrenn, are perhaps the two manufacturers, that seem to now express that particular quality & appeal, most perfectly. I'm thinking of getting at least one Wrenn loco in my ever growing OO collection. I'm a Southern fan mainly but I do love the LMS Crimson livery, as well. I noticed that you didn't bring up the 'Wrenn/weak magnet issue', which one hears so much about. I would be interested to hear from you as to whether that's just another internet fallacy or if your own Wrenn models look like they've been refitted with the so-called super-douper neo-magnets, that are supposed to boost an aging Wrenn engine's speed & pulling power? All the best. Andrew
Hi Andrew and thanks for the comment. I won’t fit those new style magnets to the Wrenns, they are far too strong in my opinion. Instead I remagnetise the old ones and that’s all that’s needed to bring them back to life again. All magnets will loose their magnetism over the years and just re magnetising them sorts that issue out. It’s a testament to Wrenns quality how they keep going after all these years with just a bit of tlc. Cheers for now mate. ………. Graham
The council and its people wanted it called City of Glesga and BR said that was not happening so Glaswegians like me protested at the shed gates until the rain hammered doon so I got dragged off in a cab home I did get to stand in its cab n it was boiling hot I coodnae breath….have fun mr foulston n if yer brave enough ye can take Stanley blade a drill n reduce the flange height if it’s a nuisance running ….love ya freind
Hi Jim and thanks for the comment mate and hope you’re keeping well. Those flanges aren’t causing me any issues at all, probably because I’m using code 100 track. Love ya too buddy. 👍🏻👍🏻. Cheers for now mate. ……….. Graham
You have certainly been on a search and spending spree there graham but some really good locomotives there especially the LMS Pacific’s and the bullied pacific, buying second hand is always a good thing to do especially today and some great locomotives can be found, my most recent second hand model was a heljan DP2 and the detail on it is incredible especially for a model from 2012, for a model that is essentially 10 years old as of this year I would say the detail on it stands up to the stuff we get today and in some cases goes beyond what we do get today, with my DP2 it ran great immediately when I received it but did give it a service and some lubrication due to it being second hand and now it’s performance is brilliant, I’m all for buying models second hand but at the same time you do need to be careful because some models may not be as good as they seem. Your wrenn locomotives looked great travelling round the layout graham, I will defiantly have to look into getting some of their locomotives one day.
Thanks for the comment David and like you, my attention is now primarily on to the second hand market rather than new although I will buy new if it appeals to me and of course is a fair price which is going to be hard right now with all these silly prices from two manufacturers. Luckily there are some sensible manufacturers out there who are not charging an arm and a leg for the products - Accurascale being one of them so if anyone out there is going to be getting my money then it’s going to be the likes of them. I totally agree with you that you have to be careful when buying second hand but if you’re careful then it normally works out ok. Cheers for now mate. ………Graham
Great video. I've loved Wrenn since being a child. My BR Green liveried Castle was the pride of my collection in the mid/late 70s bought for a 13th (possibly 14th) Birthday by my Nan. I always wanted a blue Castle too and have just bought a couple (plus two other Castles and a lot more besides) on eBay in preparation for a anticipated return to modelling in retirement. If only I had the space and skill to set up and run a layout that was big enough for all the kit I've acquired over the years. Just hope I can get the old locos running. EBay prices seem crazy right now. You have done much better than me. I've paid an average of over £100 for my Castles (the blue ones cost more) yet they aren't in as great a condition as described. That can be chips or the plastic cover over the connectors under the loco being so bowed that it will hit any points. It really is very hard to tell by the photos sometimes. We've probably been bidding against each other. After I bought my last two at £90+, I noticed prices dropped and a seemingly lovely one went much cheaper . I just don't need anymore though.
Nice collection Graham, as for the detailing, they look fine to me, perhaps you could do a video on converting a Wren to DCC for the beginners amongst us?
Hi Mark and thanks for the comment, my previous video to this showed me converting a Wrenn loco from DC to DCC but it didn’t go down too well as I did keep going off camera when doing a particular job on it - primarily because I had to hold it against me to do the job - I didn’t check to see that it was off the camera shot so a few people moaned about that. I may revisit doing another video again at some stage and will hopefully do a better job of it next time round. Cheers for now mate. …………Graham
Hi Dan and many thanks for the comment and very true, they were made for kids to ‘play’ with and as you say bullet proof, if you dropped them on the floor then not much happened, I don’t think that would be the case these days so it’s a trade off isn’t it - super detailed plastic with tiny motors but fragile as hell or chunky metal with huge motors and more of a representation than anything else - I love’em! 👍🏻👍🏻. Cheers for now mate. ………Graham
Thank you for such an amazing, nostalgic video, Graham. I well remember those locos from the 1960's and Hamley's too. I believe that all of your locos were originally in the Hornby Dublo range, so the design of them could date back to the 1950's. When G&R Wrenn obtained the moulds, they adapted them to allow the fitting of tension lock couplings, instead of the Hornby Dublo buckeye type. G&R Wrenn also re-introduced many of the Hornby Dublo freight wagons, also with tension lock couplings. I have a number of those running on my current layout and they blend in with the more up to date wagons extremely well. Your locos exude character and perform incredibly well. Would you consider doing a video on how you managed the DCC conversion, please? I have always imagined that conversion would be difficult, due to the "common return" electrical system in the locos. Keep up your great work.
Hi Graham and thank you for the comment and so pleased that you enjoyed the video, you gave me some interesting facts there and are very interesting and I’m learning a lot about Wrenn since I started this collection so thank you for that. I think the character you mention is what attracts me to these models, as you say, they exude it by the ton. If you look at my previous video then I explain in full how to convert one of these to DCC but it is an hour and a half long and according to some folk, not very well done because on occasions I did tend to work off camera which meant that you couldn’t see what I was doing. Nevertheless, I think it gives a reasonable explaination of what I’m doing - you can always skip through it if you so wish. Cheers for now mate. ………..Graham
Hello Graham and thanks for the video which I really enjoyed. I remember buying an LMS 4MT in LMS red in my early teens and it was a step up from the shiney plastic Triang Hornby that was around in the early 70's. Sadly my pocket money wouldn't stretch to any of the larger locos. Nevertheless I really enjoyed this loco until I changed to n gauge. From memory I think they did a 0-6-2 N2 tank loco and a 0-6-0 R1 tank loco so you still have others to collect. Good luck finding others!
I couldn’t agree with you more David, I could drop any of these on a carpet and absolutely nothing would break off and the shear weight of them makes them great haulers too. I don’t think I will be buying many new locos from now on which are erring on the £300 mark, I just couldn’t justify spending that sort of money on one loco unless it was of particular interest to me but I would still have to seriously think about it. None of these cost me more than £100 and most average about £70 which I think is great value for money. Cheers for now mate. ……….. Graham
These are wonderful. It isn't an age thing Graham, I was brought up with plastic toys, so anything metal seems very special. I think that still stands. And the modern Hornby/Bachmann thing for so much detail often seems counter-productive. Too expensive and easily broken, and not enough attention to running reliability.
Very true in what you say, it makes a pleasant change to actually work and look at something which is primarily all metal, sure they are crude in comparison but I don’t mind that, at least I know if I look at it a bit funny it’s not going to throw a hissy fit and break down on me or drop something on the track! 😂. Cheers for now mate. ………..Graham
There is something to be said about the Old Hornby Duble O models which Wren inherited, they are robust and They would work well in a garden railway, it isn't as scary to run these models as it would be a more modern highly detailed model where I am scared to have parts falling off.
You are right about them being more robust than todays offerings, they are incredibly sturdy and to be honest, when running on the track then the finer details which are missing compared to modern models just doesn’t notice too much. I love them them. 👍🏻👍🏻. Cheers for now. ………….Graham
That was a great video, sir. It is a joy to see the loco's that we grew up with getting the finesse of DCC control, as we would have liked to have way back then! They were lumpy and solid but the motors still seem to respond to the 'chip's control' fine. Thank you for letting us see your fine Wrenn collection. Here's to the next 'find'! Keep Safe, Graham and thanks again. Cheers! (PS I noticed the 'Standard frame' on the LMS liveried 2-6-4? As you said, not made to proto-detail. Still a lovely locomotive though!)
Many thanks Mark for the comment, it’s a greatly appreciated and you are not the only one, I love them too, such gorgeous models of yesteryear with so much character. Cheers for now mate. ………. Graham
I've got the odd Wrenn Castle and the Triang Sir Winston Churchill and Biggin Hill which are almost entirely metal and will pull nearly all your rolling stock at once! It's the Hornby Dublo legacy of course - made to be played with and very robust with less detailing parts to break off and lose.
Hi Mark and thanks for the comment and you’re right of course, these were meant to be played with and always bought in a model shop if dad could afford it. Utterly bomb proof unlike todays offerings. There are a surprising number of folk commenting saying that they still have there old Wrenn or Hornby Dublo locos which shows how strong they were built to last this long and still able to run. These are fantastic model/toys and something I have really started to get attracted too for various reasons. Cheers for now mate. ……….. Graham
I picked up one of those Wrenn City of London as part of a job lot I bought. I planned on cleaning it up and selling it but it looked so good I still have it 😊 Sure, many of the details are very coarse but when you consider it's around 50 years old and still running strong you have to be impressed. Have you done a video on DCC converting the Wrenn's?
Hi Gerry and thanks for the comment and I don’t blame you for holding on to that Wrenn loco, I would have done the same. My previous video to this one showed me converting a Wrenn loco to DCC but it didn’t go down too well apparently because some of the time I was off camera without realising it so some parts were not clear - or so some folk commented on. I may revisit this again at some stage and see if I can do a better job of the video. Cheers for now mate. ………..Graham
Great loco's Graham, looked after they will run for ever, the weight in them is fantastic love what youv'e done with them. With them being so heavy with agricultural wheels i would be worried about them knocking hell out of your points because these things were not made to suit modern track. Maybe more suited to the old super 4 A great jod all the same Regards Alan
Hi Alan and thanks for the comment and I’m pleased that you enjoyed seeing them. As I run code 100 track then these Wrenn locos have no issues with the points or track in general and to be honest, depending on how much use a layout gets the track wears out (as in real life) anyway but I don’t think that will happen for a long time yet as it’s not as if these are going to be run everyday on the layout. Anyway, glad you enjoyed it. Cheers for now mate. ………..Graham
Great looking locos Graham. I can remember Wrenn, they were considered more classy than Triang/Hornby. I also remember Gem kits and various other white metal locos. The modern loco makers could maybe learn a lot from the quality of these manufacturers. In there day these were the collectors choice, rather than the more toy like mass produced locos. Keep up with the great and interesting work.Clive.
Thank you very much for the comment Clive and pleased that you like the locos as I obviously do too. They are certainly different to the modern day stuff that’s for sure and there was nothing broken whatsoever on those 8 locos and all worked first time out the box on DC mode - that says a lot to me! Hopefully another two will be shown in the next week or so. Cheers for now mate. ……….. Graham
Although most Wrenn steam locomotives did have flange less centre driving wheels, there was a change towards the later eighties more new models were fitted with centre flanged wheels and some used larger size wheels to get nearer scale size. Looking at my late production W2302 Coronation King George VI and W2407 Tavistock they both have flanged centre drivers with LMS Pacific looking to use the larger Castle drivers. The eighties released Royal Scot models also have larger all flanged driving wheels. Wrenn were perhaps concerned with the ex Dublo West Country having the long ringfield motor in the cab since when they tooled up for the new release of the streamlined original condition West Country models they had a revised chassis with a vertical motor taking up less cab space. I recall reading about the AM2 upgraded versions of models with the wheel upgrade. Seem to remember boiler blackhead representation too but cannot find my catalogues later than the fifth edition to confirm. The other plus if the AM2 spec models was a five pole version of the vertical motor armature. Also available as a spare part
Hi John and thank you for the comment and all very interesting as a lot of that I didn’t know so we all live and learn each day. I hadn’t a single loco out of the nine so far that has flanges on the centre wheels so I guess they must have been the earlier type before Wrenn changed them. They were after all models from the previous Hornby Dublo period so Wrenn must have looked at these later on and thought about improving on them. Interesting to read about the 5 pole motor, I wonder if that is interchangeable with the old vertical 3 pole motor, if all the dimensions are the same then I would have thought they would have been. Cheers for now mate. ……….Graham
@@GrahamFoulston the wrenn five pole armature was interchangeable with the earlier vertical motor. I fitted one to an old Dublo City that I bought cheaply.
@@GrahamFoulston I bought the five pole armature soon after I saw the illustrated as being available in the seventh edition Catalog and were available in my local Melbourne Australia train hobby shops. Would be around 1985, but no longer available. Lots of Wrenn in Melbourne since the largest model train business in Australia got annoyed with huge Hornby wholesale prices and so went direct to Wrenn and bought huge amounts when the Australian dollar was strong. They were then able to sell Wrenn for far less than Hornby for a few years. One example price I remember was $55 for a Hornby Duchess but $41 for a Wrenn City $55 for Mainline and Airfix Royal Scots too. I Steered a few thankful people to Wrebn who were looking at Hornby but we're unaware of Wrenn. This was the city centre Model Dockyard that closed later with the owners retirement. A few large ads for them in the 66 and 67 Railway Modeller but concentrating on the Japanese Brass models that were perhaps the main profit centre for them.
@@johnd8892 Oh ok John, I didn’t realise it was that long ago, late again - story of my life! 😂😂. But I will keep looking, you never know, I might find something. 👍🏻👍🏻
You got me thinking now Graham , How good would be to convert one to have a 5 pole motor and add more pickups , you could 3D print a motor mount very easily and cheap . Dave
Hi David and thank you for the comment, I guess it would be rather cool to have a go at doing that but not sure I could do that to a classic, all what I have done can be retrofitted back again to being original, I think I might leave that to someone else but a good idea though. The only other thing I may do is add more pick-ups as they are very short of them in standard form and it shows when running sometimes. There is normally only two wheels which have pick-ups which isn’t ideal. Cheers for now mate. …………Graham
NOW HERE'S A THOUGHT Why do we find a good number of second hand locos advertised as 'poor runners'....? Could it be that modern motors are rather flimsy and often contain plastic cogs and components........hence cheaper to produce....? My Hornby-Dublo and Wrenn locos have lasted the course with their heavier and chunkier motors, plus the bonus of die-cast construction. James Hennighan Yorkshire, England
Hi James, I think there are normally two main issues with ‘poor runners’ one would be electrical and no wonder why when you look at just the motor, an incredibly fragile thing in todays models, very small, light and very cheaply made - if we can buy a motor from Chine for less the £2 then how much does it actually cost to make - pence I would think, no wonder they don’t last that long in a lot of cases. And two, mechanical. Mostly it’s things breaking or falling off. Again, they are made of fragile plastic and even more fragile glue to glue the fragile plastic piece on. It’s not rocket science to realise that unless you are extremely careful with the loco then it’s not going to last the 50 years or so like these older locos. 👍🏻. Cheers for now mate. …………. Graham
Hi mate and thanks for the comment, the prices of the Wrenn locos hasn’t gone up since I’ve started collecting which is a surprise! 😂😂. I use the heavy duty decoders from Rails of Sheffield along with DCC Concept decoder adaptors which makes installation much easier and also upgrading to sound decoders at a later stage should I want to. Hope that helps. Cheers for now mate. ……….. Graham
Great to see this lovely collection, and excellent photography. A pity though about the long and rambling commentary that did little more than detail paint chips and that it was rather a mystery why you like Wrenn locos. What would have been useful was some pictures of the DCC conversion and how you went about insulating the brushes of the two different types of motor, which I have found require careful and detailed effort on the lathe.
Well I realise after several years on CZcams that I can’t please everyone and you seem to be one of them. I can’t cover everything that everyone needs or wants, I have no script, I am not a professional either so if you want that then may I suggest that you make your own video and do it to perfection - and I guarantee that you will still have someone moan about something. By the way, no lathe is required for the insulated holders for the brushes, I 3D printed mine. ……….. Graham
@@GrahamFoulston It wasn't intended as a moan. I praised the things that were exemplary and commented more adversely on the things where improvement seemed necessary. The majority of people on CZcams are amateurs so it isn't really enough to say one isn't professional. If you have no script perhaps you should. How does anyone develop their technique without feedback that isn't simply a eulogy? It's scarcely an answer to say no lathe is required if a 3D printer with software is. The DCC conversion of Wrenn locos was obviously the most interesting aspect of what you had to say, since pictures of the locomotives are otherwise readily available. It was great though seeing them so robustly in action, which isn't. I, like you, find it hard to see why people are critical of these models, on the basis of their lack of accurate detail (what I have done in one case is to buy a spare casting of the body and make a fine detail version, so I have both an original and a more realistic alternative). Those who praise the modern models for their detail seem content with motors, gearboxes and other fragile plastic innards of a kind more often seen in cracker toys. It's the heavy engineering of Wrenn models that is so appealing.
@@RicktheRecorder This video was never about how or why I converted these locos to DCC, that was covered in my previous video but I recommend that you don’t watch it though as you will no doubt find many things wrong with that too of which I already know the issues so I don’t need them repeating to me. This video was purely about the locos I had worked on and received since that previous video. As regards having a script then absolutely not, my videos are meant to be in a normal, natural conversational way with many erms and ums included, talking as if I were talking to someone naturally. The problem I have (like many other people) is that if I were to do all the things you suggest then I would have criticism form others saying I should have done or done that - I know, I’ve tried it. So I make the videos how I seem fit for me, I don’t have adverts on this channel (although I could as I used to in the past) but I don’t want to make money from an unprofessional channel, it’s not fair on others watching in my opinion and so folk are going to have to put up with what I put up or just not watch - it’s that simple.
Graham, as a long term Australian viewer (but not commenter) I have just got around to watching your introductory video. Shame on you 😊 as I have just spent over $200 Australian on Thomas Bergersen's (and Two Steps From Hell 's) CDs after listening to the background music!!! On a more serious note thank you for putting the time and effort in producing the videos - I realise how much effort goes into their production and I do appreciate it.
Hi Joachim and thank you for the comment. Yes, some are extremely rare an some can be very expensive too - probably both! But there are some real bargains to be had out there, I will never pay more than £100 for any of the models I collect and all these what you see were under £100 and to me they are worth every penny. Cheers for now mate. ………. Graham
Interesting that the LMS tank had a slight problem with one of the rear drivers. I had a Wrenn LMS maroon 4MT given to me as a present in 1976 (£18.75) but it had a bad wobble on that very wheel and had to go back to the shop. The replacement loco had exactly the same problem and the shop had to refund the cost. I wonder watching your video if the loss of plating on that wheel of yours was caused by a repair to straighten the wheel on the axle. Mine were both terrible runners because of it and I wonder if yours could be one of the two that I had. The mint condition being because it was basically a non-runner and has lived in it's box since August 1976 until someone was brave enough to tweak the wheel straight?
Well I guess if you put two BMW Minis together of the same year but just in different colours then they would look exactly the same too apart from the colours. To be honest, I’m not really sure what you are trying to say. Cheers for now mate. ………. Graham
@@GrahamFoulston The LMS Class 4 was a Fairburn/ Stanier design and the Southern a Class W designed by Maunsell. Both the Wrenn models look to be of the Class 4 according to my old Ian Allen book.
@@10cfwh74 They probably were but as I said in the video, these were toys for kids in the day and not so much for the enthusiasts where there were differences between the types. They were just representations just like the old Dink Toys cars of the day. Wrenn made something looking like a 4MT and rather change or make different mouldings for a different model then they just changed the livery and us as normal kids accepted that. It says 4MT on both boxes so I can only assume that they have used artistic licence but I’m not bothered if it’s supposed to be Class 08 Diesel, I just accept them for what they are - toys.
@@GrahamFoulston Graham, I did say that it doesn't matter and it doesn't. They are great models and I think that you have a great set up, it is great fun. Keep up the good work, I watch all your videos with great pleasure, all the best, Simon.
Just watched your video on converting your wren to dcc and would like to do the same myself as I appreciate the old wren locos. But I do not own a 3D printing machine and do not know anyone who owns one. Is it possible if I could buy the sleeves that you do and I am willing to pay for them and delivery or collection if you are not too far away from Wolverhampton. Me and my grand daughter would be very appreciative as we love you videos and have been subscribed for a while. Thank you.
I was almost certain the Wrenn City class Pacific's had plastic bodied tenders on die cast chassis as were the later tooling of the Hornby Dublo models.. I thought the 8F and Castle were the only fully diecast tender Wrenn as well as the later release Wrenn Royal Scot using the rivetted 8F tender. The Wrenn A4 tender was unusual by using a Hornby plastic tender Have I got any of that wrong?
Hi John and to be honest with you I don’t know. All I can say is that they felt like metal when I felt them, maybe I was wrong, I probably am but it will make no difference either way as they are still brilliant to me. Cheers for now mate. ……….Graham
This was just a joy to watch, full of nostalgia. Enjoy your lovely models.
Hi Kevin and thank you for the comment and so pleased that you enjoyed it. 👍🏻. Cheers for now mate. ………..Graham
Love Wrenn locos, I think they look superb when running and from a distance - the slightly crude oversize details together with an excellent finish seem to just look so good in real life when running round a layout. Easy to handle too
Wow wow wow, you lucky bugger Graham. These locos are amazing. Proper valve gear and connecting rods, you can't take you eyes off them. Beautiful instructional film as always. Thanks for sharing these wonderful locos. Ian.
Thanks for the comment Ian and yes, I am indeed a lucky bugger, these Wrenn locos are absolutely gorgeous with a great presence on the track too, they look heavy just looking at them! I have received today the last one for now which is the ‘Windsor Castle’ in a beautiful blue livery which I hope to show running soon along with the 8F. 👍🏻. Cheers for now mate. ……….. Graham
Hi Graham, I fully agree. I had a couple of Wrenn locos that led me down the Hornby Dublo route and am in the process of building a three rail layout. I dont really have any childhood memories of three rail as Hornby stopped producing them in 1964 and i wasn't even born until 71. But as you so eloquently put it the crudeness is the charm. My favourite locos are the 0-6-2 tanks of which I now own several including an LMS version with a horse shoe motor and dates to around 1948 and still works faultlessly.
Looking forwards to seeing many more on your layout. Best wishes Steve.
Some nice looking loco’s Graham bringing back some fond memories…..
Hi and thank you for the comment and I’m pleased that it bought back a few memories for you like they have done for me too. Cheers for now mate. ………..Graham
A fabulous little collection of WREN locomotives in excellent condition and run very well after your maintenance and upgrading of them. If I remember correctly that you used code one hundred track on Lakeside which helps with the Wren's running on the layout. For as you know the large flanges on the wheels would otherwise Sleeper Chair Ride on any lower profiled track. Though seeing these items running, the solid sound of the metal wheels and valve gear moving is wonderful to my ears. One of my fave hypnotic sounds in real life is the clickity clack of rolling stock on the rails. Enjoy your reliving of a bygone era in model form.
Hello Graham,
Younger generation here. Fascinated. :)
Cheers from Canada,
Greg
So spooky. Just before this came up I was watching OOBill going through a 1st Edition Wrenn catalogue, saying he has a couple but he'd like to get more, especially City of Glasgow! Too late - Graham's got it! ;-)
Hi Davie and thanks for the comment, I’m a great OOBill follower and yes I saw that video too, I have the 1st and second Issues of the wren catalogue and they make for inspiring reading - and collecting! There are still more I would like to get when finances allow but I can safely say that I do have the City of Glasgow now though! 😂. Cheers for now mate. ……….. Graham
I am becoming a Wrenn fan! Trainster from Erie, Pa. USA!
Good for you my friend and thank you sir for the comment too. Cheers for now Robert. ………. Graham
Wrenn are stunning models. It's an obsession I have no trouble relating to.
Wow … thanks so much Graeme … that was highly enjoyable … just the sight of these magnificent locos brings a smile to my face … they were made properly, and as solidly as the real things !! A great dose of nostalgia, I hope you are both well, All the very best 🙏
Many thanks for the comment Nigel, it’s much appreciated. I’m so pleased that you found this video enjoyable and I enjoyed making it too. ‘Magnificent’ and ‘mighty’ are two words that spring to mind when I’m looking at these because of their shear weight and presence on the track are just the right words to describe them, you wouldn’t want to put a modern plastic version doing a head on with one of these as I know what would come off worse! 😂. Anyway, I’m pleased that you enjoyed it this and it brought a smile to your face. Cheers for now mate. …………Graham
You are building up a very nice collection there Graham. My favourite is City of Glasgow, it looks stunning.
Thanks for the comment mate and I still can’t make my mind up what is my favourite- I keep changing my mind! 😂. Cheers for now mate. …………. Graham
Enjoyed your video very much thanks for sharing DD.
That’s excellent news that you enjoyed the video my friend and thank you for the comment. Cheers for now mate. …………Graham
@@GrahamFoulston Thanks very much for replying Graham to my comment. That's the great part about the hobby sharing ideas and learning new ideas from other people to improve our Channel's so l have like and subscribe to your channel too .Stay safe DD.
@@medwaymodelrailway7129 Thank you my friend. 👍🏻👍🏻
@@GrahamFoulston Your welcome.
Superb models. And another interesting thing is that Hornby Dublo/Wrenn locos with walschaerts valve gear have working radius rods. All the modern stuff leaves this static; so much for all the super detail! Sorry to comment so late after the initial posting, only just seen your fine presentation.
Wow Graham, I've got the 4MT in GWR green, my dad bought it for me when I was about 12 or 13, it's still running on my layout now 60 years later, having been given to my son in the 70s and now my grandchildren play with it when they come around. Never had a layout for years but keep a lot of both my original and my sons stuff. I admire the work you've done with them to keep them working and indeed preserving them for the future. But I must admit that Duchess of Hamilton takes my breath away, Magnificent, take care Graham, Eddy xx
Hi Eddy and thank you for the comment and yes, that Duchess of Hamilton is a beauty, so very attractive. That’s really nice to hear that your grandchildren still play with the old locos from way back when, I bet there won’t be many playing with the new stuff today in 50 years time! So pleased that you enjoyed it, it makes these videos all the worthwhile. Cheers for now mate. …………. Graham
The engines are beautiful Graham. Thank you for showing them to us.
When I was a child my father often took me to a general merchandise store called Levin's in Philadelphia where we lived. They had a large display of "O" gage trains in their store front window. These were true scale "O" gage models, not Lionel toy trains. Now at 78 years of age I still remember Dad taking me to see them. Ironically I now model in "N" scale because that is all that space permits.
Watched your latest video on the rebuilding of your Gentry (spelling?) yesterday. You are doing a beautiful job.
Best Regards.
Ken May
Oxford, Georgia
U.S.A.
Hi Ernest and thank you for such a great comment sir, I really appreciate that. I think a lot of us ‘more mature’ folk can remember our dads taking us to show and model shops when we were kids - that was part of the deal back in those days wasn’t it - the dad was pretending to do it for the kids but were actually doing it for themselves! 😂. I’m not far behind you at 73 and it’s almost like I’m trying to cram as much in now before I eventually pop my clogs, I’m busier now than when I was working before I retired but I’m enjoying myself, that’s the main thing and these little Wrenn locos are bringing a big smile on my face again as I remember my youth.
The Gentry is coming along nicely especially as the engine and body will be going on the chassis in the very near future - within the month I would think. 👍🏻👍🏻
Take care my friend and I hope you will enjoy my further updates of both Lakeside and the Gentry (and yes, you did spell it right). .
Graham
Great collection - nice to see the classics getting a run out
Nice one Graham, giving the old Wrenn locos a new lease of life. Very well done.
Many thanks Brian and it’s nice to see these old ladies running once again on the track and I’m pleased with the outcome of them all. Cheers for now mate. ……….. Graham
Excellent Graham. I’m not bothered about detail and I have just bought a Hornby Princess Elizabeth (still waiting on the post) in
LMS Crimson. It was a choice of black or crimson, but I love the crimson colour of LMS. I also have a Duchess of Sutherland which is a 70’s model. Tender driven with a ringfield motor. Goes really well. I think the early Hornby’s and Wrenns take us back to better times
I’m a great LMS crimson lover too although I think the blue of some of these Wrenn locos takes some beating though, but that’s just my opinion. I certainly agree with you (and many others from the sounds of some of these comments) that the old locos from way back when we’re far better in quality (but not necessarily in detail) than our present offerings from certain manufacturers, only time will tell I guess if these modern things will still be running in 50 years time like these old girls are today. Cheers for now mate. ………. Graham
I have 11 so far...been lucky only one that I had to return..I love them,built to lasting getting quite proffecient at serviceing them....patients is required though.
Hi David and with the arrival of the Sir Nigel Gresley A4 today then that brings me to 10 - so catching you up! 😂. I love these Wrenn locos and I have no doubt that I will be getting a few more as and when I see one I like and at a good price. Cheers for now mate. …………Graham
Thanks god the car getting done 😂👍 George in Stoke
Hi George, it always was getting done but I just haven’t shown much of it lately but I will be doing an update on it shortly. Cheers for now mate. ……….. Graham
wonderful, lovely to see these older locos in such good condition.
Hi Frank and thanks for the comment and yes, these old classic locos are in good shape considering how old they are, I’ve seen much newer locos in much worse state than these and to be honest it’s just a few paint chips here and there, nothing mechanically wrong with them, they’re good runners now too. Cheers for now mate. ………. Graham
Awesome locos Graham!!! Great runners too! Thanks for sharing this video. Cheers Onno.
Many thanks Onno for the comment and I’m pleased that you enjoyed seeing them. Cheers for now mate. ……….. Graham
i wish i still had mine as i am sick of it these days ive got bits falling off the new ones left right and centre and i am very carefull with all my stuff but after 50 years of doing this hobby the bug still carries on.great video more of these would be great thank you Dave
Hi David and thanks for the comment, I know exactly what you mean about stuff falling off, it drives me insane, what annoys me more is finding some small black plastic thing on the track and I have no idea what it is or what it’s come from, I have a small plastic box with lots of different plastic bits in it of various sizes, shapes and colours, I don’t why I save them to be honest as they will never be fitted again. I have a Wrenn 8F and the Windsor Castle which I have to show so you can look forward to seeing those. 👍🏻. Cheers for now mate. …………Graham
A nice trip down memory lane. I worked at the Bournemouth model railway when I was still at school back in the mid seventies and we sold Wren products in the shop. I owned City of Glasgow which I got as a Christmas present but I bought London and Birmingham, which was green for the princeely sum of around £12 each out of my earnings. I also had a Castle but I don't remember what that cost. Probably the same so they were a good investment in the long term for who ever bought them after me as I traded them in to go into N gauge where I have been ever since. For some reason Glasgow lost it's vroom. Not sure why but I thing it needed re magnetising which was beyond my ken then and probably now but when they were running they looked magnificent and somehow more realistic than the Hornby Rovex Oliver Cromwell Britania. which looked very shiny and very plastic along side the Wren engines in their matt paint work. I hope you have as much fun as I did back in the day. Great video. Many thanks.
Many thanks for your comment Langdon, it’s greatly appreciated. Well it sounds as though you had a great time working in the shop, I’m not sure I could have lasted there very long with all that temptation in front of me, I think I would have been constantly broke from buying so much! I have a remagnetiser which I use on all my Wrenn locos and it makes a huge difference to the performance once the magnet is remagnetised, it is quite noticeably improved. I think that is one of the problems (even today) that you can tell quite easily normally when something is made from plastic rather than metal, the finish of the paint is normally a big give away and these Wrenn locos all have the same Matt/satin finish to the rather than being glossy which makes all the difference in my opinion. Cheers for now mate. …………Graham
Hi Graham. Great to see you're able give a new lease of life to these locos. Please to see they are giving you great entertainment and they look great running on your layout.
Hi Tim and thank you for the comment, the entertainment value is huge especially seeing it go for the first time after a total dismantle, conversion and clean, it’s very satisfying, plus of course it gives these locos a new lease of life where they may have normally been stuffed away in boxes in the loft which is a great shame. More to come me thinks! 😉. Cheers for now mate. …………. Graham
You made my day watching someone with such a passion for these old locos. One day a fellow came into my store with five shopping carts full of a torn down train layout based on the Southern Railway. It was almost all old Hornby Dublo and some Wrenn and Farish, somewhat modded to resemble the Southern prototypes. I restored what I could and of course sold them off as I myself am into O scale. Cheers, Dan.
Hi Dan and I’m glad I made your day, it certainly made my day as this was the first time for me to see this small collection of Wrenn locos all running on the same day, something I didn’t think would be possible had materialised into a good working collection of classic models with their very own characters. I had great fun making this video and I hope you had enjoyment from it too. Cheers for now mate. ………….Graham
Oh yes, the blue one with gold pin striping is absolutely lovely. I like the new one too. You can hear the heft of them when they’re running. If it hit you in the knee at speed it would hurt. 😊😊😉. This must take you back.
Hi Rob and many thanks for the comment and yes, I think if one of these hit you anywhere it would hurt, they are pretty much a solid bit of metal, with that huge motor inside then there’s not much spare room inside which makes them even heavier! Cheers for now my friend. ……….. Graham
You just have to love the 4MT Class, so workmanlike. A proper stable of old ladies you are collecting, they are lovely. The Gert & Lil Railway lives on.
Hi bruv and thanks for the comment mate, yes I do seem to be gathering a nice collection of these old ladies with a few more still to collect and the nice thing is that I will be able to run them all on Lakeside even though it’s all DCC. What a diffence these are in comparison to the modern day stuff where I have no fear in picking these up without anything falling off them, they are wonderful toys from yesteryear and bring back many happy memories. I think I shall have to name a couple Gert and Lil - probably the two 4MT’s! 😂😂. Cheers for now mate. ………. Graham
Thanks Graham. Enjoyed getting all the details and all of the locos look great. Can't wait to see what next is added to the Wrenn Collection :-)
Well I have today received the last Wrenn loco for a while which is the Windsor Castle which is in a beautiful blue and looks gorgeous, so that and the 8F will be shown soon trundling around Lakeside in the not too distant future. 😉. Cheers for now mate. ……….. Graham
Hi ya Graham. I had a sneaking suspicion when you were so pleased with that first Wrenn, we would be seeing more. What a wonderful stable you have now. Being of a certain age, I loved my Dinky Toy vehicles. So I understand the attraction. I recently found a Dinky Hillman Minx. Which was my mother’s first car my father bought for her in the late 50s. She adored that car until she had to drive it in San Francisco, with all it’s hills. She was not happy with the delicate ballet one needs to quickly release the clutch and push the gas pedal. Lol. Thanks for sharing all your lovely Wrenns. Take care. See ya next time.
Hi Norman and thanks for the comment. I had a sneaky feeling that I would get more too! They have become very addictive, they are such super models/toys to own and are as solid as a rock. I have a massive collection of Dinky Toys (including the Hillman Minx) and so can fully understand why you like it as it has that connection with your Mother and my collection reminds me of my childhood which I guess is the same for these Wrenn locos too. Anyway, glad you enjoyed it as I enjoyed making this video. Cheers for now mate. ……….. Graham
Hi Graham you're right the maroon loco at the end is fab , you can almost hear how heavy the locos are as they go.
Regards
David
Brilliant, I've been looking at getting some older 2nd hand locos recently, the new stuff looks great, but seems more designed for a display cabinet rather than racing around the track. As a kid back in the 70's, the only wrenn item I had was a Peek Freens van wagon, the weight and quality stood out from all my Hornby stuff, I still have it and all my old Hornby and Lima stuff. I've been considering secondhand and Hornby railroad, doing some detailing again, proper railway modelling. The only problem I can remember with my Wrenn wagon, was that because of it's weight, if it was near the rear of a train, it would cause all of the lightweight Hornby wagons between the loco and it to fall over and derail,
Thanks for the video Graham, I think these old locos look absolutely fine and run so well
Cheers Rich
Hi Rich and many thanks for the comment, I love these old Wrenn locos, I know they won’t be for everyone but I like them so that’s the main thing and I think they also bring back the nostalgia to model railways again, they even smell like the locos I used to have as a kid! 😂. They aren’t particularly expensive to buy at the moment either - certainly a lot cheaper than the modern day stuff, unless you go for the rarer models in mint condition and they can be over £1000 but they are not for me, I want to run mine on my layout and not keep them stuffed away in boxes or display cases. After converting them to DCC and giving them a full strip down and clean (which is enjoyable in itself) then they run absolutely fine. The biggest advantage of them of course is that if you look at them a bit funny then they don’t get offended and throw a hissy fit and drop plastic bits all over the place! 😂😂😂. Cheers for now mate. ……….. Graham
Good to see how well they run under DCC!
Just Beautiful to watch the Locos glide along the track, the best runners I've seen thus far of all the model that are available in the market. Thanks Graham for the detailed presentation, the only reason I stayed away from them is the difficulty in DCC conversion, but you've given me fresh impetus to look at them again.
Cheers,
Michael
Hi Michael and thank you for the kind comment and so pleased that you found this video useful to you. The hardest part of this is insulating one of the brushes but if push comes to shove then it could be done with a pice of heat shrink but not shrunk - anything really just to isolate the brush from the chassis do that and the rest is just soldering 4 wires from the decoder. Grey and orange to each brush, black to ground on the chassis and red to the pick ups. Do that and the jobs done! Hope that helps and cheers for now. …………Graham
Hi Graham your right child hood memories come flooding back, great to see and watch your Wrenn loco's tearing up the track. Here's to the next and next Wrenn loco on your track, there is a certain charm about these loco's and who cares if the motors are protruding out of the loco, as always the number one rule of railway modelling applies. Thanks for sharing this video, take care..
Hi Barry and thanks for the comment, we didn’t care about the motors sticking out the cab back in the day, all we cared about was that we had a loco going round our track, probably on the front room carpet, that was enough for us, well it was for me anyway. And today we can look at them with a sense of charm and the childhood memories that have returned. I love theses Wrenn locos, something refreshingly different to them, like an old classic car. Even the old boxes have the same smell to each other of old cardboard. Lovely. Cheers for now mate. ……….. Graham
If you look at them loco's with seventy year old eyes (like mine), oh boy, what a joy !
My eyes are 70+ years old too my friend and I only see joy when I look at these gorgeous locos, they bring back some wonderful memories of my childhood too. I am so surprised that without exception that each and every one of them was in such good condition which goes to show that not only were they well built but looked after too which as kids, back in the day we were taught to look after our stuff as money was tight back then. Cheers for now mate. ………..Graham
Lovely collection ,they deserve a very spiffy handcrafted display case ! And yes a gentry video great!cheers love the locos.
Hi Mark and thanks for the comment and funny you should mention about a display case for the because I was thinking along the same lines too, it would seem a shame to stuff them into a drawer when I’m not running them so for them to be in a display case seems a great idea. Anyway, glad you liked all the locos. 👍🏻. Cheers for now mate. ……….. Graham
Hi Graham , the best thing about these loco's is the livery on them . The colours are truly outstanding , reminds me of my Hornby Dublo collection I had in the late 60's . Cheers.........Peter
Hi Peter and thank you for the comment, well Wrenn took over from Hornby Dublo so not surprising these remind you of them and you’re right, the colours are great aren’t they. Cheers for now mate. …………Graham
@@GrahamFoulston I put late 60's , late 50's actually . Denying my age again LOL .
@@ChapelEndJunctionUK 😂😂😂
A fantastic selection of locos. I particularly liked the City of Glasgow (that blue is brilliant) and the City of London (the brownish magenta) and, lastly, the Duchess of Hamilton (striking black with strong detailing lines). We're all drawn to different liveries, of course, but those three had the most striking colors to me! Nice demonstration of classic models from bygone days. Detailing and realism are probably better, and the modern tech offers so many more things to do, but that modern tech can be fragile, and going with more plastic nowadays over metal to save money is not necessarily an improvement. It is hard to call the quality today "better," just different. Great video and I love the walk-through!
Hi Anthony and thanks for the comment, as regards the quality between these and modern day locos then I think that although large and clunky, the Wrenn models IMO have better mechanics in them, much more robust which is why I guess they have lasted for so long. I just think it’s lovely to see these old classics running around on my DCC layout without any issues and it’s because they are classics that I find them so attractive. I think I’m come to the conclusion that I haven’t a favourite now, after running all together yesterday for the first time then they are all my favourites! 😂. Glad you enjoyed it and hopefully there will be a couple more in the following week running on the track to show you. Cheers for now mate. …………Graham
Great Video Graham -Wow that collection grew -No need to apologies for the Speed of the class 4 tank speed they were known to have done 90mph on the London Tilbury and Southern Region!
Hi Michael and thank you for the comment. 90 mph!? Wow, I didn’t realise they could reach those kind of speeds! I was running them a bit too quickly though but I have to admit that I just wanted to see how they ran to be honest as this was the first time that I had run them all together. Anyway, glad you enjoyed the video. Cheers for now mate. ………..Graham
Go to the toy fairs Graham there's loads of Wren locos
I haven’t been to a toy fair for ages David, I used to love going round them but I haven’t seen any advertised lately, maybe it was the Covid thing which knocked them on the head but if I see one advertised then I will go. Cheers for now mate. …………..Graham
Very nice collection I love British steam sometimes simple is just plain nice
Wow they are gorgeous Graham ' they look very at home on Lakeside' ...difficult to choose a favorite but probably City of London in that BR Crimson' ...or maybe the eye catching City of Glasgow ...perhaps the black Duchess ...no, all of them and they even sound nice and heavy too' great video, take care.
Many thanks Ralph and I’m under the same conclusion - I can’t make up my mind now, I think they’re all my favourites! 😂😂😂. Cheers for now mate. ………..Graham
Nice collection of old Wren locomotives, Graham. Lovely to see them running again on Lakeside.
The LNER Pacifics never had rear pony trucks they had Cartazzi axleboxes, providing limited freedom for the wheels to move aside between the fixed rear frames of the loco which were, I believe, 6 feet apart. The wheels were flanged, however, the curves generally used in OO are usually far tighter than you would find on the prototype, hence the need for flangeless wheels when using these axel boxes. I’m not sure if Cartazzi axleboxes were used by other groups.
Back in the day, Dinky cars and OO/HO railways were generally toys aimed at children, so detail was not an issue and also expensive to manufacture. However, model railway layouts were increasingly being built by adults as a hobby, because as we all know, boys never grow up, they just get bigger toys. 😂 As the hobby grew and with advancements in technology, manufacturers catered more for the requirements of adults, for more prototypically accurate locomotives and stock. Unfortunately, it is priced now for adult wallets rather than a child’s pocket money, as it was in the 50s and 60s. Best, Jason.
Many thanks Jason for the comment and greatly appreciated and I bow down to your knowledge, all I know is that all the Wrenn locos I have have the articulated rear bogie and it works just fine for me. My new Hornby Hush Hush has the fixed rear bogie with a massive gap under the flangeless wheels and looks awful plus it serves no purpose at all unless of course you are taking it up a gradient where I assume the wheels would eventually rest on the track momentarily. Anyway, these all work fine for me so I guess that’s all what matters but thank you for explaining it. You are right about the pricing too, even as an adult then I have to now think twice before deciding to buy a new loco because of the higher prices. One of the reasons for me buying second hand. 👍🏻👍🏻. Cheers for now mate. ………..Graham
@@GrahamFoulston I’m all for being authentic, Graham, but the use of Cartazzi axles in OO/HO scale with flangeless wheels that usually sit above the track and hang over the track on tight curves, is not a good look. Personally, I would prefer the pony truck, despite not being prototypical. If you have a P4 layout with 4 foot minimum radius curves with appropriate gauge widening and prototypical gradients and points, then fine, you can implement flanged wheels on Cartazzi axles. In OO/HO with the typical curves and gradients used by most modelers, the compromise used on the Hush Hush to try and circumvent the engineering issues that arise on typical layouts, for me, is not a good move. Best, Jason.
Hi Graham, what a fantastic running of your Wrenn loco's, ibought a Hornby Dublo class 20 last year for £25.00. I might get more soon.....Dave
Hi Dave and many thanks for the comment, Hornby Dublo is even older than Wrenn as it was Wrenn who took over from Hornby Dublo so yours must be very old indeed and that class 20 was a bargain for £25!! Cheers for now mate. ……….. Graham
I own two Wrenn locomotives and two Wrenn Pullmans I absolutely love them to bits
Good for you mate and I can fully understand why you love them to bits, these are just fantastic models/toys from years gone by and bring back some happy memories for me. Cheers for now mate. ……….. Graham
Like you Graham I remember well the Wrenn range. I too was at Hamleys around the same time (maybe we even saw each other). Hamleys of course also had the fantastic (at the time) layout running around the balcony in the centre of the showroom. My first Wrenn was City of Liverpool and my second was Barnstaple. What appealed to me most was the huge weight difference over the Hornby version meaning it could tow enormous rakes of coaches.
One must of course remember that these were toys at the end of the day, and as such most had a few chips on them. A few years ago there was a guy who did immaculate restorations on these locos, indistinguishable from an original. He also sold the full range of transfers. No idea if he is still around. A few years back people started to notice they had almost disappeared and they were fetching many hundreds of £s on eBay and at auction. Seems strange how the price has fallen flat again.
I too still love them Graham. In my opinion some of the finest models of their era. To own a Wrenn made you a serious player in the model train fraternity. The important thing at the time was not the detail of the locos and stock, but the things you could do with the scenery. Providing your layout looked good then that was happiness!!
In the late 50s early 60s I had a free pass to the show at Central Hall, Westminster due to my Uncles position as boss of the Midland Bank who owned the building, and had the honour of meeting some of the truly great modellers of the time, but sadly brain fade leaves much now forgotten, but I do remember getting to handle some of the prototype Wrenn and Hornby locos prior to release.
Keep on Graham, you will soon have a fine collection!!! Cheers, Bob
Hi Bob and thanks for that fascinating comment, that was a great read - thank you. You are absolutely correct, these were toys back in the day and I have just been trying to explain that to someone else who has commented as he was saying that the 4MT’s I have shown were not accurate as they differed from region to region but that wasn’t the point, as long as these Wrenn locos gave a reasonable representation of a tank engine then that’s all what mattered to most of us kids, why should we care about such details when half the motor on some of them was sticking out the cab anyway! 😂. It was all about the engineering quality of them which made them stand out and the proof of that is that all these locos I’ve shown are still running today and still look in excellent condition - I wonder what the Hornby Hush Hush will fair like in 50 years time! Anyway, I’m happy (more than happy) in being able to collect these wonderful model toys from yesteryear, they bring back some happy memories for me and to be honest, then that’s all what matters. Cheers for now mate. ……….. Graham
Lovely video Graham..seeing your new collection and then running smoothly around your layout. Certainly did bring back memories of my one and only Wrenn loco..which was in LMS black like yours but named City of Stoke-on-Trent. Great stuff..all the best.
Hi Tim and thanks for the comment, it’s amazing that so many people have commented to say that they had at least one Wrenn loco in their younger days and some still have them which to me speaks volumes on the build quality these Wrenn locos have and hopefully I have shown that in this video, when you consider that all these locos I’ve shown are about 50 years old then that’s not bad going - especially as they are all still running. Cheers for now mate. ………..Graham
They are a look back at what we as kids all loved and enjoyed my first train set was a second hand hornby set with a steam and a desiel locos and a ew coaches and some wagons those locos had heavy huge motors and were heavy also but they were plastic bodies but as my intrest grew and my stock of wagons and carrages grew those two locos could pull all the wagons and carrages without a problem even when i tried to weigh the wagons to give the things some weight to pull they would just go and go. I soon learned about the cleaning o the motors and wheels and got to be real good at a quick pitstop to keep the brush wear rom creating shorts in the motor or the wheels getting spotty pickup etc. These things have stayed with me all my life as i grew up and had other things i was into that had electric motors and such and was where i irst started to learn about circuits and how things work. Yes todays stuff is more like what they are trying to model but if you put one of these old locos up against a modern one i bet the old ones run better and pull harder and without having to add weight to locos to take a reasonable load up a grade!
Thanks for the comment mate and I totally agree with what you are saying, these were made to be pulled apart and serviced which is what my dad taught me to do many, many years ago now and like you, these things stay with you to venture into other areas. These Wrenn locos won’t be for everyone’s taste, I appreciate that and problem for the younger generation then they want detail rather than engineering excellence which is fine I guess, but I find these locos so very attractive in the crude, honest way plus they are getting on for about 50+ years old now and are still running sweet. That’ll do for me. 👍🏻👍🏻. Cheers for now mate. ………..Graham
I agree I've just started collecting them there is something charming and well built about them
I couldn’t agree more with you Gareth, I appreciate that they won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, especially between the younger folk but I just love them, I find them so attractive in a classical way and they bring back many happy memories for me too. Cheers for now mate. …………Graham
@@GrahamFoulston my first one I built from bits, City of Stoke-on-Trent. I've just bought an 8F that I want to restore
@@garethparkin9498 Excellent Gareth, my 8f is an great little runner, you should be pleased with it once complete. 👍🏻
Hi Graham some very nice locos i like the Glasgow Blue in particular I heard you say as a kid you went to Hamleys I wonder how much it has changed I Went to Hamleys a few years ago an enjoyed the store so much Here in Australia we have never had a toy store like Hamleys spent quite a long time there i felt like a kid again enjoy the video Thanks Regards Greg
Thanks very much for the comment mate, much appreciated. I went to Hamleys way back in the late 50’s, early 60’s I guess, can’t remember exactly when but it was about that sort of time and I expect that it had changed a lot by the time you went and obviously the toys were totally different too but a great experience none the less. Pleased that you enjoyed the video, it makes it all the worthwhile. Cheers for now mate. ………..Graham
A very enjoyable homage to GREAT models from yesteryear ... I vote for the: Duchess of Hamilton :) a sentimental favorite ... cheers mate.
Many thanks for the comment John and so pleased that you enjoyed looking at these old classics. I keep changing my mind on my favourite, I have come to the conclusion that they’re all my favourites! 👍🏻. Cheers for now mate. ………..Graham
In my opinion, some of these models actually stand up to their modern counterparts (well, almost). The 4MT's especially, if it weren't for the clunky con rods. The detail on them is excellent even for a 50-60 year old model! The handrails aren't even that much over scale, if they were perhaps half a mm or so thinner they'd be spot on. I much prefer the articulated pony trucks, I detest Hornby's logic with the fixed ones on the modern equivalents, I think it's down to laziness and cost saving more than anything else because they don't have to manufacture a completely separate part for it, meaning they can make it part of the body tooling instead. Thank you for making this video, it's inspired me to get back into fixing up old models like the Tri-ang B12 that my late dad had (of the preserved B12 at the NNR, 61572/8572). I might just be tempted to buy a second set of bodies for it (Loco and tender) to paint into LNER apple green as the preserved example 8572!
Hi Tim and thanks for the comment and I’m with you on pretty much everything you say, even down to the pony trucks, I still don’t understand why it has gone like that when the articulated version worked just fine but what do I know? I like your idea of a second body for the B12 and repainting it, great idea and you still keep the originality of original - neat! Cheers for now mate. ……….. Graham
Great collection Graham, but you need a Windsor Castle in blue now !
Hi Russell and thanks for the comment mate and funnily enough the postman delivered the Windsor Castle (in blue) this morning, I have converted it to DCC this afternoon and its now running on Lakeside so that’s all nine now complete. 👍🏻👍🏻. Cheers for now mate. ………. Graham
Good evening Graham or should we start calling you mr wrenn just kidding my friend as I said before like you I remember these models and the easier days of our youth. I as you know run older models with newer ones.but I long for the old days when you buy a brand new engine and its has parts .missing or breaks down with in minutes. (Well rant over ha ha) nice to see you moving in to L.M.S or ex L.M.S nice to see the old Duchess in war time black.. well my friend I've really enjoyed this video. keep safe
Hi Stephen and many thanks for the comment, the unreliability of some of the modern stock is one of the reasons for me looking at the old stuff which although less detailed were a lot more solid and a lot more reliable in my opinion although I know some will disagree with me on that - they normally disagree with me about something!! 😂😂. And what better way than to start with the Wrenn locos, beautiful models of yesteryear and of my youth which spark off so many happy memories. I’m happy as a sand boy. 👍🏻👍🏻. Cheers for now mate. …………Graham
Hello graham so good to see these engines in there new home they may be rough round the edges but who cares they still look great and will there modern equivalents still run when they are that age there little pieces of history I bet the people who built them never guessed that they would be still running after all these years very enjoyable video cheers for now al 🚂🚂👍🤗😃👋
Hi Al and thank you for the comment, these locos are just so pleasant to work on, no fear of anything breaking off or falling apart and very straightforward engineering which still works faultless today, I’m really enjoying myself doing these Wrenn locos and I’m sure this won’t be the end of the collection either! Cheers for now mate. ……….Graham
@@GrahamFoulston 😃🚂👍🤗
Hi Graham. I am like you, like my Wrenn loco's, I have similar loco's, four fully working and four that have totally seized up and need a complete strip down. Best regards Alan at " Buckland Junction " :o)
Those are Beauties Graham
They are indeed Paul, they are fantastic beasts and so different from the modern stuff. Cheers for now mate. ……….. Graham
I hear you were mentioned in the livestream this evening with jenny kirk ,regarding this very topic of the wrenn
Oh really! I am famous at long last! 😂😂😂. Cheers for now mate. ……….. Graham
Lovely locos Graham.
When any loco is running around a layout you can't see the detail on it so detail isn't everything.
They certainly don't make them as good as that anymore.
Thanks for the video
Take care
Basil.
Hi Basil and thanks for the comment and what you say is very true, when it’s running then you can’t really tell that it’s lacking in the detail the modern locos have, only when stationary and you are up close but even then it doesn’t really matter as long as you accept it for what it is - a toy of yesteryear but a good toy at that and something that has lasted for about 50nyears and still going strong. Cheers for now mate. ……….. Graham
A fine selection of loco's they run really well thankyou for the video
Many thanks for the comment Mark and really pleased that you enjoyed seeing the locos run. Cheers for now mate. ……….. Graham
@@GrahamFoulston 👍
Totally agree the City of Glasgow has a great look. Big fan of colorful British steam, like the other locos locos you showed (excepting the 2nd one in basic black). U.S. engines had gorgeous colorful livery in the 1800s, but mostly turned into boring black in the 1900s, and the few that had color schemes were mostly awful, with exceptions like the Southern Pacific 4449 (my favorite) and the Southern 1401 (in Smithsonian collection). The Wren engines may not be to "fine scale standards", but I think they look just fine. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Robert and thank you for taking the time and trouble to comment, we have had a good variation in liveries over the years and even more so these days with vinyl wraps coming into play. I’m not too bothered about the fine scale or lack of it as regards these locos as they more than make up for it with their very own character, no doubt in another 50 years time then todays models will look old hat, not that I will know because I will be long gone! 😂😂. Cheers for now mate. ………..Graham
I was amazed how much these went for at some of the auctions I attend. They are very collectable. Good job for converting them to DCC. My perosnal favourites are of ocurse the LMS locos. I've just bought the Bachmann Silver Jubilee loco in a wooden presentation box. Such a lovely loco and it is LMS. I have ordered the new Hornby/SVR loco too.
Hi Graham you lucky fellow your video has brought back a lot of memories for me I Had a duchess class, a black 8f ,Cardiff Castle and Barnstable but I lost all of them a long time ago. However i did manage to pick a class 8 f up in war department grey and it was converted to DCC with sound lights and smoke it was a lucky find I will pop up a video of this loco in action once again thanks for all your videos they a re a great help to all of us modelers Kind regards Martin
Hi Martin and thanks for the comment, I wonder where your old locos are now? The 8f would be good to see, I may decide to choose one of these and add then extras now that they have all been converted to DCC but I will have to choose carefully. For the smoke then I will certainly have to choose one which doesn’t have the screw going down the chimney to hold the body onto the chassis which I thought the 8f had but I may be wrong. Be good to see it though! 👍🏻. Cheers for now mate. ……….. Graham
Great video! Love your content and railway, first saw it in Hornby Mag! Subbed! 👍
A very nice collection there Graham and I look forward to seeing the new ones under their own steam too. once converted. I always wanted the Wrenn locos back in the seventies' but had to make do with Hornby instead lol
Hi Dave and thanks for the comment, I have converted one more this morning so just another to do which I will hopefully have by the end of the week, it still hasn’t been delivered to me yet! We couldn’t afford the Wrenn locos so I’ve had to wait until now to get some but like you, it was always Hornby at the time which were fine but I wouldn’t touch them with a barge pole at the moment. Cheers for now mate. …………Graham
Hi Graham I really like your layout. - I hope it doesn't sound too pedantic but I would like to further some information on Wrenn. They set up as G & R Wren in 1950 producing 2 & 3 rail trackwork. In 1960 they branched out into manufacturing electric cars similar to Scalextric in 1/52 scale and changed their name to Wrenn 152. In 1952 Lines Bros who already owned Meccano Ltd and the brand names of Hornby & Dublo bought the controlling share in G & W Wrenn Ltd. The same year George Wrenn saw all of Hornby Dublo tooling at Meccano and after some negotiation bought all Hornby Dublo tooling. In 1965 Wrenn started producing Hornby Dublo loco's & rolling stock under the brand name of Wrenn was then bought out by Dapol in 1993 and then 3 avid Wrenn collectors got together and bought Wrenn from Dapol. So the models you have are actually Horny Dublo. But I agree with you, they are beautiful models for all their faults.Alan
Hi Alan and many thanks for that very informative comment, I knew some of that but there was a lot there I didn’t know so thanks for that. All interesting stuff although I have to disagree with you about “. . .all their faults” though. 😉. Cheers for now mate. ………. Graham
Pluckey little fellows. I like the crude nature of the old models too, Graham. Triang Spot on & Wrenn, are perhaps the two manufacturers, that seem to now express that particular quality & appeal, most perfectly. I'm thinking of getting at least one Wrenn loco in my ever growing OO collection. I'm a Southern fan mainly but I do love the LMS Crimson livery, as well. I noticed that you didn't bring up the 'Wrenn/weak magnet issue', which one hears so much about. I would be interested to hear from you as to whether that's just another internet fallacy or if your own Wrenn models look like they've been refitted with the so-called super-douper neo-magnets, that are supposed to boost an aging Wrenn engine's speed & pulling power? All the best. Andrew
Hi Andrew and thanks for the comment. I won’t fit those new style magnets to the Wrenns, they are far too strong in my opinion. Instead I remagnetise the old ones and that’s all that’s needed to bring them back to life again. All magnets will loose their magnetism over the years and just re magnetising them sorts that issue out. It’s a testament to Wrenns quality how they keep going after all these years with just a bit of tlc. Cheers for now mate. ………. Graham
The council and its people wanted it called City of Glesga and BR said that was not happening so Glaswegians like me protested at the shed gates until the rain hammered doon so I got dragged off in a cab home I did get to stand in its cab n it was boiling hot I coodnae breath….have fun mr foulston n if yer brave enough ye can take Stanley blade a drill n reduce the flange height if it’s a nuisance running ….love ya freind
Hi Jim and thanks for the comment mate and hope you’re keeping well. Those flanges aren’t causing me any issues at all, probably because I’m using code 100 track. Love ya too buddy. 👍🏻👍🏻. Cheers for now mate. ……….. Graham
You have certainly been on a search and spending spree there graham but some really good locomotives there especially the LMS Pacific’s and the bullied pacific, buying second hand is always a good thing to do especially today and some great locomotives can be found, my most recent second hand model was a heljan DP2 and the detail on it is incredible especially for a model from 2012, for a model that is essentially 10 years old as of this year I would say the detail on it stands up to the stuff we get today and in some cases goes beyond what we do get today, with my DP2 it ran great immediately when I received it but did give it a service and some lubrication due to it being second hand and now it’s performance is brilliant, I’m all for buying models second hand but at the same time you do need to be careful because some models may not be as good as they seem.
Your wrenn locomotives looked great travelling round the layout graham, I will defiantly have to look into getting some of their locomotives one day.
Thanks for the comment David and like you, my attention is now primarily on to the second hand market rather than new although I will buy new if it appeals to me and of course is a fair price which is going to be hard right now with all these silly prices from two manufacturers. Luckily there are some sensible manufacturers out there who are not charging an arm and a leg for the products - Accurascale being one of them so if anyone out there is going to be getting my money then it’s going to be the likes of them. I totally agree with you that you have to be careful when buying second hand but if you’re careful then it normally works out ok. Cheers for now mate. ………Graham
Great video. I've loved Wrenn since being a child. My BR Green liveried Castle was the pride of my collection in the mid/late 70s bought for a 13th (possibly 14th) Birthday by my Nan. I always wanted a blue Castle too and have just bought a couple (plus two other Castles and a lot more besides) on eBay in preparation for a anticipated return to modelling in retirement. If only I had the space and skill to set up and run a layout that was big enough for all the kit I've acquired over the years. Just hope I can get the old locos running.
EBay prices seem crazy right now. You have done much better than me. I've paid an average of over £100 for my Castles (the blue ones cost more) yet they aren't in as great a condition as described. That can be chips or the plastic cover over the connectors under the loco being so bowed that it will hit any points. It really is very hard to tell by the photos sometimes. We've probably been bidding against each other. After I bought my last two at £90+, I noticed prices dropped and a seemingly lovely one went much cheaper . I just don't need anymore though.
Nice collection Graham, as for the detailing, they look fine to me, perhaps you could do a video on converting a Wren to DCC for the beginners amongst us?
Hi Mark and thanks for the comment, my previous video to this showed me converting a Wrenn loco from DC to DCC but it didn’t go down too well as I did keep going off camera when doing a particular job on it - primarily because I had to hold it against me to do the job - I didn’t check to see that it was off the camera shot so a few people moaned about that. I may revisit doing another video again at some stage and will hopefully do a better job of it next time round. Cheers for now mate. …………Graham
They were toys made for kids back in the day. Like Lionel, bullet proof and still running almost hundred years later.
Hi Dan and many thanks for the comment and very true, they were made for kids to ‘play’ with and as you say bullet proof, if you dropped them on the floor then not much happened, I don’t think that would be the case these days so it’s a trade off isn’t it - super detailed plastic with tiny motors but fragile as hell or chunky metal with huge motors and more of a representation than anything else - I love’em! 👍🏻👍🏻. Cheers for now mate. ………Graham
Thank you for such an amazing, nostalgic video, Graham. I well remember those locos from the 1960's and Hamley's too. I believe that all of your locos were originally in the Hornby Dublo range, so the design of them could date back to the 1950's. When G&R Wrenn obtained the moulds, they adapted them to allow the fitting of tension lock couplings, instead of the Hornby Dublo buckeye type. G&R Wrenn also re-introduced many of the Hornby Dublo freight wagons, also with tension lock couplings. I have a number of those running on my current layout and they blend in with the more up to date wagons extremely well. Your locos exude character and perform incredibly well. Would you consider doing a video on how you managed the DCC conversion, please? I have always imagined that conversion would be difficult, due to the "common return" electrical system in the locos. Keep up your great work.
Hi Graham and thank you for the comment and so pleased that you enjoyed the video, you gave me some interesting facts there and are very interesting and I’m learning a lot about Wrenn since I started this collection so thank you for that. I think the character you mention is what attracts me to these models, as you say, they exude it by the ton. If you look at my previous video then I explain in full how to convert one of these to DCC but it is an hour and a half long and according to some folk, not very well done because on occasions I did tend to work off camera which meant that you couldn’t see what I was doing. Nevertheless, I think it gives a reasonable explaination of what I’m doing - you can always skip through it if you so wish. Cheers for now mate. ………..Graham
Hello Graham and thanks for the video which I really enjoyed. I remember buying an LMS 4MT in LMS red in my early teens and it was a step up from the shiney plastic Triang Hornby that was around in the early 70's. Sadly my pocket money wouldn't stretch to any of the larger locos. Nevertheless I really enjoyed this loco until I changed to n gauge. From memory I think they did a 0-6-2 N2 tank loco and a 0-6-0 R1 tank loco so you still have others to collect. Good luck finding others!
Great Video Graham , Built like tanks not like todays C*** , and you have modernized them mate , Who wants to buy a £300 loco that drops to bits.
I couldn’t agree with you more David, I could drop any of these on a carpet and absolutely nothing would break off and the shear weight of them makes them great haulers too. I don’t think I will be buying many new locos from now on which are erring on the £300 mark, I just couldn’t justify spending that sort of money on one loco unless it was of particular interest to me but I would still have to seriously think about it. None of these cost me more than £100 and most average about £70 which I think is great value for money. Cheers for now mate. ……….. Graham
These are wonderful. It isn't an age thing Graham, I was brought up with plastic toys, so anything metal seems very special. I think that still stands. And the modern Hornby/Bachmann thing for so much detail often seems counter-productive. Too expensive and easily broken, and not enough attention to running reliability.
Very true in what you say, it makes a pleasant change to actually work and look at something which is primarily all metal, sure they are crude in comparison but I don’t mind that, at least I know if I look at it a bit funny it’s not going to throw a hissy fit and break down on me or drop something on the track! 😂. Cheers for now mate. ………..Graham
There's a certain solidity to these Wrens which makes them appear like they;re a bigger gauge like O.
considering your age, you're doing pretty well!
There is something to be said about the Old Hornby Duble O models which Wren inherited, they are robust and They would work well in a garden railway, it isn't as scary to run these models as it would be a more modern highly detailed model where I am scared to have parts falling off.
You are right about them being more robust than todays offerings, they are incredibly sturdy and to be honest, when running on the track then the finer details which are missing compared to modern models just doesn’t notice too much. I love them them. 👍🏻👍🏻. Cheers for now. ………….Graham
That was a great video, sir. It is a joy to see the loco's that we grew up with getting the finesse of DCC control, as we would have liked to have way back then! They were lumpy and solid but the motors still seem to respond to the 'chip's control' fine. Thank you for letting us see your fine Wrenn collection. Here's to the next 'find'! Keep Safe, Graham and thanks again. Cheers!
(PS I noticed the 'Standard frame' on the LMS liveried 2-6-4? As you said, not made to proto-detail. Still a lovely locomotive though!)
Good grief, I love them. I think the past is the future 🤔👍
Many thanks Mark for the comment, it’s a greatly appreciated and you are not the only one, I love them too, such gorgeous models of yesteryear with so much character. Cheers for now mate. ………. Graham
I've got the odd Wrenn Castle and the Triang Sir Winston Churchill and Biggin Hill which are almost entirely metal and will pull nearly all your rolling stock at once! It's the Hornby Dublo legacy of course - made to be played with and very robust with less detailing parts to break off and lose.
Hi Mark and thanks for the comment and you’re right of course, these were meant to be played with and always bought in a model shop if dad could afford it. Utterly bomb proof unlike todays offerings. There are a surprising number of folk commenting saying that they still have there old Wrenn or Hornby Dublo locos which shows how strong they were built to last this long and still able to run. These are fantastic model/toys and something I have really started to get attracted too for various reasons. Cheers for now mate. ……….. Graham
I picked up one of those Wrenn City of London as part of a job lot I bought. I planned on cleaning it up and selling it but
it looked so good I still have it 😊 Sure, many of the details are very coarse but when you consider it's around 50 years old
and still running strong you have to be impressed.
Have you done a video on DCC converting the Wrenn's?
Hi Gerry and thanks for the comment and I don’t blame you for holding on to that Wrenn loco, I would have done the same. My previous video to this one showed me converting a Wrenn loco to DCC but it didn’t go down too well apparently because some of the time I was off camera without realising it so some parts were not clear - or so some folk commented on. I may revisit this again at some stage and see if I can do a better job of the video. Cheers for now mate. ………..Graham
Great loco's Graham, looked after they will run for ever, the weight in them is fantastic love what youv'e done with them. With them being so heavy with agricultural wheels i would be worried about them knocking hell out of your points because these things were not made to suit modern track. Maybe more suited to the old super 4 A great jod all the same Regards Alan
Hi Alan and thanks for the comment and I’m pleased that you enjoyed seeing them. As I run code 100 track then these Wrenn locos have no issues with the points or track in general and to be honest, depending on how much use a layout gets the track wears out (as in real life) anyway but I don’t think that will happen for a long time yet as it’s not as if these are going to be run everyday on the layout. Anyway, glad you enjoyed it. Cheers for now mate. ………..Graham
Great looking locos Graham. I can remember Wrenn, they were considered more classy than Triang/Hornby. I also remember Gem kits and various other white metal locos. The modern loco makers could maybe learn a lot from the quality of these manufacturers. In there day these were the collectors choice, rather than the more toy like mass produced locos. Keep up with the great and interesting work.Clive.
Thank you very much for the comment Clive and pleased that you like the locos as I obviously do too. They are certainly different to the modern day stuff that’s for sure and there was nothing broken whatsoever on those 8 locos and all worked first time out the box on DC mode - that says a lot to me! Hopefully another two will be shown in the next week or so. Cheers for now mate. ……….. Graham
Although most Wrenn steam locomotives did have flange less centre driving wheels, there was a change towards the later eighties more new models were fitted with centre flanged wheels and some used larger size wheels to get nearer scale size.
Looking at my late production W2302 Coronation King George VI and W2407 Tavistock they both have flanged centre drivers with LMS Pacific looking to use the larger Castle drivers. The eighties released Royal Scot models also have larger all flanged driving wheels.
Wrenn were perhaps concerned with the ex Dublo West Country having the long ringfield motor in the cab since when they tooled up for the new release of the streamlined original condition West Country models they had a revised chassis with a vertical motor taking up less cab space.
I recall reading about the AM2 upgraded versions of models with the wheel upgrade. Seem to remember boiler blackhead representation too but cannot find my catalogues later than the fifth edition to confirm.
The other plus if the AM2 spec models was a five pole version of the vertical motor armature. Also available as a spare part
Hi John and thank you for the comment and all very interesting as a lot of that I didn’t know so we all live and learn each day. I hadn’t a single loco out of the nine so far that has flanges on the centre wheels so I guess they must have been the earlier type before Wrenn changed them. They were after all models from the previous Hornby Dublo period so Wrenn must have looked at these later on and thought about improving on them. Interesting to read about the 5 pole motor, I wonder if that is interchangeable with the old vertical 3 pole motor, if all the dimensions are the same then I would have thought they would have been. Cheers for now mate. ……….Graham
@@GrahamFoulston the wrenn five pole armature was interchangeable with the earlier vertical motor.
I fitted one to an old Dublo City that I bought cheaply.
@@johnd8892 That’s interesting to know John, thanks for that. Is there a ‘go to’ place for Wrenn spares?
@@GrahamFoulston I bought the five pole armature soon after I saw the illustrated as being available in the seventh edition Catalog and were available in my local Melbourne Australia train hobby shops. Would be around 1985, but no longer available.
Lots of Wrenn in Melbourne since the largest model train business in Australia got annoyed with huge Hornby wholesale prices and so went direct to Wrenn and bought huge amounts when the Australian dollar was strong. They were then able to sell Wrenn for far less than Hornby for a few years.
One example price I remember was $55 for a Hornby Duchess but $41 for a Wrenn City $55 for Mainline and Airfix Royal Scots too.
I Steered a few thankful people to Wrebn who were looking at Hornby but we're unaware of Wrenn. This was the city centre Model Dockyard that closed later with the owners retirement. A few large ads for them in the 66 and 67 Railway Modeller but concentrating on the Japanese Brass models that were perhaps the main profit centre for them.
@@johnd8892 Oh ok John, I didn’t realise it was that long ago, late again - story of my life! 😂😂. But I will keep looking, you never know, I might find something. 👍🏻👍🏻
You got me thinking now Graham , How good would be to convert one to have a 5 pole motor and add more pickups , you could 3D print a motor mount very easily and cheap . Dave
Hi David and thank you for the comment, I guess it would be rather cool to have a go at doing that but not sure I could do that to a classic, all what I have done can be retrofitted back again to being original, I think I might leave that to someone else but a good idea though. The only other thing I may do is add more pick-ups as they are very short of them in standard form and it shows when running sometimes. There is normally only two wheels which have pick-ups which isn’t ideal. Cheers for now mate. …………Graham
NOW HERE'S A THOUGHT
Why do we find a good number of second hand locos advertised as 'poor runners'....?
Could it be that modern motors are rather flimsy and often contain plastic cogs and components........hence cheaper to produce....?
My Hornby-Dublo and Wrenn locos have lasted the course with their heavier and chunkier motors, plus the bonus of die-cast construction.
James Hennighan
Yorkshire, England
Hi James, I think there are normally two main issues with ‘poor runners’ one would be electrical and no wonder why when you look at just the motor, an incredibly fragile thing in todays models, very small, light and very cheaply made - if we can buy a motor from Chine for less the £2 then how much does it actually cost to make - pence I would think, no wonder they don’t last that long in a lot of cases. And two, mechanical. Mostly it’s things breaking or falling off. Again, they are made of fragile plastic and even more fragile glue to glue the fragile plastic piece on. It’s not rocket science to realise that unless you are extremely careful with the loco then it’s not going to last the 50 years or so like these older locos. 👍🏻. Cheers for now mate. …………. Graham
Very nice! Graham you single handedly upped the sales of Wrenn Locos! What DCC chips do you use for converting these locos?👏👏👏👏
Hi mate and thanks for the comment, the prices of the Wrenn locos hasn’t gone up since I’ve started collecting which is a surprise! 😂😂. I use the heavy duty decoders from Rails of Sheffield along with DCC Concept decoder adaptors which makes installation much easier and also upgrading to sound decoders at a later stage should I want to. Hope that helps. Cheers for now mate. ……….. Graham
vintage for the win
I love big tank Locomotives of any sort
Many thanks Michael and yes, some of the tank locos can look awesome especially weathered correctly. 👍🏻. Cheers for now mate. ……….Graham
Great to see this lovely collection, and excellent photography. A pity though about the long and rambling commentary that did little more than detail paint chips and that it was rather a mystery why you like Wrenn locos. What would have been useful was some pictures of the DCC conversion and how you went about insulating the brushes of the two different types of motor, which I have found require careful and detailed effort on the lathe.
Well I realise after several years on CZcams that I can’t please everyone and you seem to be one of them. I can’t cover everything that everyone needs or wants, I have no script, I am not a professional either so if you want that then may I suggest that you make your own video and do it to perfection - and I guarantee that you will still have someone moan about something. By the way, no lathe is required for the insulated holders for the brushes, I 3D printed mine. ……….. Graham
@@GrahamFoulston It wasn't intended as a moan. I praised the things that were exemplary and commented more adversely on the things where improvement seemed necessary. The majority of people on CZcams are amateurs so it isn't really enough to say one isn't professional. If you have no script perhaps you should. How does anyone develop their technique without feedback that isn't simply a eulogy? It's scarcely an answer to say no lathe is required if a 3D printer with software is. The DCC conversion of Wrenn locos was obviously the most interesting aspect of what you had to say, since pictures of the locomotives are otherwise readily available. It was great though seeing them so robustly in action, which isn't. I, like you, find it hard to see why people are critical of these models, on the basis of their lack of accurate detail (what I have done in one case is to buy a spare casting of the body and make a fine detail version, so I have both an original and a more realistic alternative). Those who praise the modern models for their detail seem content with motors, gearboxes and other fragile plastic innards of a kind more often seen in cracker toys. It's the heavy engineering of Wrenn models that is so appealing.
@@RicktheRecorder This video was never about how or why I converted these locos to DCC, that was covered in my previous video but I recommend that you don’t watch it though as you will no doubt find many things wrong with that too of which I already know the issues so I don’t need them repeating to me. This video was purely about the locos I had worked on and received since that previous video. As regards having a script then absolutely not, my videos are meant to be in a normal, natural conversational way with many erms and ums included, talking as if I were talking to someone naturally. The problem I have (like many other people) is that if I were to do all the things you suggest then I would have criticism form others saying I should have done or done that - I know, I’ve tried it. So I make the videos how I seem fit for me, I don’t have adverts on this channel (although I could as I used to in the past) but I don’t want to make money from an unprofessional channel, it’s not fair on others watching in my opinion and so folk are going to have to put up with what I put up or just not watch - it’s that simple.
Graham, as a long term Australian viewer (but not commenter) I have just got around to watching your introductory video. Shame on you 😊 as I have just spent over $200 Australian on Thomas Bergersen's (and Two Steps From Hell 's) CDs after listening to the background music!!! On a more serious note thank you for putting the time and effort in producing the videos - I realise how much effort goes into their production and I do appreciate it.
Good show Graham! Aren't some the the Wrenn locos highly collectable and, indeed, very pricey? Cheers Joachim
Hi Joachim and thank you for the comment. Yes, some are extremely rare an some can be very expensive too - probably both! But there are some real bargains to be had out there, I will never pay more than £100 for any of the models I collect and all these what you see were under £100 and to me they are worth every penny. Cheers for now mate. ………. Graham
Interesting that the LMS tank had a slight problem with one of the rear drivers. I had a Wrenn LMS maroon 4MT given to me as a present in 1976 (£18.75) but it had a bad wobble on that very wheel and had to go back to the shop. The replacement loco had exactly the same problem and the shop had to refund the cost. I wonder watching your video if the loss of plating on that wheel of yours was caused by a repair to straighten the wheel on the axle. Mine were both terrible runners because of it and I wonder if yours could be one of the two that I had. The mint condition being because it was basically a non-runner and has lived in it's box since August 1976 until someone was brave enough to tweak the wheel straight?
Not that it really matters but, apart from the colours, the two tanks looked exactly the same. There again I do need new glasses!
Well I guess if you put two BMW Minis together of the same year but just in different colours then they would look exactly the same too apart from the colours. To be honest, I’m not really sure what you are trying to say. Cheers for now mate. ………. Graham
@@GrahamFoulston The LMS Class 4 was a Fairburn/ Stanier design and the Southern a Class W designed by Maunsell. Both the Wrenn models look to be of the Class 4 according to my old Ian Allen book.
@@10cfwh74 They probably were but as I said in the video, these were toys for kids in the day and not so much for the enthusiasts where there were differences between the types. They were just representations just like the old Dink Toys cars of the day. Wrenn made something looking like a 4MT and rather change or make different mouldings for a different model then they just changed the livery and us as normal kids accepted that. It says 4MT on both boxes so I can only assume that they have used artistic licence but I’m not bothered if it’s supposed to be Class 08 Diesel, I just accept them for what they are - toys.
@@GrahamFoulston Graham, I did say that it doesn't matter and it doesn't. They are great models and I think that you have a great set up, it is great fun. Keep up the good work, I watch all your videos with great pleasure, all the best, Simon.
Just watched your video on converting your wren to dcc and would like to do the same myself as I appreciate the old wren locos. But I do not own a 3D printing machine and do not know anyone who owns one. Is it possible if I could buy the sleeves that you do and I am willing to pay for them and delivery or collection if you are not too far away from Wolverhampton. Me and my grand daughter would be very appreciative as we love you videos and have been subscribed for a while. Thank you.
I was almost certain the Wrenn City class Pacific's had plastic bodied tenders on die cast chassis as were the later tooling of the Hornby Dublo models..
I thought the 8F and Castle were the only fully diecast tender Wrenn as well as the later release Wrenn Royal Scot using the rivetted 8F tender.
The Wrenn A4 tender was unusual by using a Hornby plastic tender
Have I got any of that wrong?
Hi John and to be honest with you I don’t know. All I can say is that they felt like metal when I felt them, maybe I was wrong, I probably am but it will make no difference either way as they are still brilliant to me. Cheers for now mate. ……….Graham
You are 100% right