10 October 2011
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Spotlight: Corgi's brand new 1/76 scale Steam Rally collection
Paul Bason takes a look at the new diecast collection of pocket-sized Showman’s road locomotives produced recently by Corgi. ...
If like me you have a passion for filling your shelves with highly evocative models of those super steam-powered road vehicles that you still see in action at steam fairs and rallies up and down the country, you may well be pleased to hear that Corgi has just introduced its new Corgi Steam Rally collection of Showman’s road locomotives for us to buy and collect.
Unlike its existing, and very popular, Vintage Glory range of 1/50 scale steam vehicles, Corgi has manufactured these models to the somewhat smaller 1/76 scale. Being modelled to the standards also used by parent company Hornby for its wide range of OO gauge model railway equipment, the models are fully compatible for lineside display and, as a result, these splendid little models will also find homes away from the diecast collecting fraternity on many model railway layouts. In addition, collectors of Corgi’s Trackside range, which incidentally is manufactured to the same 1/76 scale will, no doubt, similarly find this complimentary collection of great interest.
All of the prototypes chosen for this first batch of five models – which are currently featured on Corgi’s website – are based on Showman’s road locomotives built by the popular firm of Charles Burrell at Thetford, Norfolk. The Showman’s machine replicated by Corgi was in fact a development of Burrell’s standard road locomotive that was used for heavy haulage and similar tough tasks like timber working. Despite many engines being turned out from new to Burrell’s full Showman’s specification, many locomotives were actually contemporary conversions of second-hand standard road locomotives...
PICTURED ABOVE Burrell works engine No 2668, built in 1904 and supplied new to W & H Thurston of Cambridge.
PICTURED BELOW The full size Britannia at Knowle Hill.