Wootton Bassett Show Saturday 4 December
Sadly, due an understandable change in UK Government Coronavirus Regulations imposed after we had left the UK for a short break in Spain, we find ourselves stranded in quarantine until we have passed a PCR test. This means that on our return to the UK we have remain at home while the Wootton Bassett Show takes place. We have looked at ways to resolve this problem, but there are no workable routes we can find within the bounds of the law. So, it is with great regret that have had to withdraw from the Show. I would like to apologise to all of you who have contacted me about the Show. We ask for your understanding why we cannot attend the show or provide models for anyone else to take to the Show without breaking the law.

45XX/4575 Prairie Tank Locomotives
We have sold the last available new locomotive and all remaining ordered but undelivered locomotives are now awaiting final delivery. However, we are still taking reservations for second hand models that occasionally appear from customers. It so happens that we have GWR plain green GREAT WESTERN emblem 4575 in first class condition fitted with crew figures and an ATC shoe under rear buffer beam. The motion (connecting rods and coupling rods) has been lightly weathered, otherwise the model is as new and hardly been used. If this model is of interest to you please contact us by phone or email giving us your name and contact details. You can always leave a message there is no one in.

Western Diesel Update
We are fitting out models as fast a we can. The mechanical changes were delayed by a long wait for special parts from Korea and electronic reprogramming by the indisposition of our Sound Engineer Bryan Robertson. Bryan now has been able to return to work and conversion of the decoders to the latest software has restarted. We will contact you individually when your locomotive has been modified and is ready for delivery.

Collett Hall, Modified Hall and 28XX/38XX
The production checking programme is at last complete. This required checking of over 750 pictures, editing and returning them to the builders to carry out final modifications. This work has consumed many weeks of my time, full time every day, with a massive amount of checking. This approach is incredibly tiring, much more difficult than on-site checking real locomotive models in Incheon. Many of the faults would have been avoided had we been able to visit the builders and see the locomotives in the factory.

Unfortunately, the continuing Coronavirus pandemic still prevents any visits to South Korea. The builders are correcting the locomotives with minimum staffing so as to avoid shut down by the factory inspectors. We have had some more reservations for all of these models and increased the production to enable more engines to be made available for sale for those of you who have delayed a decision to buy. We have put in details of what is available under the various locomotive types, but to summarise the list below gives you an indication of what is still available:

Collett Halls 55 made (15 extra engines), 8 engines still available:
3 x 49XX
1 x 59XX and 4 x 69XX.

Modified Halls 24 made (4 extra engines), 2 engines still available:
1 x 6959
1 x 79XX.

28XX 2-8-0 tender engines 47 built (4 extra engines), 17 engines still available:
2 x 28XX BR square frame
9 x 28XX GWR curved frame
6 x 28XX BR curved frame.

2884/38XX 2-8-0 tender engines 17 built, ALL SOLD

Please check the individual locomotive pages on this website for details of what is still available.

We have no completion date indication from the builders, but to be realistic we expect this now to be January 2022.

Having been looking forward to meeting our customers and friends once again at the Wiltshire Trade Show on 4 December we are very sorry to have to announce that Masterpiece Models will now not be able to attend the show.

John Borkowski is currently abroad, returning to the UK on Friday 3 December. While has has been away, the Government has imposed a new programme of precautions to limit the spread of the new Omicron variant of Cononavirus, meaning that John will need to take a PCR test when he returns and then self-isolate pending a hopefully negative result. That means there is no possibility of him attending the show.

To all those who were hoping to meet us at Wootton Bassett we are truly sorry, but in the spirit of optimism that characterises our hobby we look forward to some degree of normality returning next year. In the meantime you can follow progress with our models and availability on this website.

Assuming that the Omicron virus does not impact production in South Korea we are still anticipating delivery of Collett Halls, Modified Halls, 28XX and 38XX 2-8-0s to the UK in the near future.

Please do contact us about any model that interests you and we will be happy to discuss details or send photographs as required.

We are delighted to tell you that, at long last, we will be attending a show once again. Following the cancellation of the Reading 0 Gauge Trade Show, Nigel Smith of Omen Miniatures has, at short notice, pulled together an exciting replacement pre-Christmas trade show which Masterpiece Models and 20 other carefully selected, quality traders will attend.

It will take place on Saturday 4 December at Royal Wootton Bassett Memorial Hall, SN4 8EN
(Near M4 Jct16 Swindon)

Admission will be by ticket purchased in advance only (Covid control).
You can find out more and purchase tickets HERE. We are very much looking forward to meeting our old friends and customers (and new ones too!) to start the festive season.

For many customers the show will provide the first opportunity to take a close look at our new Western Diesels. We will also be displaying and running examples of our 70XX 'Castles', 'Granges', 47XX 2-8-0 and pannier tanks. The first production models of our 'Halls' and 'Modified Halls' are also nearing completion in Korea and it may be possible to ship one to the UK in time for the show. See you there!

Why, you may ask, is it taking so long to deliver the new Masterpiece Models ‘Western’ diesels to patient customers? After all, it’s a couple of months since they arrived in the UK, so surely all the pre-delivery checks should have been completed by now?

Well, you could say that we have found ourselves at the centre of a perfect storm. The ‘Western’ is by far the most complex and sophisticated model we have ever produced, both in terms of fittings, drive train, lighting, sound, electronics as well as mechanics. As the production progressed we would normally have made one or more visits to Korea to carry out wide ranging checks and inspections, but with the onset of the pandemic we had to face the fact that South Korea was a ‘no-go’ destination. We were able to monitor some of the work via photographs and videos, but some details and functions just could not be checked fully by those means.

Rather than delay import once the build was complete, we arranged for the ‘Westerns’ to be shipped and, as you have seen from the photos on this site, the models are absolutely stunning. However, we never make any assumptions so we began the long task of checking every model visually, with instruments and with running tests. Two issues came to light: the first, which was beyond our control, is that the manufacturers of the electronic decoders have updated the firmware necessary to operate them, meaning that each decoder has to be reprogrammed and re-wired. This work will be carried out by our sound engineer.

Secondly, the complex drive train from the large and powerful Maxon motor has to be set up in a very specific way to deliver the surge of power we want at all speeds. The builder had clearly struggled with some of the settings we demanded so, taking two unreserved models as ‘mules’ – one in 0 gauge and one in Scale 7 – we implemented some engineering changes to the transmission. We have now arrived at a very successful solution which will now be applied to all the models.

Much as we would like to say to everyone who has reserved one of these splendid machines that they will have their model in the next week or two, realistically this work will take time – probably 2 to 3 months – so customers will, we hope, receive their models by Christmas.

We do appreciate that this delay is irritating, but the whole ethos of Masterpiece Models is to produce the best ready-to-run 0 gauge and Scale 7 models available today and we won’t compromise by releasing sub-standard models to the market. When you do receive your ‘Western’ you will know that it is the best model it can possibly be. After all, that is what you are paying for.

In the meantime here are a couple more photos, this time of D1015 in the unique golden ochre livery.

14 September 2021