We are pleased to announce that after considerable research and deliberation, notwithstanding the factory fire in Korea, we have now finalised the specification and pricing for our forthcoming build of LBSCR and GNR 'Atlantic' 4-4-2s which we hope to complete and deliver during 2022. Due to all the challenges we will only be building a limited quantity of these models and many have already been reserved, so don't miss this chance. For all the details CLICK HERE to visit the main Atlantic page.

John Borkowski / 7 April 2021

Our two Western sample models are now on their way back to Korea for some minor tweaks, including the fitment of better windscreen wipers, but pending their return we thought you might like to see a few more photos of them.

When you see these models for real – in their three-dimensional metal glory, there is a presence about them that can't be captured in even the best photographs. It's so sad that for the moment we are unable to show you these models 'in the flesh', either at an exhibition or trade show. Maybe social distancing will change later in the year to enable this to take place. Who knows?

We feel the builders really have captured the essence of the real locomotives in a remarkable way not seen on any other Western models in any scale.

We have updated the availability list HERE. We have now sold out of golden ochre engines, but we have a good choice of locomotives in all the other liveries.

All the maroon examples of the first engine, D1000 Western Enterprise, have been sold. We now have one blue full yellow ends version remaining, although models of this engine in desert sand livery are still available.

There is still a very good choice of maroon engines with small yellow warning panels and we also have a few other named engines available in the early maroon livery with yellow buffer beams instead of the yellow ends.

We hope you will enjoy the pictures as much as we have.

John Borkowski 24 February 2021

Late on Tuesday afternoon – in considerable trepidation – we received from DHL a package from Incheon. It contained two production samples of the Class 52 Western diesel hydraulic, D1048 Western Lady in maroon and D1002 Western Explorer in green. Shipping via an express courier is always fraught with risk, but as we are unable to visit Korea at present it was essential that we should take a close look at these models in order to identify any last necessary tweaks to be made in the final stage of production.

The first sight of each of our new builds is rather like one’s first child being delivered. Would the Westerns come out of their packaging intact? Would they justify the huge effort that we have put in over the last four years to get every detail right?

On opening each box and carefully peeling away all the protective wrappings, we knew immediately that we had something very special here. Not only had the models survived their trans-global journey without damage, but they are actually stunning – far better, in fact, than even the photos received earlier from Korea had suggested.

The first impression is that they are HUGE! They also have a weight, gravitas and realism that somehow is only possible to achieve with models built from sheet metal rather than plastic, resin or any other purely moulded material. On diesels this really shows up as a huge improvement. Once seen, it’s difficult to go back to over-thick materials with high porosity which simply don’t take paint in the way that metals do.

Hand-on-heart I can say that these were (and are) as good a model locomotive as I have ever seen – the best models that Masterpiece Models has ever had made, either in Michael Brooks’ time or since I have taken over the helm.

I telephoned my technical colleagues Adrian Knowles and Bryan Robertson to tell them the news. Also we wanted to get the locomotives as quickly as possible over to Wiltshire for photography and then to Oxfordshire to check out the electronics.

As a result of these travels we now have some pictures for you see and enjoy. We will put some more photos in the section of the Western for everyone to find and enjoy. To create a little more realism we have taken the pictures of the Western locomotives outside our Swindon A Shop diorama and also in our Scale 7 brick cutting.

For more information, availability, or to place an oder, CLICK HERE.

We hope you enjoy the pictures as much as we do.

John Borkowski 19 February 2021

We recently received some pictures of the Western Diesels painted bodies. We would like to share the good news of these developments with you so that you can see the progress that has been made in recent weeks. The pictures cover all the main livery variants:

• Desert Sand
• Maroon small yellow buffer beams
• Maroon small yellow ends
• Green small yellow ends
• Golden ochre small yellow ends
• Blue full yellow ends.

The bodies still need to be fitted out with opening doors, windows, windscreens, the illuminated headcode boxes, external lighting, cab interior details, lighting and engine room details. We also have the two crew members, a driver and a second man to fit into the cab at one end.

Engine room detailing comprises:
• Sliding windows
• Doorways into the transverse corridors connecting the cab doors
• Longitudinal and transverse walkways
• Lighting
• 4 radiator panels
• 2 diesel engines and the train steam heating boiler plant
• 4 individual radiator fans which can be operated in groups

In addition, we have the very large drive motor and flywheel, two flexible coupling drive shafts and two gear boxes connecting into the 6 individual helical gearboxes driving all 6 axles, plus the decoder and two loudspeakers. These items are hidden from view by the detail of the Maybach engines and cooling groups. A huge amount of sophisticated equipment has thus been ingeniously accommodated in a comparatively small space.

Everyone assumes that a model diesel locomotive has masses of spare space inside the body. This is not true of the Masterpiece Models Western diesel that scarcely has any spare body space so packed is it with equipment and components!

The underside of the body also has all the fuel tank and pipework detail which really captures the feel of the prototype.

The chassis units have now all been assembled and, once the body assembly has been completed, the bodies and chassis can be united to make up complete running locomotives. We hope to get the work completed over the next two months.

John Borkowski
29 January 2021