We produce the GWR Steam Railmotor in OO Gauge in association with the Great Western Society at Didcot.
The Great Western Railway wanted a cost-effective way to improve local passenger services at the start of the Twentieth Century in response to the threat from urban tramways. The Railmotor was their solution to this and such was their success in many areas that patronage rapidly outgrew the capacity available! Several batches were built and by 1905 there were around 50 in service with around 100 built when production was complete in 1908. A number of trailers were also built in response to the success of the Railmotors to increase their capacity. By the mid 1920s most Railmotors had been converted to auto-trailers to allow longer trains to operate in conjunction with a more powerful steam locomotive.
Operational details and preservation
Used through the Great Western Railway from Cornwall to the London suburbs, number 93 is preserved by the Great Western Society at Didcot and has made many visits around the country, most notably to work on the Looe branch in Cornwall and the Brentford branch in London.
The Exclusive Model
The prototype was laser scanned at Didcot to ensure an accurate rendition of the body shapes and details.
The model features:
- Fully detailed body and underframe with many separate and etched parts and wire handrails
- Sprung buffers with metal heads
- Working directional oil lamps
- Working interior lighting
- All wheel pickup
- Coreless motor mounted vertically within a scale die cast metal representation of the vertical boiler
- Accurate working valve gear including piston valve rod movement
- Strong haulage capacity (well over that of the prototype)
- DCC ready with a PluX-22 decoder socket or DCC Sound Fitted options available
- Factory fitted 25mmm speaker within luggage compartment
Initially Five livery versions, either DCC ready or DCC Sound Fitted were released and sold out very quickly.
Graham Drew, Great Western Society Railmotor Project Manager, said "The Society is pleased to offer every assistance to Kernow Model Rail Centre to enable an historically accurate model to be produced to the highest standard, and to be involved in bringing this unique vehicle to modellers of the GWR.”
Chris Trerise, Kernow Model Rail Centre Managing Director, said "When I first rode on the Railmotor from Liskeard to Looe and return in 2012 I was hooked and knew I had to get this into my portfolio of models. I am really pleased to be working with the Great Western Society as this project progresses"
DCC Operation
DCC provision is via Plux-22 Decoder and DCC(DC*) The KMRC Exclusive sound project has been produced in association with YouChoos and combines a dedicated sound file with a Zimo MS series decoder. In addition to the sounds recorded from the preserved No. 93 GWR Steam Railmotor the sound file exclusively includes a range of station destination announcements matching the various alternative destination boards that will be supplied with each model that are chosen to align with the allocation of the specific Railmotor during the period for its livery.
*DCC Sound running on DC information: The Railmotor sound project will produce all automatic sounds on DC the same as under DCC – this includes chuffs, start-off release, come-to-halt sounds, and certain random sounds. As with any sound decoder running under DC, the decoder kicks into life above a threshold voltage – somewhere between 5V and 9V, so you will be running the loco in the top part of your throttle’s voltage range, but otherwise is quite controllable.
Initial five versions 
K2301(SF) GWR Steam Railmotor Dia. R Number 93 (As preserved)
K2302(SF) GWR Steam Railmotor Dia. R Number 97 (Simplified GWR Chocolate & Cream late 1920s onwards)
K2303(SF) GWR Steam Railmotor Dia. O Number 63 (GWR Lined Brown 1908 - 1912)
K2304(SF) GWR Steam Railmotor Dia. R Number 85 (GWR Lined Crimson Lake 1912 - 1922)
K2305 GWR Steam Railmotor Dia. O Number 61 (GWR Fully Lined Chocolate & Cream 1903 - 1908)
More to come perhaps...
Bogies
The distinctive 9 foot wheelbase trailing bogies either 'Fish belly' or 'Equalising beam' are also suitable for use with other GWR coach types, we have therefore made these available as RTR complete spare parts, inclduing wheels, brake rigging and electrical pick ups, suitable for kit builders etc.
K9009A Kernow Models GWR Steam Railmotor Fishbelly Bogie (without wheels) £4.99 each
K9010A Kernow Models GWR Steam Railmotor Equalising Beam Bogie (without wheels) £4.99 each
Crew and passengers
Should you wish to fit crew and passengers these are now avaialble from our friends at ModelU here>>>
Note: Links below take you to the ModelU website to order.
12203 ModelU GWR Railmotor Loco Crew - link to ModelU website
12204 ModelU GWR Railmotor Passengers - link to ModelU website
