28 April 2023
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With some of the smallest diameter wheels to have been fitted to an RTR model in the scale, this trolley is inspected by Howard Smith.
If there’s a prize to be won for the smallest RTR model of 2023 in 7mm:1ft scale/O gauge – this new release from Ellis Clark Trains surely takes first place. Cramming a mechanism that can provide reliable traction under the small vehicle – adding a sound decoder, and speaker – is a significant accomplishment.
Our review variant sees BRM maroon with a white roof, numbered B40W and represents the trolley as now preserved on the Somerset and Dorset Railway. Though tampo-printed elements on this livery are spartan, their application is crisp. The use of wood being extensive on the prototypes from the floor and sides of the wagons, to the floor, side steps and bench seating of the ‘trolley’ has always been a challenge to recreate. Here it’s painted a mid-brown – options for weathering, perhaps?
A little collection of stickers to apply to your stock boxes – such as those retailer by Ellis Clark – is provided. Wagons are kept in-tow by small pins, provided in an accessory bag with each model. The more wagons, the more pins… these work as they should.
This is a model that demands careful handling, and dare I say it, is one of the most fragile I’ve ever had the pleasure of reviewing in the scale. It’s the balance of manufacturing a model to exacting scale dimensions, without compromise of detail – a fine line to tread in model manufacture these days.
This is the manufacturer’s first motorised RTR model for the scale and I feel it has succeeded, even exceeded expectations, much like its RTR ‘Presflo’ wagons last year. While models ‘fly’ off the shelves – this variant sporting BR maroon with a white roof having sold out – it highlights the importance of pre-ordering models again. Recommended.
Read Howard Smith's complete model review for the June 2023 issue of BRM.
Model reviews: Here's what we think about the latest new arrivals
