Wrenn Model Railways: History and a look at the models.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ต.ค. 2024
- Using original Wrenn correspondence between George Wrenn and retailers, we take a look back at the much missed model railway company G&R Wrenn. We take a look at the models in our collection and talk about why I love Wrenn Railways. G & R Wrenn was a toy company (founded 1950) that produced model railways from at their factory at Bowlers Croft in Basildon Essex. If you are in Wrenn model railways I recommend the excellent series of books "The Story Of Wrenn From Binns Road To Basildon" written by Maurice Gunter which are available via the Wrenn Galore store on ebay
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#wrenn #modeltrains
Great video Rick and Pauline really interesting thank you so much for sharing.
Thanks Deano
Very interesting video, you certainly know your Wrenn. Look forward to future videos.
Thanks very much Nick
Hello there. Well, I did like this one!!!! I don't know anything about this Train lol, but I am in the US too:)!!!! You do have some nice one to represent this line and some good-looking flyers too!!! . + Astin Martino :). Have a great week and keep running those Trains :).!!!!
Thanks for watching Brad, I guess some of these models are completely unknown to most people in the US. You are now America's leading expert on Wrenn! All the best Rick
Yes you are so right!!! I will be holding a seminar on Thursday the 27 LOL!!! Take care.
Fantastic steam locomotive model, beautifully presented
Hi Rlck & Pauline, great video with good lnformation well done, all the best TONY [ GRIFFIN STATION ].
Cheers Tony
This is probably your best ever video. Excellent infortainment. You speak with authority. I have no Wrenn locos and just 1 Doublo (City of London) engine, but am well aware of their cult following. That £30 8F was an absolute bargain.
Spam Cans are not a favourite of mine. Prefer their rebuilt form. As for A4 valances, it depends: my wartime black model looks fine without them, but the garter blue & silver/grey - as well as my early BR experimental purple version - look/would look better with them fitted.
Hi Stephen, the spam cans are a very handsome loco aren't they. They look great with or without the casing and the wheel design is a nice feature. I can see why the A4 looks better in the Silver Link livery but any other livery I prefer without. Again I'm putting that up as a poll later although I have a feeling I might be on the losing side! Thanks again for your kind words, all the best Rick
Hi guys, brilliant video. Really like your wrenn collection. A great in sight into wrenn & Hornby Dublo. Keep them coming. All the best guys. Carl.
Thanks Carl
Hello, RIck and Pauline!
That was another fab video and very interesting with some great models to demonstrate. It was interesting and provocative enough that I went and read some Wikipedia information on Wrenn, which led me reading about Tri-Ang and more... and learning how my perceptions were way of on British Model Train company histories. I had no idea all these companies were so intertwined and buying each other or buying out each other... Hornby/Meccano... Tri-Ang/Hornby Dublo- Wrenn- Palitoy... etc. Very confusing at times, but quite interesting.
Hi Anthony, it's quite the wormhole isn't it and they nearly all lead back to Hornby one way or another. Thanks for watching Rick
Thanks for that.
I Always liked Wrenn Locos. Probably because I like Dublo. 😂
There is definately something to be said about their presence when you either held them in your hand or the sound of them thundering around the track.
Im lucky enough to have a few of them.
Its testiomy to the quality and solid build that they and the Dublo versions are still able to be such good runners with a little fettling so long after they were built.
My Doublo City of London in BR maroon is a real favourite of mine. My dad & I spent hours watching it gracefully powering around the layout. It was stored for decades, but recently I brought it out of storage, asked OOBill to bring it back to life (he made a video of it), bought some old Doublo-coupled coaches and now it happily hauls 11 of them around the layout.
What I love about most of our Wrenn locos is they were not too expensive and run really well. It's always a treat to unbox them and give them a run. Thanks for your comment Rick
Great video. I enjoyed the chat and the history. I knew bits and pieces about Wrenn, but not the whole story. That is a pretty good collection I must say. Steven.
Thanks very much Steven.
I remember as a kid visiting a shop in London called Guy Norris, near Covent Garden I believe, think it was mainly a book shop that had a selection of Wrenn locos in 1975. Great place, great locos also great times.
Hi Peter, a book shop selling model railways sounds ideal for me! All the best Rick
Great video guys, the history of the hobby is quite interesting. I have no clue on how all the companies seem to have shared models over time.
I've still got 2 Wrenn locos I really should service and sell to someone who will appreciate them.
They can't run on my code 83 track at all. My new layout will have a code 100 DC loop just for older stuff.
Terrific to see some of the old catalogs and paperwork. Cheers!
Hi, it's quite the minefield isn't it. We could have talked in a lot more detail and we have much more documentation but that's for another video. Thanks for watching Rick
Great video very informative good to see old locomotives running around 👍
Thanks Clive
Brilliant video as usual. A Lima history would be interesting.....
Hi yes it would and also interwoven into Wrenns history. We have some interesting paperwork from when Wrenn handled Limas distribution in the UK. All the best Rick
I grew up in the 60s/70s , some would say I’m still growing up . I had a model railway , but it was mostly Tri-ang Hornby . I knew Wrenn existed because you always saw them at exhibition in the early 70s . I think they were the preferred reliable motive power . I always wanted Wrenn and got my first catalogue in 1974 showing the Duchesses in Red Blue Green Black , loved it but they were always too expensive . The only Wrenn I got was the R1 in 1975 , which being plastic I never really regarded as proper Wrenn . The only other model I had was SR guards van , completely fictitious but it was at the back of all my goods trains and is still on the layout . Only in later years have I started to acquire the Wrenn models I always wanted , City of Glasgow , Windsor Castle , 4MT in LMS red, N2 in red and the latest one Sir Nigel Gresley . So I’m getting there . Possibly an 8F is next on list . Great video .
Hi Russell, the 8F is a very nice model and has a metal tender which looks very nice with all the rivets on it. Being a very early model we see lots for sale at the shows. My first Wrenn loco was also an R1 and on my return to model railways the City of London was the second loco I bought after a Lima Deltic. Thanks for watching Rick
Interesting as always Guys.
Thanks Andrew
Fascinating look back in to the history of Wrenn. I am afraid I must disagree though on the Hornby Dublo/Wrenn Ringfield Motor. For me at least they have always proved to be very reliable. Although bulky it is an intricate piece of engineering and I consider it to be the Rolls Royce of model railway Motors which thus far hasn't been equalled.
Hi Guy, it is an amazing piece of engineering but I prefer the motor in the Pacific's. Glad you enjoyed the video and we will be taking another look at Wrenn in a few months. Thanks for watching and all the best Rick
Really interesting, thanks for doing!
Silver Tay (on ebay) would probably make you a pair of smoke deflectors for the Stainer Pacific.
Hello, great, informative video as always. The reason for the metal tender, with screwed metal connector between the loco and tender on the Wrenn 8F, was because the pickups for the Hornby Dublo 3-Rail version were mounted on the tender. The heavy weight of the metal tender was to ensure the pickups maintained a good contact with the centre rail on Hornby Dublo 3-Rail track. The fixed connector between the loco and tender was to ensure the wire(s) between the loco and tender weren't pulled out or damaged, as would be the case if the loco and tender could be separated easily. If you look on the underside of the tender there should be two holes through the chassis into the body where the two 3-Rail sprung pickups were affixed on the Hornby Dublo 3-Rail version and where the wires fed through into the tender body, thence across to the locomotive.
Thanks Stuart, I checked and there are 2 holes under the tender. All the best Rick
Great video, the best you have done!!
Wow, thanks!
My favorite of the Wrenn range is the blue A4.
I guess Wrenn was the British equivalent of what Märklin was for the continental collectors in the 60's to 90's.
Solid build, heavy, made in the UK, with some prestige connected to the name, and as you mentioned very expensive at the time and now from a collector's point still are.
It was the kind of brand with the awesome catalog where the children of our generation would know the contents from front to back and from back to front, in every detail.
We would have catalogs that just fall apart due to the amount of time we spend looking at them.
I guess now you would collect these more out of sentiment, the model ones couldn't buy, where dreamed of as a child.
And I guess that this is one of the main reasons you would buy them now…
All true Danny. 😀
I always liked my Wrenn locos the most, they ran very well and were powerful. I still have them in their boxes but it is years since I looked at them my layout is DCC now.
That's a shame. I'm sure Dans Model Railways would DCC fit a couple of them for you.
They are very powerful aren't they especially the 8f. I'm sure some could be converted to DCC. Thanks for watching Rick
@@stephendavies6949 I could fit a chip myself. I did convert some Lima and Hornby when I started with DCC They did not run very well with those old chips.
@@wellchuffedrailways The 8f was really powerful and ran a lot of heavy freights. My favourite was the standard 4 tank like the one shown. There was a stand it shows years ago where you could get motors upgraded to 5 pole and improved magnet pole pieces with thinner screws. I got that done, it ran a lot better then.
Another interesting video
Thanks Caroline
Cool 👍
Hi wrenn are still going Google new wrenn using original wrenn tooling great video
I have looked at the new Wrenn who apparently are based down the road from us. It would have made a nice conclusion to our video. I have tried phoning and emailing them. The phone was dead and no response to my email so I can only draw my own conclusions from that. All the best
I should have said in my previous comment that the Hornby Dublo 3-Rail Castle had a heavy metal tender with a fixed connection to the loco because the pickups were mounted on the tender also in a similar configuration to the 3-Rail 8F.
Thanks Stuart
Grand video
Like 👍
Sweet
Cheers Arthur
A4's with all the side covers are more sleek.
I think I might do a poll on this in our community page. 😀😀 Thanks for watching and commenting, all the best Rick
Models in wartime black look OK without the valances. My early BR experimental purple version would look better with valances fitted, however.
They are all v e ry very noisy by todays standard fit them with modern 5 pole motrs Also your presentation is far to long winded get to the subjects fasrer
Changing these motors is like fitting a milk float engine in place of the V12 in a Ferrari 275 GTB/4 😀 They sound noisier than they are due to the mic location and the noise is part of the model's character. But thanks for watching and leaving feedback. All the best Rick
@@wellchuffedrailwayskeep up your long winded presentation in fact everything you do! Excellent channel excellent reviews and thanks so much for visiting dear Jim at the Locoshed a couple of weeks ago, a personal friend for a good few years, appreciate your support for his amazing shop. Now if ever i decide to part with my Caledonian blue standard four tank i will contact you, it really is in A 1 condition and boxed with instructions. Cant see a single paintwork chip on the loco keep up the good work you do, really enjoyed this Wren season, cheers Nick Redshed.