Finding the Hogwarts Express

[pengolodh_sc at yahoo.no]

Occasionally, I get bored, and start to amuse myself with various 
things.  Sometimes, you have to suffer the consequences of my 
boredom.  Today is one of those days, and the topic of today is 
locomotives.  I need some advice from the mod-squad on whether or not 
I should cross-post this to the main-list, btw.

Having downloaded the big QuickTime-version of the trailer, I decided 
to have a closer look at the locomotive, to determine at least the 
type (and what does that say about my level of obsession?).  One of 
the neat features of QuickTime is the ability to go frame-by-frame, 
both backwards and forwards.  Another great thing is of course the 
great level of detail and clarity in the pictures.

Features for recognition include:

*   The colour-scheme of red with gold trim, with a black nose
*   The wheel-arrangement of 4-6-0 (sometimes termed "Ten-wheeler") – 
the aft-most of the powered wheel-pairs is so close to the cab that 
there is no room for any more wheels.
*   The name-plate above the second of the three powered wheel-pairs, 
carrying the name "Hogwarts Castle"
*   The cylindrical boiler coupled with the box-like fire-box

Armed with this and a number of copies of British magazine "Model 
Railroad Enthusiast", I went to work.  The most important of the 
above details was the name "Hogwarts Castle".  I had in fact assumed 
that the board on the sides of the locomotive would have 
said "Hogwarts Express", as does the board on the front of the 
locomotive, but I was mistaken.  In general, on British rails, steam-
locomotives with similar names were of the same type.  The magazines 
contained pictures of some models of Castle-class locomotives – 
comparing them with the pictures on the trailer simply confirmed that 
the locomotive in the trailer was of the same type.  Indeed, to me 
the choice of Castle-class express-locomotives is an excellent one, 
given the opportunity it presents for a very fitting name for the 
locomotive.

The reason for looking for this somewhat peripheral information is of 
course to determine the possibility seeing a model Hogwarts Express 
being manufactured and sold.  Seeing that manufacturing-tools exist, 
I am now convinced that we will see this happen.  The pictures 
mentioned above were of the models.  The first was a Wrenn-model, 
manufactured in the late 1960s or early 1970s by G. & R. Wrenn Ltd., 
which was then owned by Triang (as was Hornby at the time).  In 1969, 
the 15th edition Triang-Hornby catalogue contained model 
W2221 "Cardiff Castle", painted in BR colours.  In 1970 the name had 
been changed to Triang-Wrenn, and the model W2222 "Devizes Castle" 
had been added to the range.  

In December 1997 Hornby released two trainsets, one of which featured 
a Castle-class locomotive (5042 "Winchester Castle") in BR-colours, 
and the other featured the near identical County-class from Great 
Western Railroad.  I suspect the coaches that are included in the set 
are somewhat too modern, though, but Hornby has many older styles of 
British coaches in stock.  The livery for Winchester Castle is 
Brunswick-green (quite dark – BR standard green seems to be a bit 
brighter) with red trimming.  An important difference 
between "Winchester Castle" and "Hogwarts Castle" is the siting of 
the cylinder-block, which on "Hogwarts Castle" is sited between the 
two forward axles, while on "Winchester Castle", it is sited above 
no.2 axle.  

The existence of production-tools means that making a series of train-
sets with appropriate marks and colours for the Hogwarts express 
should be a relatively trivial affair for Hornby – mainly an affair 
of changing liveries, numbers and names, and they seem to do that all 
the time, particularly with limited editions.  If they don't, 
enthusiasts are left with the option of buying the regular models, 
and re-detail and re-detail them as appropriate.  

The main problems then are the siting of the cylinder-block and the 
colour-schemes.  The Brunswick-green liveries on the Hornby-models 
may have a tendency to show through the much brighter red scheme 
of "Hogwarts Castle".  That colour-scheme is very similar, however, 
to that of LMS (London Midland System, I think it means), and the LMS 
Jubilee-class of locomotives is very similar (though not identical) 
to the Castle-class, and is also available as a model.

All models mentioned above are in 00-scale (1:76), the preferred 
scale in Britain for model railroading.

As for the coaches, I have to leave those hanging right now – the 
trailer doesn't give us a clear view of them, so it's impossible to 
tell.  I know there are some pictures available of the set for 
Hogsmeade station, and I'll try to find them and see what they tell 
me.  

Best regards
Christian Stubø