Rails of Sheffield Exclusive Class V2 Locomotives

A massive thank you to ‪@NEVILLEGROVE‬ for producing this stunning video of our new Bachmann Class V2 locomotives with synchronised steam action with archive sounds!
This brand new tooling for the LNER classic sets yet another bench mark for Ready to Run models. The quality, finish, accuracy, detail and performance are extremely impressive. Furthermore, the models feel remarkably robust.
Here we have LNER Apple Green 4843 "Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry" (KOYLI) and British Railways late crest liveried 60964 "The Durham Light Infantry". Both models capture perfectly the characteristic form of the original engines with their Gresley designed monoblock 3 cylinder casting, and are therefore without the external steam pipes that altered the class's appearance.
Several innovations are included in the new Bachmann model such as twin LED firebox flicker that can be partially obscured by closeable firebox doors! I’ve been privileged enough to fire several locos before and it’s common practice to close these doors (or have them opened just a crack) when the loco is not being fired but is working hard. This stops too much cool air from entering the fire when the crew need as much heat in the fire as possible to generate steam.
A more practical innovation is the new connection between the tender and loco. It’s a wireless push and clip arrangement that doesn’t require turning the loco upside down, unscrewing the drawbar and holding your breath whilst pulling out the delicate wire & white plug from the tender socket. A plastic tool is supplied to unclip the connection, which could just as easily be done with a small flat screw driver, but the drawbar connection on the V2 is a marked improvement over previous Bachmann solutions.
Excitingly, the drawbar is on a cam assembly which allows nice looking close coupling on straight lengths of track, but opens out on sharp bends to allow plenty of movement without derailing - the best of both worlds!
Being one of my favourite steam locomotives, I've been eagerly awaiting a late BR version model to add to the Neville Grove fleet. This was made even more acute a few years ago when I obtained a couple of superb archive recordings made by the legendary Peter Handford of two V2's toiling up the arduous and desolate "Waverley Route" on Carlisle to Edinburgh fast fitted goods trains. Available on "Atmospheric Sounds" by Old Thundridge Records, each recording is over 5 minutes long as the scene is set with ambient sounds of the location. Soon the train can be heard in the distance, then gradually takes over before dramatically passing and fading away again.
Curiously, each V2 sounds very different to each other. The recording used for KOYLI features the familiar "Gresley Beat", but the other class member synchronised here with 60964, is far more staccato and off beat. I recall that the valve timings of regular V2's over the steeply graded and tightly winding Waverley Route were intentionally set that way to give them extra oomph on heavy goods trains. Intentionally maybe, but I suspect unofficially, and most likely by the operational department rather than the works. Can anyone confirm this or otherwise?
There is also an excellent book called "Border Steam" by Peter Brock who fired countless different types of locos out of Carlisle. In the book which has many magnificent photos taken from the footplate and the lineside, Peter highly rates the big 2-6-2's and recalls that their boilers were so good that unless the water level was very carefully managed, they would blow off steam after cresting the summit and all the way down the gradient for over 10 miles!
The type was affectionately known as "the engine that won the war" as they were equally capable on long slow goods, expresses, and anything in between. They famously worked long troop trains of well over 20 coaches out of Kings Cross. These abnormal trains were so long that the engine was way off the platform and deep into Copenhagen Tunnel, which brought with it operational considerations. The "right o' way" on departure had to be relayed by additional staff up to the crew in the engine as it was too far away to hear the whistle and see the flags from the platform. It was so dark in the tunnel (accentuated by black out conditions) that a common way for the crew to tell that the loco was moving was for the fireman to hold his shovel against the tunnel wall! A difficult start out of Kings Cross at the best of times, working these trains would have been an extremely difficult test for the driver, fireman and machine.
The new Rails of Sheffield / Bachmann V2 is an exceptional model of a very fine Gresley locomotive. The great man would be certainly be impressed.