Leeds Model Company Exhibition at the Brighton Toy and Model Museum

Until 21st October 2012, the Brighton Toy and Model Museum will be home to a very special display of locomotives and Southern Railways rolling stock, made by the Leeds Model Company (LMC).

Started in 1912 by Rex Stedman, the Leeds Model Company also known as Leeds or LMC produced various '0' gauge model railway stock. For the more affordable market, they produced rolling-stock made of wooden bodies with lithographed paper decals which when got tired looking could be replaced with a fresh set of decals. They also produced a range of rolling-stock using the then new 'Bakelite' plastic material as well as more beautiful 'made to order' items from the more expensive end of the range.

If you are particularly interested in the history the Leeds Model Company, pop in and purchase a copy of David K. Peacocks book 'The Leeds Model Company 1912-2012: The First One Hundred Years, selling for £19.95 in our collectors shop.

"Coronation Scot" exhibition, November 2012

The Coronation Scot bullet-train (1937-1939) was arguably the finest steam train that Britain ever built, and is a critical part of Britains's railway heritage.

However, the run of the blue-and-silver “streak” was cruelly cut short by the onset of World War Two, and the prototype red-and-gold second-generation “luxury” version of the train, which was proudly sent to the US for a promotional tour, was left stranded on the wrong side of the Atlantic when war broke out and never got to go into service on UK track.

With the onset of war, the train was withdrawn, streamlining on all the locomotives was stripped, the “stripped” loco class was renamed the “Duchess” Class, and the memory of the train faded from history.

 

2012 is the train’s 75^th anniversary, and the Museum is putting together a collection of Coronation Scot artefacts and memorabilia, along with some of the greatest Coronation Scot and Coronation Class locomotive models ever made.

We’ll be launching the exhibition with a special "Coronation Scot" Train Running Day on November 10th, where we’ll be unveiling our 1930s Bassett-Lowke Coronation 6220 loco pulling a complete set of nine B-L carriages, on our 1930’s layout, forming a train that’s around thirteen feet long.

Since none of the blue Coronations or their carriages exist any more, this is probably the closest you’ll ever get to seeing the real thing.