NG&I Activity and Competition

VALE OF RHEIDOL LOCOMOTIVE LETTER CARD

In the late 1960s early 1970s, the name Harris Edge became well know for high quality card kits of transport subjects, including the Flying Scotsman and the Royal Scot locomotives to a scale of 8mm to the foot. A particular attraction of the kits was that real metallic inks were used for those parts that required such. All the brass parts were printed in 'Sovereign Gold' for instance. These large scale kits were all boxed.

I did all the design work and we developed a range of postcard models - sold in packs of six different models. They were very popular with transport museums and the like.

In 1970 we were approached by British Rail (Midland) to produce something low cost for them to sell on the Vale of Rheidol Light Railway. We came up with a 'letter card' - which could be sent through the post as a gift. When opened, there were all the parts for a cut-out model of one of the Three 2-6-2T locomotives - with name and number plates for each of the three. Thousands were sold and we even had a re-run after a year or so. Many of course, were not posted and built by the purchaser. A set of 'railway letter fee' stamps were also designed and produced.

RCL Publications and NG&I are pleased to offer the model as a downloadable PDF - make sure to print it on thin card. The scale is a little over 4mm as it comes, as the model was scaled to make full use of the size of card then allowed by the Post Office. With a modern software you can, of course, print it out smaller or larger if you so desire. When I assembled models at the time, for display at outlets, the back of the sheet was always painted black and the white edges of the cut card coloured with a black felt tip pen. Contact adhesive, used very sparingly was used for assembly.

We hope you enjoy the kit and get some pleasure from it…