Mudhen's Modelling

Tim Humphreys ex Mudhen

Tim Humphreys ex Mudhen

Western Thunderer
Well the Covid crisis has spurred me on to get modelling done.
I've been building the MOK Standard Tank for far too long but its now on the home straight. Body is ready for topcoat and lining. The chassis runs OK and is now having all the fancy bits added.
After adding the photo I notice that the body is not seated of the chassis at the rear, it does fit, really.

tuesday21st v2.JPG

Tuesday21st v3.JPG


Tuesday21st.JPG



A couple of the Love Lane team thought that we needed some grain hoppers so I bought two etched brass kits from First Class Models whilst we were at the Bristol show. The couplings are overscale so due for replacement with weathering to follow. W-irons are Exactoscale and Slaters, wheels are from Peartree.

Grain wagons.JPG

all the best
Tim
 
farnetti

farnetti

Western Thunderer
Hi Tim,

I must get around to painting mine.

I am wondering what the round hole on the RHS is for. I don't remember seeing it in any photos.

Cheers,

Ken
 
Tim Humphreys ex Mudhen

Tim Humphreys ex Mudhen

Western Thunderer
Ken,

My model is of 80076 which served on the LT&SR until moving to Stratford in early 1962. The hole is for feeding water softening briquettes into the tank, which were needed in this area of hard water. There is a lid to fit on top. I think that the locos on the SR also had the water softened but had a feed in a different place.
all the best
Tim
 
mickoo

mickoo

Western Thunderer
Mudhen said:
Ian,

Don't ask me, I only copy what I see in the photos :D

Tim
Click to expand...
At the risk of missing or spoiling the 'joke' the tanks are balanced between all three, the left and right are individually balanced with the rear (pipe runs under cab and is part of the access steps) which acts as a common tank thereby balancing left and right. I don't think these engines had a balancing pipe near the front across the frames.

It is a presumption that the water circulates freely or else just adding the bricks to one side seems a bit hit and miss in maintaining a reasonably constant mix.

I think some SR standard fives also had an extra hole for the water softening bricks.
 
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Tim Humphreys ex Mudhen

Tim Humphreys ex Mudhen

Western Thunderer
Thanks Mick, the strainer/filter is just to the rear of the offside cab steps with two pipes from it leading to the injectors. The assumption then is, as you say, that the balancing pipe is between the cab steps. Given that the water level should drop equally in both tanks the softened and neat water will mix at the strainer.
Something to learn about steam locos everyday for someone who spent his working life as a calculator jockey. ;)

all the best
Tim
 
SLNCR57

SLNCR57

Active Member
Looking a good build Tim - and I am also studying water tank connections right now! I have learnt more than I ever knew before about steam locos simply by attempting to build one off a GA drawing. You begin asking what all those pipes and tubes actually do.....
 
adrian

adrian

Flying Squad
Mudhen said:
My model is of 80076 which served on the LT&SR until moving to Stratford in early 1962. The hole is for feeding water softening briquettes into the tank, which were needed in this area of hard water.
Click to expand...
I'm rather embarrassed to say that this is the point where my 4MT build hit a brique [:'(] wall and it has been sat on the shelf ever since I as found other things to interest me.

Anyway from this thread on this very issue it seems that there was a slimline reduced height briquette filler on the left hand tank but I've never been able to ascertain if this was as well as or an alternative to the filler on the righthand tank.
Tank tops.

I really struggle with this in my builds that I like to know the details for a build and when it's unknown I have a tendency to put things off. :'( Well that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it! :p
 
dibateg

dibateg

Western Thunderer
Nice work Tim - the MOK Standard 4 is lovely kit to build and as long as you know your metal bashing to get the tanks sides to blend with the bottom castings it comes out a treat.

Regards
Tony
 
Tim Humphreys ex Mudhen

Tim Humphreys ex Mudhen

Western Thunderer
I've been digging into the research carried out a few years ago about the batch of locos that went to the ER in 1953, these were 80069/78. I am making the assumption that as these were built together they would have the same specification. So getting back to the water softening briquette feeder I have two photos, 80073 at Tilbury showing the briquette feeder on the right hand tank and a shot of 80074 at Liverpool Street which gives a view of the top of the left hand tank with no sign of a briquette feeder. I've also got photos of 80078 in preservation with the same arrangement. Additionally I have a photo of the tank tops of an unidentified loco with the low level briquette feeder on the left hand tank and nothing on the right. For some reason I have a feeling that this was the SR arrangement.

I've can't remember where I found these two photos so can't attribute them, apologies to the photographers. I only have prints of 80078 and no scanner. I rather like the photo of Liverpool Street, even though its not of good quality, with the three diesel classes as well as the Standard Tank.

all the best
Tim

4MTtank80073_1961-04-20_Tilbury.jpg Standard tank 80074.jpg
 
richard carr

richard carr

Western Thunderer
Thats a great picture, is that a class 24 that the tank is about to crash into, I hadn't realised they were at LLS at that time, or is it something else ?

Richard
 
mickoo

mickoo

Western Thunderer
richard carr said:
Thats a great picture, is that a class 24 that the tank is about to crash into, I hadn't realised they were at LLS at that time, or is it something else ?

Richard
Click to expand...
Yup, class 24, quiet common on the GE at that time, Ipswich had an allocation for a while, I've got photos of engines in the 5020-5050 range in East Anglia and the dates span 1960-66.

I hadn't realised until I just looked, that some of the early class 24 were painted in two tone green like later class 23's were, looks rather smart I think, I'd always assumed all class 24 were mono tone green with a grey stripe.

More interesting is that several class 21 were also based at Ipswich around 59-60 and I'm sure I've seen one or two photos of them at LLS but can't put my hand on them immediately.
 
Eastsidepilot

Eastsidepilot

Western Thunderer
richard carr said:
Thats a great picture, is that a class 24 that the tank is about to crash into, I hadn't realised they were at LLS at that time, or is it something else ?

Richard
Click to expand...

I think they were also used on N.E. London suburbans, Willesdon shed ?, there were three there in '60 so maybe the reason for one in Liverpool St.

Col.
 
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