Heather Kay
Western Thunderer
I've always had a bit of a soft spot for the LMS pioneer diesels. Many years ago, I built the Modern Motive Power kit (as sold by RJH) of 10000 for one of Best Beloved's significant birthdays, finished in the form in which Mr Ivatt drove the loco out of the workshop at Derby in December 1947. We won't go there, but the loco was the shiniest and bestest shunting engine our short branch line terminus exhibition layout ever had.
Since then, of course, JLTRT have produced a kit. You get to choose which one, and what period, which is nice as both locos varied quite a bit between themselves, and certainly over their service lives.
This commission build is of 10001. It will be finished to represent the loco as it ran on the Southern Region in the early 1950s, still in the black and silver livery and the early British Railways unicycling lion. Plenty of lamp brackets required, then.
First, the bibles. Plenty of excellent information here, so no excuse for not getting it bob on.
There aren't actually many parts to this kit. Well, that's not quite true, but the essential upper works structure is pretty straightforward. I just need to keep an eye on which is No1 end as I build. The floor casting is marked, and I've taken the precaution of using a marker pen on the bits that go at the radiator end.
The bogies are correct, and I must remember they are handed. The wheelbase is not symmetrical, so I need to be careful I match the sides properly! (There are two sets of parts, but it seemed a little pointless unwrapping them both at this stage.)
The model will only have one powered bogie, and I'm still in discussion with the client over the chosen motor and gearbox.
A nice stainless steel etch for the numbers and some grille details. Happily the glazing is flat. Note the oval windows, which are for the steam heat boiler access panel on 10000: I remain to be convinced it was a glazed panel, as it's not clear from any of the photos. Of course, after the loco's first visit to the works at the end of December 1947, the panel had been plated over, and 10001 didn't have the panel at all...
I'm not happy about the idea of glazing before painting, as the instructions expect, but I can't immediately work out a better way.
The bogie pivots etch is branded for Class 52, but I guess it's just a standard JLTRT fitting.
The whitemetal parts. I've arrayed them more or less where they fit on the loco. From the left: coupling bang plate, bogie life guards, cab seats, bogie suspension parts (I think there are some missing, which'll please Laurie
), vacuum cylinders and brackets, brake rod and water scoop balance pipe. Repeat in reverse, plus the cooling fan parts.
Brass castings, again arrayed as they will fit on the loco. From the left: lamp brackets, coupling (which I believe is wrong but I need to check the sources), buffers, vac and steam pipe, multiple unit connectors, bogie access steps, brakes, sanding gear details, cab steps, horn, control gear, sundry brake detailing parts, windscreen wipers and handbrake wheels.
Finally, a bag of bearings, springs and screws.
The model will be traditional DC, pickup on all wheels. As I'm building it for a friend, I plan to go to town a little, which is where the thread about representing the engine inside the box came from.
Since then, of course, JLTRT have produced a kit. You get to choose which one, and what period, which is nice as both locos varied quite a bit between themselves, and certainly over their service lives.
This commission build is of 10001. It will be finished to represent the loco as it ran on the Southern Region in the early 1950s, still in the black and silver livery and the early British Railways unicycling lion. Plenty of lamp brackets required, then.
First, the bibles. Plenty of excellent information here, so no excuse for not getting it bob on.
There aren't actually many parts to this kit. Well, that's not quite true, but the essential upper works structure is pretty straightforward. I just need to keep an eye on which is No1 end as I build. The floor casting is marked, and I've taken the precaution of using a marker pen on the bits that go at the radiator end.
The bogies are correct, and I must remember they are handed. The wheelbase is not symmetrical, so I need to be careful I match the sides properly! (There are two sets of parts, but it seemed a little pointless unwrapping them both at this stage.)
The model will only have one powered bogie, and I'm still in discussion with the client over the chosen motor and gearbox.
A nice stainless steel etch for the numbers and some grille details. Happily the glazing is flat. Note the oval windows, which are for the steam heat boiler access panel on 10000: I remain to be convinced it was a glazed panel, as it's not clear from any of the photos. Of course, after the loco's first visit to the works at the end of December 1947, the panel had been plated over, and 10001 didn't have the panel at all...
I'm not happy about the idea of glazing before painting, as the instructions expect, but I can't immediately work out a better way.
The bogie pivots etch is branded for Class 52, but I guess it's just a standard JLTRT fitting.
The whitemetal parts. I've arrayed them more or less where they fit on the loco. From the left: coupling bang plate, bogie life guards, cab seats, bogie suspension parts (I think there are some missing, which'll please Laurie
), vacuum cylinders and brackets, brake rod and water scoop balance pipe. Repeat in reverse, plus the cooling fan parts.Brass castings, again arrayed as they will fit on the loco. From the left: lamp brackets, coupling (which I believe is wrong but I need to check the sources), buffers, vac and steam pipe, multiple unit connectors, bogie access steps, brakes, sanding gear details, cab steps, horn, control gear, sundry brake detailing parts, windscreen wipers and handbrake wheels.
Finally, a bag of bearings, springs and screws.
The model will be traditional DC, pickup on all wheels. As I'm building it for a friend, I plan to go to town a little, which is where the thread about representing the engine inside the box came from.
