Steve Beattie
- Thread starter Ian G
- Start date
Steph Dale
Western Thunderer
Ian,
Thanks for posting. I had a good chat with Steve at Telford and he was looking well and sounding enthusiastic about his plans. Looking at the site it would appears he's on schedule to make a reappearance on the circuit from Bristol show in Jan 2015.
Steph
Thanks for posting. I had a good chat with Steve at Telford and he was looking well and sounding enthusiastic about his plans. Looking at the site it would appears he's on schedule to make a reappearance on the circuit from Bristol show in Jan 2015.
Steph
Jon Fitness
Western Thunderer
Interesting. I thought he'd given up completely. Fair play to the man and I hope he does well this time. I clicked on the "History" tab on the home page and thought the pic looked familiar! It's my original 24047 I built (my first O gauge loco kit) and it was performing on the old "Talacre" garden railway, probably still on it's original butchered Atlas chassis unit!!
I probably have the original pic somewhere.....
JF
I probably have the original pic somewhere.....
JF
Steph Dale
Western Thunderer
Gents,
I've been in contact with Steve recently and purchased a set of his Napier Deltic engines. I note too that the Class 15 and LMS/BR 10800 kits appear to be back in circulation. The engines turned up today and don't look bad - I'll post some more when I've had a coffee, knocked them out of their packets and dug out my Deltic engine drawings.
Steph
I've been in contact with Steve recently and purchased a set of his Napier Deltic engines. I note too that the Class 15 and LMS/BR 10800 kits appear to be back in circulation. The engines turned up today and don't look bad - I'll post some more when I've had a coffee, knocked them out of their packets and dug out my Deltic engine drawings.
Steph
Brian Daniels
Western Thunderer
Just ordered a couple of Western engines to stick in those large windows on a Heljan Western.
Steph Dale
Western Thunderer
I didn't see those when I order the Deltics last week! I've also prodded Steve for a train heating boiler for my Western as it's very visible through the centre window.
It'd take me longer than 5 hours to build a pair from scratch, which seems to me to be the value of the piece...
Steph
Steph Dale
Western Thunderer
So this is what you get...
A bag of bits and single sheet of instructions:
An awful lot of parts, most of which look useful:
Although it is worth noting that it would appear Steve has produced the parts on something like a Rip-Rap printer, so the surface finish on some of the parts is poor. However, they've been neatly laid out and the poor finish is generally on internal areas. I still think I'd want to be using a better printer. Or a traditional patternmaker!
It would also appear that Steve doesn't have a de-gassing chamber - there are noticeable bubbles and flash reproduced verbatim in both engine kits indicating that the RTV hasn't pulled in to the patterns when the mould was made and that there's some air getting caught in the mould during casting. In both of the kits I have there are defects in the main generator casting indicating that Steve used a collapsed part as a master. Unfortunately it's a pig of a substance to photograph so you'll just have to take my word for it at this stage:
Thankfully there's a load of info available on-line that's associated with these engines and the parts do form a good basis for a model as they're basically correct for both scale and geometry with the hard work done it's then a case of assembly and detailing as much as you see fit. The version modelled is the D18-25 suitable for the Class 55, for the T9-29 fitted to the Baby Deltic some parts would need shortening and the turbine housing making up.
I guess the question is whether I'd order more/again - well, yes I think I would. Two Western engines, please...
Steph
A bag of bits and single sheet of instructions:
An awful lot of parts, most of which look useful:
Although it is worth noting that it would appear Steve has produced the parts on something like a Rip-Rap printer, so the surface finish on some of the parts is poor. However, they've been neatly laid out and the poor finish is generally on internal areas. I still think I'd want to be using a better printer. Or a traditional patternmaker!
It would also appear that Steve doesn't have a de-gassing chamber - there are noticeable bubbles and flash reproduced verbatim in both engine kits indicating that the RTV hasn't pulled in to the patterns when the mould was made and that there's some air getting caught in the mould during casting. In both of the kits I have there are defects in the main generator casting indicating that Steve used a collapsed part as a master. Unfortunately it's a pig of a substance to photograph so you'll just have to take my word for it at this stage:
Thankfully there's a load of info available on-line that's associated with these engines and the parts do form a good basis for a model as they're basically correct for both scale and geometry with the hard work done it's then a case of assembly and detailing as much as you see fit. The version modelled is the D18-25 suitable for the Class 55, for the T9-29 fitted to the Baby Deltic some parts would need shortening and the turbine housing making up.
I guess the question is whether I'd order more/again - well, yes I think I would. Two Western engines, please...
Steph
Dikitriki
Flying Squad
I don't think they're good enough frankly, though I am very interested to see what you make of them.
I have an engine from Simon T for 10001 that knocks spots off that for quality. An approach to Simon for a Western engine, given the number of likely sales on here.........
Richard
I have an engine from Simon T for 10001 that knocks spots off that for quality. An approach to Simon for a Western engine, given the number of likely sales on here.........
Richard
oldravendale
Western Thunderer
Hmmm! Well, they look a little better than those parts I ordered for the cab of either 10000 or 10001. In that case one of the parts was so malformed I threw it out and made a pair of my own from scratch. The other parts needed a lot of care and fettling too so overall I was not impressed. At that time I said I'd never buy Steve Bettie stuff again and never have. Your experience makes me think that my decision was worthwhile.....
But - if you need a representation of parts for the interior of a loco, particularly where it won't be terribly visible, then a set of the Steve Beattie parts might be a starting point from which to work. For my money, though, not great and I'd need convincing that there was no alternative route.
Brian
But - if you need a representation of parts for the interior of a loco, particularly where it won't be terribly visible, then a set of the Steve Beattie parts might be a starting point from which to work. For my money, though, not great and I'd need convincing that there was no alternative route.
Brian
Heather Kay
Western Thunderer
This stuff might look rough, but we have to remember it's inside a loco, behind glazing, and probably unilluminated.
When compared against the softwood block, pill box and random plastic pieces from the Bits Box I've done in the past, I'd be happy.
When compared against the softwood block, pill box and random plastic pieces from the Bits Box I've done in the past, I'd be happy.
Pugsley
Western Thunderer
Dunno about a drawing - but there's some pictures here that may help:
http://www.depg.org/
and more here:
http://www.depg.org/161214update.html
I might have one somewhere - I'll take a look.
http://www.depg.org/
and more here:
http://www.depg.org/161214update.html
I might have one somewhere - I'll take a look.
SimonT
Western Thunderer
There is a drawing of sorts in 'The Class 52s, A Tribute To The Westerns',but it suffers from having no dimensions. For 10001 we had an installation diagram with dimensions to start from and then the photographs enabled us to fill in the details. Might need to visit a certain bookshop after Crimble - in the needs of research, obviously!
Simon
Simon
Pugsley
Western Thunderer
That was the one that I thought I might have - I've checked the Diesel Manual for Enginemen, but there's nothing in there. This may help, though:
http://www.westernchampion.co.uk/photos/d1015-technical/western-elevations.pdf
Steph Dale
Western Thunderer
Phill Dyson
Western Thunderer
Wouldn't engine theaters (just the visible parts around the windows in modules) be a better more ptactical proposition rather than full engines?
I would have thoight that Heljans particularly would be a struggle to find room for full engines as would a lot of DCC & R/C fitted loco's?
I would have thoight that Heljans particularly would be a struggle to find room for full engines as would a lot of DCC & R/C fitted loco's?