Thank you Peter, both for your reply, and for the very nice work. At least I now know which diagram to assign each crew to! Geoff
Hi all see below a few clips of 30777 being run in. The loco is still very tight but already runs beautifully. Thanks to Chris, Sandra and Derek for all the hard work.. Stuart
First all-black locomotive of the batch went out today. An S15 in very early BR livery (30830 with an"A" power rating). I have run this one on several running in sessions and it performed beautifully.
Like everybody else here, I am absolutely amazed by what you have achieved with this model. What makes it even more remarkable is the fact that it is working steam model. Even the actual working parts appear to be correct to scale - my particular favourite is the photo of coupling and connecting rods Can you tell us please: How thick are the loco frames? are they exactly to scale or did you have to make compromises there? Thank you. Chris
Got some better pictures of the above now, plus three more locos hot off the production line. S15 30830 in early BR livery with Maunsell cab and Urie tender Another Sir Lamiel 30777 (the third one out of four being built) as preserved in 1995. Maunsell cab. Same loco front 3/4 view Southern Railway 736 Excalibur in S.R. olive green, Urie cab, Urie tender 30455 Sir Launcelot in mid '50s BR livery
Hi Chris, the frames are 1/32 steel plate equating, of course, to 1" frames full size which I think is prototypically correct. All stretchers are in the same material and are as per works drawings. Slight mods were necessary to accommodate things like an axle pump which obviously is not on the full - size.
Rivets are an important detail on steam outline locos because in later days particularly there were a lot of them! Every N15 or S15 has between 600 and 1100 rivets (depending on period) which have to punched from the half etch Brass. Looking at an average of 1000 rivets per loco (say) that makes about 25,000 rivets punched on the batch! If you've ever tried punching rivets you'll know that it is very difficult to get a completely identical punch on each rivet and if you don't, it really stands out like a sore thumb. I speak from personal experience! Worse still, you can't go back and repair it, once punched. Just goes to show Sandra Tolhurst's skill at this aspect of the build, as every rivet on every loco looks identical.
Thank you very much indeed! (and in particular for the photo of the frames). This is brilliant! especially if you compare it to the "usual" practice of G1 to "beef it up" to double this size. Are you using ground gauge plate (tool steel)? or just bog standard mild steel? Another question, ( if you don't mind me asking) is about leaf springs as in this photo - are they working leaf springs? or are you discreetely using coil springs?
Laser cut mild steel is used for the frames. The leaf springs are dummies on both loco and tender with a working coil spring hidden as much as possible. The centre drivers on the N15s had coil springs and on the model these are again just castings but with a hidden (smaller) working coil spring.
Altogether, not only beautiful, but also very practical small locomotive to be steamed and run rather than just displayed!
Had a fantastic day yesterday running Greene King between rain showers. It was my first long run with one of the locos and it behaved beautifully. It was a a little daunting as family and relatives had come along to watch! Brother caught this nice shot of 841 clearing its cylinders before backing onto its coaching stock.
Few more shots inside the cab with the fire hole door open and from outsides with cylinder drains open!
I love the resigned look on the fireman's face in the first of those thumbnail images in Stuart's post: You can almost hear him thinking: "Oh, what's that photographer doing now, climbing all over the coals? I've warned him before; if he gets hurt it's his own bl****** fault...!" Pete.
Just come across this thread and am blown away. True works of art and engineering. The owners are very lucky, particularly those that chose the LSWR livery! I understand you are unlikely to ever tackle anything like this again, but if you do and do something like a GWR Star, then PM me immediately and take my money!
