My loco collection

LNWR Whale Precursor class 4-4-0 no. 1430 Victor

Mick Bayliss My loco collection
Precursor Victor

 

 

Precursor no.1430 Victor
LNWR Precursor class no. 1430 Victor. Built from the Javelin Models kit by Michael Edge of Carlton in 2003 and painted by Ian Rathbone. The wheels used in the build are finely cast, possibly by Alan Harris. The drivers having telescopic axles with a tapered pin to fix the quartering. Additionally, the model carries small nameplates of both the builder and the painter on the underside to give that provenance. George Whale followed F.W.Webb as Locomotive Superintendent of the London and North Western Railway in 1903. His first loco design was the Precursor class, basically an enlarged version of Webb’s Precedent class. Built at Crewe in 1905 as a two cylinder saturated steam 4-4-0 with slide valves, Victor has here been modelled in that condition. Many of the class were later rebuilt by Charles Bowen Cooke who replaced Whale in 1909. He incorporated superheated boilers and piston valves to bring them into line with his more powerful George the Fifth class. A longer smokebox and smaller bogie wheels identify these locos from the unrebuilt members of the class. I have built a model of one of the rebuilds, Velocipede. For a description and images of this loco follow this link. I was lucky enough, to firstly find and again to be able to buy, this very fine model at auction. But it was in less than good condition as it had rusting to all of the wheels. On the positive side however and very importantly, the paintwork was still in very good condition. After cleaning and lubrication, placing the model on the track and he was away. Non the worse for his spell in a location of damp atmosphere and change of ownership. It is now perfect motive power to my rake of Peter Cowling built London & North Western Railway and West Coast Joint Stock coaches.

For a further image of this loco follow this link

 

LMS 5P/4F class no. 2876

Mick Bayliss My loco collection
LMS Crab 2876
LMS 2876
LMS 5P/4F class (Crab) no. 2876.

 

Built and painted, using PC lining transfers, by myself. When I started O gauge modelling I soon set myself a target to build a Crab, one of my favourite locos. As soon as I heard of the Chowbent kit I had to have one. Over 20 years later and I have not been disappointed. Lots of people complain about the narrow tender, but I think it adds to the character. As does the high running plate over the inclined cylinders. The paint is starting to look a bit worn, but it is still a great livery and she looks a treat hauling my train of of six Peter Cowling LMS series one coaches. Portescap motor and gears, with fused protection. Current collection is by the American method, where the loco collects from one rail and the tender from the other. The insulated Slaters wheels have been shorted by thin wire behind a spoke on one or other side of the loco and tender. An insulated drawbar and fallplate is needed with this system and in my experience, with care, it works very well.

These very useful locos were designed by George Hughes, Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London Midland & Scottish Railway. His background was with the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway and they were developed using L&YR practice. In 1925 Henry Fowler, previously of the Midland Railway at Derby, succeeded Hughes as CME and he tried to have the design changed to use Derby standard parts, but because the build process was so advanced, only the tender and some boiler fittings became the only obvious changes. Production commenced at the L&YR Horwich works and L&NWR Crewe works in 1926. A total of 245 engines were built, five of which were experimentally fitted with Lentz valve gear in 1931. In 1953 that was replaced with Reidinger valve gear. Otherwise the class remained virtually as designed throughout their thirty plus year life. No. 2876 was built at Crewe in 1930 and withdrawn from service in 1962.

GWR Grange class no. 6869 Resolven Grange

Mick Bayliss My loco collection
Resolven Grange
This unusual model has been built from scratch by Peter Everton, as a convertible 2 or 3 rail pickup, with third rail skate. By removing the skate and moving a small plug from one socket to another we have a two rail loco. Reverse that procedure and it’s back to three rail. Very clever and I have never seen this feature before. The loco is fitted with a set of chunky gears and a large motor. Driving wheels are of cast iron construction, with fine spokes and very slightly thicker than Slaters. They give a back to back of 28.25mm and negotiate Peco fine scale track and points with no problems. Slaters wheels (with 29.25mm back to back) are fitted to the bogie and tender. The Poachers test track at Lincoln,  https://www.7mmloco.co.uk/poachers/  was built using Peco track and this loco can fly around there with my eight chocolate and creams in tow, no problem. In fact I’m sure it would pull double that length of train. This well detailed and very heavy model, with a working representation of the valve gear, is of extremely robust construction and would be well suited to either an indoor layout or an outdoor track. It was bought privately in an unpainted and unused condition. It has now been painted by myself in unlined GWR green and lightly weathered by Warren Hayward. In addition, the model carries the small nameplate of the builder on the underside of the running plate to give that provenance.

The Grange class locomotives were designed by Charles Collett and built at Swindon between 1936 and 1939 as replacements for 43xx class Moguls. For comparison with one of these locos, no. 4302, follow this link.. In fact many Granges were built using a pool of reconditioned parts from withdrawn 43xx locomotives. They are effectively a smaller wheeled version of the Collett Hall class. For a description and images of one of these locos, Aldenham Hall, follow this link.

BR(ER) B1 class no. 61199

Mick Bayliss Loco commissions, My loco collection
BR(ER) Thompson B1 class 4-6-0 no. 61199. Built and painted by myself on commission from the late Stuart Tebbett, who was at the time a regular client and later became a very good friend. Built from the Piercy kit, with Portescap motor and gear unit and Slaters wheels, recently converted to DCC with sound and performing very well. Thanks to the good offices of Mike Able, who acquired the model from Terry Smith, it is now back where it belongs and I am very happy that it is now part of the 7mmloco.co.uk model collection.

BR Standard 9F class 2-10-0 no. 92018

Mick Bayliss My loco collection
92018
92018
BR 9F class 2-10-0 no. 92018. Built and painted from the DJH kit by the late Graham Jaques and weathered by Pete Brinded. The full size locos of this class, designed by Robert Riddles, were the final standard steam locomotives built for British Railways. Knicknamed “spaceships” because of the daylight visible above the wheels and below the boiler, these very impressive locos were regarded by many as the best steam locos ever built. Some of which only had an operational life of less than five years.

BR (ex LNER) A3 Class no. 60099 Call Boy

Mick Bayliss My loco collection
Call Boy
Call Boy
BR (ex LNER) A3 Class no. 60099 Call Boy. Built from the David Andrews kit by myself around 15 years ago. Originally painted by myself also, but I didn’t quite get the colour right. After letting it “make do” for too long I have recently stripped the original paint and let Warren Haywood do the rest. This model is DCC/sound with a Zimo MX645R decoder, switchable between DC and DCC, converted for me by Richard Pogson.

LSWR Drummond T9 class Greyhound no. 113

Mick Bayliss My loco collection
LSWR Greyhound no. 113
Greyhound
LSWR Drummond Greyhound T9 class No.113.

 

A top quality model, with fully working inside motion and opening smokebox door with internal smokebox detail. Built to finescale standards by Nick Dunhill, making use of the Martin Finney kit. Furthermore, the project was used as a test bed for 3D printing technology and its possible applications in O gauge.

Numerous changes have been made to the standard kit build: including making the spacing of the main frames above and below footplate level a slightly compromised, but consistent 29mm. Making prototypical frame stretchers to suit the new frame spacing. The fabrication of new smokebox front and backs. A new more prototypical ashpan has been designed and fabricated. A representation of the firebox front has been incorporated into the chassis. Loco and tender brake gear has been modified to give a more prototypical appearance. Side control and downward springing to minimise movement has been incorporated into the mostly scratch built bogie.

Additional detail to the inside of the cab: includes the the fitting of damper and cylinder draincock levers to the cab floor. The use of perspex rod for the water level indicator safety glass. Displacement lubricators are added to the cabsides. Finally and most noteworthy, wood veneer has been used for the cab floor.

Additional detail below the running plate: including injector, vacuum and lubricator pipes between the frames. Reversing steam rams and cylinder blocks with drain cocks, pipes and linkages are modelled to give an improved prototypical appearance.

Current pick-ups: are by phospher bronze wipers fitted to the tender inner chassis.

Number and worksplates: are by Diane Carney.

The loco crew: expertly hand painted by Mike Sheardown.

Superb loco and tender paintwork: with hand painted crests and lining is by Warren Haywood to give a fabulously smooth finish.

In conclusion, for a more detailed report on the building of this Greyhound refer to the Gauge O Guild Gazette Volume 19 no. 12, of August 2016 pages 65 and 66.