30368

Really lovely work Jack, first class. D15 now painted and lined so given your liking of Drummonds 4-4-0's a picture: It runs really well with a Branchlines 2 stage gearbox and "big" Mashima. Kind regards, Richard B

Final Drummond 4-4-0 update. D15 is now complete. The kit was a 70th birthday present from Mrs B and was built in early 2018. I have only been shamed into painting and lining it as a result of building the S11. 465 runs very, very well. Lastly all three of them. And now onto the V2....... Kind regards, Richard B

Good decision, a new brass running plate will give the model a sound foundation. The boiler looks good though and it seems to have the angled smokebox front of the originl design. I scratch built one a good few years ago and decided on the modified version with an ex LC&D boiler and round specticle plate windows. What is the chassis like? Will follow your progress with this, good luck. Do you have J H Russell's book Pictorial Record of Southern Locomotives ? It has a series of useful drawings including a very detailed scale drawing. Send me a PM and I will scan them for you. Kind regards, Richard B

Brief update on the D15. This final Drummond class were big for a 4-4-0 almost as large as a 4-6-0 due to the long coupled wheelbase and big boiler. A few more pics Kind regards, Richard B

Really good Clive. Thought I recognised the roof from a long time ago but then the hills around Belfast(?) hove into view... Kind regards, Richard B

Good day Tony, Some really useful images of A3's many thanks. I have not built an A3 yet but when I complete the Pro-scale kit I shall post a few pictures which will be up to my usual standard i.e. "poor", the pictures I mean. I strive for each loco model to be an improvement on the last... Kind regards, Richard B

I plan to start building my Proscale V2 kit shortly (lots of difficulties with this kit apparantly) but before doing so I will paint and line my D15, built a few years back from a PDK kit. The mechanism runs very well after some careful addition of lead ballast. It will be 30465, the last survivor. 30398 passes Basingstoke shed yard on a Salisbury local. I know, no headcode discs.... From the other side. D15 ready for lining out and numbering. Some paint to apply to the chassis and the buffer beams. Kind regards, Richard B

The dreaded ProScale V2 KIt.... Just to say a great thankyou to Tony for promising the A4 instructions and Andrew for the scanned V2 instructions. Lots of really helpful advice and tips also offered for which I am very grateful. I will also look at earlier discussions regarding the V2. Now that I have finished my Drummond S11 I am now painting the D15 4-4-0 that I built some time ago and when that is finished I plan to start the V2 kit. Kind regards, Richard B

Worth the effort I'm sure tbg, and I can recommend Michael Edge's tender etches. Good luck with the build. Tony, Can I ask a small favour? I have secondhand (very) Pro-scale V2 and A4 kits to build. Unlike the similar A3 kit that I purchased from you (CRUK) it does not have any instructions. Can anyone supply a scanned copy of either or both instructions? Many thanks, Richard B

Thanks for all the positive comments. The loco looks better in the metal than the pictures that seem to emphasis every minor blemish! Bogie and weight balance needed a fair amount of adjustment, 4-4-0s always tricky to achieve reasonable traction. I had to add more lead under the cab to balance out the very heavy whitemetal smokebox. A few more snapshots. Coupling rod needs reversing! This side rod is fluted and the rifht way around but you can't se it! Kind regards, Richard B

30398 has returned from it's final overhaul at Eastleigh and is being checked over at Basingstoke, well thats the story......it has its 70D shedplate attached. Still a little more painting, light weathering and adjustment to complete. I am very pleased with Micro Sol/Set it makes such a difference to lining with transfers. The sticky tape boiler bands are also an improvement on brass oversize bands so I am a convert. Bogie ride hight needs adjusting. I need to brush off the dust! Kind regards, Richard B

Have now completed the water cart tender for the S112. The kit supplies a white metal casting which had been assembled to create the main body by the previous owner of the kit. The bogies have been assembled with Gibson 14mm 10 spoke wheels. The kit also supplied some really fine castings for the brake hangers and blocks and the actuation gear including a brake cylinder. Again really first class castings. The coal rail extenders were adapted from unused parts from my Judith Edge B9 etch, they do the job very well. You will spot, I'm sure, that I omitted to fit the pipe connected to the vacuum reservoir, now fitted. So its off to the paint shop and completion of both loco and tender. Kind regards, Richard B

Hi David, Sorry to hear that but pleased that you have recovered and are back working on Haymarket. S11 with painted L12 next to it, both using ex T9 kit chassis with largely scratch built bodies. The D15 is a PDK kit. In front of 70D which is making slow progress. Kind regards, Richard

Ian, You are a youngster, you don't need that Red Bull stuff. Remember there is always: Kind regards, Richard B

Hi Blandford, I have not really given it much thought as yet. I have some bits left over from the LSWR Kits T9 that could be useful for one of Drummonds smaller 4-4-0s but I have an aspiration to build an original Drummond 4-6-0 probably 335 since I have a model of 30335 in Urie rebuilt guise (PDK with scratch built tender). We shall see. Thanks for the interest. Kind regards, Richard B

Hi Jack, Thanks for the images of the S11 4-4-0. 30398 (loco) is now ready for painting but before doing so I posed the loco together with my L12 and D15 in front of my Basingstoke shed. Knowing how much you are keen on these latter day Drummond 4-4-0's I thought I would post a few pictures for your enjoyment. Hope all is well? As you know, S11 and L12 are part scratch built on a T9 kit chassis, the D15 is a PDK kit. Kind regards, Richard B PS Just noticed, S11 not carrectly fitted to chassis in these pictures! Now in the paint shop.

Our first year at Buxton and we have decided to sample The Buxton International Festival. It has been really very, very good. We attended a recital performed by Sarah Connolly last week, she was absolutely fabulous. Much more to see this week. Meanwhile 30398 is now finished and ready for painting but before doing so I thought that it might be nice to pose each of my late Drummond 4-4-0's in front of Basingstoke (a work in progress) shed. S11, L12 and D15. The S11 and L12 are both constructed from T9 kits with about the same amount of scratch building. The D15 is a PDK kit and very good it is too. Kind regards, Richard B PS Just noticed that the S11 is not sitting on chassis correctly - not screwed down. In the paint shop now.

Are we in for one of those GP years where the two rivals for the title play a tit for tat game of bumper cars? 1990 springs to mind with the classic incident at the start of the Japanese GP where Senna said he would drive into Prost if he made a good start. He did and he did to seal the championship. GP drivers are great at car control and positioning on the track and know exactly what they are doing. Thank goodness the cars are so strong and seemingly good at protecting the driver else we could have had a very different British GP. Calm down boys. Kind regards, Richard B

Hi David, I haven't had a look at your wonderful Haymarket for a while. These little corners of one's layout are so evocative of the steam age, lovely work. I have been working on an LSWR S11 4-4-0 and progressing my 70D layout. I have a number of ex LNER loco's to build namely a Proscale A3, A4 and V2 a Judeth Edge V4 (that will be interesting) and a G-Train Loco Works ex GCR B7 4-6-0. Should keep me busy for a while! Kind regards, Richard B

Working on the handrail today, always fiddly especially those of the wrap around type as fitted to the S11. I usally fit the boiler and spokebox handrail knobs ensuring that they are all square. I then slide the smokebox front handrail knobs onto the wire and then thread the wire through the smokebox and boiler knobs. Wire needs some final adjustment and straitening up. Kind regards, Richard B

I have been running in the chassis - it runs very smoothly until fitted to the body! Clearances around the mechanism needed to be increased and the chassis ride hight adjusted to compensate for the lost 2mm or so due to 6' drivers instead of the 6' 7" of the T9. The latter helped with the clearance issues. All is now well and I await the delivery of six 14mm 10 spoke Gibson bogie and tender wheels ordered yesterday. Incidently, I'm sure you LSWR buffs will know but Drummond used the same wheel diameter for both bogie and tenders so that used bogie wheels could be re-cycled on the tender. Another example of early standardisation. While I await the wheels I have started to detail the body further using 5 thou brass sheet for the (removed) snifting valve covers on the smokebox. These disapear when a new smokebox is fitted but 30398 was scrapped before needing a new smokebox. Mechanism running at top speed, patented "heat sink" to avoid any undue heat build up after extended running. Cover over cylinder end covers/slide valves a little ill fitting but thin sheet covers took a bit of a bashing in service. Kind regards, Richard B

Apart from anything else the cleaning solution used on diesels, and then applied by abrasive brush, was very acidic (if I recall Xmover) and quickly removed any shine. The Warship looks very good though, well done. Kind regards, Richard B

Yes a good summation of the two "wings" of loco building types. The quantity and perhaps more importantly, the availability of prototype information has never been better. I try to make my loco models as close to a series of pictures of a particular member of a class as possible but this is tempered by the limitations of (in my case) 4mm to the foot, my skill level and lastly my slightly worsening eye sight. The amount of advice given on this website is really excellent, often from professional loco builders (Michael Edge and Tony Wright come quickly to mind) how they find time given they make their living from what is for me, a pleasant pastime, I don't know but it is appreciated. Kind regards, Richard B

Today I worked on the chassis. Brake support rods fitted and wheel crankpins - Markets deluxe pins. The coupling rods fitted with no adjustment necessary - free running. I needed to remove the running plate between the splashers to clear the coupling rods. Now looks like an S11. This model has been built with a live frame so pick-ups (wiper) only on the insulated wheel side. I will consider fitting pick-ups on the tender bogies but could be tricky! I need to re-fit the reverser rodding I had to remove it to gain access to remove the running plate for coupling rod clearance. Kind regards, Richard B

HI, Cab roof is now complete. It took about 5-6 hours to build, it is a fairly complex shape as you can see from the images. I used various extruded brass sections for the edging and reinforcing strips. The rear edging being particularly tricky with all those curves and then the need to bend up the ends to match the roof profile. Still, worth the effort I think. I have looked carefully at all my S11 pictures and can find no trace of the Drummond style steam reverser cylinder. Both T9 and L12 have them mounted high up on the frames in front of the L/H front splasher. Eventually looked at the GA drawing again and it seems to show the reverser cylinder mounted much lower in the frames so it is not realy visable which explains a lot! The original narrow bodied T9 cast roof compared to my effort. Roff fits very well with virtually no gaps between specticle plate and roof. It takes careful filing to match the two profiles and meet drawing diamentions. I need to re-position a few of the clamps securing the oil feeds! Kind regards, Richard B