30368

I have pressed on with body detail. Gravity oil feeds that run alongside the boiler are made from 0.31mm grass wire, the two pipes are soldered together from the back of the wire and then fixed to the boiler using 5 thou brass clamps as on the prototype. The cab floor is made from 10 thou brass scribbed to represent the wooden planks. a brass LSWR style whistle has been fitted, this came with the kit as did the cab operated valves on either side of the whistle. Cab roof in early stages of construction - made from 10 thou brass sheet . Unlike the D15 4-4-0 which had a high arch to the roof, rather like Drummond and Urie's 4-6-0s, the S11 had a flatish roof profile much like the T9's and all the other Drummond 4-4-0s. Note that at each end of the roof the profile is slightly flatened. View of the cab, the splashers/seat assemblies are too wide a downside of 00 gauge I'm afraid. Kind regards, Richard B

Good morning Tony, Thanks very much for this image. I wonder how many of us were on that trip to Doncaster and back in 1963? I was with my late father and brother and a great time was had by all. Have a lovely shot of my brother in the cab of A1 60150 Willbrook (I can't recall if she was on shed or in the works yard?) which I later re-produced for him in model form shortly before he died. I like the chipped paint effect on the front of 60022, as we know she was a quick one! Kind regards, Richard B

We shall see but an early indication that this weekends tyre "mix" ( Main factor, although I don't know what the track temperature is) has restored the MB "status quo"? How amusing F1 has become. Kind regards, Richard B

Thanks Tony. Will give this some thought, I will look at my records of 1962/3 when I spotted the last few A3's on my shed trips to Kings Cross and the NE. If I need a GN tender I know where to come. Keep up the good work for CRUK! Kind regards, Richard

No need to apologise Tony, very frustrating I am sure. My A3 kit arrived this morning perfectly packed and on opening I found that the kit was perfect with all instructions and all parts in their original packing so much appreciated Tony. Looking forward to building it, but what version?......... Kind regards, Richard B

Very impressed with the quality of the cast whitemetal boiler fittings/pipework between the two injectors and the boiler. The boiler feed to the clack valve is particularly good. I wonder what happened to the moulds? I havn't found anyone producing Drummond LSWR fittings as good as these, I don't mind being corrected! The sand boxes for the leading wheel, tucked away inside the frame are also high quality. Kind regards, Richard B

Today's update. I have fitted the correct pattern Drummond dome and fabricated the tall original Drummond chimney from a couple of chimney white metal castings. The GA has its hight as 1ft 10.5in or just under 8mm. The picture of 30398 on Basingstoke has this style of chimney fitted. My chimney is a smigeon under 8mm so ok but looks a little too tall. I can reduce still further. The firebox support brackets that are located between the splashers are made from white metal offcuts and help weight distribution as does the (too narrow) cab splasher/cab seats casting, which will be modified with sheet brass. Starts to look like an S11 I think/hope! Kind regards, Richard B

Boiler now united with running plate. Used sticky tape boiler bands for the first time, apart from being a bit too wide they are fine and so easy to do! Thanks to Michael Edge for finally convincing me! Gap at base of firebox will be covered by firebox mounting plate. Kind regards, Richard B

I have no idea what you are talking about! Obsessed by Masterchef perhaps? Or perhaps you should get better ingredients? Kind regards, Richard B

Spot on! We rely on tiny, often one person, set ups who themselves are enthusiasts. Give the guys a break! Kind regards, Richard B

That I can understand! Look to the future has always been my watchword. When will England tire of wallowing in nostalgia for a past that did not excist! Kind regards, Richard B

I have now fixed the boiler to the smokebox casting. You will see that I had to extend the boiler slightly with an insert. A wooden dowl was inserted into the boiler prior to marking out and drilling boiler fittings and handrail knob holes to minimise the risk of a dimple around the hole due to drilling pressure. The boiler/firebox end will require sections to be inserted to fill the gaps due to the differences in T9 and S11 boiler pitch and wheel diameters. Kind regards, Richard B

250LM or was it a rather special 275LM Ian? Kind regards, Richard

I have been a bit busy on other things but have at last managed to make the mainframe section that supports the higher S11 smokebox. There where a failure or two due to using N/S of too thick a section that then had a 5 thou overlay for the rivet detail. It was all too thick so I re-made using 10 thou brass sheet offcuts which were thin enough to take the rivet detail without using an overlay. I must apologise for the picture quality I usually manage better "snaps" than these! Next step will be to trial fit the boiler and smokebox. I have been advised to used sticky tape for the boiler bands so I will fit those onto the boiler before fitting to the loco body. Kind regards, Richard B

Thanks some really good images. It seems odd that these really historical pictures are of my era! Good that I still feel about 28 or so and, fortunately, have not lost much of my 28 year old capabilities. Kind regards, Richard B

Remember the ford picture well. But the really special picture is number 224. Nino Vacarella, the Sicilian schoolteacher, who was also rather good in a Ferrari Sports Prototype nraced 330 P4 number 224, the sole Ferrari works entry to the 1967 Targa Floria. He was over a minute ahead when he sadly crashed. What a car and what a race! Nino is thankfully still with us. Kind regards, Richard B

Cab and splashers assembly now soldered to running plate. Boiler being prepared for fitting. I think the next step is to make and fit the front frame that forms the support for the smokebox. This will overlay the whitemetal section at the front of the running plate. The solder run onto the running plate has been roughly cleaned up, more work needed. I am pleased with the appearance. Kind regards, Richard B

Brief S11 update - fitting splasher tops - made from 5thou brass sheet and soldered to cab assembly. Very fiddly but appearance is pretty good. Kind regards, Richard B

Just to reinforce what Jack has said about PDK. I emailed Paul at PDK and he confirms that he is planning a T14 4-6-0 kit and will update his website with a few details. I am sure Jack would have been lobbying Paul for a T14 since we share an interest in these ugly but interesting locos. I have made it clear to Paul that I will buy one. All very good news, I have wanted a model of these Drummond/Urie hybrids for some time. They worked Waterloo - Basingstoke and Waterloo - Salisbury stoppers so should fit in well with late 1940/early 1950s Basingstoke. Kind regards, Richard

Hi Alastair, Yes agree, they are quite a problem. The gearbox is a Branchlines 2 stage box (53:1) but I have used the most accute axle position to move the weight accordingly and then removed the unecessary section of the gearbox to minimise the incursion into the boiler and firebox space. The motor is a 10/20 Mashima. Not a very powerful combination but fairly low gearing to help getaway and top speed really not important given the role these loco's performed in the early 1950s. Kind regards, Richard B

A few pictures of my T9 to L12 "conversion" which involved a similar amount of scratchbuilding as the S11 project. Fair bit of greenstuff filling! Kind regards, Richard B

The specticle plate is now finished and has been soldered to the two cab/splasher sides. I have drilled the Specticle Plate with all the openings for whistle control, steam supplies to cab, handrails and gravity lubrication pipes. The two cab specticle windows were pilot drilled and then enlarged with a selection of broaches from the inside of the cab so that a circular "burr" appears on the outside that forms the brass window frame. Gearbox and motor run well I have not yet located the motor mounting plate which accounts for the steep angle of the motor. Sorry poor picture even by my low standards. Not cleaned up yet. Kind regards, Richard B

Hi, I have been in email correspondance with Mike King of the SW Circle re boiler backplate on Drummond L12/S1/T9 and he suggests that there was very little difference between the classes regarding fittings/controls. He has made this assumption with his S11 which is a re-worked L12! Thats good enough for me. Kind regards, Richard B

Hi Blandford, I will get in touch with SW Circle, I am a member after all! I will let you know if a discover anything. As Dave suggests, with interchangeable boilers things need to be in the same place. If the "LSWR culture" survived into the early 1960s at Eastleigh, and I suspect it probably did, then spending money on unique to class boiler backplate fittings and locations would be a no no. The same was true of SR EMU's re-use if you can or if not adapt the EE507 TM for another application. Kind regards, Richard B

Hi Jack, Page 216 of Bradley's book has a reproduction of the D15 GA and, at least in profile, the cab controls are pretty standard and much the same as the other 4-4-0's. Kind regards, Richard B