Bodging a fireless loco

[Lu4472ke]

One of the things I want for my shunting layout, is a fireless loco. As far as I'm aware, no one has done a OO gauge, British outline 0-4-0 RTR fireless loco, there are some European ones, but they look a lot different to the UK ones. My model is based of an Andrew Barclay 0-4-0 loco, on a Hornby 0-4-0 chassis.

 

 

This is the cab that's being used. its a Hornby bagnall shunter cab.

 

First thing I did (which I might not have needed to do) is cut the wipers off.

 

 

​Because fireless locos have open cabsides, I had to cut the cab doors and the windows out. The first thing I did is cut the support out of the window to make it one. 

 

 

Then I cut the doors off. I ran a craft knife blade down the panel lines, until I could bend them, then cut them off with a pair of sidecutters. I tidied the top up with files to remove what was remaining of the top of the door

 

 

​then I removed the piece of plastic between the window and the door, and got this.

 

 

​I then removed the moulded handrail, but I don't have picture of that and don't know why.

 

​The barrel I'm using is a Dapol tank wagon barrel,which I removed the detail on the top and the plates where the esso logo would be, and then cut the bottom off so the motor can fit round it, but I don't have a photo of that and also don't know why, but I do have a picture of the barrel before I bodged it.

 

 

​The footplate is also from the Hornby bagnall shunter, which needed all the holes filling in, so out came the humbrol model filler and goodbye went the holes, it does need a bit more filler, but its mostly done.

 

Edited April 27, 2018 by lukeknights4472

[Lu4472ke]

This one's a big update.

 

I decided that the bagnall cab I was using looked a bit too diesel shuntery, and the esso tank barrel wasn't sitting straight on the footplate, so I decided to change it. the new victims for conversion are:

 

 

A Hornby 06 shunter cab. I felt this would suit the loco more as it has smaller windows, and with a bit of modifications, I've made it look less shuntery by filling in the middle rear cab window and cutting the side out, but more on that later. 

 

 

The second one is a battered Hornby milk tank, which was dropped, and then neglected on a shelf for years.The barrel is smaller in diameter than the esso tank, which may be why it wasn't sitting level on the footplate. 

 

The first thing I did was cut the sides of the cab open, I did that in very much the same way as the other cab, although this one was a bit more difficult. 

 

After the picture was taken, I cleaned it up a bit more.

 

After nearly being defeated by the milk tank, I got my revenge. I filled all the outstanding holes with humbrol model filler, I also removed the electric lights off the back of the cab, and filled the middle window. and after quite a lot of sanding, they looked like this.

 

 

 

Then, I got further revenge on the milk tank by taking a hacksaw to it. the underneath was a separate part which was helpful. the black sharpie lines are where I cut.

 

 

 

then, I did a mock up, using blu-tak to hold everything together

 

 

When I had done all that, I used a bottle cap that I had in reservation for this project for a couple of weeks now, was modified quite a lot. I first took a hacksaw to it to remove some of the height, and then the dremel, and after a while, it looked like this.

 

 

I then stuck it on, and filled around the edges.

 

 

 

Another place that needed a bit more filler was the back of the cab.

 

[Lu4472ke]

Since the last update, the work has been mostly sanding, filling and sanding more. 

 

 

An idea I got from corbs (my inspiration for this project) is to use poster paint as filler, and it works well. 

 

 

The bufferbeam (and the footplate) has had the buffers and the coupling hook cut off, sanded flat, and filled in places, because I got a bit happy with the dremel. 

 

 

Another thing that need doing was the steam exhaust up the back of the cab, since this photo was taken, it has had a new one, but you get the idea. this was made from sprue.

 

 

Something else that needed doing, was the bit of the resivior that sticks into the cab. luckily, I had kept the offcut end for this exact purpose, so the top was glued to the bottom, and because the bottom was fouling on the worm gear, I cut a notch into it with a dremel, and tidied with a file.

 

 

 

Edited February 18, 2018 by lukeknights4472

[Lu4472ke]

Apologies there has been no updates for this recently, I've got to a point where without paint and a chassis I can't continue, but I will get back to working on it soon. Thank you for your continued support.

[Barclay]

What chassis are you using? Pug in reverse?

[Lu4472ke]

What chassis are you using? Pug in reverse?

 

Yep, a Hornby 0-4-0 chassis in reverse.

[Lu4472ke]

I've realised that the locomotive doesn't actually resemble an Andrew Barclay locomotive, so thanks to Gary (BlueLightning) its now a Bandrew Arclay design that has been adapted and built by the Hackett Locomotive Works.

Edited April 27, 2018 by lukeknights4472

[Lu4472ke]

Over the last few days, I have been working to get a bigger set of cylinders on taking inspiration by this photo (http://www.douglas-self.com/MUSEUM/LOCOLOCO/fireless/Huntpalm1b.jpg)

 

This is one of the unmodified cylinders. They're from a Hornby railroad pacific (Tornado or Flying Scotsman)

 

 

After some cutting, superglue and model filler they were on.

 

 

I've also put some fishing weights in the front, they're stuck there with superglue.

 

 

And I've done the same for the piece of reservoir that sticks into the cab.

 

 

 

I've also filled the two holes for where the bonnet used to sit.