L&Y to B&CDR

[colmflanagan]

When Bachmann first announced that they were going to do a L&Y 2-4-2 tank in 2012, some folk asked me whether I thought it might make a reasonable B&CDR passenger tank.  As many of you already know, the company had two classes of these, both 4-42 and 2-4-2.  I wasn't sure, but did some research and found:

 

The L&Y locomotive was about the same size as the B&CDR 4-4-2 class, the more common type; however, obviously this one has no front bogie, or a Belpaire firebox, square cab windows, and the boiler looks  too far "forward."   Maybe with major surgery it might be possible but it would be a right big job....

 

So, the 2-4-2 then?

 

Well, not really, because they were rather "older" looking, with a very prominent funnel, and a good bit smaller than the L&Y machines.

 

Forget it?

 

Not quite.  I recently decided to have a go at seeing what a repainted one might look like; once it is taken apart; this sounds easy but there are a lot of little not-quite- the -same- screws holding this thing together- for example the plastic body bits are separate boiler, tank sides, rear bunker and cab, each held with two or more screws and lugs on the plastic. So be VERY careful not to lose them or put the wrong ones back in the wrong place.  Like I did a couple of times.  Once it is apart (the footplate is diecast so no carving of that with a craft knife...), I simply decided to replace the cab side sheets with a more BCDR style cut out (see pics - the L&Y cab is on the bottom,  BCDR on top)

 

 

 

Then I put the usual Irish wheel on the smoke box. I got some B&CDR plates from Guilplates for No1  (this one is going to Downpatrick and there are photos of her there). paint my B&CDR green with LNWR lining - reasonably near, and finish off.

 

You have a kind of "amalgam" engine but in context with some maroon lake six wheelers (Bachmann "Emily coaches from the US Thomas range) she doesn't look too bad.  Maybe I will really have a bash someday by basically using the chassis as a starting point for a 4-4-2 .  Maybe.

 

 

[Nelson Jackson]

Lovely job, looks the part.

[kirley]

Class job as usual Colm.