As I was browsing the internet one day I came across an article written by someone on the subject of locomotive wheel configurations which featured a photo of a Double Fairlie and I was quite taken by it as I'd never seen or heard of one before. I decided I'd like to try to make a model that represented the prototype in the article.

Here is one of the many pictures I subsequently found on researching the project, it's very atmospheric I think. It shows a Double Fairlie back in the days when the Festiniog Railway was little more than an industrial line, prior to its closure.

For those of you that are unfamillier with this loco more info can be found by clicking the link below :-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairlie_locomotive

On my initial search I found some photos and measurements which would enable me to get started. The very first thing that struck me was the resemblance to the 0-4-0 101 Holden tank engine of which I had one chassis in my spares box. I managed to get another cheaply, together with two spare bodies, Hornby's Connie and Terry.

The initial Idea was to mount these back to back with their chassis making the two bogies, which would be mounted inside the bodies in similar fashion to those on a diesel loco.

I made up two mounting plates, cut both bogies down in length adapted them with brackets made from plasticard so that both bogies were articulated. Despite only a very brief description here all this took a considerable amount of work, I made up a bridging section and joined both bodies together. on conducting trials I found this design was unworkable, it derailed on the first bend due to insufficient clearance inside the bodies for the width of the 0-4-0 chassis where the can-motor was mounted, so it was back to the drawing board.

Prior to this discovery I had started to make the necessary alterations to the bodies such as cutting off the cab roofs, re-profiling the cab front panel, filling in the round window openings and cutting out new square windows, re-positioning the domes, removing all the cast in detailing, etc. After it was revealed that it didn't work I put it aside, as by then I had begun to think it was taking over my life and i was heartily sick of it and needed a change. Here's some pics of the alteration works :-

To join the two halves together I needed to fix a sole plate bridging the two, I also made up and fitted the fireboxes that run between the two boilers. All this had to be done before any test runs were possible, so as you see a considerable amount of thought and work had already gone into this project. No wonder I was pig-sick when it didn't work out.

In my next entry I'll show you the continuation of this saga.

see ya later.