SER 'Coffee Pot' No.126
Loco No.126 was made at Ashford in 1848 but was not completed until 1850. The engine was either started at Bricklayers Arms and finshed at Ashford or visa versa (I would be grateful for clarification if anybody knows better). Primarily used on line inspection duties, it remained in service until 1861 when it was sent to Redhill as a pumping engine, returning to Ashford in the early eighties where it was scrapped.
The 4mm scale model is very small, I've posed it with a contemporary goods wagon for size comparison. Fitting in a motor and gearbox was always going to be tricky.The plan was to build it on a budget, so a small motor picked up from Branchlines at exhibition a few years ago was pressed into service, with a scratchbuilt gearbox using a combination of brass and nylon gears from the scraps box. Pick-ups are simple wires rubbing on Gibson 3'6" wheels and powering the motor in the boiler through the cylinder steam pipes up the side of the boiler.
A couple of changes were made from the very basic line drawing that exists for this loco. It's drawn without buffers so basic dumb buffers were added and the drawing also shows (in error) the regulator and Salter spring on the wrong side of the boiler.
It runs OK but lacks weight which is obviously very difficult to add when there is nowhere to hide it. Therefore the wheels spin a bit but only when travelling in one direction. If it goes tank first it's fine and will pull several wagons.
The intention is to fit it with a portly crew cast in whitemetal to add a few grams as tractive ballast!
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