Building the Roxey 'Planet' - Part 1
Entry posted by Captain Kernow
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A few years ago, I bought a whitemetal kit for a Hibberd 'Planet' 0-4-0 diesel, as produced by Roxey Mouldings. At the time, I intended to build it in P4, as (yet another) industrial loco to work into 'Callow Lane'.
The kit was originally intended to be used with a Tenshodo 'Spud' motor bogie, with a wheelbase of 24.5mm.
I'm no great fan of the 'Spuds' and in view of the fact that I originally wanted to build it in P4, I was pleased to hear that High Level had produced a bespoke 'Quad Driver' gearbox for this kit, originally in conjunction with Gordon Ashton (Steamraiser of this forum).
I spoke to Chris Gibbon of High Level, and he kindly provided me with the requisite 'Quad Driver' gearbox and a motor.
The kit then joined the pile of others in the 'to do' box and a few years passed, including latterly a couple of years when I lost my modelling mojo almost completely.
Since then, I'm pleased to say that the modelling mojo has come back, in no small measure inspired by the notion of building a small, OO-SF shunting/goods-only layout, which would be small enough to have set up permanently at home. The idea for this layout was developed and eventually became 'Bethesda Sidings', a goods yard set on a fictitious ex-GW line in Mid-Wales, into which an outrageously improbably light railway ran, with running powers over the BR line. This is the 'Vale of Radnor Light Railway'.
Then came the announcement of the Cameo Layout Competition, so I decided to enter 'Bethesda Sidings' in the competition.
Although I have some industrial locos already, which would be suitable for use on the Vale of Radnor Light Railway traffic into and out of 'Bethesda Sidings', I've always liked building locos and I decided to give the VoRLR some dedicated motive power of it's own, and so I thought of the 'Planet' kit.
Thus the decision was made to build it in OO instead of P4, and some Romford/Markits 12mm wagon wheels were obtained (actually I think I had them sitting in a cardboard box with a load of other wheels).
I got the 'Planet' kit and it's gearbox kit out of the 'to do' box and opened it up:
Apart from the reasonably nice whitemetal castings, I realised that I would need to build my own simple 0-4-0 chassis to carry the 'Quad Driver' gearbox, so I had a look in my box sheet brass odds and ends and found some suitable material of approx. 15 thou thickness.
I'd also need to make up my own flush glazing, for which I would use some nice quality 10 thou material, kindly supplied by my good friend John F (Re6/6).
More to follow.
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