The Ruston 48DS class - a rivet-counter's guide

[Turin 60]

Oh I see this one is a basic model........no heater!

 

John.

[Dava]

The Judith Edge kit for this loco in 7mm scale looks to be out quite soon  - and looks to be the best kit of this prototype in 7mm - so the photos on this thread should help with building it.

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/45248-judith-edge-kits/page-24

 

Dava

[Giles]

And I think it was one of these that The Little Loco Company announced as their next RTR loco, due out later in the year (7mm).

 

I saw their Class 15 in the flesh for the first time, and beautiful it is... So I'm sure they'll make an excellent job of this!

[decauville1126]

And I think it was one of these that The Little Loco Company announced as their next RTR loco, due out later in the year (7mm).

 

I saw their Class 15 in the flesh for the first time, and beautiful it is... So I'm sure they'll make an excellent job of this!

Which now throws in a new conundrum.

 

Having been waiting patiently for the Judith Edge 7mm scale 48DS kit - which is now temptingly close - do I now wait longer and see how a ready-to-run version compares. I don't need one, I just want one!

[Michael Edge]

Probably end of January for ours.

[pete_mcfarlane]

I found this, whilst looking for something else (as always happens with the Internet). 

 

http://www.internationalsteam.co.uk/trains/guyana05.htm

 

There's some pictures of the innards of a 48DS, as well as some nice shots of one of the Motor Rail 4w standard gauge shunters. 

[Ruston]

Looks like a Gardner engine was put in the Ruston at some time before it was cut up.

[EddieB]

About 47 out of a total of 236 were exported in gauges from metre to 5ft. 6in. Known destinations being Belgium, Brazil, Burma, Egypt, Holland, India, Malaya, Mexico, New Zealand,  Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, United Arab Emirates and Zambia.

Are there any published lists of Ruston locomotives built for export?  I have the Tonks book, but it tends to deal in batches and doesn't give details of customers/operators.

 

Of the 48DS that went to Spain, I have some builders numbers for Tharsis Copper (1219mm gauge) - one of which appears to have survived.  There appears to have been one (at least?) built for 5'6" gauge (349040/1954) - which found its way to a scrapyard near Zaragoza (where I found it on several occasions: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/122475-british-locos-in-spain/?p=2712024)- but cannot find a record of where it worked.

[Dava]

Are there any published lists of Ruston locomotives built for export?  I have the Tonks book, but it tends to deal in batches and doesn't give details of customers/operators.

 

Of the 48DS that went to Spain, I have some builders numbers for Tharsis Copper (1219mm gauge) - one of which appears to have survived.  There appears to have been one (at least?) built for 5'6" gauge (349040/1954) - which found its way to a scrapyard near Zaragoza (where I found it on several occasions: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/122475-british-locos-in-spain/?p=2712024)- but cannot find a record of where it worked.

y

 

Ruston's own booklet on the 48 & 88DS has a complete works & user list for both classes

 

Dava

[EddieB]

y

 

Ruston's own booklet on the 48 & 88DS has a complete works & user list for both classes

 

Dava

Thanks, having found this thread I've just ordered a copy.

[EddieB]

Now that the book has arrived, there seems a certain familiarity and it may be that I already had one that's tucked away on a corner of a bookshelf!

 

Unfortunately it only lists the agents for the Spanish gauge loco referred to (presumably per works list) - of which I have record already - nothing about where it worked.

[Ruston]

Another day with pauliebanger, playing with another big trainset.

 

To the Mountsorrel Railway to sound-record 48DS w/n 393304 of 1956. This loco was new to Prices (Earl Shilton) Bardon Hill Quarries.

 

The beast (all 7 1/2 tons of it) in its lair...

 

Engine (RH side)

 

LH side.

 

Controls - Change direction lever, combined clutch/gearchange lever and brake lever. This is not the parking brake, this is The ONLY brake on the loco

 

 

 

 

 

 

The yellow things are clamps to hold some of the sound recording gear.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you to Brian Phillips and other members of the railway for allowing us to play with their trainset.

Edited January 2, 2023 by Ruston

[Dava]

Nice to see a 48DS which will actually get used for shunting & live undercover locally! Look forward to visiting soon. Have received my Judith Edge 7mm kit to build...

 

Dava

[Ruston]

For the first time ever I have all three of my 48DS models together.

7, 4 and 2mm kits. The 2mm isn't powered and was used as a lowmac load.

Edited January 2, 2023 by Ruston

[arty]

Following on from your post, I was there this afternoon - here's some video.

 

 

Richard

[arty]

And some more.

 

 

Richard

[arty]

And one more for luck.

 

 

Richard

[Ruston]

A few more photos from my collection.

 

44/48HP loco w/n200514 of 1940 at the Glasgow Parkhead Crane Works of Sir Willam Arrol Ltd. The photo was taken by Ruston's photographer in 1943 so I guess that accounts for the lady driver and the rough attempt at painting out the company name on the back of the cab.

 

Another wartime loco, this time an open-cabbed 48DS. W/n 212654 was built in 1942 for the Wigan Coal Corporation and is shown at Victoria Colliery at Standish. It would appear to be painted all-over grey (or a lighter green than Rustons' usual deep bronze green) and has no lining or the usual maker's cabside crest. I would assume this was a wartime economy measure. The photo was taken in 1949 and as there is what would have been, at the time, the latest model of Ruston narrow gauge loco in the background, I suspect that was the main reason the photographer had gone there.

 

In 1958 Rustons supplied a pair of 5ft. 4in. gauge 48DS locos (w/n 411321 & 421322) to Strachan & Henshaw  Ltd. for the United Kindgom Atomic Energy Authority for use at Chapelcross nuclear power station. Their only duties were to move wagons loaded with "coffins" full of nuclear waste. No.2 is seen at Chapelcross in 1984 (Photo BNFL). More information can be found about this railway system on pages 130 and 131 of the Industrial Railway Record, issue 39, October 1971.

 

Edited January 2, 2023 by Ruston

[Ruston]

To reinforce my theory of all-over grey as a wartime economy measure, here we have w/n224340 of 1944 new to Yarrow & Co. at Scotstoun, Lanarkshire.

No lining or cabside crests, only the word RUSTON painted on the front.

 

A 44/48HP loco w/n 183764 of 1937 at Harrison Bros. (Engineers) Ltd. Atlas Foundry, Middlesborough.

 

Another 44/48HP loco, w/n 183062 of 1937, on test in Firth Road, Lincoln. This loco was painted in a special livery (Possibly cream-coloured?) for the customer Wiltshire United Dairies Ltd. for use at the Chard Junction dairy. It would be interesting to find out what the logo on the cabside is.

Edited January 2, 2023 by Ruston

[pete_mcfarlane]

In 1958 Rustons supplied a pair of 5ft. 4in. gauge 48DS locos (w/n 411321 & 421322) to Strachan & Henshaw  Ltd. for the United Kindgom Atomic Energy Authority for use at Chapelcross nuclear power station. Their only duties were to move wagons loaded with "coffins" full of nuclear waste. No.2 is seen at Chapelcross in 1984 (Photo BNFL). More information can be found about this railway system on pages 130 and 131 of the Industrial Railway Record, issue 39, October 1971.

48DSBNFL.jpg

That's a slightly odd choice of gauge. Presumably they designed the waste canisters first, and the railway was designed to handle them. 

[hartleymartin]

There's a 7mm scale RTR version in the works:

http://www.littleloco.co.uk/product/ruston-48ds/

[Dava]

The 48DS was, uniquely for Ruston at least, built in broad, standard and narrow gauges as required. I was thinking yesterday that you could build the kit version in 21mm gauge using the Slaters axles which will fit the wheels and it would be ideal for a 3ft gauge line in 7mm scale. There is a meter gauge [previously 3 foot gauge] one at the Wellingborough ironstone museum,

 

Here's a link to the photo:

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/uploads/monthly_04_2014/post-14654-0-48797400-1398113857_thumb.jpg

Dava

Edited August 19, 2017 by Dava

[Ruston]

The 48DS was, uniquely for Ruston at least, built in broad, standard and narrow gauges as required. I was thinking yesterday that you could build the kit version in 21mm gauge using the Slaters axles which will fit the wheels and it would be ideal for a 3ft gauge line in 7mm scale. There is a meter gauge [previously 3 foot gauge] one at the Wellingborough ironstone museum,

 

Here's a link to the photo:

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/uploads/monthly_04_2014/post-14654-0-48797400-1398113857_thumb.jpg

 

Dava

I think that same one worked on the building of the Tinsley viaduct of the M1 motorway.

[pete_mcfarlane]

There's some info about it (and its very varied life) here: 

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/12a_kingmoor_klickr/6692327847

[sb67]

Just found this thread and got to say it's very inspirational, some great photos and info. I would like to build a 4mm version of one of these locos sometime.

Thanks for posting.

Steve.