Hunslet 50550 from J94 Build/Bash

[Mark Saunders]

These look to me like the ones converted for oil burning with the bunker converted to a tank.

[Corbs]

That would probably explain it. Of note is that you can see the outline of the old  bunker on the side sheet.

[tomparryharry]

Those loco springs would be a real bu**er to oil up properly: the inside motion would be right behind that. The opposite side would have the reversing lever in there as well. It's a real tight squeeze!

 

Interesting to see the steam take off from the dome. Most 18" locos had a steam manifold turret on there. I'm just wondering if it's a modification, or original equipment. We can notice that the crankpins are the gib & cotter type also. Injector overflow pipework is also different.

 

Ian.

Edited March 1, 2019 by tomparryharry
Missing bits!

[Corbs]

I do have a set of the gib and cotter rods in kit form, but have not had the courage to make them up from the kit unless someone wants to do it for me for beer tokens? 

[rope runner]

Corbs, I'm happy to solder these up for you for free - are they the ambis ones? 

 

PM me if you'd like to take me up on it

 

Paul A. 

[Corbs]

Really? That would be awesome! I’ll drop you a line.

[doilum]

If anyone fancies a 7mm 50550, a well known auction site has a strange looking "austerity". Big buffer beams, sloping bunker but round windows. Not sure about wheel size but if I had to guess I would say 4'3''.

[doilum]

A question for  the knowledgeable. Are the springs on the yellow loco a later addition? I have searched on line photos of the 50550 class and they all seem to have under sprung suspension. I even rushed out and checked my S112 , this too has the austerity type springs.

[Corbs]

I should have checked earlier in this thread, Ranger's post below states some of the modifications to No.24 including the modified bunker/tank. 

I also found this link on the ever-useful Industrial Railway Society site

https://www.irsociety.co.uk/Archives/37/Corby.htm

 

Quote

    The other surviving loco, "the odd man out", is one of the Hunslet "50550" series with 18in x 24in cylinders (see RECORD 23) originally intended for the ill-fated "Islip Orefield Development Scheme". When sent to Corby Works 24 (Hunslet 2411 of 1941) was used on the Ore Bank, and later worked the hot iron ladles between the blast furnaces and the steel-making plants: but in more recent years it has been regularly used on tube works duties – all jobs on which its additional power was useful. Besides being altered to oil-firing this engine was also modified by placing the previously underhung springs in new positions above the axleboxes. In April 1971 24 was out of use owing to damaged motion.

 

I wonder if the spring modification was to standardise on springing arrangements with the Hawthorn Leslie locos in the link? Most of the other locos seem to have the same arrangement. The link also highlights the steam take-off from the dome on the Hawthorn Leslies.

 

Quote

An original experiment some twenty years ago involved converting IRONWORKS No.1, a 1911 Barclay 0−6−0 saddle tank and one of the first Corby Ironworks locomotives to burn tar; this does not seem to have been particularly promising and it reverted to coal-firing. In the late summer of 1960, however, alterations made to Hawthorn Leslie 23 were more successful, and after some nine months’ experience seven of the standard locomotives (12, 14, 15, 16, 18, 23 and 32) were treated similarly over the succeeding two years. The system, devised at Corby Works, consists of a burner mounted in the bottom of the existing ashpan. This is fed with oil, from a tank mounted in the original coal bunker, and with steam, to distribute the oil within the firebox; the steam supply is taken from the dome through a lagged pipe running across the top of the saddle tank and into the cab. A brick arch protects the tube ends from the fierce heat and provides a better circulation of gases in the firebox; the base of the box is also bricked round to a height of twelve inches or so. Two steam supplies, separately controlled, are provided at the burner, one to atomise the oil on entering the fitting, and the other to jet the spray around the firebox. Controlling the amount of steam at these valves gives varying intensities of fire. Steam is also provided to heat the oil tank (it is not always necessary to use this) and to clean out the oil feed pipe and fitting. The oil fuel tank contains 600 gallons and is fitted between and below the rear cab windows, the bunker being extended rearwards slightly to provide the necessary volume. Before the fire can be lit steam pressure has to be available for atomisation of the oil within the firebox. A supply is therefore provided at the loco shed (from a reduced works supply of 50lb) which is connected by flexible pipe into the control fitting, whilst a valve on the supply pipe from the loco boiler is turned off. This stationary source is thus used until a sufficient pressure has been reached (50lb) for the engine’s own boiler to take over. To light the fire, burning cotton waste is thrown into the firebox; it is then possible to ignite the burner by opening the steam valve and jetting valve and then the oil source, after first making sure the firedoors are shut and the blower is on! An air line is provided at the shed in place of the blower until the engine has its own steam. Heated and lagged elevated tanks at the "diesel end’ of the shed form the fuelling point, the oil itself being Victaulic. The conversions are reasonably successful, but the locomotives are somewhat heavy consumers of water and cannot be left for long without losing pressure, due to the transient nature of an oil fire compared with a coal one. When the first changes to oil were made, one locomotive – possibly 18 – was loaned to the Minerals system for trials from Gretton Brook shed.

 

If you look at the image from eBay I reposted, you can see the vertical part of the oil tank through the rear cab window.

 

Here's Ranger's post:

 

On 05/11/2017 at 21:51, RANGERS said:

There was an article covering the 18" Hunslets in an early edition of Model Railways Illustrated from memory it included drawings for both the 50550 and the Austerity types.

 

S&L No 3 in the pic above was a sister loco to S&L No24 which resided with Corby Model Railway Club for a few years. It had been modified quite extensively to accommodate oil burning by the time it was withdrawn and actually looked very different thanks to a new bunker having been fabricated to accommodate the oil tank.

Edited March 1, 2019 by Corbs

[Corbs]

Another photo of No.24 probably taken at the same time at the ones on the previous page, apparently during a strike, posted by 'Peckett' on National Preservation

https://www.national-preservation.com/threads/hunslet-50550-class-survivors.712690/

 

 

A photo of No.24 from Geoff's Pages, showing the oil tank still extant and the top mounted springs.

http://www.geoffspages.co.uk/raildiary/emids74.htm

 

The same loco in 2011 looking rather sorry for itself (via Peter Todd on flickr). Apparently it's now moved to the Dean Forest Railway.

 

Interestingly the 50550 has a big dent in the front of the saddletank in the same place as this Hawthorn Leslie, wonder if it was from the same cause.

 

Edited November 3, 2019 by Corbs

[doilum]

That yellow Hawthorne Leslie looks awfully like a Peckett

[rope runner]

I am told No.24 had/has cracks in the frames and the leaf springs were re-positioned during overhaul at Corby to help alleviate this. She was a popular loco at Corby and she was stripped at Scunthorpe with a view to restoring her to working order. Unfortunately she is very far gone and is far from original condition as is noted above. 

 

Paul A

Edited March 2, 2019 by 1whitemoor
Spelling!

[doilum]

19 minutes ago, 1whitemoor said:

I am told No.24 had/has cracks in the frames and the leaf springs were re-positioned during overhaul at Corby to help alleviate this. She was a popular loco at Corby and she was stripped at Scunthorpe with a view to restoring her to working order. Unfortunately she is very far gone and is far from original condition as is noted above. 

 

Paul A

Thanks

[Corbs]

Thanks for clarifying Paul.

 

6 hours ago, doilum said:

That yellow Hawthorne Leslie looks awfully like a Peckett

Have a read of this, you might find it interesting! The HL design of bunker with the sweeping top edge is quite Peckett-like. Looks like the square side windows were a user addition.

https://www.irsociety.co.uk/Archives/37/Corby.htm

[Sandhole]

Thanks for posting that Corbs.

Great article with some marvellous shots!

My two 50550s for Manchester Steel were never very far away from coaling and were doing heavy haulage over short distances, so, despite being very tempting, I think I'll not have a crack at this bunker!!!

I have far too many industrial and mainline locomotives to do in a shortish time, so I have to prioritise!!!!!

Thanks very much for this thread., I have thoroughly enjoyed doing my two to your lead. If I could make my computer squash shots down to fit this new format site!!!!, I'd post a shot!!

I have a visit to Coachbogie's, Mike's house soon, he has told me to bring the computer and he will 'Educate Me!!!'

Best wishes,

                            Chris.

[doilum]

20 hours ago, Corbs said:

Thanks for clarifying Paul.

 

Have a read of this, you might find it interesting! The HL design of bunker with the sweeping top edge is quite Peckett-like. Looks like the square side windows were a user addition.

https://www.irsociety.co.uk/Archives/37/Corby.htm

Also the cab handrails and smokebox front.

A great read thanks.

[Corbs]

Did a little bashing over the last few days to give it one of my favourite features of the 50550, the low-hanging bufferbeams. I wanted to retain the rivet detail and mounting setup of the WD ones, so I just fashioned the lower section from styrene sheet, attached using poly cement along the join, along with 2 reinforcing strips behind to prevent it bending.

The join had some squadron green putty applied to help blend it a bit.

A few more bits have been added - a generator just in front of the cab, powering the headlight up from (inspired by the ones on the RSH locos at Corby), and some numberplates fitted at long last (Narrow Planet examples to match the ones fitted to the Bagnalls).

[rope runner]

One set of gib and cotter coupling rods have been overhauled and will shortly be winging their way from RSHN Newcastle. 

 

 

Paul A. 

[Corbs]

Awesome! Thanks Paul. Looking at them, I am so glad you did them, I would not have had a clue!

[doilum]

as requested a few shots of S112. This was a cancelled order that went to the Port of London Authority and was sold to the NCB in the early 1960s. After clean air conversion at Hunslet it spent the rest of it's working life at Ackton Hall colliery Featherstone.  The rear bufferbeam and frames were cut back to facilitate the fitting of a mechanical stoker.  Currently under restoration, I believe the intention is to restore the original deep frames and rear buffer. I have included the photo of Wheldale for comparison.

Edited March 10, 2019 by doilum

[Sandhole]

1 hour ago, doilum said:

as requested a few shots of S112. This was a cancelled order that went to the Port of London Authority and was sold to the NCB in the early 1960s. After clean air conversion at Hunslet it spent the rest of it's working life at Ackton Hall colliery Featherstone.  The rear bufferbeam and frames were cut back to facilitate the fitting of a mechanical stoker.  Currently under restoration, I believe the intention is to restore the original deep frames and rear buffer. I have included the photo of Wheldale for comparison.

Very Nice!!

Really like the shed shot.

                              Chris.

[doilum]

The shed is a stand alone diorama that may become part of a final bookcase layout at some future time. S112 started life as a Mercian 48150 that, in my ignorance, I had mistaken for a 16" Hunslet. With a Canon /ABC powertrain it ran beautifully but was clearly not a Castleford colliery locomotive. After a year or so of debating I bit the bullet and carefully hacked off the tank and rolled a new one around the original formers. The rear windows were filed square to match S112 and the distinctive handrails added.

The front buffer beam came as an option with the Mercian kit but I had to do a full chassis strip and reinstate the front part of the frames to their full depth. At the rear I fabricated a representation of the mechanical stoker. A coat of coal board red and typical grime and job done.

As for the 16", that's another story. I realised it would be some time before it got to the top of Mike Edge's "to do" list and scratch built a pair of them.

[Michael Edge]

Hunslet 16in is nearly ready to go into production in 7mm......

[doilum]

Silly question. Is the 16" bunker slightly longer than the 15"?

My first attempt, Beatrice, used a copy of the 15" cab and bunker and left me wondering if the bunker looked slightly short compared to the photographs. Consequently I added a couple of mm when I built the second loco. I reckoned that an additional 3" would have provided about 7 cubic feet of coal storage. Given a cheap set of wheels, I might still be tempted by a kit built Primrose #2.

[Corbs]

Doilum - thanks for sharing the shots of your model. In a way you almost followed Hunslet's own development path turning the 48150 into a 50550!