Minerva announce Manning Wardle K Class 0-6-0ST

[orford]

On ‎05‎/‎05‎/‎2019 at 11:22, pauliebanger said:

Hi Don,

 

Nice work as usual.

 

Will there be a video on the way?

 

Best regards,

 

Paul

 

Hi Paul.  You just want to hear your sound, don't you?  Don't blame you for that - it's a good one (as usual)!  Yes, I will do a video as soon as I can so keep watching.......Don

[pauliebanger]

9 hours ago, orford said:

 

Hi Paul.  You just want to hear your sound, don't you?  Don't blame you for that - it's a good one (as usual)!  Yes, I will do a video as soon as I can so keep watching.......Don

 

Ouch. You've cut me to the quick.

 

Ahem, I know what it sounds like:

 

 

I just want to hear what it sounds like when someone else is driving - we all do this slightly differently. Besides that, others might be interested.

 

Can I suggest that you open and feather the regulator to maintain speed rather than just setting a speed step and letting it run. There will be a greater variety of engine and coasting sounds and volume levels that way.

 

Phew, I think I just about got away with that one....... LOL.

 

Best regards Don,

 

Paul

[hartleymartin]

Yet another K class in Australia has turned up. Manning Wardle No. 912 of 1884, which became "South Bulli No. 3" Used as standby engine after 1926 and scrapped 1952.

 

[81A Oldoak]

21 hours ago, hartleymartin said:

Yet another K class in Australia has turned up. Manning Wardle No. 912 of 1884, which became "South Bulli No. 3" Used as standby engine after 1926 and scrapped 1952.

 

Great photo and carrying signature Manning Wardle nameplates. 

[hartleymartin]

If I had the dosh to spare, I'd get another K class and put those plates on it. Another photo with the flat smokebox door. Early picture? So, at some stage it either got a new boiler or at least a new smokebox door. Would love to have seen more of the other loco just off to the right!

 

 

 

Edited June 22, 2019 by hartleymartin

[hartleymartin]

South Bulli No. 3 with the road smokebox door on what I presume is the coal-loading jetty. This front shot tells us that the cab roof is the same width as the one supplied with the Minvera Model. Note the toolbox on the footplate. That bloke is resting his arm on it.

 

A note in the Gazetteer gives the history as:

 

1884 Built, works no. 912. To Austimer Colliery Railway
1896 Sold to South Bulli, mainly used as shunter at Bellambi Jetty (location of the picture below?)

1926 Used as Stand-by locomotive

1952 Cut up then scrapped

 

These little locomotives got around a bit ey? All the way to the antipodes.

 

 

Edit: A more complete image is dated 1909 and shows the boat and the end of the jetty:

 

Edited June 22, 2019 by hartleymartin

[sir douglas]

even though its off topic, my curiosity deems it necessary for me to ask whats on the right?

 

8 hours ago, hartleymartin said:

 

 

 

 

[hartleymartin]

11 hours ago, sir douglas said:

even though its off topic, my curiosity deems it necessary for me to ask whats on the right?

 

 

 

My best guess is that it is one of the three Avonside locomotives. No.1, No.4 or No.5

 

 

From: https://www.irsociety.co.uk/Archives/52/Australia.htm

 

No. 4 from the trio above was "preserved" read: plinthed in town and painted garish colours.

 

These three were acquired in 1902, 1907 and 1909. It seems that they liked Avonside No. 1, nicknamed "The Green Frog", which strongly suggests it was painted green and they acquired a couple more a few years later.

 

Take a close look at the Weston Langford photo The bunker shape, cab roof and vertical support look the part. It may be that it was the new No.1 was recently acquired, hence the line-work, which puts that particular image circa 1902-1909 By 1909 the Manning Wardle had the newer style smokebox door. The only other photo I have is in a book and dated 1938, with the newer style smokebox door.

 

https://westonlangford.com/images/photo/117928/

http://www.australiansteam.com/avonside1574.htm

[Dava]

Thanks for these recent Australian photos, which show very clearly for 'Southh Bulli No.3' how the side-hinged smokebox door opened.

 

Chris K. Has suggested [possibly in conversation at a recent GOG event] that a future Minerva Class K. Model edition could include the top-hinged smokebox door, fluted safety valve column and other features of the very early K class. Note 'could', not a formal product announcement!

 

Dava

[Crewe North]

On 22/06/2019 at 14:13, hartleymartin said:

South Bulli No. 3 with the road smokebox door on what I presume is the coal-loading jetty. This front shot tells us that the cab roof is the same width as the one supplied with the Minvera Model. Note the toolbox on the footplate. That bloke is resting his arm on it.

 

A note in the Gazetteer gives the history as:

 

1884 Built, works no. 912. To Austimer Colliery Railway
1896 Sold to South Bulli, mainly used as shunter at Bellambi Jetty (location of the picture below?)

1926 Used as Stand-by locomotive

1952 Cut up then scrapped

 

These little locomotives got around a bit ey? All the way to the antipodes.

 

 

Edit: A more complete image is dated 1909 and shows the boat and the end of the jetty:

 

Note also on these photos how the bottom segment of the circular smokebox door is rivetted to the smokebox door. The remainder is hinged to clear the bufferbeam

 

John

[hartleymartin]

There is considerable overlap between the late old I class and the early K class. There are lots of interesting photos of what I can only describe as locally-made copies of the basic Old I /Early K class Manning Wardles and what I can only describe as a very basic copy of the old F class by Henry Vale and Vale & Lacy.

[hartleymartin]

On the topic of a "not a product announcement" I wouldn't mind having those options or even spare/conversion/customisation parts, since I want to model the two locos that ran at Camden, then Carlingford, then the Yass lines!

[Adrian Stevenson]

Found a pic on my wife's I Pad of a Manning Wardle which we sold at work a few months ago. Only just seen it, so I thought I would add it here.

 

Cheers, Ade.

[Dava]

7 hours ago, Adrian Stevenson said:

Found a pic on my wife's I Pad of a Manning Wardle which we sold at work a few months ago. Only just seen it, so I thought I would add it here.

 

Cheers, Ade.

Waterloo Main colliery was south Leeds so that was a local engine for MW.

[sir douglas]

"6 wheels coupled 12inch  ?? by Messer manning wardle exhibited at the international exhibition 1862" the only MW built in 1862 for Waterloo was works no 50.

 

look at "Hecate" about a third way down the page

http://colonelstephenssociety.co.uk/locomotive notes topics/manning wardle locos.html

 

Alfred/Hecate in LSWR ownership

Edited July 12, 2019 by sir douglas

[Ruston]

On 11/07/2019 at 10:04, Adrian Stevenson said:

Found a pic on my wife's I Pad of a Manning Wardle which we sold at work a few months ago. Only just seen it, so I thought I would add it here.

 

Cheers, Ade.

Just to be pedantic, that's actually an Old Class I, not a K.  An absolutely cracking picture though and thanks for sharing it.

[81A Oldoak]

Another weathered Minerva Manning Wardle K ready for dispatch to a customer. This one is fitted with sound. The customer wanted a worn, but cared-for appearance so the superstructure has been polished with T-Cut before applying the muck and filth, which was then polished off from the areas that would have been most easily cleaned. The plates are from Narrow Planet and the ModelU crew were painted by Claudia Everett.

 

Regards,

 

CK

 

 

[Franzburg]

 It`s impossible to cope with Chris Klein`s fantastic weathering performance and my photos aren`t intended to do this in any way !!!

 

Regards

Bernd

[Dava]

My K class had its first long run on the EMGOG test track today, did very well, better than the Heljan 05. Have yet to weather or modify it, an attempt to dismantle did not get very far.

[81A Oldoak]

On 27/10/2019 at 22:19, Dava said:

My K class had its first long run on the EMGOG test track today, did very well, better than the Heljan 05. Have yet to weather or modify it, an attempt to dismantle did not get very far.

Dava,

Remove the three screws that secure the chassis to the superstructure. Ease up the superstructure a few millimetres. Then with a pair of long, fine nosed pliers, carefully lift the copper pipes on the left side in front of the centre axle spring. the superstructure will then lift away. Reverse the process to reassemble.

 

Chris K

[jowan]

What is the best way to remove the cab without damaging the loco?  I would like to fit a weather board, so any advice would be welcome, thanks.

[81A Oldoak]

12 minutes ago, jowan said:

What is the best way to remove the cab without damaging the loco?  I would like to fit a weather board, so any advice would be welcome, thanks.

 

It is not difficult.

 

1. Apply clean white spirit where the whistle operating  lever is joined tot the whistle and to the joint between the firebox and backhead.

2. Gently prize up the coal load with the tip of a sharp blade. It is a clip fit and should come away easily.

3. Unclip the rear of the cab from the bunker.

4. With the same blade, gently ease the top of the backhead away from the firebox. The safety valve levers and gauge should remain attached to the backhead.

5. Unclip the front of the cab from the firebox.

6. Clip the replacement weatherboard into place.

7. Reverse the steps above to reassemble. NB I think it is better to replace the coal load with the real thing. 

 

Let me know how you get on.

 

Regards,

 

Chris Klein

 

Edited October 31, 2019 by 81A Oldoak
Typo correction.

[jowan]

Thanks for the advice Chris.

 

[47137]

I indulged myself in a K class a few weeks ago and it sat in a display box until yesterday when I bought two yards of track.

 

Well, the loco runs perfectly straight out of the box (this is the analogue version) and this prompted me to phone Minerva to tell them how happy I am with the model. I thought this would be a fairly brief affair but I ended up talking with Chris Basten for half an hour, partly I suppose because I am full of enthusiasm for the model and what Minerva are doing, and I had put a test meter on the controller, and he was having his coffee break ...

• It is fine to run the model on a feedback controller like my one from Kent Panel Controls
• Current consumption for a light engine is around 35 mA (0.035 amps ...)
• Stall current (I put my finger on the track in front of the loco) about 140 mA
• Minerva would [still] recommend a controller able to supply 1 amp
• For weathering, try wiping T-cut on a cotton bud vertically on the bodywork. Because the K class comes with three cabs you have two to practice on. I asked about a matt varnish over this, no don't do this
• The smokebox door is prototypical. Whilst a heavy thing, a man was expected to lift it off its hinges. Earlier prototypes had a door with a horizontal split, this pattern was leaky hence the move to the circular design ... there is scope for Minerva to do this on a future batch
• These locomotives often passed from one owner to another, with subsequent owners altering them along the way [and so, for a fictional setting, I should think carefully about the prior owners of the loco before I change the cab]
• Regarding passenger use and the lack of a train brake on the model: some of the more remote light railways and railways running a passenger service for employees did ignore the idea of a train brake) [so no worries about coupling up a small coach on the layout ...]
• There is a fine book: "Locomotive Builders of Leeds: E.B. Wilson and Manning Wardle" by Mark Smithers [I've just ordered a copy]
• If you want to change the smokebox door, dribble white spirit along the join before removing it [same as changing the cab]

Eventually, Chris had a caller at the door :-)

 

Hope this is useful.

 

- Richard.

 

[sir douglas]

there were so many variations between them; smokebox doors, injector position, sand pot position, number of brake shoes, buffers, cabs, wheel style or diameter. And that is just as-built let alone changes made along the way. So you can do pretty much whatever you want with it