GWR 36xx

[hayfield]

I got this loco body off Ebay last thursday and it arrived today, it was advertised as a whitemetal loco body, but I had my doubts. Also no mention of what loco it was

 

 

Its a scratch built from nickle silver and just waiting to be finished, at the club we looked at the photo on my camera and one of the chaps thought it might be from one of the Welsh companies, however on checkinh its an original boiler verson.

 

I have found in the spares box a smoke door box, tank filler caps and some tool boxes which may be a bit short, also I brought a brass whistle this afternoon.

 

Alan Gibson does a set of milled frames, so having not either made or brought one of these before I will send an email asking what I need to buy. I have had a quick look at my flexi chassis book but at a slight loss at the 2-4-2 arrangement, I have only ever have made an 0-6-0 flexi chassis before.

 

I have some photos of the loco in my Russells book and yes the fire box / boiler height differential is that much will have a look on the web for some rear shots

[Adrian Wintle]

Gibson milled frames are just that - the frames. You also need (at a minimum) hornblocks and spacers.

 

Adrian

[buffalo]

The lower part of the last photo on this page shows half of a set of Gibson frames. IIRC they are 35 thou thick.

 

Nick

[hayfield]

The lower part of the last photo on this page shows half of a set of Gibson frames. IIRC they are 35 thou thick.

 

Nick

 

Nick

 

Thanks for the info, I emailed Alan Gibson workshop and got a couple of replies from Colin. I have decided to go for the rigid frames (cant quite get to grips with the compensation for a 2-4-2 chassis)and will order the parts I need tomorrow

[sej]

Hi John, I've scratch built a 7mm 36xx in the original condition with parallel boiler and coal bars on the bunker. The driving wheels are compensated and the trucks built as sprung radials. They're great little locos, full of character and I'm looking forward to building another in the final rebuilt condition with conical boiler etc.

I hope my photos might be useful to you and look forward to seeing your model progress.

 

Regards

Simon

[hayfield]

Simon

 

Thanks for the photos, they have told me more than the photos in my Russells GWR locos book.

 

Could you please tell me what the items are each side of the loco footplate just behind the smoke box, they are not on the plans in my book but are on the photos.

 

I can use your photos to assist me in placing things like boiler bands etc in the correct place.

 

Thanks again a great help

[Timara]

John,

 

They look like re-railing jacks to me.

 

HTH,

[sej]

Hi John, thanks for your thanks, I'm glad the photos have proven useful, I've got a lot of information and prototype photos if you need more! Here's a photo of the other side of my model.

The conical object on the footplate is indeed a re-railing jack as the last poster has correctly identified, there's just the one on that side and I don't think they lasted many years. The other objects are the springs for the front radial truck. They're grouped as four sets of nested cones and are called, I think, volute springs. I got mine as castings from Laurie Griffin and very good they are too. I'm not sure what you could do in 4mm; Craftsman Models used to do a kit for the 36xx (which may be the origin of your model,) I don't know if they did castings for the springs. Good luck!

 

Regards

Simon

[57xx]

They're grouped as four sets of nested cones and are called, I think, volute springs.

You think correctly. Volute springs were also used on some of the GWR's bogies.

[hayfield]

Frames, coupling rods, spacers and wheels arrived from Alan Gibson earlier in the week, I decided to use Romford/Markit wheels as I have them in my wheel box, I also have some Gibson plastic brake shoes.

 

 

Ready for a start once I finish off a couple of locos which are on the workbench, I chose a ridgid chassis for ease also I could not understand the diagram for a 2-4-2 flexichassis in my Sharman book (taking it down the club tomorrow so someone can explain it to me)

[sej]

Hi John, prompted by your thread I dug my old 4mm Craftsman kit for the 36xx out of the cupboard. I'm impressed by the chassis bits you've got there. How are you getting on? And how were you thinking of fitting the motor?

Regards

Simon

[hayfield]

Simon

 

I have been busy finishing off a couple of other kits and I am in the middle of building a scissors crossover for someone, so nothing done and will not be until my bench has cleared a little (2 other locos to finish). Also brought a London Road Models riveting tool for use on parts that may be needed.

 

Motor fitting is the simple part as I will use a Comet or similar gear box which fits on the the axle. Just need to work out where I want the motor, then I can chose the gearbox.

[Metro457]

I thought I would use this existing topic instead of starting another one.

 

Last year whilst attempting to gather information on the GWR 36XX class, Google suggested this site.

 

I was so impressed by the loco on here that I finally decided to attempt to build one myself.

 

Briefly my main modelling interest for the past 10 years or so has been the GWR in Warwickshire in the 1920's. The final piece of the jigsaw for my layouts location and time period was a "Birdcage" tank. However I reckoned that if I waited for a kit become available I might have a long wait so had no alternative but to attempt to build one myself. I have had a model railway of some sort in my possession for over 50 years now and this is my first attempt at scratchbuilding anything that moves.

 

The chassis does work which for me is a major achievement in itself!.

 

The engine is based on the "as built " version but on starting I also made the frames for a later version which may get built later this year. A few mistakes have been made such as rolling the smokebox for the later version, putting on the engine and only then realising it was too long. The loco seems a bit high, but when checking photographs when built this class did seem to tower over existing tank locomotives probably because of their large cabs.

 

One slight difficulty I have found is that for a class of 30 or so engines by 1925 there seemed to be at least 6 variations.

 

I attach a few photos of progress so far and would like to thank Eileens Emporium for supplying the necessary materials and to sej for providing the worked example which I have referred to quite often.

 

This is not a state of the art effort but hopefully does capture some of the prototype.

 

Not looking forward to the painting and lining.

 

Regards

 

Kevin  

 

    

[hayfield]

In much better nick than mine as the rear buffer beam has some damage and whilst I have all the parts needed I have not had time to open the box. The buffer beam may need replacing, still will be a nice project either for me or someone else

[brianusa]

Nice job, I'm rather fond of extinct GW locos.

 

Brian

[sej]

That's a lovely build Kevin, they are really characterful, hefty tank engines and I fully intend to build a number of the different varieties, when I get around to it! I might produce a set etches to speed things up a bit. Looking forward to seeing it painted.

 

Cheers

Simon

[Metro457]

_{Just like to post an update/conclusion to my project.}

 

_{I have uploaded a couple of pictures of the finished loco which finally had the cab windows and numberplates fitted this morning.}

 

_{It will need a  few adjustments because as I suspected from the start, it doesn't care for my layouts 4' radius curves too much. This will have to be resolved before progress on the later version of the same class I have started gets too advanced as it is slightly longer and the overhang at the bunker end will cause derailments.}

 

_{So that is the conclusion of my first scratchbuilding project and hope it conveys an air of Edwardian elegance about it.}

 

_{On putting on the layout in its finished state for the first time the thought struck me that before the arrival of the Collet 5101 class large prairies in the West Midlands area, the 36xx class worked main line suburban and semi fast services and consequently the chances of one turning up in a remote backwater like my layout would had been remote - was it worth the effort?. An interesting learning curve though.}

 

_{Back to my coaches now!}

 

_Kevin  

   

[Metro457]

After 6 months work, I have finally completed the later version of the GWR 36XX tank I started in October last year.

 

I attach some pictures of the effort to date as the cab windows still need glazing and it needs coaling which will hide a few blemishes!

 

On finishing the painting yesterday I started on the long overdue task of sorting out my collection of railway books. During this I found one which contained a picture of 3611 with a different type of bunker. This was the only book I did not refer to during the project. I also discovered on the JLTRT website yesterday that they sell a 56xx boiler as a spare. This if altered may have saved me a few weeks work. I suppose these things to most people.

 

Something I would like comments on is that during the construction of the 2nd loco, faults on the 1st loco became obvious especially the height of the cab. Consequently I lowered the roof by 2mm and then on checking realised the cab was too big anyway so new cab sides had to built. The 1st loco looks more proportioned now but my question is would you rebuild something that already taken several months to complete to improve it or do you leave it alone for now and come back to it at a later date. I have a feeling that both locos will be "tinkered with" to improve them after all it is not as if they are expensive kits!.

 

If anything the project has made me appreciate kit manufacturers and I will probably never criticise anyone who offers kits/components for sale again.

 

Both locos were completed by extensive use of fittings from Warren Shephard's range without which the project would have come to a halt.

 

Thanks for looking.

 

Kevin
 

Edited September 21, 2016 by Metro457

[Mikkel]

Hi Kevin, those are really nice 36xxs. They also show up how much difference livery and boiler make to the appareance of a loco! I think the cab rebuild was worth it, comparing the earlier and later pictures there is a distinct difference in proprotions as you say. 

 

Whether it's good or not to wait awhile before rebuilding is probably a personal thing. I only postpone a rebuild if I'm in doubt whether it's worth it - then later when I come back to the project I can usually tell immediately if the rebuild is actually necessary, or whether it was something that only bothered me while I was deep into the project. 

[hayfield]

Kevin

 

In one way it would be a great shame to re-work either of the locos and in the end would such a major rebuild be better done with a new build. It is a problem when you know something is wrong even if no one else knows or it cannot easily be seen. Both models are works of art and to be proud of, in the end though its down to you and what you get enjoyment from.

 

As for mine its with most of my other kits, stored away in the loft waiting for me to start the chassis, but with limited facilities until my new workroom is built that's where it will stay. I do need to have a sort out though and thin out a few bits

[sej]

Hi Kevin, they really are a lovely pair of locos, the original version is still my favourite!

As for re-building mistakes; I tend to leave it if it's not hugley obvious and come back later. If I've forgotten what the problem was in the first place then I leave it for good. If it's still bugging me, I fix it. The problem with that is that you may accumulate lots of half finished projects!

 

Cheers

Simon

[Nearholmer]

Gentlemen, 

 

I hope you won't mind me resurrecting an ancient thread, but I'm looking for a drawing of either the prototype 3600, which I think was No.11 (did it become 3600, or 3611?) or one of the first batch, in original condition, and would be grateful for a pointer to a source.

 

I'm considering building one in tinplate-style 0 gauge, as a nod to the pre-WW1 Bing models made for Bassett-Lowke, but want to get the proportions a bit closer to reality than Bing did. Theirs had a too-fat boiler and a too-low cab.

 

Thanks in advance, Kevin

[Devo63]

Russell's loco GWR loco book vol.2 has a copy of the official Diag. A of no. 11 at the bottom of page 2.

 

Dave R.

[K14]

Locomotives In Outline by C.J. Freezer has a side & front elevation of 3602 with parallel boiler & coal rail bunker.

 

P.

[melmoth]

47 minutes ago, K14 said:

Locomotives In Outline by C.J. Freezer has a side & front elevation of 3602 with parallel boiler & coal rail bunker.

 

 

Which probably means there was a CJF drawing in Railway Modeller sometime between about 1966 and 74