Motorising a Kitmaster Stirling Single

[RosiesBoss]

Please note: I uploaded some of the following text in Model Rail Forum in May 2012. The following text has been illustrated and expanded from that article.

 

I live in Australia, but model mainly British trains. When I was still in high school (around 1966), a local toy shop began to sell a batch of Kitmaster model railway kits that had been discovered in storage somewhere in Sydney. I purchased a selection of these and assembled them over time. One of these was a Stirling Single, which, after assembly, I tried to use on my home layout, freewheeling in front of a Tri-ang Dean Single. It didn’t look right, so the model joined other static models on the shelf, awaiting motorisation which never came.

 

I have fond memories of seeing the preserved example in Shildon and on opening day at the NRM during my 8-week visit to the UK in 1975.

 

 

Around 2005, I was given another (assembled) example. While a little battered, the body of loco and tender were straight and the transfers were ok. It offered me another chance to motorise this remarkable model. As it happened, a couple of years later, I purchased a couple of wrecked Tri-ang Dean Singles, which were added to my scrapbox. I found a pair of new unused 32mm dia driving wheels on eBay and realised I also had an early pair of Romford 18mm dia driving wheels – the version that was pressed onto the axles. Sundry other bits were in my scrapbox. I was ready to start!

 

Chassis Modification

 

The components I used for the conversion included:
* Chassis block from the Triang Dean single, with the driving wheel bearings raised for the larger driving wheels, until the chassis sat level.
* Hornby Type 7 motor (as the original Tri-ang motor is too big)
* Nylon gears from my local electronic hobbyists' shop
* Romford 32mm dia wheels and axle
* Romford 18mm dia drivers and axle, modified by removing the crank

* Romford bearing inserts
* 3 pairs of Romford 16 mm dia tender wheels, with outside Peco bearings

* Cheesehead 8BA bolts, screwed carefully into the tops of the plastic driving wheel chassis keepers in the Triang chassis to maintain contact between the gears. (These pushed the new brass bearings up into the raised bearing slots.)
* 0.4mm dia nickel silver wire for new pickups, soldered to brass strips screwed to the chassis keeper with 12 BA bolts. I used this also for new handrails.
* 0.5in X 0.5in brass channel, slotted for the tender axles, cut to fit inside the tender body, held in place by the axles in the tender body
* Printed circuit board, cut to fit the brass channel
* 2 pairs of Romford inside-bearing 12mm dia bogie wheels
* Front bogie frame from the scrapbox (probably Tri-ang Princess)
* New brass handrail knobs
* Crossheads recovered from scrapped Airfix GMR 61XX tank engine
* Fine square-section nickel silver rod for new slidebars
* 3 mm wide nickel silver strip for new connecting rods
* Tri-ang 10 BA connecting rod screws

Assembly of the modified chassis was quite straightforward and, following trials, it was set aside until the body was modified. Note that the cylinders remained with the body and that the connecting rods must always be disconnected from the driving wheels before removing body from chassis.

 

 

 

Plastic Body Modifications

 

Basically, I removed the plastic chassis from the assembled model, opened up the underside until the new chassis fitted. I then removed all plastic handrails and filled any imperfections before fitting new handrail knobs and rails.
 

I prepared a lead weight from old roofing lead and fitted it in front of the motor, ensuring that it was not quite so heavy as to tip the chassis forward. This improved traction.

Settling in and Finishing

 

Trials confirmed that the brass tender insert was needed for stability when hauling its train. (It also prevents the loco from tipping forwards and maintains contact of the rear wheels with the track for better power collection.)

I finished the model with Humbrol enamels, taking care to paint around the original transfers, using on-line photos of No.1 as inspiration:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rgadsdon/7529119968/

 

 

Old No.1 looked very lonely running on my (mainly) GWR layout without suitable coaches, so I then modified a couple of Bachmann “Emily” carriages, by replacing the clerestory roofs with arc roofs and new ventilators, painting with Gloy teak paint and then applying HMRS transfers. I have also made another 6-wheeler from a Tri-ang clerestory 2nd coach (R.332) and a 4-wheeler from a Ratio GWR coach (#612). All are finished the same as the modified Bachmann coaches and match well with a Hornby 4-wheel LNER coach. They all look very pretty behind the motorised Kitmaster model.  (See below for more details about each one.)

 

 

 

They're not wholly accurate, but they capture the atmosphere of a late 19th century express and run very sweetly.

 

The Coaches

 

1. GNR Passenger Brake Van

 

This model is inspired by GNR 836 on the Tanfield Railway: http://www.cs.vintagecarriagestrust.org/se/CarriageInfo.asp?Ref=2521 and by the 6-wheeled one illustrated on page 47 of Ref.3.  It was made from the guard’s portions of two old Tri-ang GWR clerestory brake 3rds (R.333), with Peco Wonderful Wagon W irons, axleboxes and springs, Romford brass bearings (inside the Peco ones), Hornby 14mm dia coach wheels, L-section brass strip footboards, Bachmann slimline tension-lock couplings, card roof and commercial ventilators. The model was finished in Gloy “teak” enamel paint and HMRS transfers.

 

 

2. GNR 6-Wheeled all 3^rd

 

This was inspired by the restored GNR 129 on the North Norfolk Railway: http://www.cs.vintagecarriagestrust.org/se/CarriageInfo.asp?Ref=881

It was adapted from the body of a Tri-ang GWR clerestory 2^nd (R.332). The body was shortened to a five-compartment one by cutting out two middle compartments and then rejoining the outer sections. The remaining construction details are the same as Coach 1, except that it has 12.5mm dia Hornby coach wheels.

 

 

3. LNER 4-wheeled Composite

 

This is a standard Hornby model, fitted with 12.5mm dia Hornby coach wheels. It is not an accurate model, but looks the part!

 

 

4. GNR 4-Wheeled Composite

 

This was inspired by GNR 6032 on the Tanfield Railway, but adapted to be a 4-compartment compo: http://www.cs.vintagecarriagestrust.org/se/CarriageInfo.asp?Ref=2518 It was built from a Ratio GWR Compo kit (#612) and fitted with Flushglaze windows sold for Tri-ang clerestory coaches. Painting and transfers are as for Coaches 1 & 2.

 

 

5. GNR 6-Wheeled Composite

 

This was adapted from one of the two “Emily’s coaches” made by Bachmann. A similar coach appears in the upper illustration on page 44 of Ref.2. The clerestory roof was removed and discarded. It was replaced by a new one made from card and fitted with new ventilators. Painting and transfers were as for Coach 1, inspired by the details of restored GNR 589: http://www.cs.vintagecarriagestrust.org/se/CarriageInfo.asp?Ref=871

 

 

6. GNR 6-Wheeled Brake 3^rd

 

This is another rebuilt Bachmann “Emily’s coach”, reworked as for Coach 5. I’m unaware of any exact prototype, but it looks fine when the whole formation is in motion behind the Single!

 

 

References:

1. Leech, KH & Boddy, MG: “The Stirling Singles of the Great Northern Railway” (David & Charles, Dawlish, Devon, 1965)
2. Kite, JE: “Vintage Steam” (Ian Allen, 1969)
3. Rolt, LTC: “Patrick Stirling’s Locomotives“ (Hamish Hamlton, 1964)
4. Bowen Cooke, CJ: “British Steam Locomotives 1894” (Gresham Books reprint, 1979)

[A Murphy]

I'm an N gauge bod myself, but that is a great piece of work! Congratulations and thanks for posting it.

 

Alastair M