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Nilgiri Class X


Silurian
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Can anyone tell me whether there's ever been a model commercially offered in any scale as etching or whatever, of the Nilgiri railway X class tank loco ? Failing that, is there any other model of another SLM rack loco which could be used as a starting point to create one?

 

Nick FitzGerald,

Hasselt,

Belgium

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Thanks. To be clear i was really asking if anyone had ever done a kit or scratch-aid etching rather than RTR per se. It's not a prototype that will ever interest the mainstream makers of RTR equipment, even if it is a UNESCO world heritage railway

 

Nick

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If you can get a scale drawing and know someone that can use CAD software it might be possible to get a 3D print done for the key components.

 

I have only seen & ridden in trains with the coal fired ones rather than the new oil fired ones from Golden Rock.  I assume they are taking the same dimensions and the SLM built locos.

 

After the loco you would then want the coaches.........

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  • 4 months later...

The coaches were built by Ashbury in 1936 if that's any help. I was lucky enough to visit the Nilgiri in 1987 and had a footplate ride from Coonoor to Ooty and back, but then being a BR driver at the time opened a lot of doors!

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If anyone can get a hold of scale drawings I will be happy to have a go at the model in sketchup. I do make IR models in HO scale and owing to my family being on the railways since it's inception (Anglo-Indian's) I'd be most happy to try and work something out. I will try and get a scale drawing myself.

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  • 8 months later...

Here's a couple of pics of the Nilgri Hills X class taken in 1987 at Coonoor. I took 34 rolls of film; the processors lost 17 rolls, the future ex threw away the prints from the other 17 rolls. It seems this is all I have left.

 

Except my memories, riding on the YP and YG class metre gauge locos out of Trichy Junction. 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Rummaging through various boxes has found some more photos of the Nilgri locos where I was lucky to have had a footplate ride from Udagamdalum (Ooty) to Coonnoor. The two boys on the cab steps in picture 2 are my sons Vince (now Assistant Fleet Engineer on the Southern Railway at Selhurst) and Keith, a theatre technician.

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Edited by roythebus
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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 3 years later...

Can I resurrect this thread. Does anyone know of any drawings of these locos.

If not:  has anyone got good square on photos of the front or rear.

I have found some good side views and with some end views it may be possible to produce some drawings.

I would then look at getting etches made.

I see this as a challenge.

Nick 

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Does anyone know who built the engines?

 

Just answered my own question.

The locomotives were built by the Swiss Locomotive and Machine works.

The question  is were their drawings and works photographs archived for posterity?

 

Edited by Gordon A
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  • 1 year later...

There's some excellent drawings of the valve gear on the wall inside the loco shed at Ooty. I took pictures of them but they were amongst the 17 rolls lost by the processing firm here.

 

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  • 2 months later...

I am working on building one in 7mm scale.

Swiss Railway archives hold drawings and they were kind enough to let me have a GA of the first batch. The drawings are too delicate to copy but you are welcome to visit them.

I am working on etches for the loco. The body is fairly straightforward except for turning the monster dome. The chassis is a very different matter.

I have done some experiments on the gearing for the rack and can see how to do it and some of the pitfalls the main one being getting the rack wheels exactly on the centre line.

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This is a pinion; 4 layers of etch pinned to the gears.

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The drive from the low pressure cylinders will drive the smaller gears. Two motors will be used one driving the main wheels and the other the rack mechanism.

 

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The importance of having the pinions exactly central can be seen here.

Finally I was lucky to visit the railway earlier this year and got plenty of pictures. There are static locos at Ooty and Coonor and it is very relaxed visiting Coonor shed.

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This is going to take some time to complete but it is a challenge.

Nick

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  • 2 months later...

Hi Nick

I am contemplating building an x-class in 5" gauge, having recently completed a 7 1/4" gauge BR 2-8-2. I went to India a long time ago and drove the x-class at Coonor etc. The rack engines at the Feurke railway in Switzerland are very similar to the x-class but are 0-8-0's (ex Vietnam and they have been beautifully restored) and I have tried to get a drawing of either the 0-8-0 or the x-class from them but no luck so far. LGB make a G gauge 0-8-0 by the way but very expensive. So. do you actually have a GA drawing of the x-class? If so is there any chance of a photocopy?  All I really need is the principal dimensions and I can design everything else from that starting point. The really sad thing is that my father (who lived in India and used the Nilgiri line to get to school circa 100 years ago) had started a 5" gauge model and I foolishly sold it to finance my 7 1/4" gauge Royal Scot and now wish I hadn't. I think my part built model went to Switzerland and would like to know if it was ever finished. Anyway, it would be great if you could help.

John Mills

 

 

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Edited by John Mills
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  • 1 month later...

Swiss Railway archives have drawings but they are only available by personal visit.

They have sent me a part ga which is what I am working from.

I have almost finished the etch drawings for the chassis and the body drawings are well advanced.

I have the crossheads cast and will be doing the same with the valve guides.

 

John  - PM sent..

Nick

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My first mrs used to use the Nilgri line to get to and from her boarding school at ooty in the early 1960s, hence the visit there in 1987.

 

When I find my other pics taken on the line I'll post them on here. I took a total of 31 rolls of fils, the processors lost 18 of them!!

 

I was lucky enough to have a footplate ride from Ooty to Coonoor and back. I got to fire on the way down. Being a BR driver helped!

 

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