Kernow Models Beattie Well Tank

[roundhouse]

Just added coal to my well tanks and after studying photos I will have to have another look re the loose coupling then add them to mine. One thing I did notice is that the fire irons on the supplied etch are longer than the width of the coal bunker but in photos these do not appear to be any longer than the bunker. Have others shortened these etches?

 

 

Ian

[G-BOAF]

Spent a couple of wide-eyed hours inspecting my two Well Tanks. Really wonderful models. Dome looks spot on, in the right light.

One thing, before I drive myself completely mad. The early crest on the Left Hand cab side of 30587 - it slopes upwards slightly (front higher than back). Can someone confirm that its not just my model. Looking at Mr Nevards pictures, same problem, but may be imagining things.

It would be pointless sending it back if they are all like that.

Next question: is this prototypical (any pics of the real thing with early-crest, pre preservation) or factory slip up...?

[Gwiwer]

The early crest on the Left Hand cab side of 30587 - it slopes upwards slightly (front higher than back). Can someone confirm that its not just my model.

 

You had me looking carefully at mine there. So carefully that I had to blow an image up to full screen size to confirm. The crest is very slightly out, probably a fraction of a millimetre, but it's so little that my naked eye and a good many others had not previously noticed it and it doesn't bother me personally. I put that down to someone at Eastleigh perhaps allowing an apprentice to apply the crest at the last works overhaul! 30587 is certainly not going back.

[Gilwell Park]

My BWT has arrived, a beautiful little model, although still doubtful about the chimney. I cannot really justify it but it looks great on a few coal trucks so has been designated as coal yard shunter with occasional trip working. On the strength of it I have ordered an 02 for delivery in a year or so. I now really need an 0415, what are the chances?

 

Roger.

[mvrnut]

I also am hoping that somebody will do a rtr. 00 guage 0415 Radial. I can use three of them on my layout, all in 1930s' Southern Railway livery. So I would hope that the chances are good.

I have three of the Well Tanks. Kernow/Dapol have done an excellent job on them. I have two of the 02s' on order and am looking forward to them in a year or so.

 

Cheers,

Chris

[SRman]

Chris; just a thought, but if you are modelling the entire class of Beattie Well Tanks and the entire class of Adams Radials, surely you should aim for the entire class of 02s as well!!! ??

 

[Gwiwer]

I also am hoping that somebody will do a rtr. 00 guage 0415 Radial.

 

You and a great many others. Kernow must already be heavily committed with the items we know are already in the pipeline but be assured they are not likely - based on their record thus far - to sit still very long and once one project has been delivered another may then be announced.

 

Well tanks - almost all now mailed;

D63xx - anticipated just into the new year

D6xx - anticipated early new year

 

Once those are released and "out of the way" then like the others I too have an interest in an Adams Radial and something appropriate to run behind it and can only hope for either or both to be announced.

[Guest Belgian]

I also am hoping that somebody will do a rtr. 00 guage 0415 Radial. I can use three of them on my layout, all in 1930s' Southern Railway livery. So I would hope that the chances are good.

Cheers,

Chris

That will be interesting to see Chris: which Adams Radial will be the third one? (There were only two in Southern ownership and livery in the 1930s).

 

JE

[Tim Hale]

I also am hoping that somebody will do a rtr. 00 guage 0415 Radial. I can use three of them on my layout, all in 1930s' Southern Railway livery. So I would hope that the chances are good.

 

Cheers,

Chris

 

OO Works did produce rather a nice rtr OO Adams Radial, you simply missed it.

 

To change the subject back to BWT's, I cannot help but wondering 'what will be the fate of so many BWT's? I doubt if there will be more than a tiny percentage of Wenfordbridge layouts being built compared with the numbers of models sold by KM, no doubt most will just be purchased to run around on layouts with no discernable timeframe plus more than a fair few as 'investments'

 

I must admit that my purchase will ill-conceived as I have no intention to re-locate Beaminster Road to the Far West, the only excuse I have is a photo of 30587 at Yeovil Junction with an ancient departmental van and brake en route to Cornwall from the works. Therefore it had to pass the site of Beaminster Road at least twice, albeit once in a blue moon.

 

However I wonder, if it is possible to adapt the concept featured in MR 162 and turn Dunmere Crossing into a circular mini-diorama? It might save having to cart Beaminster Road around the exhibition circuit. What is the minimum radius capable of accommodating the KM BWT?

 

Food for thought.

[Gwiwer]

They go around first radius curves with ease. As do most 4-wheel wagons making a typical train on typically-sharp Helland-type curves possible.

[Tim Hale]

First radius curve?

[Gwiwer]

First radius curve?

Sometimes known as "small radius". Those rather sharp curves we often try to avoid and for which many recent models carry warnings that they may not be suitable. Sources seem to vary a little but Peco Code 75 and 100 seems to be 371mm radius.

[Tim Hale]

Thank you,

 

At least the BWT will be used in a more appropriate manner and location. Should be easy enough to fabricate and fit into even the smallest car.

 

Tim

[mvrnut]

Belgian,

Yes, you are quite right. You had me scratching my head, but upon digging my Bradley out and reading up on the 0415s', my memory was jogged and of course No. 3488 was purchased by the Southern Railway in 1946 from the East Kent Railway. Upon overhaul it was painted plain black with Bullied lettering. That's okay as my layout can be either 1930s' or 40s' and would give me some livery variation ! And my excuse (do I need one ? ) for running the Beatties' ( back on topic ) is that my layout is not too far from Eastleigh, so locos are seen on running in turns after overhaul !

 

Cheers All,

Chris

[G-BOAF]

OK. BWT Update. One of my pair was sent back straight away due to a chassis fault. No quibble replacement 2 days later from KMRC. That’s what I call service!

 

Couple of obs. Please correct me if what I’m saying bears no relation to reality!

 

1) Based on the fact that there don’t appear to be any pickups (plunger or wiper), and that the bit of chassis block visible when the body is off a gap down the middle, I can only conclude that this DCC Ready loco features a SPLIT CHASSIS!

 

The only problem I can see is that with such models it may be periodically necessary to ‘wipe out’ the journals and ‘bearings’. Still, I guess the forum will collectively cross that bridge if/when it comes to it, with a bit of help from Dapol. I also don’t know how the running plate comes off the chassis block, which appears to slot in with ‘tabs’ at the rear end.

 

Why remove the running plate assembly?

 

2) I’ve mentioned in a few posts the running plate doesn’t look 100% straight to me and on both my examples, there is a distinct ‘high point’ above the rear driving wheel, with a consequential slop back down to the rear buffer beam.

 

With body off, everything straightens up, although you might need to gently nudge the cab interior/backhead detail panel forwards. This would imply that the cab interior is pushed backwards slightly when the cab is fitted. Rearward of the cab, the structure is VERY rigid, with the wheel arches providing support. Forward, the running plate assembly is VERY flexible (as already mentioned by others), hence when the backhead is pushed backwards, running plate above drivers is pulled up, and everything rearwards slopes back down, with no flexibility to compensate. Nothing on the CADs about the running plate being anything other than straight!

 

It MAY be this is due to the cab glazing pieces being slightly proud of the cab wall. From what I can see, clearances are tight at any rate, and tighter still with the thickness of the glazing. This means that to get everything true, the cab interior might need some material removed from its front face, to provide the necessary clearance. But, exactly where and how much I don’t know.

 

This is a job best done with the running plate unit off the chassis, to avoid plastic shavings and filings getting near the mechanism.

 

Won’t have time until the new year to investigate further, and don’t want to do to much until the models are run in and performing reliably. If anyone else wants a fiddle based on these suggestions, any further observations appreciated!

 

This aside, overall impressions are WOW. Great model, setting new standards for small RTR locomotives. Bodes very well for future Dapol steam locomotives.

[darren01]

HI

Just got my BTW today 30587, all i can say is WOW what a fine model, have not run it yet ,but will have it on the rolling road later today.

Well done Dapol ,top bit of work !.

[darren01]

HI

Have had it on my rolling road today and what a sweet runner she is ,next thing is , do i weather her .

[Gwiwer]

next thing is , do i weather her

Your call, of course, but I boldly (and carefully) took the locos to the powders and have had some positive feedback as a result.

 

I never used to weather limited editions but then with increasing skill and confidence I began some discreet little bits here and there. Added to which most of those I own are unlikely to be sold on so the value is not an issue personally. I am now at the point where, with the layout in a state of near-completion, I am starting to turn my attention to other things and am slowly weathering my rolling stock collection as the opportunities arise.

[darren01]

HI Gwiwer

Looking at the photo of them they seemed to have been kept very clean, so I think I will just give her a light traffic weathering.

As the model is a limited edition I was a little bit worried about doing this, but I think BTW would look a lot better with it, mind you how can you improve on this fantastic model any way , just needs a crew now .

[2ManySpams]

HI Gwiwer

Looking at the photo of them they seemed to have been kept very clean, so I think I will just give her a light traffic weathering.

As the model is a limited edition I was a little bit worried about doing this, but I think BTW would look a lot better with it, mind you how can you improve on this fantastic model any way , just needs a crew now .

 

Taking photos of the BWT it does look very very black straight out of the box. A light weathering is called for just to pick out the detail and make it look a bit more real and used. Not too much though as they weren't that dirty!

 

And yes, about the only thing missing from the box is a couple of crew figures.....

[autocoach]

To weather or not to weather, that is the question. Whether it is nobler in the mind to leave the BWT in its pristine state or boldly take action and let the collectors be damned.....as I modify mine with coal loads, Kadee (note correct spelling) type couplings and re-letter BR versions to their pre-BR Southern black scheme I have already turned my back to the collecting fraternity. Many so called collectors are only counting their future profits on Flea-Bay anyway.

 

A little soot powder take the shine off and turns a BWT into a believable working machine. They do not appear to have been coated in China Clay dust the way the wagons to and from Wenfordbridge were dusted to an almost white condition. Most photos show little sign of rust or run-down condition even in BR times.

 

Also ruining any future Flea-Bay value, I have cut out the six pin adapter and hard wired a TCS T-1 decoder into what is actually a fairly good size boiler cavity on 3314. There was another RM thread that seems to have gone nowhere about adding sound to a BWT. Plausible. But I will hold off until there is steam and smoke too.

 

The BWT performance has been outstanding now that I have had my two running for a while. They clunk over Peco long insulfrogs and ignore dirty track with extremely smooth running. I did have a problem with a loose solder connection on the grey motor lead wire to the six pin socket pad on the BWT where the pad has not yet been removed, but that has been easily resolved. The wiring is all color coded in NMRA standard colors.

 

On to the O2...and a plug for a diagram 1543 ex LSWR brake too?

[Peter Bedding]

 

.............................................................

On to the O2...and a plug for a diagram 1543 ex LSWR brake too?

 

 

Keep plugging Ken, we have much to do.

 

PB

[Gwiwer]

"For those about to weather - we salute you"

 

Darren et al I take it you have seen my pics from above and others in my layout topic? This one is currently my wallpaper image on the computer and at that size (with the loco many times its actual size) the weathering really shows up. My weathered 30585 was critically examined at Llanbourne recently by some very experienced and skilled modellers and was generally well-liked. The crews are Bachmann 1950s Locomotive Crew with some acrylic weathering.

 

[darren01]

HI Gwiwer

Yours looks very good !

I have no plans to ever sell it, so feabay going to get it.

And yes i will weather it later to day ,as i have a very nice color photo of her working on home ground , so will copy that.

[SRman]

I fully intend to weather mine but I usually wait until the warranty period has expired. Black locomotives from the factory tend to be too black so that the detail is actually obscured in all but the very best of lighting conditions. A few greys and browns plus some matt black or very dark grey on the smokebox and wheels and running gear can give the effect of a clean but well used locomotive.

 

And yes, Rick (gwiwer's) examples are very well weathered with subtlety. I had a good, long, admiring look at all three BWTs on his layout after PCM's BRMA meeting last Saturday.