Bec LSWR D15 kit build

[Pierview]

After a couple of modelling diversions to rebuild secondhand kit built loco acquisitions, I have finally got round to tackling the Bec LSWR D15 kit that I purchased last year. I didn't see any D15's in service as the class was extinct before I started spotting, but I have always thought that the D15 was an attractive design. My interest was aroused when Bec produced their kit in the late 1970's but it was never a high priority and with the passing of time the kit disappeared from the market, never to be seen again! I was therefore delighted to be able to obtain an unmade kit on E bay last year.

 

The Bec model is a typical 1970's kit which builds into a quite reasonable representation of the prototype whilst lacking the refinement and extra detail of more modern white metal and etched kits. I found it to be something of a curate's egg of a kit which involved a bit more work than I had originally anticipated. The kit's worst feature in my opinion is the chassis, which is a somewhat flimsy white metal assembly without brass bearings. I thought that it would inevitably give trouble, so I discarded it and purchased a set of Alan Gibson T9 mainframes which I trimmed to the dimensions of the white metal chassis and assembled using spare Comet frame spacers. Markits wheels, High Level gearbox, Mashima motor and Mainly Trains brake gear. The etched coupling rods from the kit were used to complete the job. The chassis still needs weighting at the rear to balance the heavy front end of the locomotive body. I built a Comet internal tender frame which I compensated and added to the tender. 

 

 

 

I will not go into too many construction details of the kit as I am aware that this kit has been covered on this forum by more skillful modellers than myself, but I did experience some difficulty with the boiler. After assembly for some reason the top of boiler holes for the whistle dome and chimney were off centre, and, worse, the handrail knob holes on one side of the boiler were higher than the other. I could think of no logical reason why this should be, so I made the necessary corrections. The boiler top holes were easy enough to adjust but in the case of the handrail knobs I filled in the holes on the LH side and re-drilled holes at the correct height. Not being familiar with this locomotive type I discovered at a late stage in assembly that the cab cut outs changed in Southern railway days to the much smaller design with which the class ended their days. The Bec kit portrays the original design, so I grafted in chunks of white metal cut from the redundant chassis and shaped these to resemble the later appearance. i suspect that it's not perfect but was the best that I could achieve. In their final years the class carried stove pipe chimneys, so I fitted a Markits one. The kit was designed for an XO4 type motor which intruded into the cab so no backhead was provided. I therefore cobbled up a representation from bits and pieces loosely based on the T9 cab. It is only an approximation, but I hope that with a crew masking most of it the effect will suffice. Both locomotive and tender bodies have received the usual lamp brackets plus small amounts of extra and replacement detail. Vacuum and clack pipes are from Markits.

 

 

This then is progress to date. There are just a few final bits to be tackled before the paint shop beckons.

 

Barry

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bbishop]

Barry, be careful with your numbering because the spare boiler was of Urie design, with bthe safety valves mounted on the firebox.  Bill

[Pierview]

1 hour ago, bbishop said:

Barry, be careful with your numbering because the spare boiler was of Urie design, with bthe safety valves mounted on the firebox.  Bill

Thanks for the information, Bill. I hadn't realised that there was a non-standard spare boiler.  However, I intend the model to be 30465 as I have a good photograph of it in 1955 with the normal dome mounted safety valves.

Barry

[Pierview]

I have now finished the D15 as shown. It was quite an interesting exercise in upgrading an old kit and whilst the result is far from perfect, I am quite pleased with it. There was rather more work than I had originally anticipated but I  got there in the end.

 

 

 

Now on to the next pre- Christmas project !

 

Barry

 

 

[hayfield]

On 15/11/2022 at 14:15, Pierview said:

After a couple of modelling diversions to rebuild secondhand kit built loco acquisitions, I have finally got round to tackling the Bec LSWR D15 kit that I purchased last year. I didn't see any D15's in service as the class was extinct before I started spotting, but I have always thought that the D15 was an attractive design. My interest was aroused when Bec produced their kit in the late 1970's but it was never a high priority and with the passing of time the kit disappeared from the market, never to be seen again! I was therefore delighted to be able to obtain an unmade kit on E bay last year.

 

The Bec model is a typical 1970's kit which builds into a quite reasonable representation of the prototype whilst lacking the refinement and extra detail of more modern white metal and etched kits. I found it to be something of a curate's egg of a kit which involved a bit more work than I had originally anticipated. The kit's worst feature in my opinion is the chassis, which is a somewhat flimsy white metal assembly without brass bearings. I thought that it would inevitably give trouble, so I discarded it and purchased a set of Alan Gibson T9 mainframes which I trimmed to the dimensions of the white metal chassis and assembled using spare Comet frame spacers. Markits wheels, High Level gearbox, Mashima motor and Mainly Trains brake gear. The etched coupling rods from the kit were used to complete the job. The chassis still needs weighting at the rear to balance the heavy front end of the locomotive body. I built a Comet internal tender frame which I compensated and added to the tender. 

 

 

 

I will not go into too many construction details of the kit as I am aware that this kit has been covered on this forum by more skillful modellers than myself, but I did experience some difficulty with the boiler. After assembly for some reason the top of boiler holes for the whistle dome and chimney were off centre, and, worse, the handrail knob holes on one side of the boiler were higher than the other. I could think of no logical reason why this should be, so I made the necessary corrections. The boiler top holes were easy enough to adjust but in the case of the handrail knobs I filled in the holes on the LH side and re-drilled holes at the correct height. Not being familiar with this locomotive type I discovered at a late stage in assembly that the cab cut outs changed in Southern railway days to the much smaller design with which the class ended their days. The Bec kit portrays the original design, so I grafted in chunks of white metal cut from the redundant chassis and shaped these to resemble the later appearance. i suspect that it's not perfect but was the best that I could achieve. In their final years the class carried stove pipe chimneys, so I fitted a Markits one. The kit was designed for an XO4 type motor which intruded into the cab so no backhead was provided. I therefore cobbled up a representation from bits and pieces loosely based on the T9 cab. It is only an approximation, but I hope that with a crew masking most of it the effect will suffice. Both locomotive and tender bodies have received the usual lamp brackets plus small amounts of extra and replacement detail. Vacuum and clack pipes are from Markits.

 

 

This then is progress to date. There are just a few final bits to be tackled before the paint shop beckons.

 

Barry

 

Barry

 

What a great job you have made with this old style kit, quite ingenious in bringing it up to date with brass chassis and a good job done on the backhead

 

I have a 700 class which needs the same treatment

[Pierview]

3 hours ago, hayfield said:

 

Barry

 

What a great job you have made with this old style kit, quite ingenious in bringing it up to date with brass chassis and a good job done on the backhead

 

I have a 700 class which needs the same treatment

Thank you, John. Some of these old kits are great fun to play around with!

Barry