Bachmann O4

[SRman]

If it is of any help (to spend your money!), Rails are offering the BR late crest version for 89.50 UK pounds. Even I'm tempted, and I have no justification for getting one at all!

[tetsudofan]

...and the Hobby Shop at Faversham has both the early and late crest models at £90.00 as their "Locomotive of the Month"

 

Keith

[coachmann]

I'd no idea te BR early crest 04 was out!

[Poor Old Bruce]

Don't know if anyone has posted any pics of 63601's tender top yet so here is one of mine showing the filler only and no scoop dome, presumably that make it an ex ROD tender.

 

 

As an afterthought for these tenders, the LNWR bought some which were later used by the LMS on Claughtons on the MIdland line. Presumably those tenders were retrofitted with scoops etc. Can anyone tell me what the tender top looked like after that?

 

TIA

Richard

[micklner]

EM conversion in MRJ 200 a good read

[pedanticmongrel]

Don't know if anyone has posted any pics of 63601's tender top yet so here is one of mine showing the filler only and no scoop dome, presumably that make it an ex ROD tender.

 

 

As an afterthought for these tenders, the LNWR bought some which were later used by the LMS on Claughtons on the MIdland line. Presumably those tenders were retrofitted with scoops etc. Can anyone tell me what the tender top looked like after that?

 

TIA

Richard

 

The LNWR didn't just buy the tenders they bought whole locos which were passed on to the LMS, they were at one point the second largest owners of the class, having 105 examples in their possession for a few weeks in 1927, all of them were condemned by the LMS by the early 30's but the tenders were reused.

[31A]

EM conversion in MRJ 200 a good read

It was indeed! He seems to have a different 'take' on the tender to Tony Wright. I've been pondering adding a crew to mine, and the article refers to 'bench seats' in the cab - anyone know what these would look like?

[t-b-g]

It was indeed! He seems to have a different 'take' on the tender to Tony Wright. I've been pondering adding a crew to mine, and the article refers to 'bench seats' in the cab - anyone know what these would look like?

 

As one of the folk involved with the MRJ article, I was also a bit surprised at Tony Wright's comments about the tender!

 

I just had a look on the internet (flickr and fotopic) and came up with some shots of the interior. This was one of the better ones...

 

http://www.davidhennesseystrainworld.fotopic.net/p50810382.html

 

The seat on the LHS is basically a plank all the way to the back. The shot just shows the front. I hope that helps.

[Buhar]

There is speculation that the LNW ordered locos were more for the tenders than the engines themselves (a good part of the order was delivered after the grouping). They were used with Claughtons (small-boilered ones only), Prince of Wales and the odd Experiment but not in the quantity that would account for all 105.

[Buhar]

I'm converting one to to LNW type (who designated them Ministry of Munitions not ROD)and have compiled a list of the modifications I think are needed, corrections or additions welcome. There's much more than I first thought when I handed over the cash.

 

The tender looks fine although I'm not entirely sure about the position of the top lamp iron.

Westinghouse tanks on both sides under the cab.

Whistle moved to cab roof

The small piping alongside the nearside firebox to be removed

The gubbins behind the chimney to be removed

The steam pipe on the off-side to be removed

Riverts to the front frame extension

Piston tail-rods fitted (or not - they'll be interesting with clearances on the bogie)

Westinghouse gear to off-side smokebox (off-side handrail is cut to accomodate)

Gubbins on nearside smokebox

Buffers replaced with LNW type

The chequer plate in front of the smokebox smoothed

Smokebox handle is a wheel rather than a dart

Reposition top lamp iron

Brake pipes changed

The smokebox numberplate may stay (depending on whether it's LMS or LNW guise)

The shedplate will be removed

I haven't found out which works built all the LNW ones, so the works plate may or may not need changing

A decision about the design of the connecting rod fitting (the arrow shape seems to have been changed to a round pattern for the ROD ones) - is that easy or not worth it?

A set of steps needed between the front pair of drivers (post edited - thanks pedanticmogrel)

The rear strip on the cab roof needs re-poitioning (thanks Bruce)

 

I hope the description above about adjusting the cylinders and slide-bars (should be 1/24 pitch) holds good.

[pedanticmongrel]

I'm converting one to to LNW type (who designated them Ministry of Munitions not ROD)and have compiled a list of the modifications I think are needed, corrections or additions welcome. There's much more than I first thought when I handed over the cash.

 

The tender looks fine although I'm not entirely sure about the position of the top lamp iron.

Westinghouse tanks on both sides under the cab.

Whistle moved to cab roof

The small piping alongside the nearside firebox to be removed

The gubbins behind the chimney to be removed

The steam pipe on the off-side to be removed

Riverts to the front frame extension

Piston tail-rods fitted (or not - they'll be interesting with clearances on the bogie)

Westinghouse gear to off-side smokebox (off-side handrail is cut to accomodate)

Gubbins on nearside smokebox

Buffers replaced with LNW type

The chequer plate in front of the smokebox smoothed

Smokebox handle is a wheel rather than a dart

Reposition top lamp iron

Brake pipes changed

The smokebox numberplate may stay (depending on whether it's LMS or LNW guise)

The shedplate will be removed

I haven't found out which works built all the LNW ones, so the works plate may or may not need changing

A decision about the design of the connecting rod fitting (the arrow shape seems to have been changed to a round pattern for the ROD ones) - is that easy or not worth it?

 

I hope the description above about adjusting the cylinders and slide-bars (should be 1/24 pitch) holds good.

 

You have forgotten the most obvious thing you need to change, I'm not going to tell you, just look at the steps on the loco in the photo above then look at the Bachmann model.

[31A]

Thanks for the link, t-b-g! I'd tried googling but not come up with anything, so that's really useful.

[Poor Old Bruce]

I'm converting one to to LNW type (who designated them Ministry of Munitions not ROD)and have compiled a list of the modifications I think are needed, corrections or additions welcome. There's much more than I first thought when I handed over the cash.

That's quite a list of jobs for the LMS version. Some points to wind you up though Tren:

 

1 - Does the chimney need changing?

 

2 - The photo of LMS 9654 shows that the Wesinghouse pump has been removed (but you can see where it's been).

 

3 - The rear strip on the cab roof is in a different place to that on 63601.

 

Where's me tin 'at?

Richard

[Buhar]

Thanks for those pointers, especially the steps - there is a Turkish saying that applies here - "I forgot the biggest donkey". I always find chimney spotting a bit tricky, but I think at least the some of the ones aquired by the LNW direct have the same as the Bachmann model (eg LNW 2400 on p244 of Talbot's book).

 

It is turning into a bigger job than I thought, Richard, maybe I'll switch to my other project for a bit - Airfix City of Truro into a Lanky Dreadnought.

[Butler Henderson]

Getting cheaper £87.36 post free from Trains n Railways for 63601

http://www.trainsnrailways.co.uk/catalog/robinson-class-04/Bachmann-31-001-robinson-class-04-2-8-0-63601-588.html

[AMJ]

I see that on the Bachmann site they have announced the GWR version. Wonder why it has taken them so long to decide to do the ROD, but I'm not complaining as the detail is much better in 2010 than the locos from 10 years ago.

 

Plenty of liveries on the ROD's compared to a lot of goods locos. Even the obscure Australian ones see http://www.australiansteam.com/nswindframe.htm for photos of the three in NSW.

[coachmann]

Wonder why it has taken them so long to decide to do the ROD,

Maybe RMweb has some clout, afterall there was a long-running thread in 2007-8 stating a good commercial case for the GCR 2-8-0 in all its variants from 04/1 to 04/8, and we are told the manufacters do look in on this site.

 

Larry

[rorz101uk]

Don't know if anyone has posted any pics of 63601's tender top yet so here is one of mine showing the filler only and no scoop dome, presumably that make it an ex ROD tender.

 

 

As an afterthought for these tenders, the LNWR bought some which were later used by the LMS on Claughtons on the MIdland line. Presumably those tenders were retrofitted with scoops etc. Can anyone tell me what the tender top looked like after that?

 

TIA

Richard

if i remember the orgnial tender was be-on repaired. some one else had a either a ROD or GCR tender? i wonder if Bachmann will produce a class 2251 with a GCR tender?

[nerron]

Does anyone know if the early crest version is available anywhere? I have a pre-order with Hattons which was due in stock at the end of July,but as yet no word.

 

Ron.

[drmditch]

I have wanted for some time to huild a Thompson 01, using the chassis of a very old Kays O4.

Having bought one Bachmann O4 (now numbered 3620 as a Tyne Dock engine in 1947), I wondered if I could convert another example into an O1.

 

The model dismantles easily, with the cab and boiler unscrewing from the footplate. The cylinder assembly also unscrews, and the connecting rods can be unscrewed from the driving wheels. At this point my courage failed me, and I did not see how I could locate the return cranks for the new Thompson valve gear.

However, I did realise that it would be much more straightforward to produce an O4/8 using the same 100A boiler as for an O1. This is almost prototypical since if the cylinders were in reasonable condition the LNER would rebuild into an O4/8 rather than incur the additional cost of rebuilding to an O1.

 

So, using the B1 body that I had obtained for the planned O1, and the O4 footplate, together with some other parts and some scratchbuilding I now have an O4/8 numbered 3828 (also a Tyne Dock engine in 1947).

 

I do not have a detail drawing, but based it on the Isinglass O1 drawing, and photographs in Yeadon's Register 24B.

The model may not be entirely accurate. I suspect the boiler is 1mm to high.

 

If anybody wants I can post a summary of 'how to do it'.

It is certainly an easy model to modify. The O4/7 would be easy to produce, and I still hanker after an O1 !

 

(This is my first attempt to add an entry here. Sorry if I get it wrong.)

[drmditch]

I have wanted for some time to huild a Thompson 01, using the chassis of a very old Kays O4.

Having bought one Bachmann O4 (now numbered 3620 as a Tyne Dock engine in 1947), I wondered if I could convert another example into an O1.

 

The model dismantles easily, with the cab and boiler unscrewing from the footplate. The cylinder assembly also unscrews, and the connecting rods can be unscrewed from the driving wheels. At this point my courage failed me, and I did not see how I could locate the return cranks for the new Thompson valve gear.

However, I did realise that it would be much more straightforward to produce an O4/8 using the same 100A boiler as for an O1. This is almost prototypical since if the cylinders were in reasonable condition the LNER would rebuild into an O4/8 rather than incur the additional cost of rebuilding to an O1.

 

So, using the B1 body that I had obtained for the planned O1, and the O4 footplate, together with some other parts and some scratchbuilding I now have an O4/8 numbered 3828 (also a Tyne Dock engine in 1947).

 

I do not have a detail drawing, but based it on the Isinglass O1 drawing, and photographs in Yeadon's Register 24B.

The model may not be entirely accurate. I suspect the boiler is 1mm to high.

 

If anybody wants I can post a summary of 'how to do it'.

It is certainly an easy model to modify. The O4/7 would be easy to produce, and I still hanker after an O1 !

 

(This is my first attempt to add an entry here. Sorry if I get it wrong.)

[micklner]

Look here for a O1 and other builds

 

http://www.lner.info/forums/loco-workbench-b2-p1-w1-o2-p10-p2-4-8-2-o1-now-k4-t2443s375.html

[Skaran]

I havn't got one yet, but was wondering what wold be needed to turn it into a GCR 8K as built - my planned layout is set late 1912.

[G-BOAF]

Mine is finally ready for running in, but v. smooth straight from the box. Only trouble was a rather worrying dent/distortion in the running plate and heavily scratched red buffer beam paint; Excellent service from Bachmann, body swapped in two days!

Liking the sandbox control rods running between the boxes under the boiler!

 

Only final quibble (slide bar/cylinders aside), is the smokebox front, the bottom edge is not quite straight/bottom of smokebox front sits fractionally to one side or the other of the smokebox side - appears to be a problem on all examples seen on here and hattons website. From those who have hacked around with there O4, how easy is it to remove the smokebox front (hand rails aside). Are we talking an dab of glue to break or more serious?

[robmcg]

Mine is finally ready for running in, but v. smooth straight from the box. [....]

 

Only final quibble (slide bar/cylinders aside), is the smokebox front, the bottom edge is not quite straight/bottom of smokebox front sits fractionally to one side or the other of the smokebox side - appears to be a problem on all examples seen on here and hattons website. From those who have hacked around with there O4, how easy is it to remove the smokebox front (hand rails aside). Are we talking an dab of glue to break or more serious?

 

Nice to see the early BR version available now at Hattons, nice photos too...

 

http://www.ehattons.com/StockDetail.aspx?sid=26447

 

Rob