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Andrew Barclay 'Caledonia' 0-4-0 Fireless from Rapido - Pre-order now available


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2 minutes ago, JSpencer said:

Excellent News. 

 

Bowaters No 1 for me. Although I must admit I cannot find a photo of her in the Brownish red of the model. Do we know when she was like this please?

Every photo I've seen is either green or green with white.

Ah, but which Bowaters No 1 are you thinking of?

  • AB 1876 of 1925 'No.1', Bowaters Paper Mills, Kent
  • AB 1982 of 1930 'Bowaters No.1', Bowaters Paper Mills, Ellesmere Port
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10 minutes ago, Mol_PMB said:

Ah, but which Bowaters No 1 are you thinking of?

  • AB 1876 of 1925 'No.1', Bowaters Paper Mills, Kent
  • AB 1982 of 1930 'Bowaters No.1', Bowaters Paper Mills, Ellesmere Port

 

Ah ok so maybe not the same loco. I am after 1876 so I guess Rapido's is 1982 which was scapped in 1971.

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Excellent! I've known about this for some time now and not being able to tell anyone was killing me. 😶

 

I do hope there will be a DCC sound-fitted version, using actual recordings of the sole working fireless left in the UK, because there is no suitable sound file that can be used. A fireless is very different to any other steam loco in how it sounds, especially as it is completely silent when stationary.

 

I already have a chemical works micro layout in the pipeline especially for this model and the Hornby Ruston 88DS.

 

The only question is which livery to choose...

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  • RMweb Gold

Even my most liberal interpretation of Rule 1 cannot quite sanction a chemical works, oil refinery, or gunpowder works/munitions depot at Cwmdimbath, so I probably will not avail myself of one of these pretty little things, but I strongly approve of anything that increases the biodiversity avaialble.  Good choice of prototype as well. a fairly common and widespread industrial with a good period span.  Kudos, Rapido!  It it runs as well as the 16" Hunslet, the running chassis will be in demand for kitbuilds and work-ups; perhaps it can be made available separately?

 

Now, how about a jackshaft driven inside-framed 4-coupled 1950s diesel...

Edited by The Johnster
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3 minutes ago, Steamport Southport said:

Just as long as they aren't radioactive like some of the real ones were!

 

ISTR the one that was at Heysham had to be tested before they allowed it to leave for preservation,

 

 

 

Jason

I've learnt that the two at Heysham (one 0-4-0 and one 0-6-0) weren't actually nuclear-powered. Their steam supply came from an auxiliary oil-fired boiler rather than from the main power generation steam circuit. That was a bit of a disappointment as I'd imagined them as emissions-free steam!

 

 

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6 minutes ago, JShow said:

Can we expect a Rapido "Rejected" post with a National Coal Board livery? 

 

This might be more appropriate...

Nuclear_Electric_logo.gif.ab92b49d360dc170367f1e3cf1b1b5e8.gif

 

It would go nicely on the dark blue livery applied to the Heysham locos (the 0-4-0 just visible on the right of this image by Gordon Edgar)

Heysham Nuclear Power station

 

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24 minutes ago, JShow said:

Can we expect a Rapido "Rejected" post with a National Coal Board livery? 

Fireless at a coal mine . . .


Rejected due to probability zero! 😆

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4 hours ago, Mol_PMB said:

 

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'Gamma' would be a nice one to see done (and I'd buy it instantly) but I figure the final identities have already been decided. Maybe in the future...

 

- James

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2 minutes ago, Jammy2305 said:

 

'Gamma' would be a nice one to see done (and I'd buy it instantly) but I figure the final identities have already been decided. Maybe in the future...

 

- James

I'm not sure what colour 'Gamma' was, but I note that there are lined examples in blue, green and red so it might not be too much work to add a name and logo?

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4 minutes ago, PaulRhB said:

Lamp and box? 

And the front reservoir saddle.

 

Also, on the coloured images the item on the footplate just in front of the cab is present on some and not on others. I believe this covers the pressure reducing valve, which was only fitted to some Barclay fireless locos. I haven't cross-checked against the various prototypes.

 

Only one loco had a water tank (on the far side as viewed in Rapido's post), this was AB 2126 of 1942 and I think BOTH 965008 and 965009 are intended to represent this loco?

The model 965008 appears to have the tank but if it's the loco I think it is, 965009 should do as well.

Paul Bryson photo here:

IndSt122

 

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7 hours ago, Tim Dubya said:

I have to agree with the Captain, a very brave move, but a welcome one.  Not for me personally but I am sure your order books will be filled 👍

 

To be honest, I would use "inspired" rather than brave. Given the success of the Hattons Barclay, the Hornby Pecketts and numerous other model industrial locos, the AB Fireless is actually really a follow on.

Just how many gasworks and industrial chemicals plants will be spawned for that odd corner of your layout you need to fill, from this annoucement. 

 

As the Croda "Caledonia" lived and worked less than ten miles from me it will be an essential for me, but will need a less contemporary livery.

 

I also think this model could easily wear the NCB livery  a little more credibly than the "low height" Bagnalls, but that is only my opinion, and may well consider. 

 

Thanks Rapido 

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9 hours ago, RapidoCorbs said:

Steam Leak - news of this product got out a bit early. Full details and pre-ordering will be available from 16th Feb 2024.

 

FiReLeSs3dPrInT003.jpg.0d152db4b073329d498cef4ed1caf6fe.jpg

3D-printed samples showing 2 tooling variations

 

We love steam locos at Rapido, and most of them follow similar design principles. The Andrew Barclay 0-4-0 fireless well and truly takes the design rulebook and throws it out the window.

As the railways established themselves as a reliable method to transport goods one problem came to the forefront – fire. Steam locos fundamentally need a heat source created from some form of fire to turn water into steam. However, this fire, alongside sparks emitted from the chimney, caused great concern in environments where munitions, fuel or other flammable materials were being moved or stored.

The solution is a locomotive that won't spark, or have a naked flame on board. Thankfully, some bright spark had the clever idea of harnessing steam power in a large rechargeable steam reservoir, which would sit in the place of the boiler of a conventional steam locomotive. This reservoir would be filled with a mix of boiling water and steam at high pressure. As the locomotive was used the steam would be used and thus the pressure in the reservoir would drop. This in turn allowed the water to start to boil replacing the steam that had been used. With this method a locomotive could work for about 4 hours prior to recharging.

The result is a design that has a distinct lack of key features which people associate with more traditional steam locomotives, such as a smokebox and chimney, a firebox, forward-mounted cylinders and coal bunkers or tenders. Its lack of a firebox requires its cylinders to be rear-mounted both to improve efficiency and redistribute the weight of the loco, and its other missing features are simply because they are surplus to requirement.

 

AB1944-1927-MP1-Croda-Hydrocarbons-Four-Ashes-1979-copyright-Gordon-Edgar-collection.jpg.b17bff5fd8cda1ac508cc8a1197dbc16.jpg

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0 fireless 'MP1' (Works No.1944 built in 1927) in 1979 © Gordon Edgar collection - with thanks.

 

 

The largest number of British-built fireless locomotives were constructed by Andrew Barclay & Co. Ltd, and an impressive 114 were built between 1913 and 1961 of varying designs, so it was only fitting that we pick the most numerous of Barclay’s prototypes, the ‘Caledonia’, to produce as the very first Ready-to-run OO Gauge British Fireless loco. These industrial oddities survived far longer than most British Railways and industrial coal-fired steam locos with many examples working into the 1980s and even into the 1990s with many examples later preserved around the country.

 

965-Fireless-all-1a.jpg.2522b61caabc514ad2e2360bd36fa264.jpg

 

 

Full details and pre-ordering will be available from 16th Feb 2024.

 

 

I'm trying to click on this again to give it another like. Can I have some more clicks please?

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4 hours ago, Mol_PMB said:

I'm not sure what colour 'Gamma' was, but I note that there are lined examples in blue, green and red so it might not be too much work to add a name and logo?

 

I made some enquiries - Black with red and white lining, which would fit the dark appearance in the photo. Sadly none of the (to be) announced models fit that yet.

 

- James

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