Idea: Conversion of Ixion Hudswell Clarke

[hayfield]

How about 25 mm pipe used for plumbing, plumbers use solvent to stick some pipes together

[hartleymartin]

I think that you can get PVC pipe in 1" diameter.

 

Plastruct do make 25.4mm tube with 1.6mm thick walls, but it probably won't be cheap.

[Guest 838rapid]

I altered the coupling and hook on mine for the Heljan version used on the 47,perhaps it's a tad large gauge for an industrial loco,but I like it.

I had to slightly open the hole and then shorten the shaft on the new coupling,fixed it in place with super glue

[81A Oldoak]

This hardly rates as a conversion under the title of this topic, but I thought the changes made to this Ixion Hudswell Clarke might be of interest.

 

 

Ixion 001.jpg

 

The major change was a new chimney. I didn't like the rounded off edges to the joint between the upper section and the base and there seemed to be a noticeable slight lean forward on the original chimney.  Also later locos seem to have slightly "fatter" chimneys and the replacement was scaled off a side view of HC 1749.  To avoid damaging the smokebox outside the area of the base the last few thous (of an inch) of the original base were removed by mounting the smokebox on a mandrel in the lathe and part turning by hand.  This left a rather large hole in the top of the smokebox, so the new chimney is fixed to a spigot screwed into the top of the chassis block. 

 

 

Ixion 002.jpg

 

Other changes included new slightly larger buffer heads and shackle link couplings.  One of the original crank pin screw threads was defective, so they were all drilled out and tapped 10BA.  The replacement screws have 12BA nuts as heads which are slightly smaller than the originals.

 

 

Ixion 003.jpg

 

If you don't want to go to the extent that David did with GC 278 to rebuild the cab interior, an easy improvement I think is to fit new water gauges, these are by Hobbyhorse developments (Ref 7B025).  Later locos would probably have had two gauges, as on WISSINGTON.

Well I think she looks first class. 

[hartleymartin]

Thanks for that post. I was looking at getting replacement gauge glasses to add a little more detail to the cab.

 

I also noticed that you repainted the cab floor.

Edited April 13, 2014 by hartleymartin

[Jon Fitness]

Staying with this theme, does anyone know where I can source a drawing of the MSC Canal/Sweden class or the little Hunslet "Jazzer" type? It would be nice to compare some of the dimensions with the Ixion saddle tank and see what can be adapted. If there is too much of a difference I'm happy to to produce a side tank from it with a Hudswell Clarke or Hunslet "flavour" even if it's not a complete model of a particular prototype.

Cheers

Jon F.

Edited April 26, 2014 by Jon Fitness

[Dava]

There is an OPC book on railways of the Manchester Ship Canal, I got a s/h copy, it has basic small scale dimensioned drawings of these locos

 

Dava

[hartleymartin]

Still tinkering away at mine. Have to wait for the hobby shop to open tomorrow to get some more paints.

 

Following on from some comments in rhe Cwm Bach thread, it seems that the Hudswell Clarke really is something of an RTR kit. It comes to pieces very nicely for customisation.

Edited April 25, 2014 by hartleymartin

[81A Oldoak]

Still tinkering away at mine. Have to wait for the hobby shop to open tomorrow to get some more paints.

 

Following on from some comments in rhe Cwm Bach thread, it seems that the Hudswell Clarke really is something of an RTR kit. It comes to pieces very nicely for customisation.

Horses for courses. We are just pleased that people are getting so much enjoyment from the models and that they feel confident about conducting surgery on them. 

[Jon Fitness]

There is an OPC book on railways of the Manchester Ship Canal, I got a s/h copy, it has basic small scale dimensioned drawings of these locos

 

Dava

Copy now on it's way from Ammyzon to me! I'll have a look at the up-coming Leigh gaugeO do for some suitable bits and bobs too.

Thanks

JF

[Mol_PMB]

I was contemplating getting one of these locos (there are some on ebay) as a 'quick win' for my Ship Canal layout - MSC 75 and 78 were of a very similar type. 

This thread has been in some ways an inspiration and in other ways has made me realise it's anything but a 'quick win'.

You have kindly pointed out all the details I would need to change to make it a reasonably accurate model of an MSC loco, and set a very high bar to reach!

Well done for such an excellent model and thank you for a detailed, well-illustrated writeup.

 

Mol

[Mol_PMB]

I have taken the plunge and bought an Ixion HC loco.

The plan is to run it unmodified to start with, while I do some research and make some plans, and then to rebuild it to represent my prototype; MSC 78:

Compared to the example featured in this thread, I may have a slightly easier job as I don't need to change:

• coupling rods
• smokebox door
• chimney
• the buffer heads

 

But I do need to do:

• the bufferbeam surgery
• the new sandboxes
• the balance weights (well I ought to, but it looks like hard work!)
• the cab detailing

Additionally there are some other changes needed for my prototype:

• Repositioned injectors
• Modified handrails
• Some very prominent holes in the frames between the wheelsets (I'm not sure how practical it will be to represent these)

 

In due course I'll start a new thread but I do have a few other projects to finish first! So far I have just gathered a few photos of the prototype and compared them to photos of the Ixion model.

 

[Marshall5]

Here's another of MSC No78.

Ray.

 

[Mol_PMB]

Ah great, many thanks. The more the better. That photo nicely shows the kink in the footplate which is a distinctive feature I ought to represent!

 

So far all the pics of 78 I have seen are from the same side (though I have a couple of elder sister 75 from the other side). 

 

[Mol_PMB]

Another interesting feature of the photo above is the size comparison with the Kitson behind. Both are 6-coupled industrial saddle tanks but the Kitson is almost 3 feet higher (and more than twice as heavy) and really towers over the little HC.

The Hudswell Clarke and Hunslet side-tank locos that were the mainstay of the MSC fleet were intermediate in size.

 

MSC 75 was built in 1924 for the lighter duties at Ellesmere Port but did not find favour there as it was not good on sharp curves; it was soon returned to Salford. Only one more was ordered - MSC 78 in 1927 - and that was supplied for Engineers' use.

However, the pair went to Runcorn in 1938 to replace much older locos; they seem to have been well received there and remained the mainstay until the Runcorn section closed in 1952.

 

When they returned to Salford, 75 was scrapped but 78 was overhauled; here she is freshly outshopped at that time:

At this time the MSC livery was 'slate blue' (actually a mid bluish-grey) lined in white and edged in black, with red bufferbeams, rods and numberplates.

The lining is quite elaborate in this photo, including the boiler bands, valances etc.

However, on all MSC locos the grey and white seem to have gradually become indistinguishable from black. The lining is visible on a 1955 photo of 78, but the grey is darkening. Photos of 78 taken in 1959 and later just appear black like the one in the previous post. For the model, the dilemma is whether to just have it black, or whether to try and reproduce a barely-visible ghost of the as-painted livery. Maybe black lined in dark grey would just give a suggestion of it?

 

From 1952 until she was scrapped in 1962, all the photos of 78 show her in the Irlam / Partington / Cadishead area so I assume she was based in the small shed at Partington and used for local shunting.

My layout is based in that area and although I am aiming for mid-1960s I think I can flex the dates to permit 78 to feature.