GWR 680 – ex-Alexandra Docks 0-6-0ST

RosiesBoss · April 29, 2020

Introduction

I have a soft spot for GWR locos that ran in Central and South Wales, due to historic family connections with those areas. I am especially fond of those engines that did or may have worked in the Oswestry Division in the early to mid-1930s.

Currently, this part of my collection includes the following:

2-4-0T: 1196
0-4-2T: 848, 4833
0-6-0ST: 1331
0-6-0T: 1376
0-6-0PT: 1565
2-6-2T: 4508
2-4-0: 3515
0-6-0: 908, 885, 1195, 2322, 2573
4-4-0: 1043, 3283, 3265
2-6-0: 2620

Looking through Ref.1, I long ago wanted to model No. 680, an outside cylindered 0-6-0ST that was built by Pecketts for the Alexandra Docks but worked out of Oswestry after Grouping. I baulked at this, as the construction of the cylinder/slidebar assembly was beyond my skills. However, a similar assembly has become available as a spare for another Peckett loco modelled by Hornby. I recently used an example for my model of 2195 (Ref 4.), so I gathered other bits and pieces and commenced work.

Components

· Cylinders etc from Hornby Peckett 0-4-0ST (X7164)

· Saddle tank from 3D printed Peckett 0-4-0ST (Ref.12)

· Backhead, reduced in size from that used for Manning Wardle 0-6-0T (Ref.13)

· 2nd-hand 0-6-0 chassis & wheels

· Hornby Type 7 motor (X8259) or similar

· Hornby tension-lock couplings (X9072)

· Brass rod for turning

· Sheet brass & copper

· H0 scale NSWGR buffers and couplings (new old stock branded Mansfield Models)

· Turned brass handrail knobs

· Whitemetal injectors (from scrapbox)

· Turned brass whistle (from scrapbox)

· Office staples (for lamp brackets)

· 0.4mm dia. Phosphor bronze wire (for handrails and pickups)

· PC board for keeper plate & pickups

Construction

This began with the loco chassis, which had been used in a revitalised Tri-ang “Polly”, formerly used in my club’s U-Drive layout.

The wheelbase and wheels were about right. The chassis need to be cleaned up, trimmed and overhauled.

Using the dimensions and sketch in Ref.3, as well as photographs of 680 and published drawings of similar Peckett saddle tanks, supplementary drawings were made of the cab, footplate and buffer beams.

The footplate was then cut out and assembled with side valences and buffer beams.

The chassis block was trimmed to fit neatly under the footplate and between the buffer beams.

The Hornby cylinders were too narrow to fit this chassis, so the assembly was split and rejoined with a wider spreader.

Test fitted to the chassis & footplate, they looked like this:

The project had to pause in Nov 2019 for a few months because of the terrible bushfires in eastern NSW. My family and pets had to be ready to evacuate with little notice, so all important things were packed, ready to load in the cars and run. These included some of my models and project items. Construction resumed in mid–March 2020: this time during self-imposed isolation for COVID-19.

Crossheads were fitted to the slidebars and the slidebar supports were installed onto the chassis.

Pickups were fabricated from printed circuit board and phosphor bronze wire.

The previously-used motor had seen a lot of use and was suspected of being tired, so it was replaced by a brand new Hornby Type 7 motor, held in place by a home-made motor mount. The motor was connected electrically, then tested and adjusted to ensure smooth running.

A 3D printed saddle tank body (Ref.12) was printed in PLA on my home printer.

The tank was removed from the rest of the print, then trimmed and rubbed back until it was a good fit over the motor/gearbox when placed on the footplate.

The smokebox door on the 3D print was quite unlike that of 680, as seen here: http://www.gwr813.org/GWR680b.htm, so the centre of the printed door was carefully drilled out, leaving just a rim, the underside of which was cut away. A dressmaker’s domed button was then glued into place. A backhead (Ref.13) was 3D printed and trimmed to size.

The cab was fabricated from 0.010” sheet brass and copper, with trim pieces and cab edging made from modellers’ brass and soldered on. Cab handrails were added at this stage from 0.4mm phosphor bronze wire.

Test fitting of the saddle tank to the footplate revealed that too much of the motor was visible. In the real 680, there was no “daylight” visible under the boiler, as it was set too low. Therefore, a simple skirt was made from thin brass and soldered to the footplate. Cabside steps were fabricated and fitted at this time also.

The saddle tank was then attached with 5-minute epoxy cement.

The chimney and dome were turned from brass. The tank filler was made from brass tube, cardboard and scrap brass. The smokebox door “dart” was made from a handrail knob, 0.4mm bronze wire and a 14BA washer. These fittings were glued into place, together with:

· scale couplings,

· buffers

· whistle

· handrails and their knobs

· whitemetal injectors

· detachable roof.

· lamp brackets

· cab floor

· vac pipes

· reversing lever

· tension-lock couplings

Finishing

The chassis was touched up with Humbrol matt black enamel. The body was spray primed grey, then painted in GWR colours with Humbrol enamels and acrylics. The internal bunker was coaled and a Dapol crew fitted.

HMRS Pressfix transfers were used for the buffer beam numbers and the roundel. Home-printed number plates were fitted to the cabsides. Green and red areas were then varnished with Humbrol satin clear enamel.

Results

Driver’s side portrait:

On shed at Carmarthen Junction, with other Central Wales locos:

Shunting at Gennigael:

Awaiting departure from Gennigael with branch line passenger train:

Reflections

I guess I could have modelled this loco with a kit from Agenoria, where the estimated cost would have been in the order of A$500. Inclusive of all parts, this project cost less than A$100 and had the additional satisfaction of designing, making or adapting all parts. It’s not of museum quality, but it works well and fits in with the rest of the collection.

Oh, yes! There’s one more thing. It was a great project to do while in self-isolation.

References & Further Reading

1. C.C.Green: “Cambrian Railways Album – 2” (Ian Allan, 1981)

2. RCTS “The Locomotives of the Great Western Railway – Part 10 – Absorbed Engines1922-1947 (RCTS, 1966)

3. J.H.Russell: “A Pictorial Record of Great Western Absorbed Engines” (OPC, 1978)

4. https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/148059-gwr-2195-cwm-mawr-project/

5. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/67786-gwr-1376-ex-bristol-exeter-0-6-0t-project/

6. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/88895-gwr-ex-cambrian-railways-73-class-0-6-0/

7. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/126196-gwr-ex-cambrian-railways-large-belpaire-passenger-4-4-0-94-class/

8. www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/72460-gwr-1331-ex-whitland-cardigan-0-6-0st-project/

9. www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/134586-gwr-stella-2-4-0-kitbash/

10. www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/137953-gwr-517-class-no-848-%E2%80%93-a-tale-of-three-chassis/#entry3315390