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Autocoach locomotives


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Hi All,

 

No. 5572 at Didcot was auto fitted in service and is the only one of the small parries in preservation to have been fitted as such in its working life. I have converted a Bachmann small prairie using the parts from a mainly trains 14XX detail kit and a bit of brass wire to fit the auto working gear. It is too difficult to do! See here for the results:

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/51212-little-didcot/page__st__100

 

That really is the only other RTR example for auto working but if you are willing to build a kit or scratchbuild then there were the various locos mentioned above including the Railmotors, 54XX & 64XX panniers, the 517s and so on.

 

The locos that had the mock coach bodies fitted from 1906 were Wolverhampton panniers of the 2021 Class, Nos. 2120 & 2140 (they had a rather weird square saddle tank fitted in place of the panniers) and there were two of the 517 class, No. 533 & 833. As per the Railmotors, the conversions basically rosted the crew and generally made life difficult (!) and the project was abandoned in 1911. The Russell book, 'A Pictoral History of Great Western Engines - Volume 2' has pictures and drawings on pages 97 - 99.

 

I suppose that if you want to be pernickety, you could list the retro fitted auto working 58XXs too...

 

All the best,

 

Castle

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This might be a bit late, but as far as I can remember the various auto fitted classes were:-

 

517 Alan Gibson

Metro (mostly large) Roxey Mouldings SE finecast (both small)

1076 Buffalo Alan Gibson

2021 Nucast?

4575 RTR K's Modelex Malcolm Mitchel

48xx later 14xx RTR Ks

54xx Westward

64xx Westward

 

I think I have covered all the classes which had members that were auto fitted.

 

The kit list is not definitive, as the grey cells are none to well. I have to say that a modern 2021 kit is top of my wish list followed by the large metro.

 

Cheers SS

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I have to say that a modern 2021 kit is top of my wish list followed by the large metro.

 

Cheers SS

 

As far as I am aware, despite the promotion, the large Metro never actually came out from Roxy (I gave up asking him after several years of it being in the list) and has now been dropped from the list. The only one in 4mm has been as a set of 'scratch builders aids' from Rod Neep.

 

The Jidenco Metro kit claimed to cover all versions but it does not and is the small Metro only.

 

Mike Wiltshire

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Hi All,

 

No chapter or verse but just a conversation I had with an old footplate man 'on shed' some time ago... Sorry not to be more specific!

 

With the 55XX auto conversions it isn't just a case of the buffer beam goodies but there are two cable trunking runs that take circuitous routes down the driver's side running plate via a small junction box at the front buffer beam, a smaller junction box on the running plate under the bunker to the big box under the bunker thence to the replicated gubbins on the rear buffer beam. As I said, look at the replicated ones on my little version of No. 5572 using the previous link as it was copied from the real thing fairly closely. The way that the trunking runs is slightly different fore and aft too as the buffer beams are different each end, the rear one being far deeper. I have some pictures of the whole lot somewhere but I will need to dig them out. Is anyone interested?

 

The whole Mainly Trains 14XX detail kit was purchased to do this conversion (although the bits are available separately) and I have used all but a few of the parts on this and other projects. The under bunker box and all the gear fore and aft is included in the kit although it takes some hunting out on the website I seem to remember. The steam heat pipes need reshaping slightly to clear the railhead and this is best done before attaching them to the buffer beam so do a dry fit with your engine sat on a bit of track before getting out the glue. I had to do this with both my 14XX and 55XX. The rest is just soft brass wire and styrene off cuts. Places like Hobbycraft do some nice stuff that I found on a reel in the jewellery making section. Unravel and then pull tight between two pairs of pliers to straighten it out. If using the kit on a 14XX with a Hornby chassis, you can cut the top bit of the backhead casting off and stick it in place and with suitably amputated crew figures in the way the subterfuge is complete.

 

In fact, having used all the push pull gear on my prairie, I probably have enough bits left to detail a 58XX...

 

All the best,

 

Castle

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He did both. From Rod Neep etches.

 

Mike Wiltshire

 

Hi Mike

 

Very nice, what did you use for the front springs? Please, as this has been the biggest sticking point in rehashing a Roxey kit into a large Metro. The drawings in Russell's book on Great Western engines is not very clear.

 

I will do a search to see if Rod Neeps etches are still available, as I was unaware that these exsisted.

 

Cheers SS

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Hi Mike

 

Very nice, what did you use for the front springs? Please, as this has been the biggest sticking point in rehashing a Roxey kit into a large Metro. The drawings in Russell's book on Great Western engines is not very clear.

 

I will do a search to see if Rod Neeps etches are still available, as I was unaware that these exsisted.

 

Cheers SS

 

In the etch is the butterfly shape top, bottom and middle holder. The springs themselves are 12ba/14ba, cannot remember exact size, bolts cut to size,

 

Mike Wiltshire

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