Battery Electric Locomotives

[jamie92208]

The engineer responsible for decommisioning Kearsley was a railway enthusiast and tried to rehome the locos. If I remember rightly, two went to Heysham and one went to the Musuem of Science and Industry at Manchester originally and was later evicted and lived a somewhat nomadic existence before arriving at Coventry. One of the Heysham locos also ended up at Coventry, but I don't know what happened to the other - it may still be at Heysham!

 

Another oddity of the Kearsley system was that on at least one occasion Blackpool Tramway had sent a tram away for a major overhaul. Rather than test it at Blackpool and run the risk of it failing in the middle of the Prom,they sent it to Kearsley (which operated on the same voltage) and ran it round the power station! (information provided by my father, who used to work at Kearsley PS on occasion).

Yes the engineer at kearsley is still one of the leading lights at the Manchester tramway Museum at Heaton Park in Manchester.

 

Jamie

[RJS1977]

I understand that all four Kersley locomotives survive.

 

Where are the other two now? (Are they both still at Heysham?)

[PhilJ W]

Where are the other two now? (Are they both still at Heysham?)

That was stated in a magazine article a couple of years ago, IIRC it was 'Railway Bylines'.

[Cheshire001]

Plan of Midland Rlwy battery electric loco No. 1550 was in Model Trains International Magazine issue 39, Mar-Apr 2002.

[RJS1977]

Where are the other two now? (Are they both still at Heysham?)

 

In answer to my own question, the other two are now at Tanfield.

[Nearholmer]

BEs are the oldest form of electric loco, with Davidson's of c1840 usually being cited as the first of practical size, although if you count table-top demonstration models, they go back to the early 1830s. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Davidson_(inventor)

 

They have always been fairly widely used all over the world, but in niches like mining, tunnelling, underground railway maintenance, and indoors ( a furniture factory and a furniture storage warehouse were two odd places in London that used them, for instance), and many have been to narrow gauges to suit these applications. They are still widely built, and trade well on the secondhand market.

 

I rather like them, because there is no real boundary between "toy", "model" and "real" ........... Whatever the size, they use pretty much the same technology.

 

Kevin

[Hesperus]

Furness railway wagon company were offering a 7mm resin kit of the MR battery loco but they aren't listing it at the moment.

http://www.ukmodelshops.co.uk/catalogue/furness

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/gallery/image/63906-mrlmsbr-0-4-0-bel-battery-electric-loco-no1/

Edited March 12, 2016 by Hesperus

[Dava]

There is quite a lot of information on this thread

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/105711-english-electric-spondon-no-1-no-2-electric-locomotive/page-2&do=findComment&comment=2231473

 

I am planning a 7mm scale model of the English Electric BE type of loco from Stafford. I tried to interest Furness Wagon in a kit but not heard anything recently.

 

Today at Nottingham the P4 stand had a 4mm scale L&Y BE loco running, it looked very fine and is a High Level kits loco.

 

Dava

[MarcD]

There is quite a lot of information on this thread

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/105711-english-electric-spondon-no-1-no-2-electric-locomotive/page-2&do=findComment&comment=2231473

 

I am planning a 7mm scale model of the English Electric BE type of loco from Stafford. I tried to interest Furness Wagon in a kit but not heard anything recently.

 

Today at Nottingham the P4 stand had a 4mm scale L&Y BE loco running, it looked very fine and is a High Level kits loco.

 

Dava

 

Hi still looking at doing the loco as a kit. I have been off my feet for the last few months so I'm running a little behind with the business hoping to have things back on an even keel within the next few months. If there is sufficient interest shown in the loco in the next few months then I would be looking to start work on it in the summer.

 

Marc 

[Kenton]

 

Today at Nottingham the P4 stand had a 4mm scale L&Y BE loco running, it looked very fine and is a High Level kits loco.

 

Dava

 

 

Very clever to acheive it in P4 - it is a heck of a challenge in EM - everything seems to be attracted to everything else and prone to shorting out, clearance is a really serious challenge.

[Dava]

Here is the P4 model of an L&Y battery electric loco running at Nottingham 2 weeks ago, its from a High Level Models kit. Judith Edge do a Harton Railway (Siemens) loco too. 

http://www.ukmodelshops.co.uk/catalogue/judithedge

 

 

But there's nothing in 7mm scale (yet). So I've spent the evening cutting plastic power bogie frames for my build of the English Electric loco. I've ordered Ultrascale gears so can't assemble it till these arrive. Apart from these I've got the parts I need for the bogie. 

 

Dava

[Kenton]

 

Here is the P4 model of an L&Y battery electric loco running at Nottingham 2 weeks ago, its from a High Level Models kit.

&nbsp

Ah, that was not the Battery Loco I was referring to (the one in the OP of this topic).

 

That is the L&Y Battery Loco. That is a slightly bigger beast and I believe it was designed with more space to accommodate building to P4.

 

I'm not saying the a P4 version of the NSR Battery Loco cannot be done just that in EM it was a challenge. (A great kit though)

[Judge Dread]

Take a look at "Britainfromabove" reference Title The Oakamoor Brass and Copper Works, Oakamoor, 1949

Image reference EAW024642

Date 12th July 1949

[Dava]

I've started building a motor bogie for the 7mm scale English Electric BE loco. Its made from 60thou plastic sheet (not card), with Roxey 2'9" wheels and axle bearings. The brass rod is there to align the frames during assembly.  The motor behind will be fitted when the gears arrive. It runs freely and is nicely aligned on the glass plate.

 

In the meantime I'll work on the body parts. If Furness wagon bring out a kit I'll be happy to use that.

 

 

 

Footnote: the build will be on my layout thread:

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/96750-easy-low-cost-micro-layout-baseboard-ideas/page-6&do=findComment&comment=2276978

 

Dava

Edited April 17, 2016 by Dava

[Ken A.]

Does anyone know  if there are drawings of the Midland Railway's Battery Electric Loco available anywhere?

[MarcD]

Does anyone know  if there are drawings of the Midland Railway's Battery Electric Loco available anywhere?

 

We do a kit for one in 7mm. the drawings we used were the produced using a mixture of photos, the NSR drawings held at York and measuring the NSR BEL which was at York.

 

Marc

[rue_d_etropal]

Thought I should reopen this thread, as I am designing a model for 3D printing.

I have the MTI article and drawings, but it is obvious from photos that the Midlad version(BEL1) has some differences from the NSR(BEL2) version. I wonder, was the Midland version altered or was it built as shown in later photos. Main differences seem to be the front/rear windows(4 across, not 3), a flatter simpler side door, and more curve to the roof. There are also a few other smaller differences.

[MarcD]

There are some major differences between the two once you start looking at them. We do a lot for the MR version in 7mm it's a mixture of resin and etch. The resin parts are cast from 3D printed patterns.

 

Marc

[PenrithBeacon]

Thought I should reopen this thread, as I am designing a model for 3D printing.

I have the MTI article and drawings, but it is obvious from photos that the Midlad version(BEL1) has some differences from the NSR(BEL2) version. I wonder, was the Midland version altered or was it built as shown in later photos. Main differences seem to be the front/rear windows(4 across, not 3), a flatter simpler side door, and more curve to the roof. There are also a few other smaller differences.

Do the original drawings still exist?

[MarcD]

We couldn't find any drawings for the midland one but for the North Staffs loco there are a full set of GA and the preserved loco. In the NRM.

Marc

[Wagonmaster]

A very interesting thread and I thought I'd add my tuppence worth. I have built the High Level Kits 4mm scale model and a very nice kit it is. Etched in nickel silver with lost wax brass castings, it goes together very well, provided you are accurate in locating the etches. As with a lot of Chris's kits, if it doesn't fit, you've soldered something up wrong! 

 

The self contained chassis is compensated and is powered by a Mashima 1020 driving all four wheels through 108:1 gearboxes. The chassis just bolts into the body. There is just enough room in the bonnet ends to add some extra weight and in my case, a DCC decoder between the motor and bodyside.

 

I have finished my model in the later BR black livery to fit in with my modelling era.

 

Have to have a go at the rue d'etropal BEL 1 next.

 

 

 

Edited April 15, 2022 by Wagonmaster
Reinstating photo

[br2975]

Greenwood & Batley Wks. 2002/1945, supplied to Cardiff Corporation who had purchased the Glamorganshire Canal and its associated railway in 1944.

.

Purchased to replace an Avonside 0-4-0ST, the sale of which offset the £1,570 cost of "GreenBat", Cardiff Corporation continued to operate its own mile long railway after the canal was 'drained' in 1950, until February 1963 using just this loco.

.

"GreenBat" was scrapped in 1965, by Western Metals of Ferry Road, Cardiff.

[Pandora]

On 13/03/2014 at 20:18, The Bigbee Line said:

Whilst doing some "On Line Train Spotting" I came across some images of Poplar in 1963. http://www.flickr.com/photos/78089679@N03/8420078914/in/set-72157632623842228

 

Amongst the images are a couple of B.E.T.N^o.1,  Thanks Tony "Saxicola Torquata" for the images

 

There is an example at the NRM from the North Staffs.

 

Thanks to the NRM for the image

http://www.nrm.org.uk/OurCollection/LocomotivesAndRollingStock/CollectionItem.aspx?objid=1978-7004

 

It looks like a wagon based vehicle, small enough to fit on a wagon turntable.

 

Has anyone modelled such a creature?

 

 

I recall reading about the B.E.L shunters  and they were designed  to utilise wagon parts for ease of repair and maintenance

 

 

Edited August 15, 2019 by Pandora

[The Johnster]

On 13/08/2019 at 14:30, br2975 said:

Greenwood & Batley Wks. 2002/1945, supplied to Cardiff Corporation who had purchased the Glamorganshire Canal and its associated railway in 1944.

.

Purchased to replace an Avonside 0-4-0ST, the sale of which offset the £1,570 cost of "GreenBat", Cardiff Corporation continued to operate its own mile long railway after the canal was 'drained' in 1950, until February 1963 using just this loco.

.

"GreenBat" was scrapped in 1965, by Western Metals of Ferry Road, Cardiff.

'Greenbat', despite it's name, carried Cardiff City Corporation maroon livery above the footplate, black below, as per the maroon element of the bus livery.  It could handle 3 empty or one loaded wagon at a time, which was sufficient for the Glamorgan Canal sidings duty.  Somewhere in a box I have a 4mm Plasticard model of it built for me by a member of the club I used to frequent, with a Tenshodo spud chassis.  

 

This thing could outperform the prototype and was able to happily pull anything we loaded it with, at a top speed more appropriate for a Shinkansen, although with careful driving it ran very well at walking pace...  

[Dava]

Here is my English Electric [Dick Kerr design] BE loco, shunting at Coxheath Sidings. Two wagons tends to be the limit.