KGV

Here is a link to an image of Lode Star at STEAM, with the drivers seat up. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lode_Star_Steam_museum_Swindon_(2).jpg

I spoke to the people at STEAM this afternoon. They said that they have now received all of their Lode Stars and are in the process of "sending them out".

There are several 175th anniversaries for Swindon Works coming up from 2015 .... 13 Sep 1840: Gooch wrote to Brunel recommending building the GWR Works at Swindon 17 Dec 1840: GWR opened from London through to Hay Lane (Wootton Bassett, 4 miles west of Swindon) 25 Feb 1841: GWR Directors approved building Swindon Works. Building started immediately (using stone excavated from Box Tunnel) 02 Jan 1843: Swindon Works officially opened 1846: First Locomotive built at Swindon, the 2-2-2 "Great Western" The first may be deemed historically very significant as this letter was the catalyst that transformed Swindon from a tiny market town ("Swindon" meaning "Pig Hill") into the proud industrial town housing the largest railway works in the world ...

Whenever I see this railcar, I always think that it doesn't look quite right without buffers. The later railcars do have nice big round ones, were these not included on the streamlined ones for aesthetics?

Wasn't No. 4 conspicuous by its absence in the models of the Streamlined GWR Railcar announced by Dapol a while back, and that is the one preserved at STEAM. Both the 94xx and Dean Goods would make sought after models in new tooling.

Thanks Mike. This now makes a lot more sense to me now: with Collett continuing the standardisation started by Churchward; and the boiler being the most expensive component that the re-routing of steam pipes to fit a standard boiler would be economically prudent. I have never seen the elbow pipes in real life (I am just not old enough to have seen them ); now I have been able to study them at different angles from the pictures on this thread I find that they look, well, weird. Hence my decision to purchase Lode Star which does not have the elbow pipes and looks more aesthetically beautiful, at least to my eyes.

With all the discussion and pictures on outside steam pipes, may I have something cleared up that I feel that I have never quite understood fully... I believe that there were several patterns of outside steam pipes on the GWR 4-cylinder locomotives: - none: as on the Stars as originally built. These had the steam pipes routed inside the frames - elbow type (example): from the smokebox to between the boiler and frames. Presumably these go to the inside cylinders? Only fitted to some Stars from the late 1920's on replacement of inside cylinders? - Original Castle type (example): From the smokebox to the outside cylinders. These have a straight section between the curves. Fitted to Castles and Kings from new. Fitted to some Stars from the 1930's when outside cylinders were replaced? - Modified Castle type (example): From the smokebox to the outside cylinders. Are fully curved (like a three-dimensional 'S') with a consistent large radius curve throughout. Fitted to some Castles and Kings with draughting improvements in the 1950's? Is this correct? I presume that the outside steam pipes were fitted due to the restricted space between the frames in the Castles and Kings. Having walked under Caerphilly Castle I am amazed on how complex it all is under there with the inside pistons and linkages between the inside and outside valve gear... impressive engineering indeed. But why were the elbow pipes fitted to the Stars (and straight ones backfitted to some of the 2-cylinder locomotives for that matter, e.g. on 28xx). Was this because they could have a larger radius curve to increase steam flow; to fit a fatter pipe; to ease fitting/maintenance due to space; or to standardise cylinders, or ... ? Many Thanks

Remember that STEAM are a charity and their "profit" from the sales will go to the upkeep of the museum. I am sure that they are as miffed and upset about the continual delays and misinformation from Hornby as everyone else. I believe that any grievance should be directed where it is due. At Hornby.

Snippet From Wikipedia, quoting: Tuplin, W. A. (1971). Great Western Saints and Sinners: The GWR's directors confronted Churchward, and demanded to know why the LNWR were able to build three 4-6-0 locomotives for the price of two of Churchward's Star's. Churchward allegedly gave a terse response: "Because one of mine could pull two of their bl00dy things backwards!" Seems like Mike's Star does not have the correct scale haulage capacity of the prototype!

It is a real shame that the Star's were not released directly prior to the STEAM Festival as many of us were hoping back in September. As then if anyone was in "denial" on the correct number of spokes, then they could have been whisked round to the prototype to count. For those who know how Lode Star is displayed at STEAM (the front is completely surrounded by platforms as here), the spokes are not readily visible ... so this might mean that he would need to be dangled upside down by his legs to get a better view. The only question is, if he counted more than he has fingers and thumbs then would one drop him.... Which is an interesting point, presumably Hornby visited STEAM to measure up Lode Star for their model. Did they simply miscount the spokes as they were not easily accessible? I would have thought they would have had permission to clamber all over it (and under it) with their tape measures, notebooks and digital cameras? So it is really beyond me how they could have got this so wrong and believe that they have got it right. It is not going to stop me from buying one though. I have never changed the bogies on a model. There is a first time for everything.

I have followed this thread with interest for the past several months. I spoke to the STEAM Museum on Thursday. They did have a small shipment of Lode Star's last week which were rightly dispatched to those who placed their orders first. I do not know how many were received (I did not ask) but even people who reserved in Spring have not received their model yet. Of the limited run of 1000 models, around 500 have been reserved to date. The man at STEAM who I spoke to stated that the production model was "superb" and he had ordered one himself. They are expecting the remainder to be delivered within the next 4 weeks. I first saw Lode Star standing next to City of Truro in the old GWR Museum in Swindon when I was around 6 years old. I vaguely recall the guide enthusing to me on how important these two locomotives were. I did not understand their historical importance then, but certainly do now.. I truly hope that Hornby produce a quality model befitting of the Star's as Bachmann has done justice to the City's. Now I have seen some excellent photo's of the production 4018, I believe that I shall be a very happy and proud Swindonian when I open my present of Lode Star on Christmas Day.