30368

Hi, There has been some interest in the ex LSWR/ex SR H15 class 4-6-0. I confess to being slightly obsessed with these handsome and robust locomotives that I can recall trundling through Woking in the 1950s. They were, arguably, the prototype of the classic British 4-6-0 mixed traffic loco with two cylinders and outside, accessible, valve gear. One attraction of the class is the many significant variations in such a small class, five in a class of only 26 and that's before you consider other variations like chimneys and tender swaps! During the build my main source of prototype information will be Peter Swift's excellent "The Book of the H15 and S15 4-6-0s". I know that Peter also has a minor obsession with the class! The prototype, 30491 looking resplendent ex works.

Hi John, Started build today and will post a new topic on the subject. This will be a first for me so hope its not too bad! I have already built 30335 from a PDK kit and PDK have built me 30333 and 30489 the former with a flush running plate, from, I believe, there Maunsell h15 kit. All of these have 24mm drivers. When I built 30335 I had to very slightly remove the "peak" from the flanges on the two leading drivers so that they cleared. It is not noticeable and makes no difference to smooth running over code 75 track /points. I will do the same for 30491. On another point, 30330-335 all had a longer 2nd-3rd driver wheelbase by 6 inches or 2mm. The PDK kit usefully makes provision for this although when they built 30333 for me they assumed that the extended wheelbase only applied to 30335 as did I at the time. Further research revealed this minor discrepancy so when I build the chassis for 30491 I will build the extended wheelbase version and fit it to 30333 so in a way, I already have a chassis for 30491. Kind regards, Richard B

I am sorry that I have not continued to follow this topic since I think I may have been able to help. The DJH H15 kit is not too bad but I agree, you have to be very careful with the boiler pitch - my model looks ok but is still a little too high. The smokebox saddle and firebox both need to be carefully reduced to arrive at the correct pitch. It is worth continuing to completion so keep going. A not very good picture of 30475 (DJH), 30489 - built by PDK for me. I am about to start building 30491 - a PDK kit hybrid formed of a standard H15 Kit and a resin tapered Maunsell boiler as fitted to this loco to create a spare Urie H15 Boiler. Will perhaps create a new topic of the build. Please give me a shout if I can help further. Kind regards, Richard B (30368)

Hi Jim, Its a little tricky to advise without a picture or two, I am not familiar with the Crownline/Mainline body combination. I imagine that the Crownline chassis is close to prototype dimentions and that the cylinder castings are part of the chassis kit? The chassis is probably designed to fit a body having a brass running plate with a brass valance so that there is room for the cylinders to fit flush with the running plate. The Mainline body, has, I think, a solid running plate i.e. it is the thickness of the valance so the front of the body will be too high. You may have to cut away space for the cylinders to fit. I am though guessing a bit! Picture please? Kind regards, Richard B

Interesting ideas Mr Hayter. I must check which soldering iron I have with me when I next drive on a motorway! Kind regards, Richard B

Well Kernow do it again! What a great job they are doing for us LSWR/SR/SW Div BR modellers!. Having bought 4 x B4 0-4-0s, which are really lovely models, I am sure the road van will be good. I really only wanted two but ordered twice due to an error on my part! I am getting old. Just ordered two LSWR Brake Vans in BR Bauxite and Grey. Can't remember seeing one at Basingstoke shed or yards or on the Waterloo Bournemouth line but too good to miss. Keep up the good work Kernow, kind regards, Richard B

Hi James. I sometimes have to solder brass or nickel silver to white metal when building my loco's. The last loco I built required a scratchbuilt cab spectacle plate which I fashioned from brass. This was soldered to a whitemetal boiler. To make a joint I tinned the brass with high (185) melting point solder and then made a very good joint between brass and whitemetal using low melt solder. The joint is good with sufficient strength and I have noticed no detrimental effect on the soldering iron bit. I don't know if that helps? Kind regards, Richard B

Always enjoyable and inspiring someone build a loco, especially ex LSWR Drummond/Urie types. My obsession is the H15 4-6-0. PDK do a good job for the hobby, particularly for SR and LNER modellers. I have built a PDK D15 and H15. Keep up the good work Ray. kind regards, Richard B

Coming together very nicely! Keep going! I Know that Milliput works well but I have found that "The Green Stuff" - used by wargamers I'm told, works very well too. The book of the T9's is, I agree, full of useful info and pictures as are all the series. I have noticed, as have many I'm sure, that stalls at exhibitions and "on line" retailers like Hattons have many unmade or unfinished loco kits that can usually be had very cheaply. I have just finished a U class 2-6-0 purchased from Hattons and have a Finecast push-pull M7 to build. The latter cost me £50 at an exhibition and is complete with wheels motor etc. Kind regards, Richard B

Absolutely wonderful piece of work! I have now lost all of my confidence as a builder of 4mm loco's! Inspiring work well done. Richard B

Sorry! Attached wrong picture - this is the DJH kit as 30475.

Hi, Hope I am not interrupting the flow! I have built a couple of H15's from the DJH kit (SR H15) and from a hybrid PDK kit. I noticed too that the centre and leading wheel flanges foul slightly, I solved this by very carefully easing the flange ( fix wheel to axle, pillar drill on lowish speed and emery paper) on both wheels. There is room to fit all the brake gear, the hangers and blocks are fairly small on the prototype. I four H15s (30475, 30335, 30333 and 30489) and will shortly build 30491 the loco fitted with a taper boiler to release a spare boiler to reduce works turnaround time for the parallel boilered loco's. Kind regards and good luck, Richard

Looks to be a very worthwhile piece of work to me, well done. High level of satisfaction and well-being when you have finished I'm sure. Re - PDK, I have found them very helpful with my H15 variations obsession, they were very willing to mix and match their kits to meet my needs. Keep up the good work (boiler/firebox looks very good) and kind regards, Richard

Dear JeffP, Many thanks for your comments and for that matter all the comments received. The layout (my first attempt) featured 70D, including the yard, coal stage and turntable. My late brother and I called into the shed on our way to school every morning so my desire to model it all was rather sentimental. It also featured the mainline with the western end of Basingstoke station. It was never completed and when we moved last December I had to dismantle it all. However, the plan is to install it in the (largish) garage next winter so I will update as appropriate. I will post a few pictures of my current project 35009 as it was in 1952. Kind regards, Richard

Many thanks Ade, comments much appreciated. Kind regards, Richard

Having started 00 scale modelling back in the 1960s and like many retired people I returned to the hobby, in my case to kid myself that I was still useful. Whilst I started to build a scale model, as close to prototype as possible, of Basingstoke shed and the SW main line (part!) as I remembered it in the late 1950s and 1960s I quickly moved on to building white metal, then brass kits and now I have built some locos from scratch. I can recommend this aspect of the hobby, it is a bit tricky to start with but so rewarding. One thing I discovered early on was the superb support offered by model railway suppliers. I must mention PDK and their excellent kits and they also built a couple of loco's for me which provided much inspiration. Alan Gibson and Markits are excellent but I am always impressed by BranchLines and South Eastern Finecast, tiny outfits but they achieve so much. These last two company's are resurrecting the Nu-Cast range of kits and I have just purchased one of the first ex LBSCR C2X 0-6-0 kits from them which I intend to build after completing a PDK MN kit which will be 35009 as it was in late 1952. Anyway that's all for now - I will post a few pictures taken by my son-in-law of a few of my loco's - I hope you find them interesting and I encourage anyone who is thinking about having a go at loco building to do so, you won't regret it!