Florence Locomotive Works

An now that’s rather nice, I wasn’t aware any of Paddington-Seagood still existed. I also have a plea for help to ask of the the course scale modelers. As Kevin knows I recently acquired this part built O gauge GNR 4-4-2, which I thought was made by C. Butcher & Co of Watford, but alas tis not. According to an inscription under the running plate, it was built by a man called “Arthur Ficke” in 1950. Has anybody heard of him? I was also told to ask @Mark Carne if he knows anything. It’s an early finescale model, using Bonds wheels it’s looks like. Douglas

It’s fixed now, finally upgraded to an IPhone 13 so the screen size is different along with the keyboard so my typing quality is taking a battering. Excellent phone though.

I thought it seemed a bit of stretch for one of them too, thank you for clarifying it. I presume the house was destroyed by conventional bombing/fire then during the Liverpool blitz.

As far as I’m aware my great parents didn’t have a shelter, although their house in Liverpool was obliterated by a V2 (not the gresley one) along with the one next door. My grandfather who was about 5 had been evacked to North Wales in 1940 with his mother, and I’m not sure where my great grandfather was. He was a turbine engineer at Clarence Dock power station so he may been on the night shift. Either way nobody was hurt. Douglas

Currently I is shedless and have been for as long as I have been aware of sheds existing, so Ian “you’ll never walk alone.” My works lives in the corner of my bedroom, and the drawings desk is to the left, both IKEA desks. All the heavy metal work and cleaning gets done in the garage of course, at least it does when higher powers are home… Douglas

As far as I know, it’s a different company. I think the pulley is an aluminum casting, it’s been bodged onto the crank by wedging a load of brass shim stock between it and the crankshaft, making it impossible to remove without a gear puller which I do have just not at the house.

Afternoon all, Yesterday dad and I bled the brakes on the Spyder, a successful endeavor we think. We had to run over to one of our friends classic car resto shops for an emergency brake fluid acquisition and I was given this, completely unplanned. It’s a tiny little reciprocating air compressor. The interesting thing about it is that if you switch the inlet and output around you get a vacuum pump. Currently it’s serving as decor on me desk. I think it’s from around 1920 but I can’t find out much about it. Buell makes air horns today. Here it is after a some cleaning, the brass cylinder head looks much better in person. The pulley is not original I think it was a direct drive from the motor originally. This came from the same shop that my drill press and bandsaw came out of, and we may remember there was a spare electric motor with them which I think goes with this. Said drill and saw are currently stored offsite and are not operational. Douglas

Just got finished turning up a new left hand buffer on the lathe, along with making the buffers internals. Haven’t made the spring or nut yet though. The next task is to add some weight to the firebox as the weight distribution is all wrong. The engine puts about 75% of its weight on the front coupled axle and bogie currently, I’m going to try for 60% on the rear and 40% on the front. Douglas

Indeed, it is O gauge, and appears to have a some very early finescale wheels that not even my Bassett Lowke engines can match. That’s a good point about Mr. Ficke. Correct, it does not have a motor and no provisions for the mounting of one. The plan is build a powered tender, with batteries in the engines enormous boiler.

Yes the plan is to make a new tender for it (to scale from HMRS drawings if they have them, if not I shall most humbly beseech the NRM) with a tender drive inside like a 6 wheel power bogie, with only the outer axles being powered. Thread started: Douglas

Hello all, Recently the mortal remains of a GNR C1 Atlantic popped up on the bay of e, and I took the risk of buying it as it looked very very well made and I have a soft spot for engines of antiquity. And so the engine journeys forth across the sea to Oklahoma, and arrived yesterday. I was in for quite a treat. It is superbly made, I’ve seen worse engines in 5 inch gauge. Here some pics. I know very little about it’s origins. At first I thought it was a special commission piece by Bassett Lowke or C. Butcher & Co, but alas, tis not! It was in fact made by one Arthur Ficke, in 1950 according to the beautiful inscription he left underneath the running plate. Mr. Ficke must have had access to an extremely well equipped workshop, possibly an MOD establishment? Many of the screws are far to small to be in the average builders home. Personally I think he was a watchmaker, (being one myself I can tell another’s work) as all the screws are expertly countersunk and he has even taken the time to hand engrave the cab floor, which looks like it might have been done on a watch dial turning machine. Here’s a shot a shot of one of the driving axles, a perfect fit in their horn guides which are even fitted with tiny brass wear plates. The cylinders are also beautifully made. They are turned from solid brass, holes drilled on the ends to bake the “bolts.” These are actually tiny rods of steel pressed into the holes and then cut off and filed, then polished flat. The effect is fantastic. So, what’s the plan? Well I’m not sure. I won’t be painting the engine as it’s current patina looks fantastic, however I have gone through all the moving parts and removed any corrosion, and cleaned and re oiled the bearings. The inside of the frames has also been cleaned. The main problem is the splashers and tender have parted company with the engine. I’m not sure if I’ll make new splashers, as well the engine looks alright without them and I’m not sure I could match Mr. Ficke’s standard. However I will be making a brand new tender with tender drive for it, and if anybody could point me in the direction of some 7mm Ivatt tender drawings that would be very nice. Also, if anybody has heard of Arthur Ficke do say. Google is devoid. Douglas

Well what should arrive in the mail today two weeks early but a mystery GNR 4-4-2. On close examination this engine was not built by C. Butcher of Watford. In fact it was made by a Arthur Fickle (or Ficke) in 1950, according to the very neatly scribed writing under the remains of the running plate. I’ve no idea who he was, but he certainly knew how to make an engine, and must have had a technical background and access to a watchmakers workshop. The vast majority of the screws used on the engine are watchmaking size, especially those holding the covers over the trailing axle box, which oddly enough has loads of play after I cleaned the bearings! More evidence of its being at one point finished were found, amounting to some ancient apple green paint found on the very bottom of the boiler. The boiler also has a hole in it directly above a driver axles, presumably to take some shafting. There’s another hole on the backhead, so I’m guessing it had a tender motor with shafting running to the boiler. Currently I’m not sure what to do with it. Probably finish it off. (the vacuum pipe was discovered to be loose and can be made to face the correct direction) Douglas

Agreed. In other photos though there are affixing points for the splashers, very odd ones but they do exist. If you look closely the splashed are designed to slide in between the cylinder and faux valve chest casting below the smokebox. I’ve attempted to contact Mark but his PM’s are shut off for various reasons. I have been in contact though with an individual who owns another Butcher engine (G2 LBSCR Abergavenny 4-6-2t) and the construction and components are extremely similar.

Hello all, Tis been a while. Some news: 1. Apparently, I am not clinically depressed, which is nice to know i guess. We recently hired me a therapist, and her preliminary "examination" of me suggest so. Said therapist is a very interesting lady, grew up just down the street from Southampton dockyard and is the only person I've ever met who has flown in a Harrier jump jet. The doom has worsened as of late, however school ends for the year next Wednesday so perhaps that will improve it. I doubt it though. 2. Brunel has acquired outside motion, and it works as well. Only one set has been made so far but the other will be done probably by Sunday night. Here are some pictures. The cylinders are carved hardwood with brass sleeves, and the big ends have proper brass block bearings in them. The cylinders also have a removable ivory veneer on one side. 3. A rather historic engine was bought. Kind of. A few weeks back the mortal remains of an extremely well built but ancient O gauge Great Northern Railway C1 4-4-2 showed up on ebay for tuppence and on a whim i snatched it up. After further research, it appears to be the remains of an engine commissioned (probably through Bassett Lowke) from C. Butcher & Co of Watford, who were makers of proper scale model engines before 1916. This engine probably dates from around 1911. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it, other than fix the drooping cylinder. Its unmotorized although I don't know what the boiler holds. Not live steam according to the seller so I'm assuming air. (much thanks to @polybearfor his concern on ERs) Douglas

Oh dear, fusee accidents like that are the stuff of horological nightmares, especially if it’s a large movement. If the chain breaks at around full wind it can often times irrevocably damage the rest of the internals, along with itself. Replacement chains are also very hard to get now. They used to be made by starving children in orphanages (smaller fingers) but now I think the only company producing a fusee movement is Zenith and that’s for a wristwatch. Was Barry able to repair it? I think I’ve heard of him.

I’ve ruled out live steam as the chap I bought it off (eBay) bought it thinking it was live steam and apparently it isn’t. You can also tell as the cylinders have no glands and no pipework. It doesn’t have a tender though so we can’t be sure. I’m thinking it’s Butcher though as I’ve been in contact with @Victorian who owns a Butcher engine, and the construction is very similar and the spring hangers are basically identical.

As far as me and the other people who know more about this stuff can figure out, it was tender drive, I think I’ll keep it that way.

I think I may have just bought a Butcher engine, or the remains of one. Its O gauge, obviously very old and the quality appears second to none. It’s supposed to be a GNR c2 4-4-2. These are the sellers photos as I don’t have the engine yet. If anyone would be able to aid identifying it I’d very grateful Douglas

thanks Dave, The drag beam is what the weight of the train passes onto the tender through, its the piece of wood which does indeed have a crack, a small one though which isn't affecting its structural integrity. I think in the USA they are known as drawbars. I'd like an EM-1 myself actually, well, really a Y6b😁.

Only three😁

So a lot has happened in the past few months. The main thing was that my work which I post in Instagram was seen by a rather influential Museum Designer and Industrial Historian, (his website: https://www.robertsonminiatures.com) who has taken me under his wing as some sort of an apprentice. A meeting was organised with him in Kansas City last weekend, and he requested Brunel come along as well as he wished to see my work in person. So the engine traveled north, and was subject to a close inspection by Bill. He owns, among many other wondrous old mechanical antiques, one of four known original Palmer micrometers. These were the first proper micrometers ever made and were made in France around 1848. We did a photo shoot of this amazing piece with both me and the engine present for Instagram, along with just some photos of the engine and micrometer, hears one of them. I never imagined my engine would sit next to the device that enabled much of the modern world to exist. I also got to use his ornamental turning Rose Engine, made in 1835 by A. Duguet of Paris. It spent the majority of its life with its twin horizontal axis engine in Cartier's Paris workshops. They remained in Paris under the care of several owners up till a few years ago when Bill bought them and had them shipped to Kansas City, where they know live in his house, the one I'm seen using is in his living room! Here's another shot of the Rose Engine, its a truly beautiful machine. Nothing for Brunel was made on it however Bill did teach me how to freehand turn Brass which I have used a lot recently, more on that later though. Getting back to the present, I've decided that Brunel will be getting outside cylinders. These cylinders are carved from Hardwood and have a (legal) elephant ivory veneer on the outside, which has carved flutes in it. They also have turned brass interiors liners which the "piston rod" slides in. Only one has been completed so far and I don't have pictures. The addition of outside cylinders also necessitates the rest of the outside valve gear. So a piston rod and connecting rod need making. Currency I've 90% finished one of these, the left hand side con rod which has a captive brass block bearing like the full size would have. (the coupling rods also have brass bearings but not captive blocks) Here's a picture of part of it. (the hole has since been drilled) I also used my new found freehand brass turning skills to make this simple little lamp. Its about 1/4 of an tall, and will be mounted on the engine's front left. I may make a twin for it one day, not sure. Its pictures atop the box of Polishing stone, made by the Carborundum Company in 1890, and its till in the same box. New old stock you see. I've also made a lot of progress on the tender chassis, which is now complete bar axlebox casting which need ordering from the UK, they will be GER pattern. The center frame stretcher also received some ornamental turning as nobody will ever see it unless you pick the tender up and look underneath it. It does fit the engine rather well though. Here's a picture, the drag beam is hardwood, from the same log as the engine's buffer beam and the cylinders. That's all for now, more to come soon. Douglas

Very very true. It’s extremely expensive to repair these things. Agreed, but I think with devices as complex as these taking it to a specialist would be better.

Possibly yes, but there is a growing shift in society away from such things. The metal straw movement of a few years ago is a good example. I know from talking with a lot of my piers at school (i get asked a lot of questions about my work) that they don't really like the the throw away society in which we currently attempt to thrive, and many of them have a yearning for quality products in any form. This is also why things like vinyl are coming back, along with manual cars.

Evening all, The doom has lessened a bit lately, and I was been able to do some work on the lathe, consisting of making the final frame stretcher for Brunel’s tender. The design on it is freehand and made with gravers. This book has been very helpful. Douglas

Some more photos I forgot to post. The first one shows me holding something very rare. This is all that remains of a French rose engine made in 1750, consisting of the spindle and vise. This photo was very hard to take as the spindle weighs a huge amount, being one solid piece of wrought iron. It lives on his bookshelf, acting as the bookend to his books on ornamental turning. The second photo is of a Birmingham made beam engine from the same book as the NBR locomotive. This also had another 3 pages of drawings accompanying it. Heres a shot of the illustration for the beam bearing. The last photos is quite interesting. This is a print Bill gifted me from around 1745, showing a what is best described as a Georgian cutaway drawing of a Newcomen Engine. It’s getting framed this weekend. Douglas