Gilwell Park

I swear "Firth of Tay" was at ??80 a few weeks ago!

 

Maybe not Hattons then...

 

Don't you have a mikado to be getting on with anyway?

 

 

 

That sounds like an interesting conversion Roger - any pics? That does sound like one I'd have a go at making PDK may sell an 01 chimney separate from their kit?

Pictures will follow when;

1. the model is presentable and

2. I have found out how to attach pictures.

Roger.

Picture attached. NB: I know the tender is wrong but it is all I have at the moment. Proper GCR tender will follow in due course.

Roger

Too late, I already have a cut up V1 body which I had planned to fit to the Ivatt 2mt chassis. However I lost all enthusiasm for the job months ago and was relying on the entries on this site to get me going again. I always said I would never start a new kit or conversion in the run up to Christmas just in case Hornby introduced a RTR version. I have been slowly collecting components for a K1 conversion similar to those described on this site until about a month ago when I suddenly decided to start work on an O1. The chassis is a very old Hornby Dublo, pre ringfield 2-8-0 fitted with romford wheels. It has previously seen service under a GWR 2800 which was replaced when the Hornby version came along. Cylinders & valve gear are Hornby B17 and the body is Bachmann B1. This conversion suffers from the same difficulty as the K1 in that the B1 boiler centerline is too close to the running plate to be accurate for either conversion but by lowering the running plate/ boiler assembly and raising the cab a reasonable compromise can be achieved.The drop at the front of the running plate has to be reduced and the frame extensions modified. It is currently in the paint shop and waiting a tender. Does anybody know where I can get an O1 chimney?

Thanks

Roger.

Hi Roger,

 

Looking at those dimensions, are you saying the N class chassis would be better in proportion to make an L1 compared to the 2MT? If that is the case, I'd find a spare set of B1 cylinders from somewhere and chuck them onto my N class chassis to see how it looked...

 

Since the model is in effect a representation of an L1 (albeit trying to be as close to prototype as possible with RTR parts available), the thought occurs that the proportions of the N class chassis wouldn't be too far out to be completely wrong. I accept that the 2MT wheelbase is possibly closer, but Horsetan's suggestion of modiying the 2MT and N that much sounds costly (but with respect Horsetan, totally doable and probably the best way to represent the valve gear).

 

What has swung it for me is the scaling of the driving wheel size - knowing that the N class wheels are closer to scale L1 size than the 2MT I think I'll be using an N class chassis for my build (which, the more we discuss, seems like it will happen!)

 

Therefore I now need to find some B1 cylinders and a B1 bogie if your thoughts about those components are correct sean (and that sounds like Thompson to me - using standard parts to make a new class!)

 

Thanks for the support RE the dissertation - its writing a little better today!

 

Cheers,

 

Simon

Simon

Sorry but I think the 2mt has the better proportions but the cylinders & valve gear are wrong. The N has better cylinders & valve gear but the proportions are wrong. Be careful, the B1 slide bars are double, the L1 single.

Roger

Hi all.

 

Thanks for your comments. Looking at all the info and purely from a point of ease, it looks like the N chassis might fit the bill. Ultimately it will be Mali's choice though as its going to be his loco, (I suspect he's keeping a sneaky eye on this post).

 

Roger, can you just confirm as above that the N wheelbase is 2' too long? That does seem alot, but I'm hopeful it may be disguised.

 

Simon, firstly, keep the faith as regards the dissertation. The current Mrs Penguin has just started out on a uniersity degree, so I feel I know what you're going through. I think the N cylinders are about right for the L1 and I remember from my K1 that DMR do some LNER style bits, (sorry, I don't know the technical terms) for the cylinder front and backs.

 

As regards the rear bogies, its almost as if you don't see the woods for the trees, as the B1 front bogie, spun around is the correct wheelbase and diameter if my drawings are correct. I'll stand corrected if, (as is usual), if I am wrong, but if right, thats the chassis about sorted.

 

Obviously still pondering, but I reckon that using the V1 body and just extending the tanks, cabs etc may make a decent job of this. Plenty of plasticard on standby for the job ahead.....

 

Cheers.

 

Sean.

Sean

Yes I can confirm N wheelbase as 7'3" + 8'3" = 15'6" or 2' longer than the L1. It seems a lot but if you put the drawings alongside each other it is obvious. Shame because wheels, cylinders & valve gear are fine.

Roger

Hi. My first comment on a blog.

To summarise; L1 5'2" wheels 6'6" + 7'0"

N 5'6" wheels 7'3" + 8'3"

2mt 5'0" wheels 6'9" + 7'0"

However Bachmann N wheels = 21mm or 5'3"

Bachmann 2mt wheels = 20mm or 5'0"

Therefore the N wheelbase is 2' too long but wheels are almost the right size & the valve gear is ok. The 2mt wheelbase is 3" too long and the wheels 2" too small but the valve gear is way out.

I will carry on with the 2mt chassis as I already have one in stock but will not do anything irreversible to it until Hornby make their announcements at Christmas just in case.

Regards Roger.

Hi Sean,

 

Totally understandable, my apologies for being a tad grumpy - I'm currently working on a dissertation which isn't writing itself as I wanted it to...!

 

I'm considering joining you on building an L1, perhaps vaguely in parallel. I've always liked the look of them (and if I build one, like the Clan and A2 before it either Bachmann or Hornby will make it next year!) and I do have an N class model spare.

 

I'm considering re-wheeling the N class chassis and using that in combination with a spare V3 I have (motor is burnt out and was cheap second hand).

 

The snag for me would be sourcing a suitable rear bogie. I'm fairly certain that I could use the front truck from the V3 on the N class with little modifications if I went for it.

 

But I have to get a certain stirling single out the way first!

 

In any event, I think using the N class valve gear is the way to go for accurate valve gear. I didn't realise how incredibly close it was until I started looking at some comparison photographs earlier last week. The driving wheel size (4in in real life, not sure of the scale down but it must be a tiny difference) seems okay for my own project, but wheel spacing of the N against the L1 (thanks horsetan, just noted your post with regards L1 spacing)could be similar enough for a bash.

 

Kind Regards,

 

Simon

 

EDIT:

 

With thanks to the LNER encyclopedia and SEMG, these pics are intended for educational and comparative reasons only.

 

 

I've tried to scale them together in order to form a proper side on view for each engine.

 

Straight away the N class valve gear strikes me as being spot on for an L1. Some bashing of the cylinder (or complete replacement?) would provide a perfectly reasonable representation of the L1's. The wheelbase - I'm not sure. The rear driving wheel on the N class looks a shade too far away to be spot on, but has got to be fairly close to the L1s. I've included the V3 to show that perhaps the boiler barrel needs a little lengthening (edit - no, its just the dome needs moving forward one band). The cab front looks almost identical (and of course a new set of side tanks and rear coal bunker would have to be made).

 

Perhaps the body and cab from the V3, the front pony from the V3, the Chassis of the N class and its valve gear, and the tanks/bunker/cab scratch built with a suitable 4 wheel rear bogie found would make a reasonable L1?