Joy of Freelance - Suitable Locomotives & Rolling Stock

[Johnson044]

....and there is a small parcel on the stairs this morning that I think might be Amberdale!

 

I saw your review but haven't looked yet as I didn't want any spoilers. Looking forward to lunchtime!

[Johnson044]

Another range of potential freelance staples is the Beyer Peacock Metropolitan type. They seem to have built them for various other concerns apart from the Metropolitan and the District Railways - the LSWR had them, from new, I think, and the LNWR bought some too. I think the Midland had one or two, but don't know if they were second hand or direct from BP. The Australians seem to have taken quite a shine to the general type - but theirs were 4-4-0 tender versions - I think pretty much the same as the tank locos otherwise. Some of them were rebuilt as 4-4-2T's  in later years. All rather attractive.

 

Then, of course, there was the great sell-off post electrification and the second hand ones went all over the place.

 

Plus, of course, the 2-4-0T relatives...

[Johnson044]

...and here's an Aussie 4-4-0

[Edwardian]

1 hour ago, Johnson044 said:

Another range of potential freelance staples is the Beyer Peacock Metropolitan type. They seem to have built them for various other concerns apart from the Metropolitan and the District Railways - the LSWR had them, from new, I think, and the LNWR bought some too. I think the Midland had one or two, but don't know if they were second hand or direct from BP. The Australians seem to have taken quite a shine to the general type - but theirs were 4-4-0 tender versions - I think pretty much the same as the tank locos otherwise. Some of them were rebuilt as 4-4-2T's  in later years. All rather attractive.

 

Then, of course, there was the great sell-off post electrification and the second hand ones went all over the place.

 

Plus, of course, the 2-4-0T relatives...

 

Thank you for these. And, as you say, second-hand Met tanks cropped up here and there, e.g. the Cambrian.

 

There was a discussion, on Castle Aching somewhere I think, but probably worth reviving here, concerning how Beyer Peacock designs moved from this ...

 

 

To this .....

 

 

Because the loco above is one of the 1882-1888 Lynn & Fakenham and Eastern & Midland (subsequently MGNJR) Class As, which were very, very like Adams' early 4-4-0s for the LSWR, some of which BP had previously built!

 

Both types, the early, raked cylindered 4-4-0s and the 'Adams type' are perfectly good candidates for a freelance line.

 

Enjoy Amberdale!

 

 

 

Edited May 6, 2022 by Edwardian

[Annie]

Metropolitan Railway No.37 at Watchet, on the reopened West Somerset Mineral Railway 1907.

 

[DCB]

54 minutes ago, Edwardian said:

 

 

Because the loco above is one of the 1882-1888 Lynn & Fakenham and Eastern & Midland (subsequently MGNJR) Class As, which were very, very like Adams' early 4-4-0s for the LSWR, some of which BP had previously built!

 

Both types, the early, raked cylindered 4-4-0s and the 'Adams type' are perfectly good candidates for a freelance line.

 

Now that's a great idea, One Adams Radial, one Hacksaw, one spare tender.  The problem is more finding something RTR which can be modified to be a convincing freelance line's  loco, ROD 2-8-0, N class Mogul, Austerity Tank, Terrier and Adams radial are the only suitable RTR mainliners I know of and the ROD and N are a bit too big for my liking.  The Met and the Highland locos need a lot of scratch building, but the GER 0-6-0 with a different cab chimney tender etc might fit the bill, or an 0-4-2 version.

,

[Edwardian]

1 hour ago, Annie said:

Metropolitan Railway No.37 at Watchet, on the reopened West Somerset Mineral Railway 1907.

 

 

Was unaware one had ended up there. Thrilled to see that photograph, thank you.

 

1 hour ago, DCB said:

Now that's a great idea, One Adams Radial, one Hacksaw, one spare tender.  The problem is more finding something RTR which can be modified to be a convincing freelance line's  loco, ROD 2-8-0, N class Mogul, Austerity Tank, Terrier and Adams radial are the only suitable RTR mainliners I know of and the ROD and N are a bit too big for my liking.  The Met and the Highland locos need a lot of scratch building, but the GER 0-6-0 with a different cab chimney tender etc might fit the bill, or an 0-4-2 version.

,

 

Yes, on my 'to do' list are two such conversions.

 

(1) Pukka prototype conversion of Hornby Radial to Adams 'Steamroller' 4-4-0. Have the donor, just need to get a round tuit.

 

(2) An essentially similar conversion for a freelance BP 4-4-0 for Castle Aching's West Norfolk Railway fleet. The Radial's wheel diameter is quite small for a 4-4-0, but it does do perfectly well for a big mainline company's mixed traffic needs (the Steamroller) or a little line's passenger needs.   

 

The bodger and basher must be imaginative. Other WNR projects in progress include:

 

- Sharp Stewart Cornwall Minerals type from Electrotren 0-6-0 chassis

- Melton Constable 2-4-0 rebuild of same from Bachmann Junior 0-6-0

- Great Yarmouth & Stalham Fox Walker using Hornby Peckett chassis 

- Crewe Type 2-4-0 from Oxford Rail Dean Goods (yes, I bought one of the wretched things!)

 

 

[Corbs]

3 hours ago, Edwardian said:

 

Thank you for these. And, as you say, second-hand Met tanks cropped up here and there, e.g. the Cambrian.

 

There was a discussion, on Castle Aching somewhere I think, but probably worth reviving here, concerning how Beyer Peacock designs moved from this ...

 

 

To this .....

 

 

Because the loco above is one of the 1882-1888 Lynn & Fakenham and Eastern & Midland (subsequently MGNJR) Class As, which were very, very like Adams' early 4-4-0s for the LSWR, some of which BP had previously built!

 

Both types, the early, raked cylindered 4-4-0s and the 'Adams type' are perfectly good candidates for a freelance line.

 

Enjoy Amberdale!

 

 

Not dissimilar (but I did make some intentional design choices that were different, should have left the cab side sheets longer at the back though)

 

[Hroth]

1 hour ago, Edwardian said:

(1) Pukka prototype conversion of Hornby Radial to Adams 'Steamroller' 4-4-0. Have the donor, just need to get a round tuit.

 

 

Here you go.....

 

 

:-)

 

 

Sorry.....

 

 

[sir douglas]

Oxelosund - Flen Railway No6, Sweden

 

some other sharpy exports

 

w/n 2502 of 1875 Halmstad - Nassjo railway Sweden

 

2927 of ? El Valley Baracaldo, Spain

 

? of 1897, spain

 

 

[Annie]

Fletcher-Jennings locomotives are another possibility for a small independent railway.

 

[Schooner]

I'm having a presumptious day:

 

@rapidoandy @Accurascale Fran @RailsOfSheffield @James Hilton @Hattons Dave and @KR Models all strike me as the kind of people who might appreciate this thread's choice shortlist of characterful and proto-literate, widely-travelled workhorse classes from private builders, with long working lifespans and survivors to the current day, viable in almost any livery one cares for.

 

Happy Friday all :) 

[Johnson044]

Here's a dandy little beast. I think this might be Sharp Stewart - but then again maybe a rebuild from something earlier.. 

[Annie]

11 minutes ago, Johnson044 said:

Here's a dandy little beast. I think this might be Sharp Stewart - but then again maybe a rebuild from something earlier.. 

Snap!  Yes it's a 'Sharpie', - built for a standard gauge colonial line somewhere in Africa.

Edit:  2-2-2T built by Sharp Stewart in 1899,  works number 4496, - lasted until 1956.

 

Edited May 6, 2022 by Annie
More words needed.

[Edwardian]

56 minutes ago, Johnson044 said:

Here's a dandy little beast. I think this might be Sharp Stewart - but then again maybe a rebuild from something earlier.. 

 

47 minutes ago, Annie said:

Snap!  Yes it's a 'Sharpie', - built for a standard gauge colonial line somewhere in Africa.

Edit:  2-2-2T built by Sharp Stewart in 1899,  works number 4496, - lasted until 1956.

 

 

Very nice.

 

Perfect choice for any Freelancer wanting their equivalent of Aerolite to appear with the Locomotive Superintendent's Inspection Saloon in tow on an unannounced visit!

 

A loco available in several flavours ....

 

   

[Johnson044]

A Mainline J72 as a starting point?

[Edwardian]

35 minutes ago, Johnson044 said:

A Mainline J72 as a starting point?

 

Or, one of my go-to donors ....

 

Edited May 6, 2022 by Edwardian

[Edwardian]

Apparently our Sharp 2-2-2T, 4496 of 1899, is South American.

 

No.1 'Eza' of the East Coast Railway (ECR) or Demerara Railway of Guyana, according to this. This was formerly British Guyana, created in 1831 from 3 colonies gained in 1814, hence the British influence. 

 

I quote from the website linked above:

 

In March 1837, a proposal to build a 21.5 mile railway along the coast east of Georgetown was quickly forgotten. In 1845, the proposal was brought up again and a bill passed in July 1846. The Demerara Railway Co. was formed and groundbreaking ceremonies took place in August 1847. In late 1847 four miles of standard gauge track had been laid, but the railway suffered a setback when following the derailment of an inspection train with a wandering cow in January 1848 resulted in two fatalities including the acting director. On Nov. 3rd, 1848, the 5.5 miles section from Georgetown to Plaisance was opened to traffic, the first railway in South America. Two pairs of passenger trains operated over the line daily.

 

From 1850, the company was unable to raise any further funds but Government loans allowed construction to proceed to Buxton (m.p. 10, 03/1850), Enmore (m.p. 13, 10/1850), Belfield (m.p. 15, 12/1850), Two Friends (m.p. 16.5) by 1852 ) and to Mahaica (m. 21.5) by 31st August 1864. Between 1897 and 1900 the line was extended another 39 miles east to Rosignol (across the Berbice River from Nieuw Amsterdam) and ended in Blairmont, 4 miles further south. While the railway carried on with its tasks, it was not a prosperous one. 

 

The mainstay of the line during the period this 2-2-2T was acquired seem to have been Sharps 0-6-0STs and 2-4-2Ts (many also lasting into the 1950s) and the website author posits  that the 2-2-2T was "possibly some type of inspection loco".

 

Pictures and details of these Sharp Stewarts and other locos of Guyana can be found in This pdf.

 

  

 

There was also a 3'6" gauge line, with mini versions of the Sharp 2-4-2Ts!

 

 

Without cowcatchers and with conventional British/European market Sharp cabs, like that seen of the the 2-2-2T, both gauge 2-4-2Ts would make excellent locos for the freelancer, using either standard gauge or perhaps a 3' gauge line using 12mm/TT track.

 

 

[Regularity]

On 01/05/2022 at 16:36, wagonman said:

Don't forget that BP also supplied a very tidy 0-6-0ST which Beattie of the LSWR bought pretty much off the shelf. There were other buyers I believe...

Numbered (possibly uniquely) as 0, this was one of many former EWJR locos to bear the number 1 whilst owned by said railway company:

 

I have a 3D printed body for this, and also some 3D printed wheel centres to try out - when I get the log cabin finished and everything sorted out to be able to do some modelling…

[sir douglas]

or aerolite as built in 1851

 

[ChrisN]

On 06/05/2022 at 16:16, Edwardian said:

 

Or, one of my go-to donors ....

 

 

James,

How big are the weights and motor inside that?  I am always looking for chassis that are small enough to go under what in this case would be a Queen class 0-6-0.

[ChrisN]

On 06/05/2022 at 10:16, Annie said:

Metropolitan Railway No.37 at Watchet, on the reopened West Somerset Mineral Railway 1907.

 

 

 

The Cambrian did not et on well with these locomotives.  They were too heavy for their lightly laid lines, and the tanks did not hold enough water.  They converted all but one, if I remember correctly, into tender engines.  The upside, for lovers of the Cambrian, was that on seeing one at the age of four turned C.C. Green into a lifelong Cambrian lover.

[Regularity]

Strange looking beasts…

 

[Johnson044]

11 minutes ago, Regularity said:

Strange looking beasts…

 

They are perfectly normal early Twentieth Century people from Somerset!

[Edwardian]

2 minutes ago, ChrisN said:

 

James,

How big are the weights and motor inside that?  I am always looking for chassis that are small enough to go under what in this case would be a Queen class 0-6-0.

 

Chris,

 

I have little to hand on the hobby front, most of my books and all of my modelling stuff are still packed, so cannot give you an exact answer.

 

Here is the Electrotren chassis under an ex-Cornwall Minerals Railway locomotive (WNR No.9):

 

 

The chassis, therefore, is very similar to the GWR 1361/1366 dock tanks, which were derived from the CMR locos, but I do not have the model to hand, so can't take any measurements.

 

IIRC, the wheel diameter of the Electrotren 0-6-0 is something like 13-14mm (3'3" - 3'6"). 

 

That makes them too small for your use; the Cambrian Queen class, aka the Small Goods Class, which are the same Sharps Stewarts also supplied to the Furness Railway (D1) and the WNR.

 

I believe the dimensions are:

 

Coupled wheels      W/b

4’6”                           6’9” + 8’    

 

You'd need 18mm driving wheels, therefore.

 

Further, being a tank engine, the manufacturer has filled the tank space with gubbins, if you want to assess the extent of this, look at one of the saddle tank versions, which requires some rather unsightly blanking to cover the engine block.

BTW, this model rather resembles those Sharp Stewarts sent to Spain pictured earlier.

 

Returning to the Sharp's Cambrian Small Goods Class, there is nothing particularly close in wheel diameter and w/b available RTR, as you will have discovered, hence I'm going with Knuckles' 3D prints.  There is also a kit by Cam Kits, as you're probably aware, though would work out more expensive than motorising Knuckles' prints, which anyway better suit the WNR configuration, which have similar cabs to the Furness versions.