The stable of locomotives were made over a period of more than 25 years, several being modified during the course of their lives. Many are based on proprietary mechanisms, others are entirely scratch-built. Most make use of components and fittings from various sources, including the 2mm Scale Association and commercial suppliers. Throughout, locomotives are painted and weathered, number plates added and tenders or bunkers filled with crushed coal. All are fitted with Kadee / Microtrain couplings.
No 111 “The Great Bear” c.1922Built 1908 Withdrawn 1924
The model is based on a Fleischmann powered tender drive, selected for the correct wheelbase and wheel diameters; all the rest is scratch-built. The un-powered engine chassis is of split-frame construction with wheels from the late Mike Bryant range, on half-axles with insulating muffs – the typical 2mm Scale Association method. Current collection is transferred to the tender. The engine and tender superstructures are of plastic card with metal details and fittings.
Built 1927 Withdrawn 1962
The model started life as a Farish King – with fairly severe modifications. The mechanism is adapted with a replacement worm and worm wheel giving a 38:1 reduction instead of the original 25:1. Cosmetic frames with springing and brakes are bonded to the chassis block and a new keeper plate is made from copper clad Paxolin, with phosphor bronze wire pickups. Driving wheels are salvaged from a Fleischmann mechanism and are of scale diameter. with scratch-built rods and working outside valve linkage. The bogie truck is scratch built, with the characteristic outside bearings for the front axle. The motor pole pieces are thinned down, and enclosed in a new narrower fire-box wrapper of nickel silver shim, with the correct waisted shape. The engine superstructure is modified to give clearance for the larger diameter wheels. New boiler fittings and cab details are fitted and bright steel details are added. The tender chassis has current collection linked back to the loco and axle boxes, brake gear and other details added. The tender superstructure is modified in detail with the coal space correctly represented.
No 4073 “Caerphilly Castle” c.1930Built 1923 Withdrawn 1960
The model started life as a Farish Castle – with fairly severe modifications. The mechanism is adapted with a replacement worm and worm wheel giving a 38:1 reduction instead of the original 25:1. Cosmetic frames with springing and brakes are bonded to the chassis block and a new keeper plate is made from copper clad Paxolin, with phosphor bronze wire pickups. Driving wheels are from the Beaver range, of scale diameter and at scale centres, with scratch-built rods and working outside valve linkage. The bogie truck is scratch built. The motor pole pieces are thinned down, permitting a completely new fire-box wrapper of nickel silver shim, with the correct waisted shape. The engine superstructure is modified to give clearance for the larger diameter wheels and the skirt between boiler and footplate is drilled away. New boiler fittings and cab details are fitted. The tender chassis has current collection linked back to the loco, and axle boxes, brake gear and other details added. The tender superstructure is cut down and modified in detail to represent the earlier 3500 gallon type.
No 4083 “Abbotsbury Castle” c.1935Built 1925 Withdrawn 1961
This model is a fairly simple modification of the old Peco Jubilee – remarkably similar in key dimensions to the Castle. The model engine and tender chassis and mechanism are largely unchanged with new cross-head slides added. The engine superstructure has a slightly raised firebox top and a new cab to conform to Swindon practice and has new fittings and details added. The tender superstructure is of plastic card with a very substantial coal load, necessary to cover the vertically-mounted motor.
No 4915 “Condover Hall” c.1930Built 1929 Withdrawn 1963
This model is proprietary, by Dapol, with a tender-mounted skew-wound motor and a cardan shaft drive to the driving wheels. The tender is modified, plastic coal removed and replaced with the real thing. Otherwise, the main changes are new name and number plates, replacement tender lettering and a partial repaint and weathering.
No 4918 “Dartington Hall” c.1930Built 1929 Withdrawn 1963
The model started life as a Farish Hall – again with severe modifications. The mechanism is adapted with a replacement worm and worm wheel giving a 38:1 reduction instead of the original 25:1. Cosmetic frames with springing and brakes are bonded to the chassis block and a new keeper plate is made from copper clad Paxolin, with phosphor bronze wire pickups. Driving wheels are from the Beaver range, of scale diameter with scratch-built rods. The pony truck is a modified Peco Jubilee unit and the cab is scratch built. The tender superstructure is an unmodified 4000 gallon type but with details added.
No 4924 “Eydon Hall” c.1935Built 1929 Withdrawn 1963
This model is proprietary, by Dapol, with a tender-mounted skew-wound motor and a cardan shaft drive to the driving wheels. The tender is modified, plastic coal removed and replaced with the real thing. Otherwise, the main changes are new name and number plates, tender lettering replaced with the “shirt button” motif and a partial repaint and weathering.
No 7808 “Cookham Manor” c.1938Built 1938 Withdrawn 1965
This model is proprietary, by Ixion/Dapol, with a tender-mounted skew-wound motor and a cardan shaft drive to the driving wheels. The tender is modified, plastic coal removed and replaced with the real thing. Otherwise, the main changes are more robust current collection between loco and tender and a partial repaint and weathering.
No 3824 “County of Cornwall” c.1922Built 1911 Withdrawn 1931
The model is entirely scratch-built. Power is provided by a tender-mounted Portescap 1219 motor with a small flywheel and a simple bent wire cardan shaft to a worm gear in the engine firebox. This feeds a double-reduction gear drive, giving a reduction of 37:1. Both engine and tender have split frames with wheels from the late Mike Bryant range, all wheels collecting current. Transfer between the engine and tender is by phosphor-bronze springs, soldered to the tender and bearing on the insides of the engine frames. The engine and tender superstructures are of plastic card with metal details and fittings.
No 3373 “River Plym” c.1930Built 1903 Withdrawn 1948
The model is entirely scratch-built. Power is provided by a tender-mounted Portescap 1219 motor, with a small flywheel and a simple bent wire cardan shaft to a worm gear in the engine firebox. This feeds a double-reduction gear drive, giving a reduction of 37:1. Both engine and tender have split frames with wheels from the late Mike Bryant range, all wheels collecting current. Transfer between the engine and tender is by phosphor-bronze springs, soldered to the tender and bearing on the insides of the engine frames. To avoid excessive movement on curved track, the rear axle of the bogie is in the main frames, with some side-play, and the front axle is in a separate pony truck. In essence it is built as a 2-6-0. The bogie outside frame is supported by a pivot on the main chassis and a pin-in-slot on the pony truck. The engine and tender superstructures, details and fittings are of sheet and turned metal.
No 4706 2-8-0 c.1930Built 1923 Withdrawn 1964
The model is entirely scratch-built. Power is provided by a tender-mounted Portescap 1219 motor, with a flywheel and a simple bent wire cardan shaft to a worm gear in the engine firebox. This feeds a double-reduction gear drive, giving a reduction of 53:1. Both engine and tender have split frames with wheels from the late Mike Bryant range, all wheels collecting current. It is taken to both the third and fourth axles, reducing the stress on connecting rods. As a conceit, there is operating outside and inside valve gear, the latter almost totally invisible under the massive boiler. The superstructure is of plastic card, adhesion weight is not a problem with such a volume to fill up with lead. Current collection from the tender chassis is transferred to the engine by phosphor-bronze springs, soldered to the tender and bearing on the insides of the engine frames.
No 2857 2-8-0 c.1930Built 1918 Withdrawn 1963
This model started life as a scratch-built superstructure on a cut-down Minitrix 9F chassis (the fifth axle being removed), re-motored with a small Minitrix motor in the boiler. Perhaps inevitably, the motor was inadequate and eventually gave up the ghost. However it seemed a possibility to use a Farish 8F chassis. The motor pole pieces are thinned down to allow an improved fire-box shape and the chassis idler gear is modified to give a two-stage reduction of about 42:1 - only possible with the older brass gears. The tender is on a modified Farish chassis with current collection, again with a 3500 gallon type superstructure of plastic card and metal details and fittings.
No 9304 2-6-0 ‘Mogul’ c.1935Built 1932 Withdrawn 1963
The chassis of the model started life as a Farish ‘large prairie’ tank engine, married to a Farish tender. The mechanism is unchanged with a reduction of 25:1 The engine is re-wheeled with Beaver wheels a new keeper plate and a scratch-built pony truck. The tender is on a Farish chassis, modified to a 3500 gallon type, with current collection. Throughout, the superstructure is scratch-built in plastic card with metal details and fittings.
No 2568 0-6-0 ‘Dean Goods’ c.1930Built 1898 Withdrawn 1953
The model is entirely scratch-built. Power is provided by a tender-mounted coreless 1018 motor with a small flywheel and a simple bent wire cardan shaft to a worm gear in the engine firebox. This feeds a double-reduction gear drive, giving a reduction of 50:1. Both engine and tender have split frames with driving wheels purpose made by a member of the 2mm Scale Association. The engine and tender superstructures, details and fittings are of sheet and turned metal.
No 2252 0-6-0 ‘Collett Goods’ c.1935Built 1930 Withdrawn 1959
The model is proprietary, by Peco, with tender drive. Minor modifications are made to improve current collection and increase tender adhesion weight.
No 5185 2-6-2T ‘Large Prairie’ c.1935Built 1931 Withdrawn 1960
The model is based on the Farish large prairie, re-wheeled with Beaver wheels. The mechanism is unchanged with a reduction of 25:1. New scratch-built pony trucks are fitted. The superstructure is scratch-built in plastic card with metal details and fittings.
No 4536 2-6-2T 45XX class ‘Small Prairie’ c.1925Built 1913 Withdrawn 1959
The model is entirely scratch-built with a split-frame chassis. Power is provided by a Mashima can motor with a small copper-tungsten flywheel in the bunker. A two-stage gear train gives a 42:1 reduction. Wheels from the late Mike Bryant range, all used for current collection including the pony trucks. These use the pivot for one polarity and a fine phosphor-bronze wire spring for the other.
No 4536 2-6-2T 45XX class ‘Small Prairie’ c.1925Built 1913 Withdrawn 1959
The model is proprietary, by Dapol, and has been modified by removing the motor, current collection and weights to act as an unpowered “banker” at the rear of goods trains.
No 5505 2-6-2T 4575 class ‘Small Prairie’ c.1935Built 1927 Withdrawn 1957
The model started life as a Fleischmann tank, with scratch-built split-frame pony trucks and has a new superstructure in plastic card with metal fittings and details.
No 1506 0-6-0T ‘Saddle Tank’ c.1922Built 1878 Withdrawn 1937
Buried under this model is a Farish ‘pannier’. The mechanism has a replacement worm and worm wheel set, giving an improved reduction ratio of 21:1 instead of the original 16:1. A new keeper plate is made from copper clad PCB, with phosphor bronze wire pickups. Brake gear, sand boxes and guard irons are fitted. After separating the superstructure, all the boiler fittings are filed off to leave a flat top. To this is araldited a nice fat sheet of nickel silver, Then the whole lump is ground and filed down to the correct profile, checked with a simple metal gauge running on the footplate. The footplate itself is shortened slightly and new smokebox and boiler fittings are added. A new old-style cab and bunker is formed of sheet metal.
No 8731 0-6-0T ‘Pannier Tank’ c.1935Built 1931 Withdrawn 1962
This model is in essentials a Farish ‘pannier’ with lots of minor modifications. The mechanism has a replacement worm and worm wheel set, giving an improved reduction ratio of 21:1 instead of the original 16:1. A new keeper plate is made from copper clad PCB, with phosphor bronze wire pickups. Brake gear, sand boxes and guard irons are fitted. The solid skirt beneath the tanks is cut away and a new lower section of the boiler covers the gear drive. A new brass safety valve bonnet brightens things up and the chimney is raised to scale height by the simple expedient of adding a suitable metal washer under the cap. Sanding gear rodding, separate wire handrails and various bits of pipework are added.
No 5741 0-6-0T ‘Pannier Tank’ c.1935Built 1929 Withdrawn 1957
This model stated life as a Farish 94XX ‘pannier’. The mechanism is largely unchanged but with a shortened footplate and chassis, new keeper plate and wipers and a new superstructure of plastic card with metal details and fittings.
No 1435 0-4-2T 517 class c.1922Built 1877 Withdrawn 1932
This model was a first essay in scratch-building using metal – essential to achieve a reasonable adhesion weight in such a small volume. The chassis is of split frame construction with Mike Bryant wheels. Power is provided by a Sagami motor in the cab and firebox with the worm in the boiler and a copper-tungsten flywheel in the bunker. A two-stage gear train gives a 65:1 reduction. To achieve the maximum weight, the boiler and smokebox, the side tanks and even the tool boxes are also made of copper-tungsten.
No 4820 0-4-2T 14XX class c.1935Built 1935 Withdrawn 1932
The model is a coupled engine and autocoach. The latter is the powered component, based on a Fleischmann diesel railcar with a modified chassis. The drive mechanism includes a small flywheel and a two stage reduction gear with a lay shaft, giving an overall ratio of about 50:1 – great for slow running. The coach superstructure is of plastic card. The engine has a split frame chassis and Mike Bryant wheels and current is transferred to the coach by permanent fine phosphor-bronze wires. Engine superstructure is based on Langley etchings with turned metal replacements for the white metal components.
No 1425 0-4-2T 14XX class c.1935Built 1933 Withdrawn 1956
The model is proprietary, by Dapol, with just the basic modifications.
No 19 Diesel railcar c.1940Built 1940 Withdrawn 1960
The model is basically the Farish unit with a fairly heavily modified drive mechanism, with a small flywheel and using a double reduction drive to achieve on overall ratio of about 50:1. It will crawl along, albeit rather noisily!
No E 430 4-4-0 Southern
L12 class c.1930
Now for something
completely different *
Built 1905
Withdrawn 1951
The model started
life as a Farish Midland compound – with major modifications. The mechanism is
adapted with a replacement worm and worm wheel and a modified drive chain giving
a two-stage 56:1 reduction instead of the original 25:1. Cosmetic frames with
springing and brakes are bonded to the chassis block and a new keeper plate is
made from copper clad fibreglass, with phosphor bronze wire pickups. Beaver driving wheels are of scale diameter.
with scratch-built rods. The bogie truck is scratch built, with new near-scale
wheels. The motor pole pieces are thinned down and rounded to fit in a new
firebox/boiler/smokebox of brass tube. This sits on a new footplate, splashers
and cab assembly of brass. New boiler fittings of polished metal details are
added. The tender chassis has current collection linked back to the loco and
axle boxes, brake gear and other details added. The tender superstructure is scratch-built
in brass and is pivoted on the chassis to bear on the rear of the locomotive to
improve adhesion.
* On a regular basis, a Southern locomotive was
diagrammed to head a GWR train on the Plymouth – Totnes – Exeter route to gain
route familiarisation. The converse was done on the Plymouth – Okehampton –
Exeter route.
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