5" gauge Stanier Duchess steam loco

[yorkieboy]

'Tis rather blooming superb!!

[mrmaggit]

Got a call last night that the chap re-building and finishing off my Dads 5" Twin Sister has finished it, I'm going to Ruddington tomorrow to see it running and to collect it.

[Hamster69]

Just to say, if there was a piston model forem or something similar set up I would be very interested to.
I restored this a few years back although she is in need of a few more repaires now.



It is a 3.5" gauge Netta. Originally built as a club loco for the Hatfield and district society of model engineers just after the war. By the late 70s she had rather been superseded by a twin sisters. Which on the whole was easier to transport. She largely sat around in the bottom of a cupboard in our club shed for a couple of decades. Eventually in the late 90s the club decided to sell her. As a young member at the time, I had been building a 3.5 simplex for a few years and jumped at the change to own a working engine. After a couple of winters work getting her back into steaming order.

[RichB]

OOI chaps, what is the reference to "Twin Sisters" about? Looking on Google there appear to be numerous designs of engine all called Twin Sisters.

[Raoul Duke]

Love these things, have many happy memories of going to Worden Park in Leyland as a nipper and being enthralled by the miniature engines - wonderful examples of engineering.

[mrmaggit]

It was a design published in the Model Engineer shortly after WW2 (late 40's/early 50's). They got their name from their being two locos to build, which looked similar at first glance, but one was much more detailed. No prizes for guessing which one my Dad made.

I wasn't able to collect my Dads the other week as there was some problem with steam passing the regulator. Should be getting it early January, then the Fowler and Koppel are off to the same chap for fettling.

[Hamster69]

Sorry to bump an old thread. But has anything happened about a piston powered model thread/forum?

[RichB]

No, and I suppose from the lack of action on this thread you can see why. You could always start a thread on railways in scale models and ask the mods to "sticky" it I guess?

[Yertis]

These are in my opinion the most noble of all models.

[bodmino]

Seeing as how we are talking steam, here's a few piccies of my collection!

[bodmino]

And moving on to Traction engines...........

[200bhp]

Slight topic diversion to what I grew up on.....



Built a 1/4 size Fowler agricultural with my Dad and brother some 15 years ago too (No photos of it easily to hand but will add some later)

Both still reside in the UK whilst I'm here in Australia under a summer-time "total fire ban"!

[TheExcession]

bodmino said:

Seeing as how we are talking steam, here's a few piccies of my collection!

God's breath... that is beautiful....

[RichB]

200bhp said:

Slight topic diversion to what I grew up on.....



Built a 1/4 size Fowler agricultural with my Dad and brother some 15 years ago too (No photos of it easily to hand but will add some later)

Both still reside in the UK whilst I'm here in Australia under a summer-time "total fire ban"!

So is that the 1:4 model or the real thing?

[200bhp]

RichB said:

So is that the 1:4 model or the real thing?

Full size.

[Hamster69]

I have edited together some old videos of the Hatfield and district society of model engineers from the 90s. If anyone is interested.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QScIh_q9RoA

It's a bit long, But stick with it, or fast forward through. There are two lovely engines at the end.

[Dawg]

Thought I'd bring this one back - thanks to BP locomotive works in Southport, my Dad's loco is now up and running - here's a video of it doing a couple of laps of Southport track whilst on test...

http://youtu.be/7eunOyoCJFM


Last Sunday, we ran it at the Wigan track - short clip here. It runs beautifully - powerful loco..

https://youtu.be/nEvkqlg8SuY

Looking forward to running it during the Summer & Autumn.

[slybynight]

oooh . cracking thread I never knew existed. as someone else said, truly the most noble of modelling areas. makes everything else look a bit.... halfhearted!

[Zad]

The Duchess is certainly graceful! What a phenomenal legacy to leave, and a fantastic way to remember someone. There's nothing quite like seeing a complex piece of engineering doing what it was designed for, you must be chuffed (ho ho) with that result.