5" gauge Stanier Duchess steam loco
Discussion
Dawg said:
Yes - I've seen the reports. When it's done I'll be making a trip over there to see it.
As a little taster, they've already don the BogBoy's little brother, the Challenger. Yes - I've seen a DVD of the Challenger. It's still owned by Union Pacific..
Here's another loco; a 'Sweet Pea' which is considered an ideal 'starter' loco. I started it when I was 14 & built it up to rolling chassis. It suddenly became too difficult when making the cylinders and being 14/15 I just wanted to hang out with mates.. It stood for years like that..
Dad finished it in 2004 and ran it 2 or 3 times only - he hated it; never liked the narrow gauge locos and the unconventional firebox on this type
This has also been sold, partly funding the Duchess
Here's another loco; a 'Sweet Pea' which is considered an ideal 'starter' loco. I started it when I was 14 & built it up to rolling chassis. It suddenly became too difficult when making the cylinders and being 14/15 I just wanted to hang out with mates.. It stood for years like that..
Dad finished it in 2004 and ran it 2 or 3 times only - he hated it; never liked the narrow gauge locos and the unconventional firebox on this type
This has also been sold, partly funding the Duchess
Dawg said:
A little off-topic, but here's his 31/2" gauge Union Pacific Big Boy. I had to unfortunately sell it - chap down South is aiming to finish it...
This is really a remarkable achievement as the complexity compared to the Duchess is massive. Seeing a large articulated locomotive of this type is one of my loco dreams.
For me, it's the ultimate in model loco 'bragging rights'
!Your father was a seriously talented man who must have had immense patience and tenacity.
I get what your saying, but I don't know about it really being more complex than the Duchess. Ok, steam pipes to power moving chassis is the trickiest part, but what some don't realise is that the Duchess is a 4 cylinder loco - all the motion that you can see on either side powered by two cylinders is also in the middle; Two sets of motion powered by another two cylinders, slung between the frames. Each with it's own lubrication.. The LMS Royal Scots and GWR King class locos were the same - a good way of compacting a lot of power into a loco limited by Victorian loading gauges..
The big boy is also 4 cylinders on a bigger scale, just stretched out on two separate chassis. Extremely powerful locos that pulled mile long trains that could only be replaced by 4 diesel units...
The big boy is also 4 cylinders on a bigger scale, just stretched out on two separate chassis. Extremely powerful locos that pulled mile long trains that could only be replaced by 4 diesel units...
Litre of milk on top to give an idea of size!
It kills me that I had to sell it - I just didn't have the £15-20k spare that it'd cost for someone to scale down the works drawings and finish it - and it was starting to deteriorate in the garage. The boiler had not really been started properly and that is where a lot of the cost lay. If my Dad had completed the boiler, I might still have it..
It kills me that I had to sell it - I just didn't have the £15-20k spare that it'd cost for someone to scale down the works drawings and finish it - and it was starting to deteriorate in the garage. The boiler had not really been started properly and that is where a lot of the cost lay. If my Dad had completed the boiler, I might still have it..
Edited by Dawg on Friday 15th November 12:16
Bebee said:
I lost my father this morning at 10:17am, I wish I had similar to remember him by.
RIP, It's funny how the time gets burnt into your memory. My Dad died at 5.15, which brings a whole new view to my favourite Who song.I'm lucky in that my dad left me the Fowler, Koppel, Twin Sister and a little 0-4-0. Just need the time to be able to show and use them.
Dawg said:
It kills me that I had to sell it...
There is no doubt in my mind you made the right choice in keeping the Coronation, it's beautiful. Incidentally, and you will know this but others may not; Stanier and his father both worked for the GWR so some his design ideas came from Swindon practice. The Stars, Castles and Kings were all four cylinder locos but with inside valve gear either adding to the complexity or keeping the design clean depending on your point of view. Despite many people fawning over Gresley's streamlined A4s I find the GWR & LMS designs far more purposeful and only wish Swindon had gone on to build a pacific along the lines of the Princess or Coronations... Yes I know they built The Great Bear but that was a one off and quickly converted to a Castle 
Bebee
Thoughts with you and yours.
Been Dadless coming up for 27yrs now and still at 66!!! look around for advice, realising i have to pass it on to my son and now the grandson. however the memories are there along with some great pics i found recently.
Now i must get that LNER 4-6-0 finished
Thoughts with you and yours.
Been Dadless coming up for 27yrs now and still at 66!!! look around for advice, realising i have to pass it on to my son and now the grandson. however the memories are there along with some great pics i found recently.
Now i must get that LNER 4-6-0 finished
)
For all you 'Chuffers' out there, this is my 7.25" Britannia. It is huuuuge. I could not resist it and sold my car to finance it (and then promptly went out and replaced the car as a necessity - learned that technique off my wife).
It used to reside, as shown, in 'our' conservatory, but the sheer size of it (blocks views into garden when seated) together with the consistent background aroma of coal and engine oil meant that it got relocated to the workshop. It's OK though, my two other 5" locos survive in the conservatory.
I had huge fun getting it from a packing case on the floor onto a hydraulic table, then over the conservatory threshold, only to have to remove it a few days later....on my own.
It used to reside, as shown, in 'our' conservatory, but the sheer size of it (blocks views into garden when seated) together with the consistent background aroma of coal and engine oil meant that it got relocated to the workshop. It's OK though, my two other 5" locos survive in the conservatory.
I had huge fun getting it from a packing case on the floor onto a hydraulic table, then over the conservatory threshold, only to have to remove it a few days later....on my own.
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