GWR 0-4-2 kit identification

Jan 28, 2007 5 Replies
K

I was at Southampton MRC yesterday and there was a model of a "cute" GWR



0-4-2 tank engine and i couldn't get an identification.

The layout was designed to run Pregrouping and, IIRC, was a seaside terminal and, looking at the list on their website, was probably Westcliff.



Anyway , my knowledge of early GWR is a lot less than my knowledge of everything else, and I have spent this evening browsing my copy of Ahrons British steam Locomotives 1825 to 1925 and couldn't see a picture that looked reasonably familiar.



I did ask the the guys standing either side of me and was given some numbers which, being an accountant, i promptly forgot. And i asked the "driver" and he didn't know - and the supervisor who picked it up and turned it over (and couldn't find Made In China or Hornby..) and told me it looked like a white metal kit and gave me two more possible sets of numbers which again didn't mean anything and told me to come back after lunch because the Main Man wasn't there.



and I didn't



so now its bugging me.



Any clues?



thanks Ken


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C

A 517 class?

The 1400 class were a more modern version.

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A

Almost certainly a 517 - Armstrong-designed, Wolverhampton built 0-4-2 side tank (very early ones had saddle tanks). Building started in the 1870s, survivors were eventually replaced by the 14xx series in the 1930s.

Alan Gibson do a kit in 4mm, there are several kits in 7mm. Pretty little engines, much nicer than thei replacements.

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K

Thank you both - does indeed look like a 517.

I think the builder had done a minimal cab cover (rather than the overall cover, say, here

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and coal rails around the coal bunker rather than the "armchair" look from, say,
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But i guess these were developments over time. eg I seem to remember that the LSWR well tanks at Wadebridge didn't have roofs over the cab to start with (from memory - after all i have been guilty of serious crimes around here before just from relying on my memory....)

Interestingly both the Blacksmith and Gibson 4mm kits seem to be sheet rather than white metal - for the chassis at least - and that chassis did seem to be cast underneath.

regards

ken

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A

The 517 came in all kinds of forms down the years - earliest ones were saddle-tanks, shrter wheelbase, no ab, inside frames for the trailing wheels. Later ones got the side-tanks but were otherwise as above. Some had domeless boilers with raised fireboxes, I think. Cabs, extended bunkers and outside frames for the trailing wheels were all later accretions.

And domes over the (raised) firebox, and feed-pumps from the feed-water heaters. The Beattie tanks seem to have been really pretty engines before Drummond uglified them..

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C

Wolverhampton boiler, smokebox, chimney, tanks and bunker vs Swindon.

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