Building an LMS Stanier 2-6-0

I've now started construction of another locomotive kit. This is an s Scale version of a kit by Chowbent Castings. It was clearly designed with P4 in mind so has had to have the same modification made to the cylinders and motion brackets as for my other LMS locos.

This shows the basic chassis with brakes, cylinders and motion brackets in place.

The chassis is now largely complete and rolls smoothly when propelled by one of my Midland tenders.

Almost all the kit parts for the locomotive have now been added.

The motorised tender is now complete and test running has been successful with a six coach train easily pulled.

There were no castings for the boiler, firebox or smokebox so the first stage was to fabricate an firebox. I used the similar but shorter casting from a 'Jubilee' kit and cut the end profiles from a sheet of 10 thou brass sheet. The firebox wrapper was also made from the same thickness of brass and carefully shaped to follow the correct profile of the two end - both are slightly different. The wrapper was then soldered to the ends and the top front edges rounded slightly.

The firebox was then soldered and bolted to the front of the cab and the running plate.

The boiler and smokebox have been constructed in the same way as all my other LMS taper boilered models. This uses a plastic central heating pipe around which layers and strips of card are wrapped to form the correct shape. Note the smokebox top appears to not be level because of the angle of the camera but it is actually correct and at the right height above the rail height.

The smokebox saddle is in place together with the support brackets for the sandbox fillers.

The model seen on the left hand side. The chimney is made from two Stanier small chimneys cut and rejoined to give the correct height for the 2-6-0s. The top feed and pipework are Gibson castings.

The right hand side has lubricators and the AWS tank and battery box.

The model ready for the final painting.

Ready for nunmbering and lining out.

The completed model. I've numbered it 42968 as this was the last of the Stanier 2-6-0s that I saw in service. It was on the 1st September 1966 and was working a northbound freight through Ribblehead. At the time it was a Wigan Springs Branch loco and of course is now preserved.

Initially the locomotive was prone to derailment which I eventually discovered was because the model as built was front heavy so the rear driving wheels were tending to lift slightly and derail.. The addition of about 60g of lead under the cab roof and inside the back of the firebox cured that problem.