GWR 0-4-2 kit identification

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Ken Wilson - 28 Jan 2007 22:19 GMT

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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Christopher A.Lee - 28 Jan 2007 23:06 GMT

>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.
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>British steam Locomotives 1825 to 1925 and couldn't see a picture that
>looked reasonably familiar.

A 517 class?

The 1400 class were a more modern version.

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Andrew Robert Breen - 29 Jan 2007 18:04 GMT

>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.

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.

http://www.scalefour.org/ag/ag6det/k18page.htm

Signature

Andy Breen ~     Not speaking on behalf of the University of Wales, Aberystwyth
        Feng Shui: an ancient oriental art for extracting
        money from the gullible (Martin Sinclair)

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Ken Wilson - 29 Jan 2007 20:23 GMT

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 http://www.gwr.org.uk/galwillis.html and coal rails around
the coal bunker rather than the "armchair" look from, say,
http://www.gwr.org.uk/pro517.html

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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Andrew Robert Breen - 30 Jan 2007 13:06 GMT

>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 http://www.gwr.org.uk/galwillis.html and coal rails around
>the coal bunker rather than the "armchair" look from, say,
>http://www.gwr.org.uk/pro517.html

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.

>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....)

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..

Signature

Andy Breen ~     Speaking for myself, not the University of Wales
        "your suggestion rates at four monkeys for six weeks"
                        (Peter D. Rieden)

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Christopher A.Lee - 30 Jan 2007 13:17 GMT

>>Thank you both - does indeed look like a 517.
>>
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>bunkers and outside frames for the trailing wheels were all later
>accretions.

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

>>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
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>heaters. The Beattie tanks seem to have been really pretty engines before
>Drummond uglified them..

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Model Forum / General / Railroads / January 2007

GWR 0-4-2 kit identification