NICK MIDGLEY
A 3ft gauge fantasy based loosely on the 1905 standard gauge Beyer Peacock 0-2-2 railmotors of the North Staffordshire Railway.
The loco power unit is from a Locomotion railcar, topped off by an Accucraft Edrig boiler. I fitted new steel frames over the originals, extended to carry a pair of Roundhouse trailing wheels.
Like the prototype, the cylinders are behind the front wheels driving forward and I added 'modesty covers' to the hide the oscillating cylinders and non-existant slidebars, crossheads and valve gear. The cylinders are actually behind the covers and the visible cylinders are dummies made from brass sheet.
The boiler is rather longer than the loco and has to poke through a hole in the carriage bulkhead into the guard's compartment. However, being able to buy one off the shelf was easier than making a new one.
Loco bodywork is soft soldered from 1mm brass sheet and I didn't fit glazing as I was worried about heat build-up affecting the old Planet R/C receiver and wanted to keep some air flowing through. If the worst comes to the worst there are still manual controls for fielders to stop any runaways.
The coach is loosely based on the North Staffs railmotors, with hints of Lancashire and Yorkshire, but reduced to fit the Isle of Man loading gauge and was laser cut from 1.5mm plywood laminations. (I have a laser at home: it's cheaper than buying kits!)
The dummy water tanks under the coach are offcuts of copper tube and the other underfloor equipment and the odd bogie are 3D printed and based on measurements taken of the IMR stock.
The coach livery is IMR 1917 period (which is suspiciously like the L&Y "two shades of... brown"; the two railways had directors in common!) but the loco portion is my "MGLR" 1920s period, lined with yellow Humbrol and a bow pen as lockdown therapy!
The rest of the Locomotion body went to make a 'diesel' railcar but, as that's not steam, it doesn't count...
November 2020