Thomas Telford Locomotive - Take Two

steamie1 · Post by **steamie1** » Sun Apr 13, 2014 8:30 pm

Thanks Chris, always informative and gratefully received.

Dannypenguin · Post by **Dannypenguin** » Sun Apr 13, 2014 9:06 pm

Although I probably will not purchase the loco, I think it looks nice and better than Mamod's previous products

Thanks for the report.

Chris Cairns · Post by **Chris Cairns** » Wed Apr 23, 2014 2:37 pm

David Terry phoned today to advise that my special order Thomas Telford is almost ready and he is hoping to ship it out in the next few days.

Better get my 'workbench'/studio cleared up and clear out my schedule.

Woop woop!

Chris Cairns.

dougrail · Post by **dougrail** » Wed Apr 23, 2014 10:36 pm

Good luck Chris, how is it special?

steamie1 · Post by **steamie1** » Thu May 08, 2014 2:44 pm

Is it any good?

Chris Cairns · Post by **Chris Cairns** » Thu May 08, 2014 5:30 pm

steamie1 wrote:Did it come Chris, Is it any good?

It was only ready for shipping yesterday but there was a couple of questions over the delivery information. I passed these onto Carol today but as David Terry was not in the office it will now be courier'd out for next Wednesday delivery. Even then due to other priorities I will not be able to run it for some time.

Mike Wakefield is due to collect his Thomas Telford direct from Mamod tomorrow so hopefully should have more useful feedback.

We believe the reference to 3 TT's being sold at Peterborough might have actually meant 3 Brunel's instead and at present the TT appears to only be made for those that have pre-ordered it.

Chris Cairns.

steamie1 · Post by **steamie1** » Thu May 08, 2014 10:13 pm

A good public speaker pauses before the first words to feed anticipation. Cor! it's just like that. Could it be a mile stone for this type of loco? is it better than a Mk2? Can we wait? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Bounce bounce bounce) I feel like Tigger!

mikewakefielduk@btinterne · Post by **mikewakefielduk@btinterne** » Fri May 09, 2014 12:38 pm

I have just returned after collecting the loco. First impressions are very favourable.

Suitable comments and photos to follow.

mikewakefielduk@btinterne · Post by **mikewakefielduk@btinterne** » Fri May 09, 2014 4:16 pm

OK, here's what I think so far:

It looks well put together, everything turns as expected, there’s still gas in the tank (which indicates both that its been flame tested and there’s no leaks).

Compared with the Mk11 the inline lubricator is now vertical so can hold more oil. The filler knob is slightly reduced in size so it protrudes no further than the cab hand rails.
Filling will require tipping the loco on its side or injecting oil from a syringe (which is my approach). There’s a drain underneath the cab floor so emptying is easy.

The boiler has both a safety valve and a top-up valve. Cosmetic features include a whistle, water fillers on the side tanks, brass chimney cap, brass cab spectacles, a smokebox door and a lamp.

The rear of the cab has four slots in the uprights to accommodate a bunker or whatever to maybe hide the radio control if you wanted to fit it (I may have to go down this route as my outside track has a gradient and tight curves).

Supplied with the loco are the usual Mamod accessories – small funnel, gas valve filler, steam oil, lubricating oil and a set of instructions and certificate to show the boiler had been properly air tested to twice the normal pressure.
As this is one of the first Thomas Telfords to be sold they’re still waiting for the proper instructions to be produced so in the meantime provided one for the Mk11, which is very similar.

In order to lower the centre of gravity the overall height has been reduced compared to original prototype. Its now about 5.25" to the top of the (false) whistle. A little less to the cab roof.
This makes it a bit lower than a Roundhouse Bertie (another small loco).
My BusyBody driver was too tall, but he’s also too tall for the Bertie.
However my new and yet unpainted driver Jenny (from ModelTown) just fits in nicely. (She looks like a ghost)

Here's a couple of size comparisons with my Roundhouse Bertie and Accucraft Edrig.

As you can see the length is roughly the same, the width a bit less so, but its the overall height that is most noticeable.

OK, how does it run? On a track I don’t know as mine is temporarily out of use while I do some rebuilding, but on the rolling road all was fine.
Very stiff of course as it will need a good bit of running in, but that’s only to be expected with a new loco.

Mamod are currently having issues with their website so you won't see it for sale there just yet although it is available. You'd be better off using the old fashioned phone.

steamie1 · Post by **steamie1** » Fri May 09, 2014 5:05 pm

Thank you for lovely shots and all the info. This could well be it for Mamod. A simple oscillator which they do well with a good layout for a clean burn and all the bits needed but no more. Throw in a choice of colour and they have a niche market. Phew I'm so pleased it looks great.

mikewakefielduk@btinterne · Post by **mikewakefielduk@btinterne** » Fri May 09, 2014 5:26 pm

As for colours you have a choice of green. Its not going to be economic for them to offer a variety, at least at this stage. I can't see them being able to offer a Roundhouse colour range. Maybe when they've sold a couple of hundred?

They will of course sell you one unpainted (except for the boiler) and you can paint it any colour you like.

Mike

Dannypenguin · Post by **Dannypenguin** » Fri May 09, 2014 5:57 pm

Thanks for the pictures and report Mike, loco looks nice

The only thing I don't like the look of is the cab side extending underneath the footplate

mikewakefielduk@btinterne · Post by **mikewakefielduk@btinterne** » Fri May 09, 2014 6:05 pm

I'm actually thinking the opposite as it may be somewhere I could mount a radio control receiver and small battery pack. Haven't looked in detail yet but would prefer to keep such things as forward as possible rather than fit a coal bunker.

Lner fan Sam · Post by **Lner fan Sam** » Fri May 09, 2014 7:42 pm

I'm sorry for sounding like a critic but would you say that the build quality on this loco is better than the mk2?

mikewakefielduk@btinterne · Post by **mikewakefielduk@btinterne** » Fri May 09, 2014 7:56 pm

but would you say that the build quality on this loco is better than the mk2?

Yes certainly. It ran straight out of the box and all looks fine, everything is looks square, all nuts tight, etc. Having said I thought the build quality of the Mk11s tends to be pretty good anyway although there's always going to be the odd "Friday afternoon" one every so often. What's more important in my view is the after sale service and in that I've always found Mamod to be first rate.

Lner fan Sam · Post by **Lner fan Sam** » Fri May 09, 2014 8:49 pm

Thanks mike for the prompt response seems like this loco is a step forward for mamod.

Did the loco empty it's lubricator when it first started to run like the mk11 or did it behave it's self?

steamie1 · Post by **steamie1** » Fri May 09, 2014 9:04 pm

To be honest I ran my MK2 with Roundhouse oil and the oil lasted the run just fine with little mess. It was more speradic with Accucraft oil. I found the build was first class on my Mk2. Considering I own a Ragleth a Tom Rolt and a Charles, I loved myMk2. I hit bad times with the car and had to sell a loco, the Mamod got it, because it was the least expensive. There is a place for these fun easy to own locos. I'm saving now to replace it or buy this Telford. Long live the simple oscillator!

Chris Cairns · Post by **Chris Cairns** » Fri May 09, 2014 9:36 pm

Mike,

Thank You for posting the photos comparing size & height - very useful.

I do find the subject of Driver figures very annoying with all the variations in size & height (even from the same manufacturer) yet they are all being sold as suitable for 16mm & G scale. Your BusyBodies figure is the slightly larger driver sold to suit the Edrig. He used to sell a specific Mamod driver via eBay although it does not feature on his website.

I'll leave my comments about the Thomas Telford until after I received my order.

Lner fan Sam wrote:I'm sorry for sounding like a critic but would you say that the build quality on this loco is better than the mk2?

Was there a specific build problem with the Mark II's then Sam?

Only item I'm aware of is the rivets used to hold the cab roof to the cab sides could be somewhat smaller in diameter than the pre-drilled holes so there could be a bit of movement when holding the loco by the cab roof.

All Mamod's are essentially hand built and certainly both my The Mamod Train (later renamed as the Mark I) and Mark II locomotives ran straight out of the box from the factory.

There is a technique to filling & using the Mark II & Saddle Tank lubricator (not as per the Mamod instructions) which I've developed, and as the Thomas Telford seems to have the same style lubricator (that is a separate steam pipe into a screw fitting on the top and the exit steam pipe being of the overflow design) it will probably be the same.

With the locomotive normally upright remove the filler plug, use a syringe to remove any remaining water then fill with steam oil (I'm using Roundhouse 220 steam oil as that causes less of the speed bursts that these Mamod boilers can suffer from - Mamod supply 460 steam oil) approx 2 mls and replace plug. The action of turning the loco on its side to fill the lubricator seems to accelerate the usage of steam oil as the overflow pipe will actually be covered over by the steam oil thus syphoning it out quicker. I'm amazed at how much steam oil we go through on these 16mm locomotives compared to a full size locomotive that uses the same 460 steam oil.

Chris Cairns

mikewakefielduk@btinterne · Post by **mikewakefielduk@btinterne** » Fri May 09, 2014 11:33 pm

In answer to the oil usage query, quite a bit of oil was ejected while it was running but as Mamod didn't have specific instructions for the loco (only one for the Mk11) I just guessed when I filled the oiler. I could have over-filled it but suspect its going to get through oil just like the Mk11 and Brunel.

Unlike the Mk11 the steam pipe doesn't run through the burner flame but to one side so there's not really any superheating. It might stop the sudden speed bursts the Mk11 is prone to having.

Yes, my driver figures vary quite considerably in height, especially Isambard who drives my Brunel, but that's the stove-pipe hat :-) . Annoyingly the manufacturers rarely give measurements so you take pot luck. Not so much a problem with locos having open cabs.

dougrail · Post by **dougrail** » Sat May 10, 2014 11:12 am

Nicely done, thanks for ground-breaking and bringing us the report on the long-awaited TT. Can't believe it's been so long since I saw the original prototype.

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Thomas Telford Locomotive - Take Two

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