Billy with various added details and snow

[Keith S]

Recently I added some details to my Roundhouse engine, namely the Locoworks parts as well as a new gas regulator handle from "Gremlin" who is on this forum. The parts from locoworks are running boards with mechanical lubricator, springs, and lamp irons, cab roof rain strips, dummy feed-water valves, and hex bolts to replace all the original slotted-head screws visible on the outside. Previously the locomotive has been fitted with dummy rear springs, chuffed2bits lamps and dummy displacement lubricators on the smokebox. I have yet to put the simulated oil lines from these to the cylinders.

I hope I didn't get too carried away with the extra details, but I've been influenced by various Garden Rail articles by Tag Gorton on the subject of detailing. I can't quite bring myself to weather the locomotive, however. I've lost track of just what sort of locomotive it's meant to be, I guess I hope it looks generic enough to be at home on the average British garden railway.

[pauly]

OHHHHHHHHHHH LOOK AT THAT BEAUTY!

my reaction when I saw those pics in a G+ call with Ace and Will

that is bloody gorgeous mate!

Let us know if your gonna use those pics to enter the mamod forums engine of the month comp so I dont waste my time entering against that

[WVLR]

I hope I didn't get too carried away with the extra details

Please do, it's what makes your locomotive unique to you, you have a lovely
loco there, when finances permit I will be building one from a kit to add to the
rest of my Roundhouse collection.

[ace]

Keith, you have just made me very jealous.

BTW, When are you coming to the uk? HURRY UP!

[pauly]

also your lamp code I believe means its on a train of fish or meat vans

[Keith S]

Hey thanks guys, I'm glad you like it. It's my only loco so I have spent a lot of time trying to get it to look like I want. In the photos the burner is lit; I wanted to photograph it puffing along with some steam coming out the chimney, but it's so murderously cold out there the butane wouldn't evaporate and the burner went out! I took the pictures and shot back inside before the engine busted any steam pipes.

No reason to be jealous Ace. I might not tell you if I visit the UK, I'm planning on stealing one or two of your engines remember.

Pauly it's entirely conceivable that the engine could be hauling fish, where I live. Considering the local resources it could actually be burning fish rather than coal.  :)  But seriously I should look up head codes and figure out what they mean. I simply have the lanterns like that because I have two of them and I like how it looks with one on top of the smokebox and I'll lose the other one if I don't put it on the loco somewhere.

[steamie1]

Looking much better for all your work Well done!

Now can I say, Just to add a touch of black etch paint to the front of the cylinders to hide the brass would tick every single box for me and Tag....Just an idea and not to take away from all you have done...

[Keith S]

Good idea. There's always something more that can be done, isn't there? I hadn't thought of it before but you're right, the cylinder heads would look nice black wouldn't they? Thanks!

[WVLR]

the cylinder heads would look nice black wouldn't they

Or do them Penrhyn style with the recess in white.

[ace]

No reason to be jealous Ace. I might not tell you if I visit the UK, I'm planning on stealing one or two of your engines remember.

I have a big axe....

[Keith S]

No reason to be jealous Ace. I might not tell you if I visit the UK, I'm planning on stealing one or two of your engines remember.

I have a big axe....

Really? The L&B one? In 16mm scale? They're not THAT big, although it's an 0-6-0 so probably bigger than a "real" Billy would be. I love those little Kerr-Stewart engines. I didn't know there was a model available of Axe. Don't worry, I won't steal any of your locomotives if you agree to run them when I visit. Especially "Axe".

[ace]

Really? The L&B one? In 16mm scale? They're not THAT big, although it's an 0-6-0 so probably bigger than a "real" Billy would be. I love those little Kerr-Stewart engines. I didn't know there was a model available of Axe. Don't worry, I won't steal any of your locomotives if you agree to run them when I visit. Especially "Axe".  :P

Oh dear, I fell into that one.....











Keith, that is a dead certainty. When you visit it will be a good time, I will definitely run any model you want! We will have to go to Pauly's for a proper steam up too.

[invicta280]

I really like the Billies and that one looks superb. Lovely pictures!

[MDLR]

Very nice, but do the displacement lubricators on the smokebox need any pipework? I always understood all the pipework was inside...........

[Keith S]

I've tried to look at pictures of real disp. lubricators and it's bizarrely difficult to spot any decent pictures of them. What I'm able to gather is that the little cock on the bottom of the piece is a drain valve, and needn't be connected to anything in particular, but in pictures I've seen usually has a copper pipe presumably to direct the condensate away and onto the tracks. The clearest pictures I've been able to find of a lubricator on a real engine is on the quarry Hunslets, and on these you can see two other tubes coming from the middle of the device and disappearing off under the tank somewhere. Since the lubricator in this case is mounted on the water tank, I guess the pipework needs to be external. I suppose on a smokebox it might be internal, with the exception of the drain pipe.

Whatever the case, I have to admit  I only put them on there because I saw them on Tag Gorton's locomotives and liked the look. He puts an external drain pipe on his. I use them to hang a bucket on, which, if anyone gives me the business about the lack of a drain pipe, I shall say is to collect condensate in lieu of a drain tube. Which is, in fact, what I really do use the little bucket for. It holds exactly one Roundhouse lubricator's worth of condensate and oily guck from the real lubricator drain in the cab.

It's odd how difficult it is to find out about things like this, even with the power of the internet.

[williamfj]

You've gone a great job detailing your Billy, I always love seeing locos being transformed from 'just another' Roundhouse or Accucraft loco into something that is unique.

[DolwyddelanLightRail]

You've gone a great job detailing your Billy, I always love seeing locos being transformed from 'just another' Roundhouse or Accucraft loco into something that is unique.

+1

It does bore me to see factory finished models roaming about "in the wild" so to speak, which is probably why all but one (which is a "Limited Ed" paintjob) of my locos that I run have had different liveries applied not long after joining the fleet!

You've done a really nice job there Keith!

[GTB]

It looks very nice. I do like a red loco.....

I've never seen that much snow. I hope the clanking noise in the background was a brass monkey passing by and not worn side rods...........

 But seriously I should look up head codes and figure out what they mean. I simply have the lanterns like that because I have two of them and I like how it looks with one on top of the smokebox and I'll lose the other one if I don't put it on the loco somewhere.

The loco has an Inuit name so presumably it runs on a Canadian railway. Why would anyone assume it uses UK headcodes?

Graeme

[philipy]

The loco has an Inuit name so presumably it runs on a Canadian railway. Why would anyone assume it uses UK headcodes?

Graeme

Possibly because the OP said " I guess I hope it looks generic enough to be at home on the average British garden railway. " ?

[Keith S]

The loco has an Inuit name so presumably it runs on a Canadian railway. Why would anyone assume it uses UK headcodes?

Graeme

Good point. The Inuit never developed railways though, and Canadian trains from that era bear a closer resemblance to American ones. If it was Canadian I'd have to put a bell and a headlamp on it, and knuckle couplers and westinghouse brakes! My train has an identity crisis. I would be hard-pressed to come up with a believable "back-story" for my railway. In the eventuality that anyone asks about it, I'm planning on saying "It's a garden railway built with parts from England. It doesn't represent anything. It looks English because that's where I bought it." That's about all you can say about it. The engine's name is weird, but I like Inuit stuff.