Customising a Billy

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JonPotter
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Customising a Billy

Post by JonPotter » Tue Jul 25, 2017 3:14 pm

I acquired a RH Billy (along with a load of track) in January in p/ex for a Vale of Rheidol tank. Fairly standard (other than having a tender), I spruced it up a bit - new smokebox (with the spark arresting chimney), plus a load of more minor details and a number of paint touch ups. Here is how it currently looks:

Image

I have fancied customising it since before I bought it, originally to a more UK based design. However, a number of changes in the lines fleet means there is a more continental style opening, and I have been doodling ideas as below.

Image

The key aim is to not do anything that will require significant stripping down. Current favourite is bottom right, although I suspect painting the frames red would mean taking it right back to basics. Other than that, I think this should be relatively straightforward? I would plan to mock up the body in styrene and then work with someone like Narrow Planet to come up with an etched body design. The R/C gear is currently in the tender, but there should be plenty of room in one of the tanks for a rechargeable battery pack and the receiver. Due to the open cab I would want to lose the gas tank into one of the tanks too; does anyone have a recommendation for gas tank suppliers?

Any comments/suggestions welcome... I would not look to start until after the summer (and I have finished updating the IP Jessie currently on the bench), and would mock up before I go anywhere. I suspect fitting a slowmo would be a key preference too...

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tom_tom_go
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Re: Customising a Billy

Post by tom_tom_go » Tue Jul 25, 2017 9:44 pm

If you fitted Deltang R/C you would gain additional space for the battery pack in the loco.

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Chris Cairns
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Re: Customising a Billy

Post by Chris Cairns » Tue Jul 25, 2017 10:14 pm

There is plenty of space under the cab floor between the chassis frames for a receiver & battery back and there are slots in both chassis frames under the cab where you can fit a power switch. Roundhouse supply a brass chassis plate to cover that space in the Radio Control kit - top right, Page 4 here - http://www.roundhouse-eng.com/pdf/hbk12.pdf

Interesting you have a coal burning William tender with the wood burning chimney. I have a 2nd hand Katie with a coal burning (straight) chimney & wood burning William tender.

I like your colonial styling bottom right.

Chris Cairns

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daan
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Re: Customising a Billy

Post by daan » Wed Jul 26, 2017 8:18 am

May be first learn the cat that it's not a blue mouse running in his garden :lol:
"En schöne Gruess" from an Alpine railway in Holland.

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Re: Customising a Billy

Post by JonPotter » Sat Jul 29, 2017 8:47 pm

Thanks all. Chris - I had not actually noticed that from RH, so have had a look. I've also been looking at the various parts on the RH site. I'm wondering whether it would be easier to get the bits I need from RH and part with the complete loco. I have a spare smokebox already (with the stovepipe chimney, which it came with - preferred the spark arrestor one so swapped it) & would be left with the body, gas tank (potentially), tender etc over...

Anyway, I have been playing around on the iPad again - see below. Comments on design etc welcome. I'm unsure whether I could get away with leaving the gas tank as is, or whether burying it in a tank would be better...?

Image

Drawing based on Billy chassis/boiler, Karen dome, and custom body etc.

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tom_tom_go
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Re: Customising a Billy

Post by tom_tom_go » Sat Jul 29, 2017 9:14 pm

I would leave the gas tank where it is.

The design looks great.

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GTB
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Re: Customising a Billy

Post by GTB » Tue Aug 01, 2017 11:11 am

The sketch bears more than a passing resemblance to an early Decauville, most of which were built by Couillet in Belgium. The Sunflower spark arrestor from William looks too central European for a French/Belgian loco, although it probably happened to ones that found their way to eastern parts. A conical spark arrestor, a stovepipe, or even a capped chimney, would be more appropriate though.

The J. C. Brunnich pic. below shows one of a batch supplied by Decauville to The CSR in the 1880s and used by them on their cane trams in Queensland and Fiji. Taken when it was still fairly new I think, looking at the costume of the gent in front of the loco.

Couillet.jpg
Couillet.jpg (111.17 KiB) Viewed 5856 times

If you do the sums, it is cheaper to buy a chassis kit from Roundhouse than to buy the parts separately. Depending on what you are building, the BT1 boiler/burner/gas tank kit may be more appropriate than the full boiler kit if you won't be using a Roundhouse smokebox, but you need a few extra bits like a superheater, a lubricator and a rear boiler support when using the BT1.

For a bit more money, Roundhouse also sell just the assembled chassis and boiler for the basic locos and for those locos available as kits, which means you get underpinnings you know will work, as they are test run before they leave the factory.

If you plan on fitting radio you may run out of space with the gas tank in a side tank. On a working loco a gas tank in the cab is easier to access and you get used to it. It will only irritate you if the loco becomes a shelf queen.....

Roundhouse do a couple of horizontal mounting gas tanks and you might be able to hide the one from the Darjeeling B in a side tank. The Millie one would be a bit too large both physically and in gas capacity, as a Billy size boiler would run out of water before the gas ran out.

I'll be interested to see the results of the build.

Regards,
Graeme

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Re: Customising a Billy

Post by JonPotter » Tue Aug 01, 2017 8:11 pm

Thanks Graeme. An interesting prototype.

Yes, I have done the sums a few times when debating what to get previously, but have always ended up getting a different SH loco instead! For this project I think we're either talking stripping the current one right down & rebuilding, or getting the completed painted chassis (which RH will supply with red frames) & boiler - RH have stated they will supply what I am after either with or without gas tank. Very helpful people in Doncaster!

I suspect you're right re the gas tank - it doesn't look as intrusive in the cab in the mockup as I thought it might, so it is probably easier. Otherwise I was looking to get a 32ml capacity tank made to the correct dimensions, but being able to use the standard RH one would have a lot to commend it.

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artfull dodger
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Re: Customising a Billy

Post by artfull dodger » Fri Sep 15, 2017 1:32 am

I am planning to take a RH Billy and paint him to match the good old LGB Stainz 0-4-0. Black boiler, green cab and red frames. Will make a nice stand in. The RH Fowler I have now is overwhelming on my small line, so its getting traded for a brand new RH Billy Kit. It was that or a second hand one, but it to would have needed a bunch of painting. So, gonna go the new route. That way I have a brand new engine. All of my rolling stock is LGB, mostly Austrian stuff. So a Billy will fit in better with my freight and passenger wagons. Mike
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artfull dodger
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Re: Customising a Billy

Post by artfull dodger » Fri Sep 15, 2017 2:29 am

Painting the frame isnt that hard, but does require a complete tear down. I just did this on my old Fowler. Tore it to bits, lightly sanded and degreased everything, shot in primer grey(very important for the red to turn out right), baked in oven for 1 hour at 180'F, then after cooled, painted red and also baked again for 1 hour at the same temp. Reassembled the next evening after work. If you decide to replace the blue cab and blue boiler wrapper, let me know, I might be interested in them over painting the ones from my kit I will be building. I have always loved the shade of blue that Roundhouse uses. Mike
Silly NT's.....I have Asperger's Syndrome!

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