TVT - Dylanesque

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TVT - Dylanesque

Post by GTB » Sun Oct 09, 2022 2:14 pm

This was my third attempt to build a replica Roundhouse Dylan. Third time lucky........ :roll:

The first attempt evolved into a Sharp-Stewart 0-4-2T and the second attempt finished up as an O&K 50HP 0-4-0WT.

This time I kept my inner fine scale modeller under firmer control and started building this model around the time Roundhouse announced they were doing a limited run of an updated Mk1 Dylan for their 40th Anniversary.

As it happens I prefer the later Mk11 version of Dylan, built in the early '90s with Walschaerts valve and I also wanted to use up various Roundhouse parts that had accumulated in a box under the bench. I was rather taken with a version of Dylan shown on the Rhos Helyg website of TonyW, so an order went off to Roundhouse for the rest of the parts needed to complete a chassis. These arrived in due course and work started on the new loco as winter set in and the workshop cooled down.

The chassis is basically a standard current production Lady Anne kit, the only changes being a different shape to the headstocks and fitting running boards between the side bunkers and the front headstock. Assembly went smoothly and a few days later the chassis was running on air.

The photo below shows the chassis sitting on blocks and ticking over nicely on 10psi of air. The foot boards over the cylinders and valve gear are separate pieces that can be removed for access to the valves, without stripping down everything above the frames.

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The next job was fitting the boiler, which was actually a Katie boiler kit, although both Lady Anne and Katie use the same Type 1 boiler anyway. The next photo shows the boiler and foot boards fitted and various details added to the headstocks and the reverser fitted.

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The next photo shows the boiler installation completed with a custom gas tank and all piping in place.

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At this point, it would have been possible to just fit a Lady Anne body kit, but the plan was still to build a '90s Dylan and some bespoke bodywork was the next step. This was designed using photos found on the internet and a sketch plan was then drawn up to use as a basis for the card bodywork to visualise how the model would look before cutting any brass. Card is a lot cheaper than brass, especially when an empty box from the recycle bin is used as the source.

The inner finescale modeller made a break for freedom at this point and a few modifications crept in, which is why this is a Dylanesque loco, not a replica. The most noticeable change being the shape of the saddle tank. The rear bunker was also left off, as I don't like the shape much and there is already plenty of bunker space in front of the cab if this was a real loco. The final bespoke bodywork design is shown in the next picture.

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Real life intervened at that point and the project stopped dead for a couple of months. I was finally able to get back into the workshop a couple of weeks ago and started cutting brass to fabricate the bodywork.

It is now spring around here, the sun has put in an appearance, the Lorikeets and the Noisy Miner tribes are squabbling over the flowering gums and the weeds are going gangbusters......

The photo below shows the basic bodywork installed and the loco is sitting outside in the late afternoon sun about a week ago.

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The last detail bits have been made and installed now and the photo shows the TVT engineer inspecting the work before the loco joins the paintshop queue. La Nina is visiting us again and is not happy, there were two inches of water over the path around the house the day before this photo was taken and I only just deployed the pump in time, as water was lapping at the workshop doorstep before I got the pump working.

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The original plan was to have this model painted and lined in time for the GSSU at Gembrook next month, which will be the first steamup we've had for three years. Sadly not enough time left now, due to the loss of time in the workshop.


The model has turned out as intended, even if it isn't purebred Roundhouse Dylan. It has a nice chunky heavy duty industrial loco look to it. There is some resemblance to Manning-Wardle locos built in the last years before WW1, although a British built saddle tank with Walschaerts valve gear is a rare beast in any period.

Regards,
Graeme

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Re: TVT - Dylanesque

Post by philipy » Sun Oct 09, 2022 2:27 pm

A beautiful job,as always from you Graeme. I wish I had your skills. :)
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Re: TVT - Dylanesque

Post by invicta280 » Sun Oct 09, 2022 6:12 pm

A superb looking loco. I have to say that shows an admirable level of skill.

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Re: TVT - Dylanesque

Post by ge_rik » Sun Oct 09, 2022 6:47 pm

Wow. What a beauty!

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Re: TVT - Dylanesque

Post by Keith S » Sun Oct 09, 2022 9:40 pm

GTB wrote: Sun Oct 09, 2022 2:14 pm,... although a British built saddle tank with Walschaerts valve gear is a rare beast in any period.
There's your inner fine-scale modeller talking again. The fact is, British-built saddle tanks with (simplified) Walschaert's valve-gear are exceedingly common. It's just that they are almost all about a foot long, and are doing the work they were designed for in peoples' gardens. :lol:

Much less common are British-built narrow-gauge 0-4-0 tender locomotives, with or without Walschaerts valve-gear. However, there is one living at my house. And also I suppose strictly speaking it's Canadian-built. EVEN RARER.

Your scale modelling projects are above reproach, and an example to all. However, I also quite like a little "generic" model, which can, if the owner desires, still have quite a bit of scale detail, or not, as the fancy strikes you. Mine is ridiculously tarted-up with just about every conceivable detail part from DJB, Swift 16, and Locoworks.

I rather like the philosophy I am quite sure I remember either reading on Roundhouse's website, or maybe I heard a Roundhouse man say it at some point in a video: "They are full-size engines, just very small; doing a job of work in the garden." I like your "Dylan-esque" engine.

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Re: TVT - Dylanesque

Post by LNR » Sun Oct 09, 2022 10:38 pm

Hope that finally solved the Dylan urge!!!
Grant.
PS you know my philosophy, paint it then run it round the yard to dry it in the sun ;)

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Re: TVT - Dylanesque

Post by GTB » Mon Oct 10, 2022 5:37 am

Keith S wrote: Sun Oct 09, 2022 9:40 pm I rather like the philosophy I am quite sure I remember either reading on Roundhouse's website, or maybe I heard a Roundhouse man say it at some point in a video: "They are full-size engines, just very small; doing a job of work in the garden." I like your "Dylan-esque" engine.
I've heard the idea that a freelance model is it's own prototype used in the ride-on scales. It may go back to LBSC's time, when most live steam models were freelance and he showed it was possible to build more or less scale models that would work.

The corollary is that there is a prototype for everything. Speaking of which, I recently found the following illustration in an old O&K catalogue. Does it look familiar..........?

Graeme

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Re: TVT - Dylanesque

Post by GTB » Mon Oct 10, 2022 6:03 am

LNR wrote: Sun Oct 09, 2022 10:38 pm Hope that finally solved the Dylan urge!!!
Grant.
PS you know my philosophy, paint it then run it round the yard to dry it in the sun ;)
The Dylan urge has gone away, but I've been looking at Gordon's Bantam design............. ;)

I went out the back this morning. The sun is out, but no sign of a track. I only sprayed a couple of months ago and some of the dandelions are already about a metre high. Sigh..........

I got out the hedge clippers and found most of the station track, but I need to break out the Roundup and the knapsack sprayer when things dry out a bit more.

Graeme

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Re: TVT - Dylanesque

Post by LNR » Mon Oct 10, 2022 7:27 am

GTB wrote: Mon Oct 10, 2022 6:03 am some of the dandelions are already about a metre high
Yeah! I reckon the growth this past winter has been at least one and a half times greater than previous years.
Grant.
PS lots of PS's today, had to take a screenshot of that little tender o-6-o, Hmm!

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Re: TVT - Dylanesque

Post by Tropic Blunder » Mon Oct 10, 2022 1:45 pm

Looks fantastic. It always blows me away how fast you seem to finish projects. Cant wait to see how it looks once you paint and line it.
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Re: TVT - Dylanesque

Post by TonyW » Mon Oct 10, 2022 3:23 pm

Looks great, what colour will it be painted? And I am glad that I gave just the smallest part of inspiration right at the start. On my web page, PATHFINDER is my own loco, and the first one I obtained. Second-hand, cost me £180. A lot has changed/been replaced since then though.

Factory-built Dylans with Walschaerts valve gear are not common. A friend of mine has a real rarity though, Walschaerts valve gear but meths-fired. Investigation tells us it was a one-off.
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Re: TVT - Dylanesque

Post by GTB » Mon Oct 10, 2022 10:23 pm

Tropic Blunder wrote: Mon Oct 10, 2022 1:45 pm Looks fantastic. It always blows me away how fast you seem to finish projects.
Two secrets, early retirement and a good size super account............. ;) I can usually put in three hours a day in the workshop without interruptions.

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Re: TVT - Dylanesque

Post by GTB » Mon Oct 10, 2022 11:05 pm

TonyW wrote: Mon Oct 10, 2022 3:23 pm Looks great, what colour will it be painted? And I am glad that I gave just the smallest part of inspiration right at the start. On my web page, PATHFINDER is my own loco, and the first one I obtained.
The current plan is to paint it mid bronze green with buff and red lining, although I may need to go to deep bronze green, depending on what a large test panel looks like in bright sunlight.

I find your gallery web page is a great resource, as there are types of models on there that I'll never see locally and you take a good clear photo. The particular Dylan that caught my eye is the one named Emily, which seems to be a very late production example.

I definitely agree with your sentiment in the description of Pathfinder that less is more and like you I don't like high gloss finishes.

Not that I would have a hope of doing the sort of lining that Geoff Munday produced. I don't get enough practice for a start and my hands aren't as steady as they used to be.

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Re: TVT - Dylanesque

Post by LNR » Tue Oct 11, 2022 1:27 am

GTB wrote: Mon Oct 10, 2022 11:05 pm I find your gallery web page is a great resource, as there are types of models on there that I'll never see locally and you take a good clear photo.
I would second that, I've used Tony's pictures more than once for inspiration (thanks Tony) and I particularly liked the work you did on the weathered and worn Darj. I'd love to have one, just can't justify it on a Victorian narrow gauge railway.
Grant.

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Re: TVT - Dylanesque

Post by Tropic Blunder » Fri Oct 14, 2022 1:00 pm

Two secrets, early retirement and a good size super account............. ;) I can usually put in three hours a day in the workshop without interruptions.
Copy that, at 25 I should be able to put enough money away for when I have time to build that 1:24 scale WAGR S class I've always wanted :lol:

Bronze green will look awesome shame there hasnt been any good days to paint lately. Hope the workshop didnt get too flooded in the recent downpours.
Jake

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Re: TVT - Dylanesque

Post by GTB » Sat Oct 15, 2022 2:46 am

Tropic Blunder wrote: Fri Oct 14, 2022 1:00 pm Hope the workshop didnt get too flooded in the recent downpours.
Dodged the bullet this time. I set the pump up when the warnings went out and this time the rain was steady, so the guttering didn't overflow. By pumping for about 10 min. every hour or so the water level stayed well below the workshop doorstep.

If the pump specs can be believed, it pumped about 20 cubic metres of water out of the backyard during this rain event.

Graeme

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Re: TVT - Dylanesque

Post by LNR » Sat Oct 15, 2022 9:30 am

:shock:
Grant.

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Re: TVT - Dylanesque

Post by GTB » Sun Oct 29, 2023 10:53 am

Time marches on and this model has finally left the paint shop, leaving only one model currently in the queue. The original plan was that this loco would be finished in time for the GSSU last year, it will just make it for this year.

I wasn't that sure of the shade of green at first, but the lining has lifted the final result, as it usually does. The lining was applied using the WW2 vintage drawing instrument set I acquired a while back. There are three colours, the broader inner buff line, a very thin black line, a space and then a thin crimson line, all lining is Humbrol gloss enamel straight out of a new tin.

The two photos below were taken in late afternoon sun today, after exploring the undergrowth and finding that I still have a track. We are well into spring now and the weather is improving. As usual, the TVT engineer has managed to get himself into the picture.

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No back story for this one yet.

Before the monkey gallery gets too excited about the name, it has no connection to blue locos, it's an old family name. I'm the sixth generation in Aust., the eighth is currently in high school.

Regards,
Graeme

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Re: TVT - Dylanesque

Post by ge_rik » Sun Oct 29, 2023 12:15 pm

What a beauty!

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Re: TVT - Dylanesque

Post by Lonsdaler » Sun Oct 29, 2023 1:37 pm

That looks the business! And the shade of green works very well with the lining. Lining is something I need to attempt - I can't afford to get my engines done professionally but it would be nice to line them out.
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