Garden Railway Forum

Mr. Andy Bell's been busy by the looks of things with this powerful little beast on test:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HJYobhejrY

Its designed to be powerful enough to haul dead steamers and longer trains.

Looks good.

That did well didn't it - on wet rails too!

The loco was designed as a prototype to look into the feasibility of articulated diesels. The "design brief" is that the loco should be able to stand in for a steam loco with the max spec of the loco costing around the same price as a budget steamer.

Another version of the loco is to be built to look at manual options, battery discharge and the like. will keep you posted,,

Andy

Nice one Andy, it certainly looks like it's going to be a winner!

Yes looks very nice.

Today the loco had a continued running endurance test. The loco ran for 2 hours before the loco needed recharging. Slightly less than I would have liked but I think acceptable.

I Will be building a green manual control one for development purposes, hopefully starting this evening. I will also be doing some more tests on the current loco. I will keep you posted on developments.

Andy

Looks very nice indeed & seems to have good power. Did I see a bogie lift slightly during one drag though? or maybe it was just the camera angle. Was just wondering if it was the power making the bogie lift?
As for 2 hour running time, I have to agree that would seem acceptable. For comparison I get between 2 & 1/2 hours out of my Jessie with the best rechargables in at a steady pace. Will there be an in situ charge point on the loco. Just something I was thinking of trying out on mine. The idea being I could then have a charge lead wire next to a siding & have the loco stabled there charging the batteries until it is needed to rescue something. Rather than have to remove bodywork & batteries etc.

Is there a guestimate on price yet or is it too early to tell.

Brilliant Andy as always. I rekon you should make a battery loco like the talyllyns Midlander. A really pretty little IC loco

Sir haydn wrote:Brilliant Andy as always. I rekon you should make a battery loco like the talyllyns Midlander. A really pretty little IC loco

Seconded, especially as you already have the Merseysider - you wouldn't want to be accused of bias now, would you, eh, mmh, ?

Hi, The loco has a built in charge point as I hate having to take things to pieces to get to the batteries.

In the past this has caused much amusement to the missis, counting the "bums" in the air as people try to find the small screw that holds the body of a loco on.

Hi All
The Back bogie climbed about half way through the video when it road over some track ballast due to the perpetual Nelson rain.

Any news on this project, Andy?

I'm looking for a powerful diesel outline loco to rescue dead steamers, and yours is the most appealing.

May I ask what you used for the bogies on it? Im building a bogie diesel at the moment and want it to move steam locos but dont know what to use as a power unit.

If it will drag a steamer and train i want one.