Garden Railway Forum

Hi

Way back in the mists of time when men were men and dinosaurs walked the land, Don Townsley had an article in Tom Coopers Live Steam Model Railway Review (I think) describing the tiny Hunslet 0-4-0T Microbe supplied to Knostrop sewage works near Leeds. It may have been in Locolines - Tom's mags changed name with a frightening rapidity. Certainly it was the first copy of the large-format glossy that he published at one stage.

At the time, I started a 16mm model of this, which with hindsight would never have worked. Now I fancy resurrecting the project, or rather, starting anew in 7/8ths.

My problem is this: I kept the relevant magazine and the working photocopies of the drawings separate from the rest of my copies of Tom's mags. A divorce and three house moves later, guess what? I can't find the mag or the copies.

Is there anyone with a copy of this mag that would be prepared to scan the relevant pages and email them to me, please?

My apologies for needing this help. I KNOW I still have the magazine somewhere, but many hours of searching over a long period have completely failed to find it and I really am rather keen to make a start.

FWIW, the 16mm version had a boiler only 32 mm diameter and much too low to the frames to allow fitting a Jack Wheldon style flame shield (it was to be a pot boiler). Now I'm looking at a 45mm single flue boiler, gas fired and Roundhouse cylinders. I feel a success coming on.

Many thanks
Mike

sorry I can't help with the articles but hope someone can as it sounds an interesting project

What's the loco name? I have many drawings of hunslets but mainly their quarry locos.

AFAIK Hunslet only ever made one of this class of loco. Both the solitary example for Knostrop Sewage Works and the designated class name in the catalogue was 'Microbe'. Works number 1028/ May 1910

And if that's bad, the other, later, engine at the works (from Hudswell Clarke) was called 'Bacillus' Wn931/ Dec 1910

Both steam locos were disposed of around 1922, being replaced by a pair of Protected Simplexes, ex War Department.

Hope this helps.

I could try the current Hunslet Engine Company at Statfold Barn but to be honest, the degree of information in the original drawings would be total overkill for a 7/8ths model.

Thanks in hope

Mike

Try asking for the general arrangement drawings if you ask hunslet. You can then work it out from there.

Just a quick addition.

The article and drawing were in issue 1 of 'Live Steam Model Railways' published early in 1983 (issue 2 was dated Sept 1983) and not in the later similarly sized 'Garden Railway World'

Mike

Hi

Sorted now. An enquiry elsewhere has resulted in me receiving a copy of the magazine. Now to digitalise the drawing, prepare the detail drawings and get started cutting metal. Yippee!!

My thanks to those who offered help and advice.

Mike