3.1/2" Pacific, Designed by Greenly for Bassett Lowke

[jcsteam]

Hello,

I'm sharing these for interest and also that i may be lucky enough to find the remaining castings from the loco. These are all detailed in the Bassett Lowke catalogue (sadly i don't have a copy, although my friend a mile up the road does )

This is as it was bought, and has sat on the top of the welsh dresser in the dining room. I dont feel my skills are quite upto finishing this just yet, and the work been carried out thus far seems to be great so i am not about to hastily ruin it by charging in to get it finished. 

I know Maxitrax have the plans listed on their website, but again i havent obtained these yet, seems daft when its going to sit there for a bit. 

Anyhow hope you enjoy, i've not seen a completed one, only the illustration in the Bassett Lowke catalogue. So if anyone has seen one and has photos id be very interested in seeing them.


20191117_155312 by Jon Cameron, on Flickr


20191117_155317 by Jon Cameron, on Flickr


20191117_155400 by Jon Cameron, on Flickr


20191117_155355 by Jon Cameron, on Flickr

20191117_155325 by Jon Cameron, on Flickr

20191117_155324 by Jon Cameron, on Flickr

20191117_155346 by Jon Cameron, on Flickr

20190710_200456 (1) by Jon Cameron, on Flickr


Regards
Jon

[mbrown]

From the look of the chassis, this is the same design as a model illustrated in Martin Evans's "Manual of Model Steam Locomotive Construction" (early editions, anyway) The outside frame bogie and inside steamchests are certainly similar. It looks an attractive design and I have often wondered where it came from as the book doesn't credit the designer. Sorry, I don't have the book (or a scanner) so can't send a copy..

I also recall seeing similar models in various pictures in old copies of ME.

Hope you pluck up courage and have a bash soon! It would be great to see another of these locos take shape.

Malcolm

[jcsteam]

Hi,
I've also heard that there is a picture of a completed one in ME but haven't seen it in the magazines i have. Doesn't help not knowing where to look.

Ill ask a few people i know if they have the Martin Evans book you mention and see if i can get a picture.

From what i know it is meant to be a smaller version of the 15" Gigantic loco. The castings i've seen in the Bassett catalogue and the illustration, seem to show it is meant to be a twin bogie tender attached to it.

Regards
Jon

[mbrown]

Twin bogie tender sounds right, but the Gigantic didn't have that rather attractive outside-frame bogie. There's something distinctly "De Glehn" and "Nord" about it!

Malcolm

[jcsteam]

Hi Malcolm,

Interesting you say that, There is reference in the Bassett Lowke book that people have said it take on a "Nord" look about it. Read the last two paragraphs. I know there not brilliantr but the file size has lost its quality.
Screenshot_20200702-143250_Gallery by Jon Cameron, on Flickr

Also some othe pics which i was sent by Jordan Leeds, to help me identify the loco as a Bassett Lowke Locomotive, The casting are the same in the book as used on the engine, and as you can see most have been put to good use already.
Screenshot_20200702-143241_Gallery by Jon Cameron, on Flickr

20200702_162853 by Jon Cameron, on Flickr


Screenshot_20200702-143325_Gallery by Jon Cameron, on Flickr

The most worrying thing i see is the casting for the firebox outer and inner front! Anyone fancy putting cast bronze front plate into their boiler?

Screenshot_20200702-143348_Gallery by Jon Cameron, on Flickr

[mbrown]

Yes, that's the loco I had in mind - or one just like it.

Bassett Lowke, and Bonds for that matter, cast numerous bits that would now be too expensive to contemplate as a casting. When Bonds sold their Euston Road business in about 1970 I went to the sale of their stock and there were hundreds of cast parts like whole cab sides, loco steps and so on. Unfortunately, I was still at school and couldn't afford much, even at sale prices..

Cast boiler plates were not uncommon pre-War and for as long as stocks lasted afterwards. It actually made it easy to do things like double flanges throatplates and local thickening where fittings were screwed in. It also made boikermaking possible for model builders who had no brazing kit and couldn't anneal plates, instead using rivets and soft solder. But it relied totally on top quality castings in high quality metal and I guess foundries couldn't guarantee that sort of quality by the 1950s - by which time Propane kit was much more affordable too.

Malcolm