5" Gauge Castle

[denis M]

I have recently purchased a near completed 5" Gauge G.W.R Castle how ever as is always there are some issues we need to sort out. My problem is we are missing 2 drawings, the ones we need. The drawings were done by Mr G.Hawkins from Bristol and are dated August 1976, we need drawings 9 & 10.

Does anyone around have any or know where I can get some or a supplier that did the drawings in the first place.

Any info gratefully received.

[alanstepney]

It is probable that these were the Peter Rich drawungs.
Superbly detailed and the end result was fantastic.

They were originally sold by Camden, back in the days when they sold things other than books.
(Yes, I know they still have a couple of models in their range.)

Right from the start there were one or more drawings missing / to be completed. From memory, the tender or parts thereof, was one of them.

But, perhaps I am wrong. There have been other Castle's built so....

As a last resort, and assuming you dont get any other responses, it might be worth contacting Keith Wilson. He has built several in 7 1/4" and may be able to help. He certainly knows all (or almost all) about things GWR.

[denis M]

Thanks for that, will give it a go. Are Camden still around ?.

You are correct the loco should look something special when finished, the tender is complete and fully painted but its the cylinders we want to do some work on, we want to put piston rings on the valves in place of the yarn that is there at the moment and will have to remake them but am having problems working the ports out.

Still I expect we will get there in the end.

As a matter of interest my father in law made the boiler for this loco some 10 years ago but the chap that was building it passed away without finishing it so father in laws want to get it going.

The chap that started it used to work at the GWR works at Swindon so I assume a few bits have come from there.

Thanks again.

[alanstepney]

Camden are still around, but if you are looking for drawings etc from them, no luck.
I spoke to them about it a few months ago.

The soft packing works OK, even though some people dislike it. Unless there is a good reason not to, I would stick with it.

If the cylinders are bronze, then ideally any rings should be bronze / gunmetal, or perhaps O rings (Although I dislike them in that situation.)

The ports should be fairly easy to work out, if they are not already finished.
The Castle cylinders are similar to all the rest of the GWR locos, many of which have been built and for which plans are available. If you are starting from scratch, copying one of them might be the easiest way.

As a final solution, I believe that the original drawings are available from the NRM.

[denis M]

Thanks for that