Steve Johnson    Modelmaker

HOME WORKBENCH BRITISH RAILWAYS IRISH RAILWAYS FRENCH RAILWAYS OTHERS CONTACT

 

Back to BR Locomotives

14

15

20

22, 25

23-24, 26-27

52

56

81

82-87

88-89

91-92

100

DS49

DS74

Back to BR Locomotives

Wickham Type 27 Trolley

14

15

20

22, 25

23-24, 26-27

52

56

81

82-87

88-89

91-92

100

9125 (Titchie)

DS49

DS74

DS75

DS209

DS343

DS346

DS400

DS499

DS600

DS1169

DS1173

ED1

ED2-ED7

ED10

PWM650-PWM654

PWM1024

PWM1622

PWM1650

PWM1779 & PWM1780

ZM9

ZM32

 

20, Ruston & Hornsby 88DS 0-4-0DM

Competed model

Number 20 was a standard Ruston & Hornsby 88DS locomotive. It was used at Reading Signal Works from 1957 to 1981. Painted black, it was later painted into BR Corporate Blue with yellow and black wasp stripes. It never carried the BR Green livery.

Judith Edge make a kit of the 88DS and the kit contains the parts to make No.20. The kit actually contains different cabs and buffer beams to make a variety of 88DS variants. This kit differs from most of Michaels kits inasmuch it includes a special four wheel drive compensated gearbox produced by High Level Kits.

Body and chassis assembled waiting detailing

The main chassis, footplate and engine casing/cab assemblies are straightforward to construct and simply bolt together at the end of construction. The gearbox, fitted with a Mashima 1020 motor is a bit more fiddly and needs great care and accuracy to produce a free running unit.

The High Level QuadDriver

With the body, chassis and subframe all assembled (by soldering), it was time to add the detailing. One item not referred to was the vertical strengthening bar in the middle of the radiator grille. Easily fixed by soldering on a piece of scrap etch. No.20 had the extra weights fitted on the frame for extra weight. These are supplied as resin castings in the kit. (G)WR style lamp irons were also fitted. With the body complete, it was time to move to the running gear.

Completed body awaiting priming.

I decided to build the chassis in its compensated form, figuring a small four wheel chassis would run better this way. It is very easy to do on this kit with the rear axle resting on a knife edge with the axles located by swing arms. The hinged drive extension on the QuadDriver unit also makes it easy to compensate. Careful threading of the axles through the QuadDrivers final drive gears are necessary to avoid slippage. I also opted to fit a motor mount to stop the motor rising and falling when powered. A bit of testing was done and when happy, I fitted the DCC decoder. This is a very small LaisDCC 860010 N gauge decoder that fits between the frames. As interior detail was supplied in the kit, I also opted to fit a working cab light. The decoder is only two function, but is easily reprogrammed in JMRI Decoder Pro to operate off the yellow wire as function 1 in both directions.

I decided to spray the locomotive in its original black delivery using Halfords Gloss Black. Buffer beams were sprayed red, using Halfords Volkswagon Mars Red. The cab interior was painted a cream colour. Transfers were from Fox Transfers. The number size was interesting and I eventually opted for 6 inch off white steam loco numbers, which seemed to match up with photographs. The Ruston badges were painted red and applied in position. When all was painted, I varnished the loco using Phoenix-Precision satin varnish.

Fitting the pre-painted cab detail was next before finally glazing. Cosmetic couplings are Exactoscale three link type whilst the operational couplings are the Alex Jackson type. The buffers on No.20 are oval and a set of oval heads are supplied on the etch for attaching to the round head Gibson sprung buffers. Obviously there is a rotation issue, but I have a plan to sure this!

Final assembly was next before more test running.

Rear view

Impetus also made a kit of an 88DS, but unfortunately this has been unavailable since Kalgarin took over.

In January 2021, Hornby announced that they were producing various RTR versions of the 88DS for delivery July 2021, including No.20 in BR Corporate Blue livery. These should prove very popular and it is typical that I build an obscure loco only to find an RTR one offered only months later!