I've just noticed that the last time I updated the blog post about my loco roster was in 2015. A lot has happened since then and so, it's now time to report on progress.
Updated 26th August 2024
| Loco No. 1 | Name: PECKFORTON | ||
| Manufacturer: Peckett 0-4-0T | |||
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| Date constructed: | 2008 | ||
| Materials used: | Plasticard | ||
| Chassis: | LGB ToyTrain 0-4-0 | ||
| Power: | 3 x 18650 Li-ion cells | ||
| Control: | Deltang Rx65b receiver | ||
| Sound: | Phoenix 2k2 | ||
| Notes: | Constructed from an early Garden Railway Specialists kit. Originally track-powered. Converted to battery power in 2015. Programmed its Deltang Rx65b for auto-station-stop in 2018 | ||
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| Loco No. 2 | Name: BEESTON | ||
| Manufacturer: Barclay 2-4-0T | |||
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| Date acquired: | 2010 | ||
| Materials used: | Plasticard | ||
| Chassis: | LGB 0-4-0 motor block | ||
| Power: | 3 x 18650 Li-ion cells | ||
| Control: | Deltang Rx65b receiver | ||
| Sound: | MyLocoSound soundcard | ||
| Notes: | Bought secondhand from Garden Railway Specialists. It is a very early GRS kit based on a loco which ran on Jersey. Originally track powered, it was converted to battery power in 2014 | ||
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| Loco No. 3 | Name: BICKERTON | ||
| Manufacturer: Hunslet 0-4-0T | |||
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| Date constructed: | 2008 | ||
| Materials used: | Plasticard | ||
| Chassis: | LGB ToyTrain 0-4-0 | ||
| Power: | 3 x 18650 Li-ion cells | ||
| Control: | Deltang Rx65b receiver | ||
| Sound: | MLS soundcard | ||
| Notes: | Constructed from an early Garden Railway Specialists resin kit. Originally track-powered. Converted to battery power in 2015. | ||
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| Loco No. 4 | Name: BULKELEY | ||
| Manufacturer: Manning Wardle 0-6-2T (ex Southwold Railway) | |||
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| Date constructed: | 2013 | ||
| Materials used: | Plasticard | ||
| Chassis: | LGB U Class motor block | ||
| Power: | 3 x 18650 Li-ion cells (originally 12v li-ion CCTV battery) | ||
| Control: | Deltang Rx65b receiver (originally Deltang Rx61b) | ||
| Sound: | MLS Mk3 soundcard | ||
| Notes: | Based on Southwold Railway loco No. 4 Wenhaston. My first steam outline scratchbuild and was also one of my first purpose-built battery locos. | ||
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| Loco No. 5 | Name: TARPORLEY | ||
| Manufacturer: Sharp Stewart 2-4-2T | |||
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| Date constructed: | 2013 | ||
| Materials used: | Plasticard | ||
| Chassis: | Playmobil 0-4-0 motor block | ||
| Power: | 3 x 18650 Li-ion cells (Originally li-ion 12v CCTV battery) | ||
| Control: | Deltang Rx65b receiver | ||
| Sound: | MLS Soundcard | ||
| Notes: | My second scratchbuilt Southwold loco and designed to be battery powered. It had to be a Sharpie. The 2-4-2 was chosen rather than one of the Southwold's 2-4-0s to provide a little more room for the batteries and RC. | ||
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| Loco No. 6 | Name: Harthill | ||
| Manufacturer: Manning Wardle 0-6-0T | |||
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| Date constructed: | 2014 | ||
| Materials used: | Plasticard | ||
| Chassis: | Piko 0-6-0 motor block | ||
| Power: | 3 x 18650 Li-ion cells | ||
| Control: | Deltang Rx65b receiver | ||
| Sound: | MLS Soundcard | ||
| Notes: | Another scratchbuild based on one of the Davington Light Railway 0-6-0s. Probably my favourite loco. The motor block is so reliable and controllable. | ||
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| Loco No. 7 | Name: TOLLEMACHE | ||
| Manufacturer: Fowler 0-4-0DM | |||
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| Date constructed: | 2011 | ||
| Materials used: | Plasticard | ||
| Chassis: | LGB ToyTrain 0-4-0 | ||
| Power: | 3 x 18650 Li-ion cells (Originally, 6 x 1.2v NiMh cells) | ||
| Control: | Deltang Rx565b receiver + Deltang Rx102 receiver for soundcard | ||
| Sound: | Alan Bond/Technobots programmable soundcard | ||
| Notes: | My first scratchbuilt loco. A cross between a 2' gauge and a standard gauge Fowler loco as I couldn't find drawings of a 3' gauge loco. The Alan Bond soundcard requires a servo input but wouldn't respond to the servo output from the Rx65b and so the Rx102 is used in tandem with the Rx65b to control the motor. | ||
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| Loco No. 8 | Name: WYNFORD | ||
| Manufacturer: IP Engineering Freelance "Jessie" 0-4-0DH | |||
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| Date constructed: | 2013 | ||
| Materials used: | Steel | ||
| Chassis: | USAt 0-4-0 motor block (Replacing 3 previous) | ||
| Power: | 3 x 18650 Li-ion cells (Originally 6 x NiMh cells) | ||
| Control: | Deltang Rx65b receiver (originally Rx102 and Brian Jones Mac5 ESC) | ||
| Sound: | MTroniks Small Diesel soundcard | ||
| Notes: | Bought secondhand as a partially completed kit is was stripped down and rebuilt, this loco has had four gearboxes; the final being a USAt motor bogie with extended axles for the fly-cranks. | ||
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| Loco No. 9 | Name: LOLLY | ||
| Manufacturer: Freelance IP Engineering Lollypop Railcar kit | |||
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| Date constructed: | 2013 | ||
| Materials used: | Laser cut plywood kit | ||
| Chassis: | IP Engineering | ||
| Power: | 3 x NiMh cells | ||
| Control: | Deltang Rx65b receiver (Originally Rx60a) | ||
| Sound: | Alan Bond FE101 soundcard | ||
| Notes: | My first battery RC loco. Constructed to explore the potential of Deltang RC equipment (since when I have never looked back!) | ||
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| Loco No. 10 | Name: TIVERTON | ||
| Manufacturer: Beyer Peacock (ish) | |||
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| Date constructed: | 1995/2017 | ||
| Materials used: | Plasticard | ||
| Chassis: | LGB Stainz 0-4-0 motor block | ||
| Power: | 3 x 18650 Li-ion cells | ||
| Control: | Deltang Rx65b receiver | ||
| Sound: | Dallee DC V3 soundcard | ||
| Notes: | My first G Scale loco (part of a Starter set). Converted to battery power (twice) in 2016 and Anglicised in 2017. | ||
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| Loco No. 11 | Name: RIDLEY | ||
| Manufacturer: Bagnall 0-4-2T | |||
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| Date acquired: | 2016 | ||
| Materials used: | Plasticard | ||
| Chassis: | LGB ToyTrain 0-4-0 | ||
| Power: | 3 x 18650 Li-ion cells | ||
| Control: | Deltang Rx65b receiver | ||
| Sound: | MyLocoSound soundcard | ||
| Notes: | Bought secondhand in 2016. Constructed from an early GRS kit. It was originally equipped with RCS radio control which was soon replaced with Deltang equipment to make it compatible with my other locos. | ||
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| Loco No. 12 | Name: EMMA | ||
| Manufacturer: Motor Rail Simplex | |||
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| Date constructed: | 2015 | ||
| Materials used: | Whitemetal kit | ||
| Chassis: | IP Engineering 0-4-0 (32mm and 45mm gauge) | ||
| Power: | 2 x 14500 Li-ion cells in parallel | ||
| Control: | Deltang Rx65b receiver | ||
| Sound: | Modified greetings card recordable sound module | ||
| Notes: | Constructed from an IP Engineering kit with additional plasticard cab. It has interchangeable 32mm and 45mm motorised chassis. | ||
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| Loco No. 12a & 12b | Name: Samantha & Josephine | ||
| Manufacturer: Ford(ish) Railmotors | |||
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| Date constructed: | 2012 | ||
| Materials used: | Resin | ||
| Chassis: | Freelance with MFA Como 918D 30:1 gearbox motor | ||
| Power: | 3 x 18650 Li-ion cells | ||
| Control: | Deltang Rx65b receiver | ||
| Sound: | MP3 music player (modified) | ||
| Notes: |
Constructed
from two freelance Andel resin coach kits. The sound system is a
modified MP3 music player with Model A Ford sound files triggered by the
Rx65 output pads. |
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| Loco No. 14 | Name: BURWARDSLEY | ||
| Manufacturer: Black Hawthorn 0-4-0T | |||
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| Date constructed: | 2017 | ||
| Materials used: | Modified LGB Otto body with plasticard additions | ||
| Chassis: | LGB ToyTrain 0-4-0 | ||
| Power: | 3 x 18650 Li-ion cells | ||
| Control: | Deltang Rx65b receiver | ||
| Sound: | MyLocoSound soundcard | ||
| Notes: | Started off as a simple bash of an LGB Otto loco but I wasn't pleased with the result and so it was further modified to more closely resemble Kettering Furnaces loco No. 3. One of my favourite locos. | ||
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| Loco No. 15 | Name: DORIS | ||
| Manufacturer: Houston Gate Loco Works freelance | |||
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| Date constructed: | 2018 | ||
| Materials used: | Laser-cut MDF | ||
| Chassis: | HGLW Deluxe chassis | ||
| Power: | 2 x 18650 Li-ion cells | ||
| Control: | Deltang Rx65b receiver | ||
| Sound: | Acme multi-cylinder diesel soundcard | ||
| Notes: | Initially constructed as an evaluation exercise for HGLW kits I quickly realised it had potential as a shunter for the timber yard at Peckforton. | ||
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| Loco No. 16 | Name: ERNEST | ||
| Manufacturer: IP Engineering Freelance 0-4-0DH | |||
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| Date constructed: | 2018 | ||
| Materials used: | Laser-cut plywood kit | ||
| Chassis: | IP Engineering powered chassis | ||
| Power: | 2 x 14500 Li-ion cells in parallel | ||
| Control: | Deltang Rx65b receiver | ||
| Sound: | None (at present) | ||
| Notes: | Constructed as an evaluation of IP Engineering kits. It now potters about on the 2' gauge feeder railway for the copper mine. | ||
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| Loco No. 17 | Name: MAISIE | ||
| Manufacturer: Freelance | |||
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| Date constructed: | 2020 | ||
| Materials used: | Modified Sylvanian Families Vintage Wedding Car | ||
| Chassis: | Cheap 3v worm gearbox from eBay | ||
| Power: | 2 x 14500 Li-ion cells in parallel | ||
| Control: | Deltang Rx60 receiver | ||
| Sound: | None (at present) | ||
| Notes: | This was originally bought secondhand on eBay but I was dissatisfied with how it had been converted to run on the track. I modified it and added additional detailing, | ||
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| Loco No. 18a & 18b | Name: DOROTHY & DIANA | ||
| Manufacturer: Freelance 3D printed models downloaded from Thingiverse,com | |||
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| Date constructed: | 2022 | ||
| Materials used: | PLA 3D printer filament | ||
| Chassis: | 1 x IP Engineering budget chassis & 1 x 3D printed chassis | ||
| Power: | 2 x 14500 Li-ion cells | ||
| Control: | Deltang Rx65b receiver | ||
| Sound: | None (at present) | ||
| Notes: | Constructed to evaluate the potential of 3D printed locomotives, Two slight variants of the loco were constructed and coupled together back to back. Initially, only one loco was motorised but eventually both are now powered. | ||
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| Loco No. 19 | Name: LIONEL | ||
| Manufacturer: Walker Brothers diesel railcar | |||
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| Date constructed: | 2020 | ||
| Materials used: | Etched brass kit | ||
| Chassis: | Modified Aristocraft 0-4-0 motor bogie | ||
| Power: | 3 x 18650 Li-ion cells | ||
| Control: | Deltang Rx65b receiver | ||
| Sound: | MyLocoSound Railcar soundcard | ||
| Notes: | Constructed from a bare-bones etched brass kit produced by John Campbell. The missing whitemetal and resin components were replaced with my own hand-crafted wooden and plasticard versions. | ||
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| Loco No. 20 | Name: ROBERT | ||
| Manufacturer: Freelance 0-4-0DH | |||
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| Date constructed: | 2019 | ||
| Materials used: | Modified LGB ToyTrain diesel loco | ||
| Chassis: | LGB ToyTrain 0-4-0 | ||
| Power: | 3 x 14500 Li-ion cells | ||
| Control: | Arduino Bluetooth control | ||
| Sound: | Arduino controlled MP3 player | ||
| Notes: | The loco was initially used unmodified as a platform for testing various configurations of Arduino Bluetooth control. It was then modified to vaguely resemble something which might have run on a UK railway. To my mind it looks like some sort of loco which might have been seen in the World War I trenches. | ||
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| Loco No. 21 | Name: BROXTON | ||
| Manufacturer: Nasmyth & Wilson 0-4-4T | |||
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| Date constructed: | 2021 | ||
| Materials used: | PLA 3D printer filament | ||
| Chassis: | Bachmann Lyn 0-4-0 motor block / Redesigned and rebuilt | ||
| Power: | 3 x 18650 Li-ion cells | ||
| Control: | Deltang Rx65c receiver | ||
| Sound: | MyLocoSound Universal soundcard | ||
| Notes: | This started life as a Bachmann Lyn battery conversion. However, I wasn't happy with its appearance or its performance and so looked for a suitable loco with outside frames which could use its motor block. The result is an amalgamation of two Schull and Skibbereen locos which became my first 3D printed scratchbuild. The motor block was also completely redesigned and rebuilt to improve its performance. | ||
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| Loco No. 22 | Name: LINDA | ||
| Manufacturer: HGLW freelance 0-4-0DM | |||
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| Date acquired: | 2015 | ||
| Materials used: | Laser cut MDF | ||
| Chassis: | HGLW 0-4-0 | ||
| Power: | 1 x 18650 Li-ion cell | ||
| Control: | Deltang Rx65b receiver | ||
| Sound: | None at present | ||
| Notes: | Bought secondhand and converted to radio control. Its Deltang receiver was reprogrammed for auto shuttle triggered by reed switches to trundle backwards and forwards on the 32mm gauge Copper Mine feeder line. | ||
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| Loco No. 23 | Name: BUNBURY | ||
| Manufacturer: Kerr Stuart 0-4-2T | |||
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| Date constructed: | 2021 | ||
| Materials used: | PLA 3D printer filament | ||
| Chassis: | Bachmann Lyn 0-4-0 motor block | ||
| Power: | 3 x 18650 Li-ion cells | ||
| Control: | Deltang Rx65c receiver | ||
| Sound: | MyLocoSound Universal soundcard | ||
| Notes: | My second 3D printed scratchbuilt loco. Based on one of the locos which ran on the Metropolitan Water Board Railway near Kew. The motor block was donated by a fellow modellers who had heard about my problems with my Bachmann Lyn conversion. | ||
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| Loco No. 24 | Name: CHOLMONDELEY | ||
| Manufacturer: Beyer Peacock 0-4-2T (Ex Glyn Valley Tramway) | |||
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| Date constructed: | 2022 | ||
| Materials used: | PLA 3D printer filament | ||
| Chassis: | Scratchbuilt with MFA Como 918D series gearmotor | ||
| Power: | 3 x 18650 Li-ion cells | ||
| Control: | Micron MR603a receiver | ||
| Sound: | MyLocoSound soundcard | ||
| Notes: | Adapted from a 7mm scale model this was scratchbuilt using drawings made in TinkerCAD. After initially using a Bachmann motor bogie and finding it was underpowered, I have now constructed my own 3D printed motor block from scratch | ||
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| Loco No. 25 | Name: TATTENHALL | ||
| Manufacturer: Hunslet 0-4-0T | |||
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| Date constructed: | 2023 | ||
| Materials used: | Carboard kit with 3D printed enhancements | ||
| Chassis: | LGB ToyTrain 0-4-0 motor block (modified) | ||
| Power: | 3 x 18650 Li-ion cells | ||
| Control: | Micron MR603a receiver | ||
| Sound: | MyLocoSound soundcard | ||
| Notes: | Originally Constructed from a Rail-Road (formerly LocoLines) card kit it was then rebuilt using 3D printed parts | ||
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| Loco No. 26 | Name: JAMES | ||
| Manufacturer: Gmeinder 0-4-0DM |
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| Date constructed: | 2024 | ||
| Materials used: | MDF and 3D printed PLA |
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| Chassis: | HGLW Deluxe motor block |
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| Power: | 2 x 14500 Li-ion cells | ||
| Control: | Deltang Rx65c receiver |
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| Sound: | AliExpress Diesel Simulation Module |
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| Notes: | Adapted from a HGLW centre cab loco kit bought secondhand |
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| Loco No. 27 | Name: NICK | ||
| Manufacturer: Ruston 0-4-0DM |
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| Date constructed: | 2024 | ||
| Materials used: | 3D printed using PLA filament |
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| Chassis: | My own motor block with GA25-370 gearmotor |
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| Power: | 3 x 14500 Li-ion cells | ||
| Control: | Micron MR603a receiver | ||
| Sound: | Cheap recordable soundcard with WAV file of a Ruston |
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| Notes: | As I had no scale drawings I've found it is slightly larger than prototypical to accommodate the batteries and RC equipment. |
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| Loco No. 28 | Name: GREG | ||
| Manufacturer: Ruston Proctor 0-4-0DM |
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| Date constructed: | 2024 | ||
| Materials used: | 3D printed in resin |
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| Chassis: | My own design of motor block using a GA25-370 gearmotor |
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| Power: | 3 x 18650 Li-ion cells | ||
| Control: | Micron MR603 receiver | ||
| Sound: | AliExpress diesel simulation module |
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| Notes: | The single .STL file for a Gn15 model was downloaded from the Shapeways website and re-scaled for 15mm scale. Slightly over-scale to provide room for the batteries and RC equipment |
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| Loco No. 29 | Name: RAWHEAD | ||
| Manufacturer: de Winton 0-4-0T Vertical boilered loco |
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| Date constructed: | 2024 | ||
| Materials used: | 3D printed using both PLA filament and resin |
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| Chassis: | Bespoke motor block using GA25-370 gearmotor |
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| Power: | 3 x 14500 Li-ion cells | ||
| Control: | Micron MR603 receiver | ||
| Sound: | MyLocoSound soundcard | ||
| Notes: | After downloading a set of files for a 32mm gauge de Winton and modifying them for 45mm, I decided to start again from scratch as the modification didn't look right. |
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| Loco No. 30 | Name: CHALONER | ||
| Manufacturer: De Winton vertical boilered 0-4-0 | |||
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| Date acquired: | 2017 | ||
| Materials used: | Metals | ||
| Chassis: | Regner geared loco with two oscillating cylinders | ||
| Power: | Live steam - gas powered | ||
| Control: | Manual | ||
| Sound: | Live steam sounds | ||
| Notes: | My one concession to live steam. Chosen because it is a geared loco and is hence easily controlled. One day I will equip it with radio control. It rarely makes an appearance as I prefer the predictability of my battery powered locos. | ||
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When I was planning my railway, I predicted that I would only need three locos. That was nearly twenty years ago. I keep telling myself that I don't need any more - until I see another attractive looking locomotive which I feel wouldn't look out of place on the PLR!
So, who knows what will appear next? I certainly don't!
