With a renewed interest in modeling in 2008 I decided to build a 7mm scale narrow gauge locomotive. I'd always been interested in Welsh Narrow Gauge and hankered after a model of a Quarry Hunslet. Unfortunately there weren't any kits available so I took it upon myself to scratch build the locomotive to approximate dimensions. To be honest I wasn't sure where to start and whether it would sustain my interest so I thought I'd have ago at building a scratch built body on RTR 00 Chassis. I did toy with the idea of 009 but it seemed a little too expensive at the time and far too small to begin with. So I purchased a Hornby 0-4-0 Pug off ebay and began the build.
The Hornby Pug body suited the Quarry Hunslet shape just about, so I thought I would just need to modify the cab, chimney and buffers. In the end I built a new body from plasticard and altered the rods to look more convincing. Although not to scale I was happy with progress and began a small collection of scratch built locomotives on the Hornby 0-4-0 chassis.
The beginning no2 Quarry Hunslet, Scratch built body on a Hornby Pug Chassis
Industrial 0-4-0 now finished and painted Royal Blue
Tram locomotive and Industrial 0-4-0 scratch built on Traing chassis
Five more Hunslets for the now abandoned Dinorwic Quarry Line
'Percy' and 'Bill' modified to form two industrial tanks (later 'Percy' painted apple green and
'Bill' painted brunswick green) pictures to follow.
Scratch built Laxey Mines Locomotive 'Bee'
The real thing Laxey Mines Railway 'Ant'
'Bear' with 'Bee'
The second modified Hornby 0-4-0
The Quarry Hunslet
'Bear' Scratchbuilt body on a Bachmann Chassis (missing / stolen)
The project to build one Quarry Hunslet spiraled into a collection of locomotives and stock. Although many of these have been sold the project proved useful in honing my skills scratch building, painting and weathering. This is just a small amount of the 0-16.5 stock I built over 2 years and will probably be the last. Part of it's appeal was the scale but with minimum space and with a growing dissatisfaction of free lance design I decide to drop 7mm scale on 00 track altogether. I have kept a few items of stock but when compared with the 09 models I am making now they look very crude in comparison.
What has been interesting while revisiting these old models is the developments in skills I've made which have only come about through mistakes and perseverance. I think there is no better locomotive than the Hornby 0-4-0 to begin the journey into Narrow Gauge modeling.
What has been interesting while revisiting these old models is the developments in skills I've made which have only come about through mistakes and perseverance. I think there is no better locomotive than the Hornby 0-4-0 to begin the journey into Narrow Gauge modeling.
No comments:
Post a Comment