6656 0-6-2T boiler fittings

[andrewnummelin]

I'm modelling a train I remember, more or less, but I've hit a couple of problems with the loco: Mainline 66xx body on Perseverance chassis.

Firstly, I wish to model the low safety valve version and bought a casting (4M713) from Alan Gibson that I thought would be correct, but it has been made for a parallel boiler rather than a tapered one. One option could be to buy the correct one from someone else if available: however all the catalogues on line that I found have neither illustrations nor good descriptions, so I fear they may suffer the same or similar problems. The second option would be to hammer the Gibson casting into the right shape but being lost wax brass and very hard this is not simple. Is there a good way to heat treat the casting to soften it? (Casting is loosely placed, boiler needs the smoothing to be finished.)

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Secondly, I've broken the whistles off their mounting. Whistles are available, but am I right in thinking that no-one makes a complete unit?

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The final problem I have is to decide on livery - there are loads of illustrations of the very clean loco with white painted buffer faces and fully lined green livery (SLS excursions when the Newport-Blaenavon line closed) but was it so painted in 1961 when I travelled behind it? (Being barely a teenager I noted the loco number but little else.) Would thick grime and invisible totem be appropriate for 1961? Or just dirty and cycling lion to go on the club layout set in the mid '50s? Or shall I just continue to prevaricate?

[davebradwell]

Brass is annealed by heating it to red and plunging into cold water. In practice, as you might expect, there are some traps. When you play your blowlamp on your tiny fitting all the edges will suddenly glow bright red, which is above the melting point of brass and disappear. After removing heat, there isn't enough mass in the thing to be red when it hits the water but fortunately it will probably cool fast enough in air to anneal - just dunk it in water so you don't burn your fingers.

Heat it gently to a dull red (not in a bright light) and all will be well.

Weren't some of these engines built at Robert Stephenson's?

DaveB

[Noel]

Weren't some of these engines built at Robert Stephenson's?

6650-99 were built by Armstrong Whitworth on the Tyne, the rest by Swindon.

[petermeyer]

I thought the Gibson safety valve was for a tapered boiler. I’m sure I’ve got one. And did parallel boilers ever have top feed?

The other source might be the Finney castings at Brassmasters.

[stevemcclary]

Modelu have a range of GWR safety valves which can be found under the Detailing Components part of their website. They are available with or without the shields.

Being plastic, they will need painting, and are extremely fragile -you can guess how I know!

[Noel]

And did parallel boilers ever have top feed?

The ROD 2-8-0s the GWR bought after WW1 were so fitted after purchase, the Riddles WD 2-8-0 and 2-10-0 were built with them [although the GWR/WR changed the type on their 2-8-0 allocation], and most of the Collett built pannier tanks had them most of the time, although early batches of 57XX did not as built, and some built with them did acquire older boilers without top feed on boiler changes. These top feeds were separate from the safety valve housings, though.

[zebedeesknees]

There is a pic of 6656 on a freight through Birmingham Snow Hill on 4th Feb '64 in the Sixsmith 0-6-2 Tank Papers Vol 2, by when mucky black was indeed the livery.

Incidentally, the opposite page has a fantastic full page shot of an instantly recognisable place - the 'back end' of Barrow Road shed, with 6654 in line with a Patriot in the foreground, next to another 0-6-2T, then a Pannier in line with an 8F, then another 0-6-2T in line with probably a 4F. In the background is Pug 51218 and 4F 44102, a couple of wagon 'tables and a great deal of clutter!

Bachmann Spares have a body which might be an alternative:- https://bachmann-spares.co.uk/product/c ... 207-100-01

Ted.

[petermeyer]

These top feeds were separate from the safety valve housings, though.

Yes that’s what I meant. Thus the safety valve shown is for a tapered boiler…maybe turning it round and working more on the seating on the boiler might get it to work.

[Noel]

There is a pic of 6656 on a freight through Birmingham Snow Hill on 4th Feb '64 in the Sixsmith 0-6-2 Tank Papers Vol 2, by when mucky black was indeed the livery.

Yes, I have that as well. That it is in the by then usual state of filth I agree, but I'm not at all sure it is black. The photograph is taken from the front at a small angle, so the side of the tank is at an angle which makes it very difficult to see what may be under the dirt. If she was in lined green 6/5/62, the date of the SLS special, then she almost certainly still was 4/2/64. She was withdrawn 30/9/65, so anything more than very minor repairs in the interim would just have led to an earlier withdrawal.

BR WR generally ceased to apply lining to green tank locos, and some tender locos, by 1960, after which such locos ceased to be lined out, although still painted green. It seems to be a reasonable assumption that 6656 had been painted in lined green no later than 1960.

[Philip Hall]

Andrew, hope you get the safety valve cover sorted. I wonder if you have also spotted what is (I think) an error on the smokebox saddle of the Mainline model? There is a plate on the saddle which on the model as supplied is to one end of the saddle - I can't remember which - and photos I saw at the time showed it to be in the middle. I did one of these many moons ago with a Perseverance chassis and a picture is appended to show the amended plate.

Of course you might have spotted this already!

Philip

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[andrewnummelin]

Thanks to all of you for the useful replies - I'll now have to set to and finish this thing off.

Dave, I'm not sure about trying annealing - at least I now know what to aim for if I end up going down this route. Peter, I've checked again and the casting is symmetrical front to back.

Steve, I'd missed Modelu as a possible source (for a painted one). I too know about brittleness, the fittings on one of my models (https://www.nummelin.me.uk/andrew/index.php) broke all around the rims - new brass tops to be fitted once the chassis has been fixed.

Ted, the anything other than green is most likely what I'll go for as I'm guessing that I would have remembered if the loco had been clean enough to have visible lining when I saw it. (The only coloured loco I remember from around that time was a Hymek...)

Philip, thanks for pointing out the error on the saddle - I had heard about it but I'd completely forgotten.

[Phil O]

Springside did/do safety valves for parallel and tapered boilers. Sorry no link, but my mastery of technology is lacking in some areas.

[Horsetan]

Springside did/do safety valves for parallel and tapered boilers. ...

I haven't seen any new stock of safety valves from Springside since the early 2000s. Although they are still listed in the catalogue, the reality is production seems to have stopped a very long time ago.