4mm Peckett-ish

[Neil]

Some time ago I mentioned that I saw the narrow gauge world as being more tolerant of models that looked like rather than be millimetre perfect representations of a particular prototype. I had a fancy to see if I could get away with the same sort of thing in the more exacting? demanding? arena of standard gauge model making. My first run out with this gambit was with a relatively obscure Czechoslovakian shunter in HO; I think I might just have got away with it. Time I thought to up the stakes a little and try something British.

Here's my starting point.


It's a Model Power loco from a cheap (£12.50) train set that Amazon were knocking out a couple of Christmases ago. I sold the wagons and transformer for more than the set cost, the track is now my test track. Enough of high finance, this is what I was left with once I'd peeled the body away ....


.... and this is what it looked like once I'd refined it (a bit).


Why would I bother faffing about with such a compromised mechanism? Well much to my surprise it ran remarkably smoothly out of the box and continues to do so even after I'd chopped it about a bit.

I was aiming for a Peckett-esque impression so for the upper parts one of the ever-available Kitmaster/Airfix/Dapol/and back to Kitmaster Pugs was bought on the last shopping trip to Aberystwyth.


The multicoloured patchwork of parts which makes up the cab gives an idea of the chopping and changing which has gone on here while the two blocks glued onto the back of the boiler/tank assembly bear witness to a tank cut back 4mm too short.

 

[40126]

The third pic should say, Here's one I did earlier !. I can see the original chassis at the back.

Steve

 

[Neil]

I have to confess that I hacked the chassis some time ago with an HO Cockerill shunter in mind. However the height of the motor gave a disproportionately high roof for that build so the chassis was tucked away for later use. With a coherent (!) narrative in mind I thought it best to present the different sections of the build together as one, even if the start was made a year or so ago.

 

[Neil]

I've managed to get a little more done since last weekend, the loco now looks like this.



It's not perfect by any means, in finish, detail or proportions, but I like to think that it might capture something of an industrial saddletank with Peckett like overtones. Part of the problem lies with the positioning and height of the motor being a bit too far forward and a bit too tall to really get the proportions spot on, however I do think it's worth persevering with.

I should also point out that all that I have specifically bought for the project was the pug kit, everything else was in stock, so it won't owe me much if I'm ultimately unsatisfied with the build. I've also hedged my bets by putting my name down for one of these; well who could resist?

 

[Simon]

Hate to suggest more work, and I think your new cab cut out looks very Peckettesque, but it is still shouting Airfix pug to my eyes.

I think the best thing you could do to shake off inherent pug-ness is to set the boiler/saddletank higher up off the footplate, ideally making the visible bit of boiler a bigger diameter and carving off and replacing the smokebox door with something a bit bigger. But even if you didn't go that far, just changing the relationship of the top of the saddle tank to the roof would be a game changer I think.

I bet you've got some useful bits in one of your bits boxes

Simon

 

[Neil]

Thanks for your thoughts Simon. At the mock up stage the tank has been up and down more times than a tarts drawers. At the moment it's 2mm higher than in pug format, any higher and the problems of proportion centre around the gap between tank bottom and footplate. However remember my earlier comments about the height of the motor? It has resulted in a cab 3mm higher than the pug standard, 1mm on top of the spectacle plate to get rid of the pug's beetle-browed look and 2mm at the base, which negates the tank lift in comparison to the cab. I think what is needed is a bigger diameter tank. Somewhere upstairs I've probably got a spare Smokey Joe job, which I'll size up. Will report back with my findings.

 

[Simon]

That's interesting,it does look good but it would be a neat trick if it could look less pug-ish.

All that said I'm being a bit harsh, by the time you've painted it and the smokebox wing plates show up more it'll look less "puggy".

The wheelbase and size of wheels look good though.

It's quite "Yorktown" as it is, but ironically with bigger wheels.

I have just resuscitated my "Bachmann met Jouef" monstrosity which looks more than a bit pants next to the Hornby 08

Simon

 

[simond]

Might I suggest a slightly longer front footplate?

Coupled with the wing plates, I think will help it look yet more Peckettesque.

Best
Simon

 

[Neil]

Reporting back. The Smokey Joe saddle tank is unsuitably wide and while I could have overlaid the tanks with layers of thin plasticard I would have had to cut all the bits off that I'd cut off and re-stuck before; frankly I couldn't be arsed. However I found some handrail knobs (think from a scrapped Airfix 14xx body) and I have been arsed to fix them in place and sort out a line of the Archer rivet transfers where the tank has a join half way along. I hate Archer rivet transfers, they go all wonky if you so much as look in their general direction and I can only get them to hold position by flashing a small drop of solvent along their length.

I've taken the following three shots of the progress with a proper pug for comparison.







Not perfect by a long, long way but then again with the appearance of a proper Peckett this autumn* it doesn't have to be. Whilst in a critical mood I don't think it's as successful as the rebuilt Piko toy into the SCD shunter. The proportions of that build were pretty much spot on, Here it's been a case of chasing round all the compromises and trying to mitigate the worst of them.

*Assuming Hornby don't go bust in the meantime.

 

[Simon]

Pleasingly Peckett-like I'd say.

Simon

 

[Neil]

Not a lot of progress to report apart from the first coat of an industrial ice blue over the upper parts of the loco.




One (of the many) tasks left to do is to drill a pair of holes in the top of the dome for the safety valves. I'd like to get this done before any more paint goes on.

 

[Neil]

The Peckett staggers on towards completion.



Still some way to go, but mainly paint rather than construction.

 

[steve1]

Neatly done.

I assume there will be a bod in the cab to disguise the 'workings' in due course?

steve

 

[Neil]

Thanks Steve, yes there will. Don't hold your breath though as I'm incredibly slow at putting people in cabs.

 

[Neil]

No crew yet, but I started the weathering the loco. To my mind it's this stage where models start to settle down and the stark individuality of the components blends into a whole.