Peter's Workbench a Urie S15

[Peter Cross]

I have made a start with this Ace kit S15. There is an option to get the Urie built ones with stepped footplate, This is the one that I want build. It is not for me but I would like a Urie S15 so it will be good practice.

First I had a look at what was in the kit to enable the stepped version to be built. It looks good to start with, there are the two sorts of footplatedrop irons, two cabs and rooves. Then it starts going down hill, there is only one footplate which is good for the Maunsell builds but needs butchering to use for the Urie's. Then a quick check of the cab shows that they are etched to fit the Maunsell footplate so are useless for the one they are supposed to fit. There is only one smokebox front and wrapper although the boiler centre lines were different heights. Also missing is the long splasher that runs from just behind the step to the cab. The castings are average but the main ones will be usable, but there is only a Urie smoke box door, and no Maunsell one, the Urie engines carried both.
I had no illusions to the kit being purfect, I have done a few of William's kits before.

I decided to start with the fooplate as this will determine what needs to be done to the frames to get them to fit.
As thought it did take a little butchery. I started but cutting it into four pieces, front drop, step top, main footplate and rear step, this just left me to form the small drop down curve.





So far so good. We will see if it continues on.

 

[Pencarrow]

Morning Peter, looks like this will be another 'character building' experience for you. From what I've seen the ACE kits demand a fair bit of skill and determination to finish, particularly if you're fussy and want the model to look like the prototype ;-)

You did an excellent job on the Ivatt tank for me so I've no doubt you'll succeed with this build. If you have a swear jar you might even be able to afford your own S15 at the end!

 

[Steph Dale]

The Urie S15 is a whacking great hole in the availability of LSWR/SR locos and a good kit is sorely needed.

Unfortunately the Ace one doesn't seem to be it, so I'm going to wish you well and watch with interest. I suspect you may end up using some of the parts in an otherwise scratchbuilt model!

Steph

 

[Ressaldar]

The Urie S15 is a whacking great hole in the availability of LSWR/SR locos and a good kit is sorely needed. Steph

Is there not the possibility that the new owners of Gladiator might resurrect the old Northstar version - although I understand that some effort is needed on that build as well - not quite as much as with an Ace kit of bits.

cheers

Mike

 

[Steph Dale]

Mike,
As far as I'm aware the Northstar/Gladiator version is a Maunsell S15, which is a very different beast.
Steph

 

[Peter Cross]

Morning Peter, looks like this will be another 'character building' experience for you. From what I've seen the ACE kits demand a fair bit of skill and determination to finish, particularly if you're fussy and want the model to look like the prototype ;-)

You did an excellent job on the Ivatt tank for me so I've no doubt you'll succeed with this build. If you have a swear jar you might even be able to afford your own S15 at the end!

Thanks Chris. I am hoping it ends up looking as it should.

 

[Peter Cross]

The Urie S15 is a whacking great hole in the availability of LSWR/SR locos and a good kit is sorely needed.

Unfortunately the Ace one doesn't seem to be it, so I'm going to wish you well and watch with interest. I suspect you may end up using some of the parts in an otherwise scratchbuilt model!

Steph

I agree, there is a shortage of all his engines. Especially as I feel his designs are the forerunners of so many simple outside cylinder locos.

At least the boiler is the same. I have a couple of GA's so most will be close enough to pass as a S15.

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

If it's of interest here's a Urie S15 taken by my dad in the early 1960's near Bracknell. I believe it's a S15 as the smokebox appears too small to be a H15.

 

[Peter Cross]

If it's of interest here's a Urie S15 taken by my dad in the early 1960's near Bracknell. I believe it's a S15 as the smokebox appears too small to be a H15.
View attachment 53219

Nice photo. Just a shame about all the overhead wires.

 

[Peter Cross]

I have assebled the bogie for the loco. This I have added three point compensation to, the bogie will also be the point of the triangle for the compensation on the frames. You will see there is a home made stretcher as I needed to make the bogie narrower to allow for cast springs rather than an etched out line.


The bushes where removed and the holes turned into slots. I soldered a scrap bearing cut out over the outside and a length of angle to stop rotation.

I used some tender springs that were about right, inverted their mountings and fitted them between the frame and the cosmetic compensation beam. The block below them was also beefed up with a piece of bar between the two etched parts suplied.

I replaced the front and rear stretchers with wire and nuts rather than use the flatpart in the kit.





I just need to sort out a square cover for the bushes to make them look like axle boxes rather than tubes. Even so I am pleased as it is looking more three dimensional that it would of done.

With the wheels added it seems to work well, and I think having the rocking axle at the rear will hide it quite nicely, with the slidebars, brake levers etc all being in and around it.



I still need to make a centre block and sides for the side control, but thats the easy bit.
I suppose I should do some cleaning up before I get to much further along.

 

[Steph Dale]

Like it, the classic Adams' bogie. A really nice start to your model. I'm interested in your compensation as I tend not to bother with bogie compensation with my finescale locos, is this S7?

Steph

 

[Peter Cross]

Like it, the classic Adams' bogie. A really nice start to your model. I'm interested in your compensation as I tend not to bother with bogie compensation with my finescale locos, is this S7?

Steph

No it is finescale. This is the first loco I have added compensation to the bogie but also the first time I have used the bogie as the point of the triangle on anything other than an 0-4-4. But my thoughts on this was to get a longer triangle. just compensating the drives the triangle was very short and I thought would lead to instability. So with this one I will have side beams on the rear drivers pivot just rear of centre. Then have a beam with the bogie pivot at one end and the other resting on the centre of the front driver, this beam is pivoted just the front driver side of centre.
Hoping it will all work out ok, with the boiler being so low I think most of the bits will be hidden.

 

[Steph Dale]

Peter,
That compensation arrangement has worked well for me, so I expect it'll work fine. I still didn't compensate the bogie though!
Steph

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

Nice photo. Just a shame about all the overhead wires.

One of the hazards of photographing British Railways then as is OHLE is today . It's nice to pick your location which unfortunately the celestial forces do not always allow......

 

[mickoo]

Nice photo. Just a shame about all the overhead wires.

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

Nicely done , I just didn't have the patience.

 

[Peter Cross]

Peter,
That compensation arrangement has worked well for me, so I expect it'll work fine. I still didn't compensate the bogie though!
Steph

Thats nice to hear. Maybe just overkill, you are probably right that it is not needed. I was just trying to get a smooth a ride a possible.

 

[Peter Cross]

Very much better Mickoo. As far as I can see the brakes are wrong for a Urie H15.

 

[Peter Cross]

On with the frames. I found the spacers very narrow,I dislike having to put to many washers either side to stop the play. So some new ones were made.



The next job to do was the solder up and fettle the coupling and connecting rods. The frames were also cut out for a pair of Slaters etched horns for the front drivers.



The compensation beams were next the rear ones are the same as I normally do them except the rear driver bushes are soldered from the outside, and the front one is a bit heftier.



I was quite surprised it all went together rather well. Until I realised I managed to get the frames out of vertical, second time around the footplate sat better.






I was pleased that the top of the frames sat level saves a lot of fiddling.



You will notice that the front of the frames have been cut off in front of where the cylinders will go. This is because they would not fit the footplate. I will adapt the cut off parts to fit on the footplate. It just goes to show the designer never put one together to check his work.




By the way the bogie mounting pin has been straightened up since the photo showed it up.

 

[Genghis]

Looking good (as expected).

I am beginning to believe that taking photos at every stage of construction and studying them before moving on is an excellent way of avoiding work that later has to be redone. No matter how many times I look at something with my natural 3D vision, the 2D image shows stuff that I would never otherwise spot. How many times did you look at the bogie pin and not spot anything before you looked at the photo?