7mm Michaels odd new kit, a Prussian T18

[michael080]

lovely job even if it is as ugly as sin!

True enough



both locos are built in the same scale 1/43.5. There is a proverb that the designer of prussian engines Robert Garbe wanted "this machines to be simple enough to be repaired in any east prussian horse stable"
It is a pity that there are no kits of the Southern German steam engines available. They were elegant machines in comparison with the prussian designs. Sadly, all later Einheits-Lokomotiven designed by the Reichsbahn in the 1920-1930 were following prussian design rules and were not much prettier.

Michael

 

[Ian@StEnochs]

I find it very interesting that the Europeans could make successful Baltic tanks, the T1i was a class of 500+, and there were others. Here in the UK there were 6 small classes of Baltics and none very useful nor long lived. Having just built a model of one of Whiteleggs engines, over complicated and top heavy, I can appreciate the sheer presence of yours.

Ian.

 

[AJC]

I find it very interesting that the Europeans could make successful Baltic tanks, the T1i was a class of 500+, and there were others. Here in the UK there were 6 small classes of Baltics and none very useful nor long lived. Having just built a model of one of Whiteleggs engines, over complicated and top heavy, I can appreciate the sheer presence of yours.

Ian.

Was the Whitelegg involvement significant in the failure of the G&SWR/LT&SR examples? It's notable that all were for (relatively) smaller railways and so I suppose outside the normal traditions of the larger companies' engineering development?

Adam

 

[Ian@StEnochs]

Adam,

Yes! On the G&SWR Robert Whitelegg wreaked havoc with many of his predecessors locomotives and turned them from competent machines, for the task they were built to do, into basket cases. To be fair to the man he inherited a very run down collection of engines, primarily because of the ravages of the Great War, but also inadequate facilities at Kilmarnock works. His plan to standardise boilers was a good one but alas his designs were rather poor and not as good as those replaced. That plus tinkering with the valve gear, which resulted in very poor valve events, sealed their fate with the result that virtually all had gone within 10 years of grouping. Having said that his rebuilt engines did look good and gave the crew a much better cab to work in.

His Baltic tanks were a triumph in publicity terms but not in service with innumerable mechanical problems. Their route availability was seriously restricted, as is my model, and we’re not liked very much by the crews. Their best feature being the provision of coal watering sprinklers in the bunker! That the usually very canny board sanctioned their building, over £16k in 1922, has never really been explained. The LMS kept them going until new boilers were needed but that wasn’t very long.

However the Baltic pug is synonymous with the Sou’West and I had to have one in my collection along with many of its predecessors. I do also have an example of his earlier LT&SR pug.

Ian.