The Heybridge Railway, 1889 to 1913

[Richard Gawler]

A small diversion as the Modern Image arrives at the Heybridge Railway.

The railway would have hired in a loco when ‘Blackwater’ or ‘Heybridge’ were away for repairs or overhaul. The first such loco is a class C53 tram from the GER.


The model has been scratchbuilt with a styrene body and a brass chassis. It was built by the vendor’s father, and the vendor has remotored it and upgraded the gearbox.


The model runs as an 0-4-0, this makes the side rods much easier with such a short wheelbase. The driven axle is rigid and the other two are compensated around a central rocking arm. The compensated axles are supported in home-made hornblocks.


Pedants will know these locos left their side skirts “at home” when they returned to Stratford, but I don’t think this will trouble me very much. It is such a lovely model. The livery is correct for the period of the Heybridge Railway though the running number is from a 1921 loco.


This loco is going to fit into the scene here very well.

 

[Dog Star]

Now that first image is just so good, I cannot make my mind up if the single bolster sets off the tram or Toby enhances the wagon.

Nice!

Rgds, Graham

 

[adrian]

The model runs as an 0-4-0, this makes the side rods much easier with such a short wheelbase. The driven axle is rigid and the other two are compensated around a central rocking arm. The compensated axles are supported in home-made hornblocks.

An intriguing industrial chassis there. I was going to comment on the point of the compensated axles when the coupling rods were solid but then realised that the centre wheels are just free wheeling, but then bolted in hornblock plates!

 

[Richard Gawler]

The model runs as an 0-4-0, this makes the side rods much easier with such a short wheelbase.

Here is a closer look at the chassis. We can see how the builder changed the design part way through the build.







The vendor told me, it proved too difficult to arrange articulation in the side rods with such a compact wheelbase.

Anyway, it runs really well with all six wheels planted firmly on the track all the time.

 

[simond]

He was so close... And given the equalisation, I am sure he had the skills.

That said, the only downside that I can see of what he has done would be if the pickup drag caused the centre axle to slide rather than roll, and I doubt that is an issue.

 

[Richard Gawler]

I have marked a centre wheel with a felt pen and I can confirm, the axle is rotating not sliding.

 

[Richard Gawler]

Now that first image is just so good, I cannot make my mind up if the single bolster sets off the tram or Toby enhances the wagon.

Nice!

I wanted a photo to send to the person who sold me the C53.

I had explained, I had managed only one wagon build last year so I wanted to show the two together.



I tried a second photo with the running-in board removed (because this casts such a shadow) but the first attempt was better. Thank goodness for digital photography, I could never manage anything like this with film.