Sunday 10 March 2019

009 Skylark Style Engine



3D print of this engine is now available at Model Engine Works on Shapeways.


©  2019   David Hurst     All  Rights Reserved

One small engine which a lot of people seem to have on their layouts is the Kerr Stuart 0-4-2 Skylark. Most use the white metal kit and a chassis such as the Ndrive 0-4-0 with a pony wheel added. I was impressed by the one built by Michael Campbell using the Kato chassis with side plates which mimicked the pony wheel with the rear wheel of the Kato chassis, a simple but really good solution. http://michaelsrailways.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/a-little-bit-of-skirt.html

©  2019   David Hurst     All  Rights Reserved

I decided to have a go at scratch building my own version of the Skylark. As I was looking to build something in this style rather than recreating the actual engine, there were possibilities to make a few changes to the model and still keep the look and spirit of that style of engine.
I got as many reference pictures as I could find together and also one of the Kato 11-104 chassis. 

©  2019   David Hurst     All  Rights Reserved

These are very good when getting into modelling 009 narrow gauge engines as they are so reliable and inexpensive. These can be used on engines that are made with side plates, which were usual on roadside tramways built in the UK and Ireland.
I started by making a mock-up footplate, to get the right-sized opening to fit the chassis. Once I had that sorted I made a few scale drawings of the bodywork, using the pictures as guidance.

©  2019   David Hurst     All  Rights Reserved

My plan was to build the engine from different thickness of sheet Plasticard and spare pieces from old model kits that had been left over. 
To make the body I printed some paper patterns from the drawings that I had made, which were temporally fixed to various thickness of Plasticard with Pritt stick. This holds them long enough to cut out and the paper then just peels off afterwards.
The smoke box having a round top was formed using 1mm front and back shaped pieces fixed to the rectangular base. Then thin sheet Plasticard was formed over this in two layers. This is easy to bend to shape and by gluing the additional layer strengthens it up. The same idea was used on the boiler, with an additional layer being used to create the bands around the boiler. Of course if you have the right size tube this will save going to the trouble of making the boiler.
The chimney and dome were made using lime wood and turned in the chuck of a small electric drill.

©  2019   David Hurst     All  Rights Reserved


If I had known about the “Gem 9104” white metal OO-9/ industrial loco fittings beforehand I would have used one of these chimneys and the dome.

The smoke box door was made up of two discs of 1 mm Plasticard sanded to shape, the hinges and handles were added using spare bits from an Airfix 040 saddle tank kit.I formed the spectacle windows by drilling an oversized hole and lining this with strips of thin Plasticard sheet to give the impression of a brass frame when painted. I made use of a pair of vacuum pipes from a spare Vale of Rheidol coach.  
 
©  2019   David Hurst     All  Rights Reserved


The upper edges to the water tanks have a strip of the Plasticard added round the top  and this is then filed to a D shape with the top inner edge softened, which forms a slight well at the top of the two side tanks.
I used one of the Dapol track side figures for the crew. I did find that I had to shorten the legs on this figure as in general they are slightly over size in some of the smaller engines.  

©  2019   David Hurst     All  Rights Reserved

I made the lamps in bulk some time ago using white 1 mm thick plasticard rectangles to form a 3 x 2 x 2mm block and then added a 2mm disk on top, and for the lenses I used a small 2mm clear or red rhinestone. 
The paint was a mixture of various Humbrol colours to produce a shade of maroon that I liked. A final coat of matt was added to the footplate and smoke box, then satin varnish over the maroon painted areas. I used real crushed coal in the bunker – you need to get this almost like dust at this scale to look right.

©  2019   David Hurst     All  Rights Reserved

The finishing touch was a set of name and works plates from Narrow Planet who do the brass etched plates to order. “Fergus” was my chosen name with a separate set of works plates.

©  2019   David Hurst     All  Rights Reserved

 It has been a good practice run for me and I have enjoyed the challenge of the build.


This popular little engine is now available as a 3D print to run on the readily available Kato 11-104 chassis. It has separate foot plate body and roof to allow for interior details to be added, there are also a pair of simple couplings printed under the foot plate of the model.
Additional details will be needed to complete the model as show, these include smoke box door handles, cab side handrails and working lamps.

©  2019   David Hurst     All  Rights Reserved

If you would like a 3D print of this model visit Shapeways at:




6 comments:

  1. I've been hoping somebody would offer something like this as a 3d print. Something you may consider doing?

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  2. Hi David. No idea if you'll see this, but it's the only way I could think of to contact you. I've spotted the n-gauge colliery headgear wheels in your shop online; they're fantastic, but a wee bit too large for the model I'm making. Any chance you could produce a set with a diameter of 28mm? Richard.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Is there a way to use this model with a Kato 11-103 chassis

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hello
    It would take a lot of alteration to the 11-103 chassis to fit, you would be much better using one of the new Kato 11-110 chassis.

    ReplyDelete
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