3D print of this engine is now available at Model Engine Works on Shapeways.
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© 2019 David Hurst All Rights
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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
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© 2019 David Hurst All Rights
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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.
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© 2019 David Hurst All Rights
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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.
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© 2019 David Hurst All Rights
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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.
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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.
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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.
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© 2019 David Hurst All Rights
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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.
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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.
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© 2019 David Hurst All Rights
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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.
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| © 2019 David Hurst All Rights Reserved |
If you would like a 3D print of this model visit Shapeways at:
