A poor mans White Pass Mikado

[philg]

Here’s a few pics of the layout with locos set up in Indian guise (Sagor).
There’s a Indian Western Railway 4-6-0 built an a big hauler chassis; a YP built on an Annie chassis mucked about with to make it a Pacific and the Cylinder block modified to look like a piston valve set up!
Then there’s the Aristocraft 2-8-2 which since these pictures were taken has had its cab modified
The tank engine is a slightly modified LGB 0-6-2T and then there’s a colonialised Bachmann Industrial 2-6-0
Hope these are of interest
Chris

I was very interested to see your Indian 4-6-0 here . Is this a BBCIR G2 class? I'd also looked at this as a prototype because it seems to be the only Indian 4-6-0 with a symmetrical wheelbase. However, I gave up on the idea because AFAIK they were all built at Ajmer so I thought drawings would be a problem. Did you manage to find some or did you work the model up from photographs?
Phil

 

[Flying15]

I was very interested to see your Indian 4-6-0 here . Is this a BBCIR G2 class? I'd also looked at this as a prototype because it seems to be the only Indian 4-6-0 with a symmetrical wheelbase. However, I gave up on the idea because AFAIK they were all built at Ajmer so I thought drawings would be a problem. Did you manage to find some or did you work the model up from photographs?
Phil

Hi thanks
The loco was based on photographs
Mainly from Laurie Marshall’s metre gauge one
I’d been to Sri Lanka and ridden on the footplate of a couple of broad gauge 4-6-0s there and wanted to create something of that style
The G2 was the nearest type in metre gauge form that I could see as buildable
Clearly there’s more than a few compromises in building something around a commercial chassis and I’d like to fit a better chimney and dome someday
I’m impressed particularly given its shortcomings that you identified it as a G2, as Indian steam is a bit of niche interest
I like the BCCIR 4-6-4Ts too which I’d like to model, but I ve been building British locos for the last couple of years so the idea remains unfulfilled
At the few shows the layout has been to most questions I get are about ‘not having people riding on the coach roofs!!!’
Chris

 

[philg]

Hi thanks
The loco was based on photographs
Mainly from Laurie Marshall’s metre gauge one
I’d been to Sri Lanka and ridden on the footplate of a couple of broad gauge 4-6-0s there and wanted to create something of that style
The G2 was the nearest type in metre gauge form that I could see as buildable
Clearly there’s more than a few compromises in building something around a commercial chassis and I’d like to fit a better chimney and dome someday
I’m impressed particularly given its shortcomings that you identified it as a G2, as Indian steam is a bit of niche interest
I like the BCCIR 4-6-4Ts too which I’d like to model, but I ve been building British locos for the last couple of years so the idea remains unfulfilled
At the few shows the layout has been to most questions I get are about ‘not having people riding on the coach roofs!!!’
Chris

We must share the same taste in locomotives as I've also been attracted by the BBCIR Baltic tanks. According to Hughes, the D2s were essentially tank versions of the G2s like your model. However, I think that the earlier D and D1 engines are even more attractive with thier almost "Brighton" appearance, and the earlier 4-4-4Ts more so still. Perhaps somewhere in the bowels of Ajmer works there is a room full of yellowing drawings....Last time I was there though, they wouldn't even let me into the grounds to photograph the plinthed loco. I've only ever seen roof riders on the narrow gauge in India; on a steam train it's another one of many ways to get extremely grubby in that country!

 

[50calMal]

Right, well I've finally finished this heavy beast. It didn't turn out quite as I hoped, due the previously commented on set up of the Aristocraft chassis, not enabling me to shorten it enough to give the 'stubby' look I was after. However undaunted, it's now an impression of one of the proposed WP&YR 'Mikes' that were considered before they had to turn diesel. Named after my late Father, who's passion for garden railways led me into this hobby, it's now the biggest loco on my layout, although currently I can't run it very far as a lot of my curves and clearances are to tight - ah well it was time for a major rebuild of the layout!!