Click here to download the price list for the LNWR 0-6-2T 'Coal Tank' Locomotive
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My First Pubished Locomotive Design
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The Prototype
After FW Webb had come into office, it was clear that a small goods tank engine was needed for each way working on branch lines and so the 0-6-2T Coal Tank was designed and built from 1881. They quickly were found to be useful on passenger duty too and as the mechanical brake on the locomotives was poor, their use with the vacuum fitted coaching stock gave the stopping power necessary. The cylinders and running gear was just the same as the Coal Engine so it only required the frames to be extended to add a trailing axle under the coal bunker.
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The 3’ 9” diameter carrying wheels were of the same design as the now standard coupled wheels with their ‘I’ or ‘H’ section spokes. Some 300 examples of the Coal tank were built and they were used all over the L&NWR system, lasting well through the time of the LMS and into the BR scene. Fortunately there is a preserved example No. 1054, and this has been a much needed reference for the building of the model design.
The challenge to produce a model came from the difficulty in producing the design of driving wheel, the centres of which are cast iron and are very robust for the duty to be performed. Each ‘triangular’ shaped opening in the wheel is actually formed using a set of individually positioned core boxes and the wheels were cast lying flat on the floor of Crewe works foundry with the moulded core assembly being rotated as the iron was poured into the centre, so the molten metal could reach the extremities of the cores. This style of wheel was adopted for other similar locomotives. |
The Model
The model was chosen as a project because of the unusual wheel design and it was considered to be small enough to appeal to those who run their models at club tracks. The locomotive is designed for 5” gauge and this has resulted in a model that is 34” long and weighs around 110 lbs. The design commenced in 1987 and the chassis had been made by the time a construction series was accepted by the Engineering in Miniature magazine in 1993. This series of articles lasted until 1999 and covered the build in considerable detail. It is understood that the necessary back numbers of these magazines can still be obtained from the publishers.
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All the necessary patterns for the miniature castings were made as required and helpful foundries produced the parts. Due to various advances in model building technology over the years and with parts produced for the later LNWR designs now available, there are some laser cut and water jet cut steel parts that are applicable to the Coal Tank and these are shown on the Price List. As the mainline locomotives were used over a considerable period of time, there are various details available to build the model to suit the actual wishes of the modeller. For instance, there are round smokebox doors, iron brakes instead of wooden ones, and various buffer stocks and heads for the changes made by later CME’s. The later engines also had coal rails around the bunker with different toolbox positions. The logical thing to do is to find photograph of a prototype you like and use that as a guide. The list of 56 drawings is comprehensive and they can be purchased as a batch or singly as preferred.
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+44 1600 713913
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address
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1 Highmeadow, Wyesham, Monmouth, Monmoutshire NP25 3TB
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Last updated 26th December 2020
