This is our ongoing build of a London Transport Pannier Tank.
The model is based upon LBSC's Pansy design, but as you can see from the photographs, a great deal has been altered, embellished or simply redesigned. We have been working extensively from works drawings and reference photographs we hope to gave a very convincing and well detailed model ready for running in toward the end of this year. (other projects keep getting in the way!!)
Although it isn't practically possible to create a completely true scale backhead and still be able to drive the loco comfortably, we are trying to stick as closely as possible to the real thing, and only modify where necessary. Our hands have been a little tied in certain areas, as the loco came to us in a part built state, the boiler was already there, and constructed to the Pansy drawings. This meant to a certain degree we were restricted to the location of the existent bushes in the backhead. We have however managed to carefully move some of these and add others so that we can get closer to a scale prototypical backhead,.... and the photos give some idea of the changes made. The gauge glass is the most obvious area that we have had to compromise so far. It is a much more prototypical item than normally found on 5" Pannier models, but still far over scale for the model. It looks the part though, and was all completely fabricated in house of course.
The model came to us with standard coupling rods machined to the Pansy drawings, which are parallel sided. The actual rods on a Pannier are fishbellied, and so we silver soldered on new strips of material and then re-machined the profile correctly. If you look closely at the second photo below you can see the subtle line between the original and new material.
Next we tackled some of the running board and sander details. There is a comparison below of the original LBSC round sand box lids and our new, prototypical oval ones. We've also completely re-made the running boards and valances with the correct rivet detailing, and made the correct sandboxes and associated mounting brackets.
Next we have a few detailed photos of some of the running board brackets that we machined from solid to the works drawings. These were done to replace the original Pansy items, as although they can't really be seen,.... we knew the originals were there, and they weren't pretty or accurate! Also there are photos of a couple of the interesting Met/London Transport modifications that our model (being LT90) needs to carry.
There is the automatic brake valve detail, which essentially was a lever that would come into contact with an activator on the ground, operating a release valve and thus automatically applying the brakes. It is mounted on a free hanging bracket half way along the running boards. And then there is the mounting pad for the brushes that were used to keep the third rail clean, that is fitted underneath the footplate steps.
