Atlantic's works: Portable layout - Scenic details next

[Atlantic 3279]

My latest cold seems to be on the way out, so I hope that work on streamliners will resume apace quite shortly - it needs to!

I've not seen anybody attempt a convertsion of the Bachmann D11 to a D10 yet. Have I missed anything elsewhere on the web? It appears to me that if a 0.5mm error in the boiler pitch is ignored (and why struggle to correct that?) then the conversion of the loco itself requires only a new or altered cab, trimmed down frame profile under the boiler behind the saddle, and boiler mountings to suit the chosen loco/period, with or without valances over the coupling rods. The tender might be the fly in the ointment as the self trimming version behind the D11 isn't right for a D10 and I don't think a really convincing tender conversion is a simple matter. A tender from the O4 or forthcoming J11 would be a better starting point, but the self-trimming version won't suit either of those locos as a swap. Turning a blind eye to the tender, or settling for a less than perfect tender conversion, or building something such as a Dave Alexander tender might therefore be necessary. The latter option could of course be exercised in such a way as to include a drawbar that loads some of the "dead" weight of the whitemetal tender onto the rear of the loco, with benefit to haulage capacity.
I wonder how much demand there would be for a substitute D10 cab in resin? Bachmann might do a D10 version of course, but unlike all of the D11 options that they've been able to produce, that would require a new running plate casting to portray the different frame profile.

[45609]

...... that would require a new running plate casting to portray the different frame profile.

It didn't stop Bachmann doing a new running plate casting for the ROD to add the middle footstep and correct the error in the length of wide running plate over the cylinders.

[Bill Bedford]

I wonder how much demand there would be for a substitute D10 cab in resin? Bachmann might do a D10 version of course, but unlike all of the D11 options that they've been able to produce, that would require a new running plate casting to portray the different frame profile.

The frame profile above the footplate is a plastic overlay, so I think Bachmann has at least thought about a D10.

[Atlantic 3279]

I hadn't noticed that Bill. I'm not in a position to rush towards making a cab, so I'll see what develops in terms of potential D10 demand and further "official" variations on the Bachmann loco.

[Saint Johnstoun]

I'm wondering if there is any mileage in doing a 'cab swap' between a D11 and an O4 (one of the ones with a side window cab reboilered from O5). I must go away and study more closely to see if an accurate result can be achieved without much alteration to either cab?

[earlswood nob]

Afternnon all
The problem with swapping cabs is that the GCR cabs look alike at first glance, but are many different sizes. I thought of converting an O4 to a B9, but the B9 cab is longer than the O4, and the boiler is shorter. I don't know the exact size of the D10 cab, but when I measured an O4 cab against a D11, the O4 cab is shorter.
Earlswood Nob

[Atlantic 3279]

I think the D10 cab is also wider than that of the O4, with a markedly higher arch to the roof.

[Saint Johnstoun]

I've studied photos etc. closely and as far as I can see a D10 conversion could be performed by changing the cab sides and removing the overhang on the existing D11 cab, and modifying the frames under the boiler. My drawings attached give an idea of what is required.

GCR Director D10 & D11.doc

(788.5 KiB) Downloaded 110 times

[Atlantic 3279]

I entirely agree that for the cab, it is only the sides and the roof extension that need to be changed. My thoughts of a new cab were driven by the fact that the cab is a clip-on fit anyway, so some modellers might prefer to fit a complete new neatly cast cab rather than try to make alterations. There seems to be little to suggest that interest in this idea is widespread at present.

[Saint Johnstoun]

I presume Graeme that one could produce a complete resin cab to replace the existing one, but as you say there is not much interest at present. We may have to wait and see what Bachmann have up their sleeves anyway before moving on.

[Manxman1831]

How practicable would it be to fit a Little Engines D10 cab in place of the D11 one? Assuming all of the other alterations are pretty much cosmetic/removal jobs?

[Atlantic 3279]

If the Little Engines cabsides (which I can't remember as I built my D10 years ago) are shaped properly to follow the S of the running plate, and if the spectacle plate fits around the firebox, then I magine you could fit that cab but no doubt some alterations would be required. The Bachmann spectacle plate clips into a groove all around the firebox sides/top, and the bottom edges of the cabsides are slightly recessed into the running plate - neatly avoiding any possibility of a gap at the bottom edges of the cab.

If you have the Little Engines kit but don't fancy building the whole thing then at least you can build the right kind of GC tender for your Bachmann / Little Engines hybrid D10.

[9E]

I've studied photos etc. closely and as far as I can see a D10 conversion could be performed by changing the cab sides and removing the overhang on the existing D11 cab, and modifying the frames under the boiler. My drawings attached give an idea of what is required.

Isn't there a slight difference in boiler pitch as well?


Simon

[Atlantic 3279]

As mentioned in the first entry on this page.......

[Saint Johnstoun]

The boiler was pitched 1.5" higher on the D11s as they reverted to inside admission valves operated by rocking shafts. This arrangement always fascinated me as a youngster when I often saw the D11/2s in action from station platforms and being of much reduced height in those days one could see the inside motion in operation, often as one of the class reversed out of platform six at Perth General Station having brought a train in from Glasgow Queen Street via Alloa Swing Bridge and the Devon Valley route to Kinross.

At 0.5mm I suspect that in 4mm scale the difference is hardly noticeable except to the absolute purist!