Aristo 2-8-2 into a Riddles 8F

[Flying15]

At the recent Llangollen show I bought a secondhand Aristocraft 2-8-2. It had seen some modifications and the plastic valve gear was looking precarious. It also had no tender. I like a challenge and thought at the price I paid the worst outcome would be that I had a lot of spare parts for future projects.
Once home it was tested and ran in both directions well.
The next step was to decide what I should make from the loco. I didn’t need another US 2-8-2 so thoughts went to British prototypes. A Ravenglass minature loco perhaps rather along the lines of my RHDR locos. Instead I opted for looking at mainline locos. There was the Gresley P1s a goods version of his A1/A3 design, but on these the connecting rod drove the second axle. That I think left a few designed but never built locos.
This is where Riddles 8F came in. Essentially it was a goods version of the Britannias which didn’t get off the drawing board due to decisions to build 9F 2-10-0s instead.
So below are some illustrations of progress on creating a BR standard style 2-8-2. Some are posed with my 00 version made many years ago. Just repeating myself on a bigger scale!

 

[dunnyrail]

Nice looking job, I always thought it a shame that the real thing never got built.

 

[pugwash]

Looking at the OO model this will be a corker when done. Just out of interest what will the minimum radius be?

 

[Flying15]

Looking at the OO model this will be a corker when done. Just out of interest what will the minimum radius be?

Should be able to manage 4’ radius curves as the loco chassis is an Aristocraft 2-8-2. I’ve got one I’ve kept in US condition that manages to haul a respectable set of freight cars around such.
Here’s an upto date image of the model showing how the tender is coming along. The tender chassis is from a Bachmann Emily. The body is from a mixture of galvanised steel sheet and styrene. It’s based on the BR1F type used on Eastern Region allocated 9Fs and Southern region 5MTs
The smoke deflectors aren’t fixed yet and won’t be until after painting is completed.
Thanks for your interest.
Chris

 

[ge_rik]

That looks really great.

Rik

 

[Flying15]

The loco and tender are almost ready for priming and painting.
There are around five little bits of detailing to do including sorting out the engine tender coupling arrangement.
I’ve found that working indoors on the loco over the recent hot spell has been a useful diversion from the excesses of the sun .
The loco once finished and painted will probably have a public debut at the model railway exhibition at Harmans Cross (near Swanage) that takes place on the second weekend this August. I’m pretty pleased to have recycled what may have been an old Aristocraft loco destined for the scrap line!

 

[Paul M]

An amazing modification

 

[Henri]

I'm really impressed by this build...!

 

[tac foley]

I'm really looking forward to see this model in action!

 

[pugwash]

Marvellous, absolutely marvellous.

 

[Flying15]

Thanks for the likes and plaudits.
Some images of the model now in workshop grey, well grey primer. I’ve said on other locos this is the stage I probably like most as at this point the differing materials disappear under the paint and it looks sort of as if it were real.
PS the smoke deflectors are still only loosely fitted.