Update 4/9/20: Confirmed SOLD!
For anyone who is keen on Saxon prototypes - here’s a chance to get the elusive (and quite weird) IIIk to run alongside your LGB Ik, IIk, IVk and VIk…
OK, so it’s a live steam version, not an electric - but it still completes the Saxon “set” rather nicely.
Having recently re-assessed a lot of my hobbies and had a long hard look at what I’m likely to ever get round to doing, I’ve reached the conclusion that Live Steam - although fascinating - is something that I really don’t have the time to do on any serious level, so I’m going to concentrate on the electric stuff; I only have three Live Steam locos, two Accucraft Saxons (Ik and IIIk) and my LGB/Aster Frank S - I’ve decided that while I’m going to hang onto the Frank S for the time being at least, I really should move the two Saxons on to new homes where they will get the running that these lovely models deserve. I’ll get round to the Ik later, for now here is the IIIk….
This is an Accucraft (Germany) model, as sold by M.B.V. Schug, the German Accucraft agent - I’ve been told that the Schug models are by far the best build quality from the Accucraft factory, because (unlike the GB and US parts of the operation) they send somebody over to China while the production run is being made, to personally oversee the production and keep a very tight rein on the quality control - I don’t know if that is true or not, but this is certainly a very nice and well-built model.
As you can see from the pics, this is a very unusual looking loco! It is outside-framed, inside-cylindered (twin cylinders between the frames) but outside-valve-geared - the two circular things where you’d expect the cylinders to be are the valve chests. The motion gear is quite fascinating in its own right, with counterweighted outside cranks. The rear section of the cab, which sits on a single trailing axle, is articulated to the main frame of the loco and pivots a small distance in each direction. The cab roof is in two parts, each separately hinged for access to the controls. It is gas-fired, with quite a respectable running time from the long, low boiler.
I purchased it a few years back at a show, as a used loco in excellent condition in manual form and with the adjustable wheels set for 32mm gauge. The loco came as standard with flanged centre drivers, which (as I understand it) restricts it very much to LGB Radius 3 and above.
A bit of research resulted in me ordering a rather expensive set of “blind” (flangeless) centre drivers direct from MBV Schug - these will, according to the specs, allow the loco to negotiate Radius 2 at a pinch, but they also make it much happier on Rad 3.
I took the loco, along with the new blind drivers, up to Matt at Barley Pit Works - he stripped the running gear down and checked/serviced it, fitted the blind centre drivers, re-set the gauge to 45mm, fitted one of his own modified burners and finally installed 2-channel R/C for me, using the factory-supplied Accucraft servo installation kit which had come with the loco when I purchased it.
Since having all that work done, I’ve only steamed the loco once! It fires easily and beautifully, but since the running gear has all been stripped and reassembled it DOES need some proper running-in to get it running smoothly, especially in forward gear - at the moment it runs much better in reverse, but Matt assured me that is just a matter of giving it a bit of good solid running on blocks or rollers to loosen it all up again.
The IIIk model is still available new from MBV Schug for around 2900 Euros or so; while I got mine at a reasonable price I’ve since sunk a good few hundred extra into it with the blind drivers, R/C, improved burner and all the other work that Barley Pit did on it, but I’m not looking to recoup that - I just want to move it on to someone who has the time and interest to get some use out of it.
So, I’m looking for sensible offers around the £1500 mark, plus whatever shipping or delivery is applicable. I would much rather it was either collected or delivered by hand than to trust it to a courier, and to that end I would be prepared to travel a reasonable distance either to deliver or to meet halfway for a personal handover; if that is impossible then I would consider shipping, fully insured, at cost.
I’m in North Essex, not far from Colchester.
The loco comes in its original Accucraft red box, with all the micro Allen keys and other tools as supplied, plus the original set of flanged centre drivers that could be re-installed if you have some very wide curves to run it on. The loco could also be very easily returned to 32mm gauge if preferred, simply by loosening off the wheel sets and sliding them inwards.
A metal LGB-style loop coupler is currently fitted to the back end (a Regner part, I think) but the original Accucraft coupling is included if preferred.
Livery is an attractive scheme of the usual deep Saxon green (which is actually not quite as dark as it looks in the photos here), grey/black smokebox and dark red frames. The water filler has a top-up valve for refilling while in steam.
If you’ve read this far (this isn’t an advert, it’s an essay…) then thanks for your patience! Anything else you want to know, please don’t hesitate to ask. The pictures here are some that I took on my workbench a while back just after getting it back from the R/C installation, if you want any more from different angles or just without all the horrible background clutter, just ask.
Jon.
For anyone who is keen on Saxon prototypes - here’s a chance to get the elusive (and quite weird) IIIk to run alongside your LGB Ik, IIk, IVk and VIk…
OK, so it’s a live steam version, not an electric - but it still completes the Saxon “set” rather nicely.
Having recently re-assessed a lot of my hobbies and had a long hard look at what I’m likely to ever get round to doing, I’ve reached the conclusion that Live Steam - although fascinating - is something that I really don’t have the time to do on any serious level, so I’m going to concentrate on the electric stuff; I only have three Live Steam locos, two Accucraft Saxons (Ik and IIIk) and my LGB/Aster Frank S - I’ve decided that while I’m going to hang onto the Frank S for the time being at least, I really should move the two Saxons on to new homes where they will get the running that these lovely models deserve. I’ll get round to the Ik later, for now here is the IIIk….
This is an Accucraft (Germany) model, as sold by M.B.V. Schug, the German Accucraft agent - I’ve been told that the Schug models are by far the best build quality from the Accucraft factory, because (unlike the GB and US parts of the operation) they send somebody over to China while the production run is being made, to personally oversee the production and keep a very tight rein on the quality control - I don’t know if that is true or not, but this is certainly a very nice and well-built model.
As you can see from the pics, this is a very unusual looking loco! It is outside-framed, inside-cylindered (twin cylinders between the frames) but outside-valve-geared - the two circular things where you’d expect the cylinders to be are the valve chests. The motion gear is quite fascinating in its own right, with counterweighted outside cranks. The rear section of the cab, which sits on a single trailing axle, is articulated to the main frame of the loco and pivots a small distance in each direction. The cab roof is in two parts, each separately hinged for access to the controls. It is gas-fired, with quite a respectable running time from the long, low boiler.
I purchased it a few years back at a show, as a used loco in excellent condition in manual form and with the adjustable wheels set for 32mm gauge. The loco came as standard with flanged centre drivers, which (as I understand it) restricts it very much to LGB Radius 3 and above.
A bit of research resulted in me ordering a rather expensive set of “blind” (flangeless) centre drivers direct from MBV Schug - these will, according to the specs, allow the loco to negotiate Radius 2 at a pinch, but they also make it much happier on Rad 3.
I took the loco, along with the new blind drivers, up to Matt at Barley Pit Works - he stripped the running gear down and checked/serviced it, fitted the blind centre drivers, re-set the gauge to 45mm, fitted one of his own modified burners and finally installed 2-channel R/C for me, using the factory-supplied Accucraft servo installation kit which had come with the loco when I purchased it.
Since having all that work done, I’ve only steamed the loco once! It fires easily and beautifully, but since the running gear has all been stripped and reassembled it DOES need some proper running-in to get it running smoothly, especially in forward gear - at the moment it runs much better in reverse, but Matt assured me that is just a matter of giving it a bit of good solid running on blocks or rollers to loosen it all up again.
The IIIk model is still available new from MBV Schug for around 2900 Euros or so; while I got mine at a reasonable price I’ve since sunk a good few hundred extra into it with the blind drivers, R/C, improved burner and all the other work that Barley Pit did on it, but I’m not looking to recoup that - I just want to move it on to someone who has the time and interest to get some use out of it.
So, I’m looking for sensible offers around the £1500 mark, plus whatever shipping or delivery is applicable. I would much rather it was either collected or delivered by hand than to trust it to a courier, and to that end I would be prepared to travel a reasonable distance either to deliver or to meet halfway for a personal handover; if that is impossible then I would consider shipping, fully insured, at cost.
I’m in North Essex, not far from Colchester.
The loco comes in its original Accucraft red box, with all the micro Allen keys and other tools as supplied, plus the original set of flanged centre drivers that could be re-installed if you have some very wide curves to run it on. The loco could also be very easily returned to 32mm gauge if preferred, simply by loosening off the wheel sets and sliding them inwards.
A metal LGB-style loop coupler is currently fitted to the back end (a Regner part, I think) but the original Accucraft coupling is included if preferred.
Livery is an attractive scheme of the usual deep Saxon green (which is actually not quite as dark as it looks in the photos here), grey/black smokebox and dark red frames. The water filler has a top-up valve for refilling while in steam.
If you’ve read this far (this isn’t an advert, it’s an essay…) then thanks for your patience! Anything else you want to know, please don’t hesitate to ask. The pictures here are some that I took on my workbench a while back just after getting it back from the R/C installation, if you want any more from different angles or just without all the horrible background clutter, just ask.
Jon.
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