Steamlines 0-4-0

[funandtrains]

Has anyone got any information on the Tom Cooper Steamlines 0-4-0 loco? I know that many of these were sold as kits or parts and could either use fix cylinders or an ozmotor and could be built to 32mm, 45mm or 2.5" gauges. I've got a feeling that there may of been finished versions sold to 7/8" scale.

 

[Chris Bird]

Hi Steve
Tom Cooper announced "Aileen" in October 1992 as their first "Oskit". Its monobloc chassis and tanks were milled from aluminium and it used an osmotor with dummy cylinders. It was built to 3/4" to the foot (1/16 scale) and was based on the Barclay 3' gauge tank engine built in 1899. The kit was announced at £295 or rtr at £395.
By March 1993, it was being shown with working piston valve cylinders and was now £350 for the kit and £450 rtr.
Clearly the 3/4" scale was not a success, as there were no other offerings.
I have seen completed locos and part kits for sale over the years, but have never seen one running.
I hope this helps!
Cheers
Chris

 

[Chris Bird]

I forgot to add that according to the ads in Garden Railway World, it was 45mm gauge only. Of course, folk may well have modified thm since, though not an Osmotor version to 32mm I suspect.
Cheers
Chris

 

[funandtrains]

Chris, thanks. I have just bought a piston valve version which is nicely finsihed with Aileen plates so may be an rtn versions. I have not seen it running but moving parts turn over smoothly so I hope it is not a lemon. The smokebox is rather an odd design!

 

[Chris Bird]

Chris, thanks. I have just bought a piston valve version which is nicely finsihed with Aileen plates so may be an rtn versions. I have not seen it running but moving parts turn over smoothly so I hope it is not a lemon. The smokebox is rather an odd design!

Steve - at the time Tom Cooper had just invested in a CNC milling machine and was looking for ways to mass produce garden railway stuff at the touch of a button. I suspect that the smokebox was designed on that basis.
Reading a little further in the March 1993 GRW, Tom writes that "our Barclay "Little Giant" (so that was its given name) is already pulling us through the depression". He then says "our model will be fitted with piston valve cylinders" suggesting that none had yet been produced. He went on to explain: "replacing the Osmotor is not without regret, over five hundred (Osmotors rather than Little Giants I think) were sold. The problem was the embarrasing time it took to run in."

The colour photo in his ad is of a green loco with black boiler and brass boiler bands. It carries the name Aileen and the number 299 on the cab side. The wheels are red.

Good luck with steaming yours!
Cheers
Chris

 

[funandtrains]

Chris mine is the exactly as your description other than the colour which is maroon.

Forwrd and reverse is via a Merlin type reversing valve but rather than a lever it is controlled by the dummy hand-brake on the cab rear.

The smoke box door is a tight fit plug which I pressume is removed to light the gas which then has to be turned down low to burn within the fire tube. The exhaust is not via the chimney as the boiler extends into the smoke box but appears to be a slot on the under-side. I pressume either the gas has cooled enough by the time it reaches the slot or it is redirected back under the boiler so that the boiler is actually part internally fired / part pot boiler.

 

[taperpin]

Steve, I ran a Aileen during the garden railway show in Reston [USA] in 1991..it actually ran very well! Tom had brought it over with himself by air [you could carry locos then into the cabin]

It was green with the hand brake external on the backplate of the cab, which was the gas valve, the lighting method was a flame under the front beam, flash back up the Chimney tube into the flue.

Tom published a sales estimate using his access to CNC production showing from memory 2500 units per year!! I wonder if he took that one to the bank.

Gordon.

 

[funandtrains]

Parts and un-finished kits seem to come up for sale from time to time but not many nice looking complete locos. Two nearly complete locos were sold on ebay a few months ago but the price went too high for me.

 

[RSB]

I have one of these locos but in the guise of a French built Decauville, unfortunately its 32mm gauge, so only runs a couple of times a year on a friends layout.

Although the burner is rather loud the loco goes extremely well with a reasonable turn of speed and can pull a reasonable load, the tricky part as with many locos is managing to set the regulator / reverser at a sedate pace.

Attached is a photo of it a when it first arrived a couple of years ago.

 

[funandtrains]

I have one of these locos but in the guise of a French built Decauville, unfortunately its 32mm gauge, so only runs a couple of times a year on a friends layout.

Although the burner is rather loud the loco goes extremely well with a reasonable turn of speed and can pull a reasonable load, the tricky part as with many locos is managing to set the regulator / reverser at a sedate pace.

Attached is a photo of it a when it first arrived a couple of years ago.

That is an interesting bash!

Do you have the smoke box doo fixed in or is a loose fit?

 

[RSB]

That is an interesting bash!

Do you have the smoke box doo fixed in or is a loose fit?

The smokebox door is fixed completely, I always tend to ignite the gas by placing the lighter near the back of the smokebox.

Attached is a better photo of the loco

 

[funandtrains]

That is an interesting bash!

Do you have the smoke box doo fixed in or is a loose fit?

The smokebox door is fixed completely, I always tend to ignite the gas by placing the lighter near the back of the smokebox.

Attached is a better photo of the loco

Thanks, that is interesting mine has the smokebox door chimney and dome loose. The dome probably is meant to be loose but I will probably try some high heat glue on the other two.