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A 15F in the UK

Posted: 22 May 2009, 11:48
by Andrew Giffen
My 15F before public running at the Guildford SME in April, on a decent day. Still not as good as African sunshine though...

Re: A 15F in the UK

Posted: 22 May 2009, 11:57
by John Ashworth
That is a superb model, Andrew - well done!

Re: A 15F in the UK

Posted: 22 May 2009, 12:21
by Andrew Giffen
Thanks John,

I can't take much credit though, it was finished 39 years ago by Ron Etter, and started in the late 1950s by Jimmy Scott! It was running when I got it, but the piston rings were non existent and the valves were leaking. I replaced both and it's like new. I made some cosmetic additions like the brass springboks on the smokebox door. Hopefully I'll get to run it in SA again one day...

Re: A 15F in the UK

Posted: 22 May 2009, 15:28
by Derek Walker
Beautiful! I hope that one day I can see her run.

Re: A 15F in the UK

Posted: 22 May 2009, 16:47
by Andrew Giffen
Thanks Derek, yes would be nice to double-head with that 15F you saw at the Rand SME, same scale, also 1:12. Not as good as the real thing, but here some youtube footage of it with the tender handbrake on to get some good barking:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4q14prYY ... annel_page

I must say, I wouldn't mind trying to plan to get it out to SA in time for a visit to the Rand SME for the national steam meet in 2010, but that might be a bit much, and expensive considering all the football stuff going on at the same time.

The loco has working steam reverser, working turbo generator and lights, steam and vacuum brakes (steam to tender brakes too!), working steam powered rocking grate and ashpan drenchers diverted from an injector, just like full size...

Re: A 15F in the UK

Posted: 22 May 2009, 16:53
by John Ashworth
How much does the model weigh?

Re: A 15F in the UK

Posted: 22 May 2009, 17:24
by Derek Walker
Nope, no matter how you try it will not fit in the overhead compartment of a boeing! Maybe if you disguise it.... put a dress on it and say its your daughter :-)

Re: A 15F in the UK

Posted: 22 May 2009, 17:29
by Andrew Giffen
it would be heavier than any daughter, unless my daughter weighed more than 130kgs :-)
the loco is 130 kgs (with added lead ballast in the empty spaces under the smokebox) and the tender is about 30 kgs empty. I do have good carrying cradles and heavy plywood crates for both so it is a proposition....or a dream...

Re: A 15F in the UK

Posted: 23 May 2009, 09:47
by Brendon Anderson
Live steamers are cool, definately not the same as their full scale cousins...

Check out the beat of a 19 Dolly..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLgzW7GvCXY