Baguley-Drewry Progress

The 1/19 scale Baguley-Drewry loco is having a rough time. Some rather serious changes have been inflicted with tools I'm not usually using for building models. The frames have been stripped of the original couplings and moulded-on details on the frame ends. New scratchbuilt buffers/coupling are being designed and I'm exploring how best to position battery and Loco Remote equipment. All part of the first stage in the loco's transformation.

A snapshot of the sawed-off Baguley-Drewry on the layout. The developments on the large diesel loco has attracted the attention of a railway enthusiast using his simple box camera to snap a photo of the locomotive.

As the loco was used primarily with standard steel skips at Nystrup Gravel the buffers installed at the sugar beet railways were exchanged with something resembling a standard buffer/coupling from Pedershaab Machineworks. Probably items that the workshop at Nystrup made themselves. In model I will be making the buffers from plasticard that will be bolted/glued to the frame. To ease painting and handling during use of the saw I removed the sidesteps. Easily done as they were simply bolted in place.  

I used a fine toothed metal saw to cut of the lifting brackets and the rectangular protrusions on the frame ends. To enable a trouble free use of the saw and to minimise risk of damage to the model, it was solidly clamped to the worktable before the saw was used. I mounted the loco on two scraps of surplus board to take the pressure from the clamps and avoiding damage to the loco's wheels and bearings. The loco's motor was wrapped in masking tape to keep metal debris out of it. After sawing I cleaned up the resulting minor unevenness and flash with a file.

All 4 steps were removed. That will ease painting of the steps as well as frame details. I used a new set of tools that will make much of my assembly work on 1/19 models easier and safer.

With a fine toothed metal saw I cut of the lifting brackets and the rectangular protrusions with a, too me at least, unknown function. The centre coupling had been unbolted and removed before the saw was applied.

Apart from cleaning the loco from unwanted parts I have been giving some thoughts to where battery, wiring and Loco Remote unit could best be placed and how lamps and warning lights will be installed. The grand plan isn't there yet, but the basics have been decided. A 9 V battery fits between the frames in the forward part of the loco. From there wires will lead to the Loco Remote placed under the bonnet and from there to the motor.

The Baguley-Drewry seen from below with the rechargable battery in the front end of the frames. I will need to find room for an on/off switch somewhere close by. That shouldn't be impossible.

Side view of the loco with the Loco Remote unit placed in its future location. There seems to resonable room for wires and perhaps even for an extra feature with added lights.

With the first task completed on the rebuilding of the Baguley-Drewry I consider me off with a rather decent start on the project. Particularly removing the cast on parts on the frame ends had worried me a good deal, but with a good plan and careful use of the saw the result didn't turn out bad. Next project is making the buffers and adding a few details to the frames before installing battery and Loco Remote.