Last updated November 2019
We currently have four Terriers, finished and available for service. They are:
A1X no 678 ex ‘Knowle’
A1 0-4-2 no 82 ‘Boxhill’
A1 no 655 ‘Stepney’
A1 no 662 ex ‘Martello’
A1 Terrier no 655 ‘Stepney’. Yet another Terrier - a part-built etched brass kit given to me to complete - alas no fittings, so a lot of work required to make all the bits needed, and complete the chassis. Fortunately I had a suitable set of Mike Sharman wheels for this engine. It has been finished as ‘Stepney’ in Stroudley IEG, as number 655.
Stepney was built in 1875 at Brighton Works as number 55, survived the cull of Terriers around 1900, and was renumbered to 655 on the duplicate list in 1901. It survived as an A1 until 1912, before being reboilered and converted to A1X, seen at the Bluebell (left).
In line with the majority of Terriers it spent its early working life around the London suburbs, later moving to West Croydon on motor train duties. Shortly after the grouping it was working out of Fratton on the Hayling Island services, where it remained until purchased by the Bluebell Railway in working order in 1960.
The starting point (left) - a part complete body (Vulcan?) with no fittings, chassis frames and wheels.
The chassis is more-or-less identical to ‘Martello’, except that Stepney has a Mashima 1020 motor, whereas Martello has a 1220. Both are fitted with High Level Roadrunner+ gearboxes, and both are powerful enough to pull six heavy balloon coaches - far more than they are required to do on Plumpton Green.
This view of the underside shows, at the front, the simple centre pivot for the leading axle, and at the rear the wire soldered to the gearbox prevents the motor/gearbox rotating around the centre (driven) axle, but lets the gearbox move sideways, allowing the centre axle sufficient sideplay to negotiate curves. The leading axle makes use of High Level Models bearings/hornguides, which stop the bearings rotating. The sidebeams at the rear rest on top of the bearings, so that they cannot rotate.
And finally, after a year or so on the bench (alongside Martello, a C and a C1), Stepney is now complete and running, ready for the Brighton MRS show 2018.
We currently have four Terriers, finished and available for service. They are:
A1X no 678 ex ‘Knowle’
A1 0-
A1 no 655 ‘Stepney’
A1 no 662 ex ‘Martello’
A1 Terrier no 655 ‘Stepney’. Yet another Terrier -
Stepney was built in 1875 at Brighton Works as number 55, survived the cull of Terriers around 1900, and was renumbered to 655 on the duplicate list in 1901. It survived as an A1 until 1912, before being reboilered and converted to A1X, seen at the Bluebell (left).In line with the majority of Terriers it spent its early working life around the London suburbs, later moving to West Croydon on motor train duties. Shortly after the grouping it was working out of Fratton on the Hayling Island services, where it remained until purchased by the Bluebell Railway in working order in 1960.
The starting point (left) -
The chassis is more-
This view of the underside shows, at the front, the simple centre pivot for the leading axle, and at the rear the wire soldered to the gearbox prevents the motor/gearbox rotating around the centre (driven) axle, but lets the gearbox move sideways, allowing the centre axle sufficient sideplay to negotiate curves. The leading axle makes use of High Level Models bearings/hornguides, which stop the bearings rotating. The sidebeams at the rear rest on top of the bearings, so that they cannot rotate.
And finally, after a year or so on the bench (alongside Martello, a C and a C1), Stepney is now complete and running, ready for the Brighton MRS show 2018.
