"Thompson D Class 4-4-0, The Morpeth" - Update

First modelling post of the new year! So what's in store today?

Well, the Hornby Railroad D49 model I had ordered arrived last Friday, but today was the first day I had to get a look at it. The model was taken out of its box, and promptly taken apart for the first stage of its transformation into a Thompson D Class 4-4-0, The Morpeth.

The driving wheels were removed by carefully taking off the chassis plate, and uncoupling the tender from the chassis by removing a screw. The front driving wheels had their crank pins removed in favour of a different set, allowing an inside cylindered 4-4-0 as opposed an outside cylindered one. The driving wheels were then replaced, and the keeper plate screwed back on.

The result: as below, a working inside cylindered 4-4-0 chassis!


You will recall I had started modifying a spare D49 bodyshell before getting the Railroad model, in a previous blog post. I had though it would be a simple enough switch between the two, however the one and only modification you need to make to the original style bodyshell is to widen the cab in the boiler to match the Railroad one above (although mine has not actually been filed out to the full depth, instead a bit of trial and error has allowed comfortable placement on the chassis).


The cab glazing, safety valves, whistle, dome and smokebox door have all been removed from the Railroad D49 to donate to the D Class bodyshell I had been working on. I hope you'll agree, the model is looking much closer to being a Thompson D49 now!



I'm really pleased with it at present. Still a long way to go, but it's a lot closer than it was, and it does prove the theory somewhat that you could "do a Thompson" and rebuild a D49 in this vein.

The only thing I'm not happy with are the traction tyres, but they are surprisingly discreet and haven't shown the problems with traction my 4VEP had shown previously.

Until next time, when I hope to have fully finished this model (adding regulator, rivets, piping, buffer details, sprung buffers, handrail, etc etc). In what livery it will appear, I haven't yet decided...!