Help needed with 5″ Simplex

[Rob LowParticipant @roblow67331]

Hi

My father is the chairman of a model engineering society with a 5" raised railway that my grandfather (his father in law) helped to build. My granddad also made a few steam locos including what I believe to be a Simplex 0-6-0 locomotive.

My father is now the custodian of the loco and it needs a little repair. He's capable but needs a little guidance and the loco was constructed from plans published in the Model Engineer magazine. I've ordered what I thought was a copy of these but on arrival it doesn't look quite the same – the book if for a loco with the boiler extending past the water tanks, whereas the model we have features water tanks extending to the front of the loco, flush with the front of the boiler (is this the smokebox? I'm poorly informed)

Would anyone be able to let me know if the book is suitable, or if not where to locate the correct copy?

sorry for the long post. This is the book I've bought:

**LINK**

[Rob LowParticipant @roblow67331]

I’m looking for a book of construction plans

[Colin HarwoodParticipant @balljoint]

Hi

The book you have ordered is the correct book for the Simplex, which ran as a construction series in The Model Engineer.

The reason yours may not appear the same is that Simplex is a freelance design, not a scale model, and many people do modifications to suit their own needs or desires. If you go to an exhibition where there are any Simplex's on display, you will rarely find two that look the same.

If you post a picture of your loco we would be able to confirm that it is a Simplex.

Colin

[Russell EberhardtParticipant @russelleberhardt48058]

Neither the Simplex nor the bigger Super Simplex had side tanks that big and I've not seen one like it. That's not to say that it couldn't have been modified.

Post some pictures for identification before spending that much on the book.

Russell.

[RobboParticipant @robbo]

Rob,

In the first drawings of Simplex, in ME 3319, April 1967, the front of the tanks ended just slightly forward of the dome.

However, it seems drawings were revised , and as others have said it is a freelance design, so the builder can change the detail to suit his requirements.

[RobboParticipant @robbo]

Further to above, have cobbled together a copy of the first drawing in ME so you can compare to your book and loco.

Thus;

[julian atkinsParticipant @julianatkins58923]

Hi Rob,

Many of us are familiar with Simplex and Super Simplex.

What we dont know from your posts or album is how your's compares.

What sort of repairs are required?

Cheers,

Julian

[Steven VineParticipant @stevenvine79904]

I don't know why, but Pansey springs to mind.

Steve

[Rob LowParticipant @roblow67331]

Thanks for your replies. I've gone ahead and bought a nice copy of the book for £54. I can't get to my folks to photograph the loco at present but it looks just like a model of this full-sized one about halfway down the page

**LINK**

In terms of repairs, I think it might just need something as simple as a new grate and a boiler test. I'll post up a picture when I can

Ta

[RobboParticipant @robbo]

 

As Steve suggested, have you considered that your loco may be an LBSC Pansy?  This matches the one in your linked picture – note the inside cylinders.

Edited By Robbo on 17/12/2016 09:48:15

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