Speedy sand boxes

[JAParticipant @ja]

I bought two Speedy sand box castings from Reeves and I haven’t a clue where they go on the loco. LBSC’s Building Speedy does not mention them and they did not appear on full size 15xx locos. Since they don’t effect the running of the loco I decided to ignore them. However in the month’s Model Engineer and Workshop they feature in the article on building a Silver Crest BR Class 1500.

Can anyone explain, please?

JA

[WearyParticipant @weary]

Hello JA,

Rear sandboxes are readily visible on the prototype 15xx locomotives!

Look immediately forward of the cab steps here.  Now you know where to look you can see them on the Silver-Crest model.

Here is a picture from ‘Steam Workshop’ showing the rear sandboxes of a ‘Speedy’ almost centre-frame of the pic.  I f you search  Station Road Steam archive you will very likely find plenty of pics of completed and part-built locos.  (Warning: Station Road Steam often desperately slow to ‘load’!)

Front sandboxes on this loco are located between the frames immediately to rear of cylinders so not readily visible to casual observers.   If you have a look at Mark Thatcher’s video series referenced in his articles you will probably spot them.  Their location is clearly shown circled in Photo 13, page 37, June 2026 (Vol235, Issue 4777).

It may assist you to browse this very complete build log of a 15xx loco in 5″ gauge on Model Engineering Clearing House too.

Regards,

Phil

[JAParticipant @ja]

Phil

Thanks. I will go back and look at 1950s photographs of the 15xx loco.

I am very aware of the build log on Model Engineering Clearing House. It is not complete, stopping when the writer became aware that Speedy was NOT a model of a 15xx loco. He made so many changes to get to look like a 15xx that bits fouled each other. He then started the build of a 5″ 15xx from scratch which, I believe, is still progressing. It is all in the admiring chatter.

Partly because of this I decided to ignore internet blogs and just follow LBSC, Don Ashton, Jim Ewins and those who have built and run Speedys. I am solid modeling the loco as I go. I also know I will never finish it.

JA

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