Stephensons Rocket

[jason moore 1Participant @jasonmoore1]

Can anyone out there tell me if there has ever been a design published anywhere for Rocket? I would like to build a 7 1/4" gauge version but the question of the boiler and published designs rears it's ugly head.

[jason moore 1Participant @jasonmoore1]

[Gray62Participant @gray62]

Ditto, would love to build Rocket, in either 5" or 7 1/4"

CB

[Another JohnSParticipant @anotherjohns]

Hmmm – A fellow in Toronto called Mike Fields created the Stourbrige Lion (sister to Aegnoria in York) in 7-1/4.

Have put pictures up on my Photos page.

I think there was a half-built one on "discoverlivesteam.com" fairly recently.

It's not a Rocket, but it is an English locomotive, small, light, and interesting, IMHO.

Another JohnS.

[Gone AwayParticipant @goneaway]

Not a "design" per se but there is a book, if you can find a copy, called "The Engineering and History of Rocket: a survey report" which is truly excellent and contains detailed drawings constructed from measurements made on the machine in the Science Museum. Plus a lot of background information. I feel sure you could construct a decent model of any of a number of the phases that Rocket went through during its development.

Even my 8 year old great nephew, during a brief sortie away from his iPod, pronounced it "so kewl" ….. high praise indeed!

Edit: I got mine from Camden, I think, but they don't seem to list it now so it may be out of print. Amazon UK list some "used, like new" copies starting at £12.45 with V2.80 shipping …. a real bargoon IMO

Edited By Sid Herbage on 31/12/2012 15:38:37

[WearyParticipant @weary]

This man, who is in Sydney, Australia and very active on this website, built a 7.25 'Rocket' – click on 'Various English Engines' at top right of his website. He might be able to give you some ideas/leads, as you can see he can be contacted through his webpages.. He has also posted a video on 'you tube'.

Keep us posted of progress, what you find. etc., please.

Regards,

Phil

[jason moore 1Participant @jasonmoore1]

Thankyou all for the replies. Sid, i am aware of that book.I had it on my list to Santa but with no luck! Looks like i'll have to treat myself. I have heard glowing reports so constructing the model should be possible from the information contain in that one book alone.

Phil, I too have seen this man,s work and his posts on the other forum. If you are a visitor of that website i'm sure you will have read the long drawn out discussions on boiler designs and the australian boiler codes versus our published design hangups. Not something i would wish to start here.

As he is a boiler inspector for his club i may contact him direct to see if he drafted his own drawings for rocket.These if available may satisfy my club boiler inspector of the design's soundness.

[Rod DixonParticipant @roddixon75555]

I have fully modelled the 1927 Rocket Replica that is in the York Museum in SolidWorks. At some point I will build a 1/4 model but in the interim, I am happy to support serious modellers with information.

Regards

Rod

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Welcome to the Forum Rod,

I'm afraid the message you have replied to is 2 years old, but I sure it would be of general interest is you could put a screen grab of your model into an album.

Neil

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Two years is nothing.

The rocket is 186 years old.

God what would Ower George have given to have a copy of Solidworks ?

[Gordon WParticipant @gordonw]

Not much help I'm afraid, I remember playing on Rocket and Locomotion No.1 on Darlington station back in the 40's. All the small bits had gone by then of course. I know a replica was built by apprentices after that, so is the 1927 one an earlier replica? My memory is going west so I could be totally wrong about everything.

[Ray HulockParticipant @rayhulock43360]

I don't think 'Rocket' was ever displayed in Darlington station. I seem to think the other loco with 'Locomotion' was 'Derwent'. The original 'Rocket', much modified and incomplete, went to the Science Museum quite early on. A replica of 'Rocket' in more or less original condition was built for the 1930 Liverpool & Manchester centenary. At least 2 more were built around this time – one as a sectioned exhibit and another went to the Henry Ford Museum IIRC. A new, working replica was built in 1979 for Rocket 150 the following year. This one has recently been rebuilt at the NRM in York. Sorry can't help with drawings. Ray.

[Gordon WParticipant @gordonw]

Ray- you may well be right, told you the old memory is not good. We were always told is was Rocket, I seem to remember a name plate also, but….

[RobboParticipant @robbo]

Gordon,

Ray is correct, both Locomotion and Derwent were displayed at Darlington Bank Top station, but not Rocket. They are both still in Darlington, at the Darlington Railway Centre and Museum.

[Author]

Posts