Saltford Simplexes.

Saltford Models were a company that used to make some very interesting narrow gauge loco and wagon kits in OO9 and SM32.  The man behind this little cottage industry was Brian Clarke, a very talented modeller who had a collection of 2' gauge stock in his garden in Bath, including a Simplex, a Ruston, an Orenstein & Koppel and a Lister. Brian hosted several 'Small Engine Rallies' where he opened up his garden railways (full size and 16mm) to interested modellers. Brian was also interested in mine exploration and I accompanied him down several Bath stone mines many years ago.

The OO9 locos were pretty unique at the time as they came complete with motor, wheels etc at a time when most OO9 kits were made solely from whitemetal and were designed to fit onto RTR N gauge chassis. Brian's kits utilised the 'split frame' pick-up system, whereby conventional wiper pick-ups are not used, the current being carried to the motor from the wheels through the metal frames. This means that the sides of the chassis have to be electrically insulated from each other as are the solid metal wheels. Stub axles on the wheels fit into insulated muffs, which also take care of the back to back setting. The footplate was cut from plasticard, side frames simply being glued to the footplate in most cases. The motor was glued (yes really!) onto the footplate and sat in the cab space. There were variations of course (such as a DeWinton with the motor in the boiler), but thats how the two most popular kits, the Simplex and a freelance 0-4-0 Peckett, were designed.

I've built 4 Saltford Simplexes. The first 3 were built around 1988/89 and were used on a small layout that I owned. A few years later I built another with extra detailing.

Here's the second loco built, number 11 (click on the photo for a larger image);

Built pretty much as it came but with added sandboxes on the front and a piece of chain on the footplate.
Number 12 came next;

 

This one has had the cab lowered by 1mm, an exhaust added and behind the exhaust sits a bottom hose for the radiator. Here's the other side of 11 and 12, note the tissue paper tarp on 12 hiding the motor;

A Dapol workman gives an idea of size. The kit was designed around the motor and scales out at around 5mm to the foot.
Number 10, my first Simplex and possibly my first ever loco kit, has had some kind of accident;

This gives an idea of the design, note the two whitemetal sideframes, plasticard footplate (its not supposed to be in 3 pieces!), and wheels seperated by insulated muffs. The bonnet and cab are heavy whitemetal castings, which meant that the loco was rear heavy. This loco is due for a rebuild soon, when I'll be replacing the motor with a Mashima 1015.
And finally the later build, still not painted;

Brian turned the wheels, muffs etc. and did most if not all of the casting himself. The kits came with a piece of plasticard and you were expected to cut it to size and mark out and drill the footplate, bufferbeams etc. yourself. Drive on this kit, and on the Peckett, was to the rear wheels only. It is possible to use a Nigel Lawton driveband to couple both wheels together, this needs to be done as the loco is being built.

Paul.