’00’ Works to produce a R-T-R ex LSWR Drummond K10 class 4-4-0 locomotive

The ’00’ Works have produced a number of small batches of hand built Ready to Run locomotives including a variety of Southern classes, including most recently an ex London and South Western Drummond D15 4-4-0 and also  ex London Brighton and South Coast Railway Marsh I3 4-4-2 Tanks. They also produced, before Hornby, a brass Devon Belle Observation car which graces Fisherton Sarum.
The ’00’works have announced that they are to produce three  versions of the ex London and South Western Drummond K10 4-4-0 mixed traffic locomotives, known as “Small Hoppers”.

Initially three versions are being produced, due for production this year, with pre-orders available to be taken via their website:

• SR Sage / Olive Lined No. 347
• SR Black Bulleid Black Sunshine lettering No. 389
• BR Black No. 30382 (early emblem)

The will no doubt follow the earlier releases and will comprise of an all Metal cast body and fitted with a Coreless motor. The K10 will also come fitted with slimline Bachmann/Hornby type couplings which can be unscrewed to replace if required. Delivery is expected late 2019.

As I explained in my Talking Stock#17 Post hereDrummond was responsible for the introduction of 18 locomotive types including from the diminutive C14 class, 700’s, M7’s, a number of 4-4-0 classes including of course the renown T9 ‘Greyhounds’ class a small number of 4-6-0’s classes such as the T14’s and also a couple of railcars too. In 1901/2 Drummond introduced the K10 class known as “Small Hoppers” (the later larger Drummond L11 class was known as the “Large Hoppers”) they were a class of 40 which shared the same cylinders, boiler and firebox as the earlier C8 class but with 5’7″ driving wheels for mixed traffic duties. Like the C8 class their steaming ability was not great so they generally were kept on secondary routes.

They were mainly paired with 3500 six wheel tenders although some were paired with the larger 4000 gallon 8 wheel ‘watercart’ tenders.
The K10s were never superheated and had few changes during their lifetime apart from the original Drummond firebox water tubes being removed by Urie and the removal of the smokebox wingplates. Ten of the class were fitted with stovepipe chimneys in 1925 to allow their use on the Eastern Section.  Nine members of the class were withdrawn in 1947 with the remaining entering British Railways stock for a brief while, only No. 30382 received its BR Number whilst  No. 389 was the last to survive until July 1951.

Past Southern locomotive produced by the ’00’ Works, some of which have since been produced or announced by the major manufacturers, has in addition to the D15 and I3 mentioned above, included: N15, 700, C, H,  E4 and Adams Radial classes. The level of detail of these models has steadily improved over time, although is still not as high as we seem from the likes of Hornby or Bachmann, they have in the past filled gaps in the market and they should be applauded for taking on another LSWR / Southern prototype.