When Thomas Yorke produced a Vertical Boiler kit some years back I saw the potential for using it together with components from Michael Rayner’s Vertical Boiler kit to produce a reasonable model of a De Winton.

Photographs © Gerry Bullock

The side view shows the major components.

The left cab area was fabricated from Styrene sheet. The boiler is from Tom’s kit and has been cut down the conical top having been removed, this component is Hydrocal and is quite heavy. The funnel is from a National Health source though I cannot recall exactly what its original purpose was!

The cylinder assemblies come from the Smallbrook kit and I used cut down Fleischmann Con Rods to detail the area. On the right the Water tank is from Tom’s kit, again Hydrocal.

The Chassis was fabricated from various Styrene sheet and angle/channel sections bought specifically for the project and to house a Bachmann On30 Trolley mechanism.

The long Steam pipes were wrapped in a thread from my wife’s sewing box to simulate the Hessian insulation. Detailing used various brass wires and a model ship porthole for the gauge.

The paint was applied using Halford’s Car spray undercoat then matt black followed by weathering using Games Workshop Acrylics.

I enjoyed building it but could see no use for it (too large) for any of my layouts so it was sold.

I still have a Hunslet Freya (or Freyre) in progress and will write up the build in more detail in due course unless the Grim Reaper beats me to it which is more than possible!