5248 retires

My model of 5248 has been retired. 

 

This locomotive was purchased in 1997 as a DGH kit. It was the only white metal kit that I attempted and so, in some respects, it was a bit rough. However, it has been a stalwart on Philip's Creek ever since.  When it was first assembled with the  3,650 gallon tender , it was given the number 5131 and served in this capacity until around 2014 when the Andian turret tender kit became available. ( the-andian-turret-tender-now-in-service.html ) The original tender was set aside until a second hand 30T was purchased.  

 

 

Facebook NSW Railways Pat and Present. George Stevens Post

The reason why I chose to number the locomotive as 5131 has been lost in the mists of time but a similar superheated locomotive 5133 may have been an influence. However, once the 5000 gallon tender was fitted, the locomotive was rebirthed as 5248, a locomotive that I knew operated in and around Muswellbrook in my modelling time period of the late 1960s - early 1970s. 

 

 

 

The original motor had failed quite a few years ago and was replaced, but I suspect that the replacement was never quite as powerful as its predecessor. When the layout went to two levels, 5248 could not negotiate the helix. It wasn't a wheel slip issue but rather, the motor simply lacked power. More recently, it has been restricted to working the Kingston Plain branch line on the upper level. However, even with that restriction, over the last few months, the locomotive has struggled to move its own weight. It would operate when the white metal body was removed but would stall when the weight of the body was added. I couldn't identify the reason, motor or gearbox or both. 

While I was disappointed by the failure of this long serving locomotive, the reality is that the Philip's Creek locomotive roster has increased substantially since 1997 and 5248's absence is not causing any problems. In this situation, most would probably sell the model but for me, there is a significant sentimental attachment to 5248. So I needed another solution that would ensure its continued presence on Philip's Creek.

I chose to install 5248 as a stationary scenic element at Kingston Plains. The motor, gear box and decoder have been removed and it now resides permanently just outside the engine shed being serviced by its crew. It will stay there for the foreseeable future. Hopefully, that will be for quite a few years!