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A cheap Gn15 steam loco - Hornby's BILL or BEN

Before

After

Always on the look out for good kitbashing (conversion) material, someone on Gn15.info suggested the Hornby 'Thomas The Tank Engine' locos BILL or BEN (same model, different lettering) as being a good chassis to base a Gn15 loco around. The recommended price is £21, I paid £17 for mine which is excellent value.

Being a 'scale modeller', first glances are not encouraging, however, look closer at that over-sized saddle-tank. A few deft swipes with a modelling knife (I'll wipe that smile off his face), a new cab and voila, one Gn15 loco, or so I thought.

Being a 'cheap' loco, it does not have full valve-gear and only 2 simple rods per side; no crossheads or piston rods. Now either this is a problem for you or you make do. I will most likely put some tram-engine style covers over the cylinders to hide the fact that half the gubbins is missing.

Follow along for a blow-by-blow guide to a simple (and cheap) Gn15 steam loco...

I used the Smokebox door, Firebox backhead, Chimney, Steam dome and Sandbox lid form the Smallbrook Studio's 0-16.5 Peckett-style conversion kit EROS. I also bought the Sidelines SLP06: Loco Parts Kit No 1 to provide me with a reverser, couplers and the handbrake.

Notes & further reading:

BILL or BEN :- Hornby catalogue # R9047 or R9048
Quality of chassis (out of 5): To be decided
Difficulty rating (out of 5): To be decided
Smallbrook Studio do an 0-16.5 Peckett-style conversion kit called EROS. I used some of these parts in my Gn15 conversion. Michael might do you a "deal" if you call him and explain that the only parts you really need are: Smokebox door, Firebox backhead, Chimney, Steam dome and Sandbox lid.

Michael Rayner
Smallbrook House
Gunville West
Newport
Isle of Wight
PO30 5LW
United Kingdom
tel. +44 (0)1983 520584 (if calling from overseas, remember the time difference, this is his home phone)

Sidelines SLP06: Loco Parts Kit No 1
There has been a good discussion on the merits of the BILL / BEN chassis on the Gn15 forum

Other people's kitbashes of BILL and BEN...

Terry Allen's photo of his version

Chimney from Steve Bennett and other fittings from scratch.

Gerry Balding's model of Sir Arthur Heywood's KATIE.

All photos by John Oxlade unless otherwise credited.

Narrow-minded
and proud of it!