Not a Westinghouse

On the front bunker of the P Class is a pump. The instructions point out that this is most definitely not a Westinghouse air pump, even though it looks a heck of a lot like one.

Apparently, it is a steam reverser and is accompanied by complicated pipework and linkages, none of which I have any idea about.

The exploded diagram is not help and the poorly photocopies photos showing this area on the prototype aren't that much more use. It doesn't help that the tiny white metal bits in the box are odd-shaped lumps. Nicely cast odd-shaped lumps with very little flash, but still a bit of a mystery to me.

Squinting at the photo on the box front, I can see that the pipe appears to terminate (on the model) in a handrail knob. I suspect purists won't be happy but I was able to make this work and reckon that a few strokes of the file should see it less knob-like.

The operating linkage is even more of a mystery so I've bodged it as best I can. There's quite a lot of detail going on in this area. Detail that would be easier to fit if the reverser fitted behind the steam pipes without needing to have both back and front thinned with a file. I'll be honest and say my version is fine for a layout loco but were I to build the model for anyone else, it wouldn't satisfy me.

And for those who read yesterdays post, yes I did break out the soldering iron. Those tank handrails weren't going to stay put any other way so I did my new pipework at the same time. I'm done now though.