Tag: Maunsell

IN THE WORKS #4

Posted on by steamlococollection in Lord Nelson

LORD NELSON CENTENARY – 10 AUGUST 2026

Hi everyone, hope you’re all well.

Tuesday 10th August 1926, the weather – generally cloudy, the temperature – between 17 and 19 degrees Celsius. Richard Maunsell, the Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Southern Railway, and a party of Directors have made the trip from London down to Eastleigh to inspect a new steam locomotive that has recently been completed at the Locomotive Works.

The engine is unlike anything seen on the Southern Railway or the London & South Western Railway. At 69 ft 9¾ ins long, it is the largest locomotive ever built at Eastleigh; it is also the most powerful, with a tractive effort of 33,500 lb. Yet the locomotive weighs only 1.5 tons more than a North British Locomotive built N15 ‘King Arthur’.

John Elliot, the SR’s Publicity chief, had suggested that the new locomotive be named ‘Lord Nelson’. James Clayton and Harold Holcroft had decided that, to leave space in case more N15 ‘King Arthur’ class locomotives were built, the new locomotive would be numbered E850, the Southern employing a lettered prefix to indicate the workshop responsible for maintenance at this time. Outshopped in ‘works grey’, ‘Lord Nelson’ was ready to set sail.

Sadly, this isn’t the blog post in which I announce the release of the ‘Lord Nelson’ add-on. However, work is continuing, and I am glad to be able to share some new renders showing the current state of progress.

As you can see from the renders, much has been added to the model. The smokebox went through several iterations, but this shorter smokebox with the piano cover over the inside cylinders is how all of the Nelsons, bar No. 860, were built.

Lord Nelson was unique in being the only Nelson built with the LSWR style lamp brackets, an odd decision considering that the engine was designed to run on both the Western (ex-LSWR) and Eastern (ex-SE&CR) lines.

Just behind the left smokebox lamp bracket you can see the tube cleaning connection. This wouldn’t be used when cleaning the tubes of the engine itself, but rather would be connected, when the engine was in steam, of course, to allow the cleaning of the tubes on another engine. The same kind of connection can be seen in this British Transport Film Wash and brush up – British Transport Films – British Rail steam loco maintenance – 1950s (from 11:15).

Other points to note are the Maunsell chimney with a capuchon. There was at least one chimney that had no capuchon and moved around the class as chimneys were exchanged. The dreaded lubrication pipes have also been added; the Rod and Pipe arrangement drawing really helped here.

On top of the firebox are the two Ross Pop safety valves and the steam manifold, which provides the steam for the whistle, injector steam valves, ejector, and the soot blower. The soot blower is an interesting device. Its purpose was to allow the crew to remove any deposited soot from the firebox tubeplate while on the move. Only ‘Lord Nelson’ was fitted with a soot blower, and it was likely removed when boiler 850 was exchanged for no. 822 in December 1930.

Many Maunsell-designed locomotives featured pull-out injector steam controls, instead of the more conventional wheel. Note also the double-handed regulator and the large oilboxes bolted to the backhead. If you’ve been in the cab of ‘Lord Nelson’, you might notice that the right-hand side of the cab looks markedly empty. The production engines were built with a cab which had a flip-up toolbox on the fireman’s side; ‘Lord Nelson’ was later modified to match.

I wanted to finish this update with an exciting announcement about how the add-on is going to be released. Rather than releasing it as one giant add-on with every livery and modification, the add-on is going to be released in a series of era-themed packs. The first will be the ‘Centenary Pack’ and will focus on just No. E850 from the time it left Eastleigh Works in August 1926 up until its first General Overhaul in February 1929. I’ll go into more details about the era-themed packs in a future update, but in short, I hope it will make it easier for you to get the variations/liveries that most interest you at a lower price.

Keep an eye on the website and YouTube channel as I’ll be posting more as we get closer to release.

Until next time…

IN THE WORKS #3

Posted on by steamlococollection in Lord Nelson

LORD NELSON PROGRESS UPDATE 29 MAY 2026

Hello everyone, hope you’re doing well. Nearly June already?! While work has been continuing apace on the Lord Nelson, other things have also kept me extremely busy, and I just haven’t found the time to do the renders and write a blog post, so apologies for that. Now, though, my focus is fully back on the Nelson, and I have a bumper update for you this time.

In the last update, I showed the completed frames. Next up are the bogies, cylinders, wheels and motion.

First, let’s focus on the bogie with two renders showing the bogie as fitted to No. 850 when it was brand new in 1926, and the bogie which is fitted to it in preservation.

Original Nelson Bogie
850 Lord Nelson Bogie as preserved

How many changes can you spot?

Across ‘Lord Nelson’s lifetime, there were at least 6 changes to various parts of the bogie. But that’s just No.850; across the entire class, there are over 10 variations.

The next renders show the completed work on the motion, inside and out, as well as the cylinders.

The steam-powered clutch for the reversing shaft, located on the fireman’s side of the engine, was a rather complex object to model, as being mounted between the frames makes it very difficult to photograph. However, I’m glad I persevered, and I intend to animate it on the finished model.

There are slight differences between the Maunsell and Bulleid cylinders (the Maunsell ones are shown in the renders). The original Maunsell single blastpipe is shown. Like the ‘H’ and ‘Z’ class add-ons I have previously released, the smokebox door will be animated, and you will be able to peer into the smokebox, so getting the blastpipe and inside cylinder top right is very important. I could make life a lot easier for myself by not modelling the inside of the smokebox, but where’s the fun in that!

You might also notice the short cylinder cock pipes. These only appeared on No. 850 and only for the first month of its existence. When the engine entered Eastleigh Works for painting toward the end of August 1926, the pipes were extended and secured via a bracket behind the front footsteps.

The Rod and Pipe drawing makes it much easier to ensure the numerous pipes are in the right place and are the right size. However, I must confess I’m dreading modelling the lubricator pipes!

Finally, I can’t fail to mention the nameplate. The letters will, of course, be 3d and for every other Nelson besides ‘Lord Nelson’ itself, the additional ‘Lord Nelson Class’ part of the nameplate will be included.

I’m really pleased with the level of detail I’ve been able to include thus far. The next job will be the smokebox, boiler and cab. I’d better get cracking then!

Until next time…

IN THE WORKS #2

Posted on by steamlococollection in Lord Nelson

LORD NELSON PROGRESS UPDATE 12 DECEMBER 2025

Hello everyone, hope you’re doing well.

I’m delighted to be showing off the first WIP renders of the Lord Nelson add-on. The first item I always model is the frames. Everything is either attached to or rests on the frames, so getting them right is paramount.

In the previous “In The Works”, I mentioned the numerous variations and modifications made to the Lord Nelsons during their working lives. Those modifications extend even to the frames. When ‘Lord Nelson’ was being built in 1926, great care was taken to ensure that the locomotive didn’t exceed the weight limit set by the Civil Engineer. Such was the attention taken that No. E850 actually emerged from Eastleigh Works, weighing 0.75 tons less than the drawing office estimate. Therefore, when the first production batch was being built, certain of those weight-saving measures were deemed unnecessary and the frames of Nos. 851 – 865 were different to Lord Nelson. 850’s frames were later modified, but it still retained a couple of unique elements.

After the frames are complete, work moves onto the front bufferbeam, rear dragbox and the frame stretchers, which help keep the frames nice and square.

Notice the underhung laminated springs and substantial rear dragbox. The hinged cover on the running plate provides access to the expansion and die block, making lubrication a little bit easier. The two valves bracketed onto the rear dragbox are where the water pipes from the tender connect to the locomotive. On top of the valve is the connection to the water feed controls in the cab.

Next time I’ll show the front bogie. If you think the frame variations are bad, wait till you see the bogie variations!

It’s worth mentioning that sometimes I’ll have progress to show, but which I don’t feel justifies a “In The Works” post. Anything that falls into this category will be posted on the SLC Facebook page and a dedicated development page here on the SLC website for the Lord Nelson add-on. This development page will also provide links to all “In The Works” posts about the Nelsons.

Until next time…

IN THE WORKS #1

Posted on by steamlococollection in Lord Nelson

LORD NELSON RESEARCH

Hello everyone, and welcome to the first ‘In The Works’.

Work on the ‘Lord Nelson’ add-on is well underway and I look forward to sharing some renders with you soon. However, long before I sit down to set up the drawings and start the actual modelling, research needs to be completed.

Research can often be overlooked; a bar on a progress chart, a passing comment. But research provides the foundation on which the add-on is built. But how do I go about doing research?

The first step is acquiring research material, this takes the form of books, photographs, drawings and magazines. Of course, obtaining a copy of every photograph and every book to mention a particular class can be a) expensive and b) not every item will contribute significantly to my research so a balanced view is required.

The next step is to start transferring all of that data and observations into a Spec Sheet and a Data Sheet

The Spec Sheet lists all the variations and livery changes I’ve identified across an entire class. The Data Sheet is where I dive down into the details and list all the variations for each individual engine, when they took place and any other observations.

Going through the books I have often reveals small discrepancies with information; dates might be different, engines might have a change listed in one book that isn’t mentioned in another. I have to work out which is the accurate narrative, not an easy task!

This whole process, of course, takes time and concentration. For the ‘Lord Nelson’ add-on, I estimate the process took about 3 months, but that doesn’t mean that I stop looking for further photographs and details, I’m always on the lookout for more information just not with the same intensity!

So how many variations have I identified? Discounting any livery-related changes, I have so far identified over 170 different modifications, some small and some large. This will mean that the ‘Lord Nelson’s will be the most detailed add-on I have produced, and that’s not including trying to create 3 different sound sets, different simulation setups, as well as trying to convey all this information in a easy to read manual!

Still, it’s all part of the fun.😀

In the next ‘In The Works’ I’ll share the first WIP renders of the add-on.

Until next time …

SLC Update 5 August 2025

Posted on by steamlococollection in Announcements, Lord Nelson

Hi everyone, hope you’re well and enjoying the summer.

Anniversaries. There have been several of them recently:

  • Flying Scotsman marked its centenary in 2023.
  • Several preserved railways have been marking anniversaries.
  • 2025 marks 200 years since the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway (can’t forget the big one, can we?!)

There have been several SR-related anniversaries as well. N15 ‘Sir Lamiel’ marked its centenary in June 2025. The sole N, no. 1874, is 100 years old in September.

If you’ve followed the blog for a while, you’ll know that I am a big fan of the ‘Lord Nelson’ class. In August 2026, no. 850 ‘Lord Nelson’ marks its centenary. What better time to have an add-on on the class available! Thus, I am excited to announce that the next locomotive add-on from SLC will be the Lord Nelson class!

For a class of only 16 engines, the ‘Lord Nelson’s have a complex history. There are lots of variations to include, as well as some details that haven’t been identified before!

As I build the add-on, I’ll be making more use of the blog and the SLC YouTube channel. All future add-on updates will be under the banner ‘In The Works’. These will be a mixture of posts here on the website and videos on the YouTube channel. So make sure you’re subscribed to both so you don’t miss out.

But that’s not all. My interest in railways isn’t limited to just Train Simulator Classic. So there were will be several other series appearing on the website and YouTube channel.

Like many other developers, I’ve built up a large library as I research projects. Some of these may not be so well known. So in the blog series ‘Behind the Cover’ I’ll look at some of these lesser known publications.

‘SLC Scaled’ will be focused on my model railway adventures; repairing/maintaining and otherwise mucking about with model trains. This will be primarily on the SLC YouTube channel, but there may be the occasional written article on the website.

Finally, in ‘Behind the Lens’ I’ll share my visits to various railways and museums as well as mainline steam.

There’s no schedule for any of these series. They will be posted when I have something to show/write about. Hopefully, though, they’ll be more interesting than the 6-monthly I’m still working on an add-on style updates of late.

So much to look out for and I hope you’re as excited as I am.

Until next time…

SLC Update 2 January 2025

Posted on by steamlococollection in SR Z Class

Just a little update to say that V1.1 of the ‘Z’ class add-on has been released. Customers should receive an email informing you that the update is available within 24 hours.

A big thank you to everyone who has sent in feedback, it really does help.

The full change list is:

  • Manual references corrected
  • AWS script modified
  • Cab AO corrected
  • Cab windows now animate externally
  • The small ejector handle now animates externally
  • Water/Gauge glass texture altered
  • Wheels on AI locomotives now animate
  • AI locomotives now emit smoke
  • Pre-set dynamic numbers corrected
  • Lamps/Headcodes modified and retextured
  • New lamp variants added
  • Lamps now have emissive options.

As a note, the ‘Z’ class has been developed without the use of third-party enhancers which modify the shaders in Train Simulator, Therefore, if you use an enhancer program you may see decal, glass or texture issues, depending on your settings. These issues can be resolved by disabling the enhancer while using the ‘Z’ class or possibly by modifying the settings in the enhancer.

Until next time…

SLC Update 27 December 2024

Posted on by steamlococollection in Add-on Releases, SR Z Class

Last update: 13 April 2023. Whoops!

Hi everyone, I hope you’re all well. It certainly has been a while since the last update. I’m pleased to say that the ‘Z’ class add-on is now finished and is available to purchase from this link. http://steamlococollection.co.uk/sr-maunsell-z-0-8-0t/

It’s fair to say that the ‘Z’ has been a challenging add-on. I’ve hit several issues along the way which has slowed my progress, I’ve also been taking my time to improve on the texturing. I’m aware that texturing has been a weak point on SLC models, and I hope that in the ‘Z’ class I’ve made some big steps forward. This is why your feedback is so important.

One of the main reasons for the lack of updates is that I’ve had a major change in my circumstances which means that I’m not spending as much time on SLC as I have done in the past. Now to be clear, this isn’t a preamble to me saying that SLC will be closing down, far from it. I have some exciting projects lined up, it just might take me a bit longer to get to them and get them finished. So from this point onward, if I’ve not announced that I’m actively working on something assume that it’s not an active project.

So what is next? Well that would be telling, see you in 2025.

SLC Update 13 APRIL 2023

Posted on by steamlococollection in SR Z Class

Hi everyone, hope you are all well.

It’s certainly been a while since I last posted anything. December 2022 marked ten years since the release of the first SLC model. A lot has happened in that time.

So what’s happening in the SLC Works.

Z CLASS

The ‘Z’ is progressing well. The base model is in-game and I’m gradually adding all of the features and scripting to this base model first, before proceeding to create the other liveries.

As I’ve mentioned before in other blog posts, despite the small size of the ‘Z’ class, only 8 members, the number of variations I’ve observed in photographs and drawings is quite surprising. I was unable to find any reference to several of the variations in published material, making the ‘Z’ class add-on the first time they will have been identified/highlighted.

So how about some screenshots?

Of course, the add-on is still very much WIP, so textures etc may change between now and the release.

SECR Trio ‘B’ COACHES

I’ve decided to combine packs 3 & 4 together as there wasn’t a clear distinction in time period like there is between packs 1 & 2. This is progressing slowly, but will be the next release after the ‘Z’. Released alongside pack 3 will be an update to packs 1 & 2.

LORD NELSON

Because of various issues, the ‘Lord Nelson’ add-on has been on the back burner for a while now. Once the ‘Z’ and Trio ‘B’ coaches are out, work on the ‘Lord Nelson’ will recommence.

SCHOOLS

Because the ‘Lord Nelson’ and the ‘Schools’ classes share several components, it made sense to develop both locomotives together. I have tie-in DLC planned for both locomotives so there’s much to look forward to.

And that just about completes this long overdue update. Until next time…

SLC Update 22 July 2022

Posted on by steamlococollection in SR Z Class

THE JOYS OF VIRTUAL PLUMBING

Hi everyone, hope you’re all doing well. Time for an update on the Z class.

With most of the main components modelled, the past month has mainly been spent creating, bending and getting frustrated at times with the myriad number of pipes required for the locomotive.

While not essential for a Train Simulator Classic model, I find there is something very satisfying about being able to follow a pipe from origin to destination, rather than it just simply disappearing.

For those not familiar, the inside valve gear on the ‘Z’ class was rather unusual as it employed a second eccentric to give the movement usually given through a combination lever. In the past valve gear animation has been something I dread doing but I was extremely pleased to find a much more efficient way of rigging the valve gear for the ‘Z’ though there won’t be a visible difference for you as the end-user.

I was surprised that as I added more components to the cab, it didn’t feel crowded like on some locomotives. One of the more novel features of the ‘Z’ class was the fitting of a steam brake alongside a Gresham and Craven ‘Dreadnought’ vacuum ejector. The Maunsell moguls and ‘W’ class, at least when they were built, were fitted with a Davies and Metcalfe ejector and steam brake valve.

A few years ago, when researching another locomotive at the Railway Museum’s Search Engine a few years ago, I came across a drawing of a couple of steam brake valves. My hope that these might come in useful in the future proved true when I started researching the ‘Z’. One of the brake valves looked remarkably similar to that shown in the General Arrangement drawing.

Sometimes though having a drawing of a component isn’t enough and you can’t beat being able to photograph and inspect the actual component. Unfortunately in the case of the type of steam brake fitted to the ‘Z’, there doesn’t appear to be an example that has survived. As a result, it’s very much a case of “make your best guess”. Overall though I’m pleased with how the steam brake is coming together and it will be another first for me as I’ve never simulated a steam brake on a model before.

There’s still a lot to get done, one of the biggest jobs on the to-do list is to finish modelling the AWS system, you can just see the completed stretcher for the receiver and junction box near the rear bufferbeam. Hopefully, it won’t be too long before all the outstanding modelling is completed and I can start getting the model textured and into the game.

Until next time…

SLC Update 1 July 2022

Posted on by steamlococollection in Announcements

Hi everyone, I hope you are all well.

Apologies for the lack of updates over the past few months. April was a hectic month outside of SLC work, and due to various decisions that I have taken it would have been premature to reveal what I’ve been working on. A couple of weeks ago I posted a clue on the ‘In Development’ page, and I am now able to reveal what that secret project is.

It’s easy to think that producing a pack of coaches is a simple matter, but in many respects, building coaches is more complicated and involved than locomotives. As I mentioned in a previous blog post I now have several projects on the go at any one time, including the remaining two Trio ‘B’ packs, allowing me to adapt to circumstances and changing interests. Consequently, I may have projects underway that I have announced. One of which is…

The SR Maunsell ‘Z’ class!

While the ‘Z’ class engines were a small class, only 8 being built, they have a fascinating history and I’m looking forward to revealing some of that history in the add-on and the accompanying manual.

Modelling work is progressing well and scripting, as well as sound setup, has already started. Keep an eye on the blog for more information.

Until next time…