The Class 48 0-6-0T switcher served the D&RG from 1877 through to 1903. This lil 0-6-0T model is substatially
bashed from a Delton/Aristo C-16. The Delton Boiler was cut in length by about 1" and a similar chunk removed
from the chassis to turn the 2-8-0 chassis into an 0-6-0 chassis.
The Chassis is not the new cast Aristo block as this unit is too hard to modify (can be done..just a lot more work) so I
swapped out the chassis of an old Delton loco and bashed the Delton chassis for this 0-6-0. The frames and rods were cut
and re-assembled using the same technique I used on the 2-6-0 bash and 4-4-0.
I make up a bar frame of 1/4"x1/4" plastruct rods (4 of them-two on top, two on bottom), then I space out the existing wheel
bearings along this frame to the desired wheel locations..then just clad over the remaining exposed bar frame with styrene
sheet. On the 0-6-0 I only had to respace the first driver after the middle of the 2-8-0 chassis was chopped out. I change
the side rods by cutting them up and inserting the cut ends into brass square hollow section tubes. I slide the existing rod
bearings in and out of the tube till the new adjusted rods are exactly the right length and then glue them up with epoxy. Care
must be taken in making the bar frame chassis, alignment of wheel bearings and sizing the side rods to fit..or the lil loco
will rock n' roll bad.
The Class 48 were main switcher locos for the D&RG in the 1880s through to 1903..one of them was sold to the RGS. Comparing
the plans and styling, these 0-6-0Ts seem to have been modelled after the Class 56 2-8-0s built for the D&RG in the 1870s. The
Class 56s were very similar to the Class 60 (C-16) locos. Hence the use of the Aristo C-16 is appropriate.
