Kb965

My 5" Gauge N.Z.R. Locomotive

KB 965, works no. 348, was constructed by N.Z. Railways at their Hillside Workshops Dunedin in 1939. A development of the earlier K and KA classes, the KB was fitted with a booster bogie under the cab, which increased the tractive effort by 6,000lb. Originally six of these locomotives were built, complete with streamlined casing around the front of the boiler. This was later removed. For most of their lives, these locomotives hauled heavy freight and passenger trains on the Springfield-Arthur's Pass sections of the Midland Line through the Southern Alps, although they did on occasion venture onto the South Island Main Trunk. Withdrawn from service October 1969 it had travelled 935,396 miles.

My model is to be built in 5 " gauge. Full size locomotive is 3' 6" gauge.
3' 6" \ 8.4 = 5" Divide full size dimensions by 8.4
Drivers 4' 6" = 6.4285 ~ 6 7/16" dia
Bogies 2' 6 1/2" = 3.6309 ~ 3 5/8" dia
Rear bogie 3' 1/2" = 4.345 ~ 4 7/16" dia
Cylinder size 20" = 2.3809 ~ 2 3/8" dia
Stroke 26" = 3.0952 ~ 3"
Frame length = 61"
Tender length = 32"

I originally started this model in 1995. Fabricating the patterns castings & building the frames. After a house move & no progress for approx 6 years,
the frames, smokebox & castings were all sold in 2005.

It is now 2007 & I have started this project again.

Scroll down for some pictures of the new project.

This picture shows the wheel patterns. The driver pattern without the counter weight is the master pattern. I used this pattern to cast the three other patterns in aluminium. I then added the counter weights so they could be cast in cast iron.

Because there is fourteen small bogie wheels I cast a second one in aluminium to help keep the set up cost down at the foundary.

These pictures show the basic size of this engine. The rear frame is hollow all fabricated out of 1/8" plate. The frames are 3/16" plate. Frame stretchers are all 1/2" plate.

The smoke box is 8"id steam pipe. It looks a bit large but if you compare this with the picture of the original locomotive at the top of the page it is correct. The bars on the font buffer or cow catcher are made using 3/16" bundy tube.

This is a picture of one of our club members 31/2" K class locomotive. The predecessor to the KB.