Ruston 441934 was built new for Rowntree & Co. Ltd of York, being delivered on 14 April 1960 to join R&H 421419/1958 and 432479/1959 in the confectionery company’s fleet of locomotives as No. 3. In 1979, the York factory bought a new 0-6-0 locomotive and No.3 was transferred to Rowntree’s Fawdon factory in Newcastle. Rail services at Fawdon came to a halt on 30 January 1987, with No. 3 being handed over to the North York Moors Railway for preservation and after some years being moved about, in 2013 it was purchased by two members of the Derwent Valley Light Railway, Glynnis and Tony Frith. 441934 has now been named Ken Cooke, in honour of the former Rowntree’s York employee, D-Day veteran and holder of France’s highest military honour, the Legion d’Honneur.

DESIGN SPECIFICATION and CONSIDERATIONS

• Die-cast metal chassis, body frame and footplate, with plastic cab and engine panels. Target weight of 475g.
• Scale length of 143.8mm over buffers, 54.85mm wide and height over cab of 70mm.
• Wheelbase of 40.54mm, for all vehicles, allowing operation over a minimum radius of 1020mm (2nd radius set-track).
• Choice of metal 3-link, or screw couplings for prototypical coupling.
• Brake blocks fitted and aligned with wheel centres for 0 Gauge, ensuring that they do not rub on wheel rims.
• Single style of 21mm solid wheel, correctly profiled both on the inside and outside and chemically blackened, set in blackened brass bearings or contact strips and conforming to Accurascale standards of 29.2mm back-to-back, on 4.763mm diameter axles.
• Fully detailed die-cast underframe with all cylinders, linkages and piping applied separately
• Eroded metal, plastic and wire detail parts, including (but not limited to) handrails, door handles, lamp brackets, brake gear, brake discs, draw gear, vents, louvres, radiator grilles and builders’ plates.
• Prism free flush glazing.
• Easily removable cab roof, to allow access to cab interior for customer detailing.
• Sprung metal buffers, and draw hooks.
• Authentic livery, markings and numbers, accurate to time period modelled, achieved by use of part painting and pad printing.

HIGH PERFORMANCE TRACTION and MECHANISM, TO INCLUDE:

• Centrally mounted, best quality 5-pole skew-wound motor, with flywheel, driving both axles.
• All-wheel pickup.
• Helical gear box for maximum performance and slow speed running.
• Gearing arranged so locomotive can achieve a scale maximum top speed of 15.4 mph (24.78 kmh), with a load of 1.1kg.
• DCC ready with PowerPack capacitor for uninterrupted power, or similar stay alive arrangement.

LIGHTING and DCC FEATURES, TO INCLUDE:

• Deigned around PluX22 ESU Decoders with easy access to decoder via removable bonnet.
• Switchable shunting lights.
• Full cab interior lighting, set at correct colour temperature.
• Permanently fitted speakers.