The Locomotive shop - Dean Goods 2525 (nee 2322) part 3
Entry posted by drduncan
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Quite a while has passed since the last blog entry - I've been busy, but as the project progresses so the law of diminishing returns sets in: the closer you get to finishing, the longer it takes to see meaningful progress as details and testing take time, without the obvious leaps forward in progress that can be made early on!
The observant will also notice that 2322 is now 2525. This is because the interesting arrangement of cylinder covers (or lack thereof) at the front of the smoke box would have meant major surgery and there just wasn't time before the MRC show at Alexandra Palace at the end March - I was also having a crisis of confidence about producing the pre1906 livery on all its glory. 2525 on the other hand was photographed around 1914 and had no such problems, either with smoke box or livery...
So what has been going on?
First both loco and tender chassis have been completed. I'd like to take credit for the quality of the job, but that must all go to Chris Gibbon of High Level Kits who designed the chassis kits to an exceptional standard and provided instructions that I have not seen surpassed. If you've never built a chassis and want to try, buy High Level Kits: I think they are the best designed on the market and the instructions explain exactly what you have to do, how to do it and in what order - perfect for the inexperienced, (or those, like me, who tire of trying to second guess what the kit designer or instruction writer was thinking - assuming they thought at all).
The big head scratching points were:
- How to position and fit the pick ups and get the amps and volts from the pick ups to the motor.
- Where to put the DCC chip and speaker.
The first was point was solved by using busbars under the loco and wipers on the backs of the wheels - it was just fiddley to set up and make sure everything stayed out of sight.
The second point actually was easier than I first thought - the big Dean tender was perfect for the decoder and speaker and getting power there proved to be straight forward using a JST micro connector to link the loco electrics to the tender (and the tender pick ups).
And now to the body. So what had to be done?
- Chimney replaced with Dean version
- Safety valve cover replaced with brass version
- Dome replaced with brass version
- Lubricator cover on right hand side of smoke removed and replaced with wire
- Reverser rod removed
- Churchward/Collett smokebox front & door replaced with Armstrong/Dean version
- Whistles replaced with turned brass ones
- Vac pipes replaced
- Screw link couplings added
- Moulded handrails on loco cab and on tender replaced with turned brass handrail knobs and wire
- And the whole lot repainted and lined in full GWR post 1906 livery...
The Dean chimney needed a bit of work. The standard Dean chimney supplied by Alan Gibson was too tall, having measured the Dean one from a Finney kit so the AG one had a short section cut out and the remaining bits soldered together and cleaned up.
Replacing the safety valve and dome with Alan Gibson brass ones was easy enough. The cavities left by the molded ones were filled with squadron putty and filed smooth.
Removing the lubricator cover required careful fining and carving to avoid damaging the boiler band, and a pice of 0.3mm wire was bent up to shape and fitted into place based on the photos of 2525.
The smokebox door seemed like it would be a major bit of surgery. However 'Quarryscapes' (of this parish) had designed a replacement one and it was (and is) available for purchase from the Shapeways site. Two were purchased (I will need one for 2322...) and it is a direct replacement for the Mainline/Hornby smokebox front molding - the original just pushes out of the end of the boiler. Here is the replacement in situ.
The cab and tender molded handrails were replaced with AG turned brass knobs and wire - the handrails at the front of the tender and the cab had to be very carefully cut away from their upper mountings and a hole drilled to take the wire - the plastic is very fragile until the wire is glued in place to give it support. The fake coal was alos cut away and a flat piece of plasticard inserted.
With the bulk of the bodywork done it was time to prime, paint and line, which dfortunatley wasn't as difficult as feared. The body was airbrushed GWR pre 1928 green and the black brush painted on (having let the black down with a little thinners so it flowed well and left on brush marks). The handrails and smoke rim/hinges were painted burnished steel and the whole lot given a cote of gloss varnish to give the lining something to stick to.
The lining itself was done using HMRS pressfix GWR lining transfers - at times a great deal of care and patience was needed but I think its worth the effort.
Then it was time to test it! A short was identified when it was first tested at Ally Pally after the public had left for the day, so back to the shops... After a little tinkering and use of insulation tape around pickups the loco happily rolled up and down Westcliff at ExpoEM in May. And here is the (almost finished) beauty posing on Empire Mills a couple of weeks ago.
Almost finished? Well yes - the observant may have noticed that the lamp irons are still to be fitted, as is the crew, and the lever reverser in the cab. Still it gives me a chance to post an update with more pics in due course....
drduncan
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