The footplate of most loco builds is the platform for the rest of the locomotive and needs to be a substantial structure - I have seen (and built) several kits where the footplate is so flimsy that an inevitable curve is later introduced by the addition of the superstructure. I am not expecting such problems with this kit, however I am aware that there are parts in the design that may cause me some challenges - not least the use of some serious overlays (buffer beams) and the nuts and bolts (literally).
Once again we start by identifying the parts on the frets. The footplate is made up of an overlay [7] which has very fine detail of the chequer-pattern floor on it and the footplate itself [6]. These need to be carefully removed from the fret, setting aside the sub-frets from the cab and engine cut-out areas. Pay particular care to removing the half-etched overlay as it is very easy to distort it. Don't be fooled into thinking that the footplate has shrunk, it is deliberately designed that way, being slightly narrower and quite a bit shorter. (Not so noticeable in the photograph). Carefully file off the fret tags and tidy up the edges before cleaning all the greasy fingerprints off.
The footplate, and ultimately the whole body, will be bolted to the frames using two 12BA nuts and bolts. Use the two holes in the footplate and overlay to align them - rather obviously the chequerplate half-etch is on the outside. I used the bolts themselves but you do need to ensure that they are coated in solder mask to prevent them being soldered into their holes. Do note that the footplate is "handed", there is an extra hole on the left-hand side that needs to be matched.
While being held together, and ensuring that the footplate is flat, run solder along the inside edges of the cab and engine cut-outs. There is no need to apply heat to the outside edges at this stage, though I found that the fluxing of the solder was more than adequate for it to spread though the entire overlay. The most important thing is to try not to ruin the chequer-plate etching with stray solder.
The 12BA nuts were then soldered to the upper surface of the footplate - I used a toothpick to keep them aligned to the holes. Use the minimum amount of solder here as the cab and engine casing base plate has to be fitted later around these nuts.
Sounds easy and looks it too - but behind that is hours of grief. Sometimes you just have to walk away from something and come back another day - well after several days actually. It took no less than nine nuts and bolts to finally get there. A combination of soldering nuts off centre, getting solder inside the threads, cross threading the bolts, snapping the heads off el cheapo bolts, having to re-tap nuts .... All that and I just know that there is a lot more of this to come.
The footplate was bolted to the frames checking that the half-etch on the ends lined up with ends of the frames. They did, but all that rough handling had introduced a very slight bend across the footplate. Something I hope will straighten once the buffer beams are soldered on.
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