Nile's NG Modelling

[Nile]

After no.6 comes no.5 of course. This is another Bagnall wing tank, like no.4. I started detailing it in the same way as I'd found another smokebox door the right size. The chimney is plastic tube with some tape around the top.

 

Clack valves are short handrail knobs, with copper wire and topped by tiny handwheels from N-brass. The extra boiler band is a thin strip of sticky tape, it marks the rear of the smokebox.

 

Rather than replace the boiler barrel with plastic tube as with no.4 I'm doing something different with no.5. The engineer wanted to increase water and coal capacity by adding extra tanks and a bunker in front of the cab. I also wanted to preserve as much of the original paint scheme as possible. I started with the tank/bunker on the fireman's side.

 

There is a gap between the new tanks and the front tanks to allow access to the clack valves and other bits under the boiler there.

[Ruston]

Do you think the cab is too tall, Nile? I have one of these and knew that something looked really odd but couldn't put my finger on it. Then I later realised that it was way too tall, especially when a driver figure is put in it. I cut the cab down and turned a new chimney for it as well as drilling a hole in the top of each tank filler to take an iron ball (a ball of "liquid gravity") as a grip to open the filler.

 

[Nile]

Yes, a few mil taller than it needs to be. I think I can get away with leaving it as it is as I've now got three locos with this cab. I don't want to stray too far from its RTR origins.

[Nile]

Its appearance has improved now all the new bits have been painted black. There are now pipes linking the front and rear tanks on each side.

[Nile]

Some more bits added. A brass whistle from Branchlines had a bit of brass rod soldered to it that fits into a hole in the cab front. Some real coal added to the new bunker. Brass paint inside the windows and steel paint on the cab handrails. An overall mist of matt varnish before glazing the windows.

 

More butchery of Airfix figures. This is a dangerous railway to work on.

 

But all seems ok once they are onboard.

[chuffinghell]

Superb!

 

I always look forward to posts by Nile, although I wouldn’t like to work on his Railway with all the staff butchery that goes on

Edited September 3, 2018 by chuffinghell

[Nile]

No.5 emerged from the workshop after being modified and went for a test run up the line. Upon its return the fireman asked the works engineer "How does the water get into the top of the new tanks?". Ah thought the engineer, "I'll get back to you on that". After some head scratching and wondering how he'd miss this boo-boo he set about some more modifications to fix this problem. The tank filler hatches were moved to the tops of the new tanks. Caps were fitted over the old holes with pipes emerging from these to act as vents. This should allow all of the tanks to fill with water.

 

After another repaint here is the result.

 

Compare and contrast, No.4 and No.5.

[Pokemonprime]

Very impressed with the No.6, I'm planning to make a similar loco for my layout. Might use a different mechanism though, I can't seem to find the "Boehler" online for a good price. 

[Nile]

More stock for Scarside.

Among my purchases at ExpoNG was a 3 pack of quarryman's coaches, just the thing for those working in the quarry north of Scarside.

Construction starts as per the instructions, apart from the roof.

 

To give them some weight I cut lead sheet into floor sized pieces and glued them onto the coach floors.

 

To create a close coupled set I made my own couplings from 0.8mm brass rod. The design was inspired by those fitted to the Peco slate wagons. Greenwich couplings will go on the outer ends. Some footboards of plastic card have been added under the doors.

 

I wanted removable roofs so I used some 2x1mm magnets. The central mount in the coach also strengthens it and will stop the sides bowing in over time. Small bits of microstrip near the corners of the roof keep it straight. The red dots indicate which way round the roof goes, and to which coach it belongs. The others have two or three dots.

[Nile]

One concern I had was with the steel wheels that came with the kit, how would they interact with the uncoupling magnets? A test run with the complete set found no problems, saving the cost of replacing the wheels with Farish ones.

 

A finished coach. The door handles are from Roxey, easier than fiddling about with the chain in the kit. The oil lamp thing on the roof came off one of the latest Peco L&B coaches, to be replaced with something better looking. I haven't bothered with an interior as it can't be seen.

 

As the quarrymen's train has to reverse at Scarside operation will be easier with a brake van at each end. So I've started making another one using more TR brake van parts. It has to be short like no.1 for the train to fit in the loop.

 

[cnw6847]

Are they Dundas kits with their latest metal wheels?

 

If so are the wheels less magnetic than the old ones?

[Nile]

No they were in Parkside Dundas packaging, I bought them off the 009 sales stand. Upon closer examination it's just the axle that is steel, same as current stock.

[Nile]

The new brake van body sits on a Bag-wag chassis, with the end brake column being just outside the verandah. To get it the right size I've made it from brass tube and rod and a short handrail knob. The roof is a spare from a quarrymen's coach (each comes with two) and will be shortened to fit.

 

Some time later this is the finished model.

 

While I was at it I added some more handrails to the other two brakes.

 

Now for some test running.

 

 

[ Bag-wag = Bagnall wagon, produced by Meridian models (Narrow Planet) ]

[Nile]

In my pile of things to build is a Meridian/Mosskito Simplex tractor. I'm in no hurry to build that, but in the box is a Japanese powered box van thing that will be used to power it. This is a photo of it with the cover removed, it isn't needed for the Simplex.

 

At the suggestion of a friend I'm turning the body into a gunpowder van. A few small gaps needed filling, I then added some thin strips of sticky tape for the strapping and hinges. A long time was then spend adding the rivets, mostly decals and a few paint blobs. The latch on the doors is bits of microstrip.

 

For the chassis I've used a Chivers flat wagon kit, shortened to fit. The brake parts are left overs from Colin Ashby kits.

[Signaller69]

Love the Gunpowder Van idea, ingenious. How do those little power units run; saw them for sale last time I visited the FR shop at Portmadoc?

[Nile]

They can be difficult to tame with a 12V controller. A PWM type on 9V or thereabouts will do. On Friday a friend had one running round a circle, powered by a Minitrains controller running off a 9V battery.

[Nile]

The chassis is a mixture of parts. The sides and ends are Chivers, shortened to fit and stuck to a rectangle of 40thou plastic card. This fits inside the base of the body. The brake levers and shoes are leftover Colin Ashby parts. Some lead gives weight to what is otherwise a very light model.

[Nile]

After much painting and weathering the body was fitted to the chassis. Here I've posed it next to my smallest van to show how small it is.

 

Here it is in a siding at Scarside at the end of a train of slate wagons.

[2996 Victor]

Love the Gunpowder Van, an excellent piece of model-making.

I'm tempted to try and emulate it!

Cheers,

Mark

Edited November 24, 2018 by 2996 Victor

[chuffinghell]

I've changed my 'like' to a 'Craftsmanship/Clever'

 

​A 'like' just didn't do it justice 

[Nile]

Decided I need another brake van, you can't have too many.

The ingredients, Meridian TR brake van parts.

 

Partly built, with the end temporarily held on to give you an idea how it will look.

 

More bits fitted. I put some planked Slater's plastikard on the verandah floor to cover the holes for the wheels. The brake column (from a GW toad) isn't fixed there yet. It's easier to paint the inside of the verandah before fitting the end on.

[Nile]

With the inside of the verandah painted the end was glued on. Then the whole thing was sprayed brick red. The roof, cut to the correct length, is plonked on for effect.

 

[CinderMonkey]

Nile, I just found this thread and I must say that I admire your entire fleet; the level of craftsmanship evident is astounding. However, I must ask about your No. 6. I think she looks fantastic, but will you apply external valve gear? Considering she is a well tank, am I correct in assuming that there would be very little space for internal valve gear? (I understand Dolgoch is also a well tank, but she has a much longer wheelbase than that of No. 6, as well as a rather odd valve gear arrangement driven off of the front axle)

[Nile]

Thanks, and welcome to the forum CinderMonkey.

You are correct, it should really have outside valve gear. The Minitrains Decauville is also lacking in this area. Not an easy one to fix, maybe I shall give it a go some day.

I think the valve gear arrangement on Dolgoch may be unique to that loco. It must make life for the mechanic 'interesting'.

Edited December 10, 2018 by Nile

[HonestTom]

Dolgoch was of a type described as "Fletcher-Jennings' Patent." According to L T C Rolt, it was an absolute pig to maintain in terms of valve gear, which was really hard to access. It also suffered from "vertical oscillation," which was criticised in the inspectors' report but was never remedied. Despite Fletcher-Jennings' promotion using Dolgoch, I don't think Fletcher-Jennings' Patent caught on.