Unbodging Slater's 7mm 0-4-4T

[Mad_Dan_Eccles]

Folks

 

Despite lurking for a very long time i think this is my first post. 

 

I started this with with the intention of simply repainting a Slaters 7mm Midland 0-4-4.

 

Once I got the old paint off and collected all the parts that had come adrift, close inspection revealed that this had been worked on by someone who ran out of enthusiasm and skill part way though or perhaps two different people had worked on it; the main part of the work was nice and square and neatly soldered, but much of the detail work had been somewhat haphazardly attached with blobs of solder or Araldite. All this is pretty straightforward to sort out.

 

However, while the chassis runs quiet nicely, it has been slightly bodged and I am not at all sure how to unbodge it.  The hornblocks have been neatly soldered and lined up but instead of springing the axleboxes, these have been soldered solid at the very bottom of the guide. While I think I could live with an unsprung chassis, the setting of the axleboxes is such ride height is off - the buffers sit quite a bit higher than Her Majesty's Small Railway Inspectorate will allow. 

 

I simply don't know what the best way to fix this would be. Ideally I would remove the wheels to get a decent sized iron on the hornblock to free it up before cleaning and reattaching, but can't safely remove the wheels with the axles in the chassis. On the other hand getting the hornblocks free with wheels and axles in situ means playing a lot of heat from a torch in close proximity to the gear box and wheel centres, neither of which are likely to survive the experience unscathed. 

 

Inspiration seems to be at a low ebb right now - can someone lend me some please?

 

Aidrian

Edited June 16, 2017 by Mad_Dan_Eccles

[brossard]

Well Aidrian, I'm sort of in the same boat.  I bought a part assembled Slaters 1F.  The hornblocks are very sloppy so I bought a new and more modern set of hornguides from Slaters intending to replace the old ones.  I also got myself a few other bits and bobs including a Belpaire backhead.  Sounds like your model is more advanced in construction than mine.  I will look forward to hearing and seeing how you get on.

 

My view of things is that when you buy something second hand, expect to have to rebuild it.  Ten to one whoever had it first won't have done it to your standards.

 

John

Edited June 16, 2017 by brossard

[Izzy]

If it uses Slaters wheels, which I would have thought it would, then can't they just be removed in the normal way since they attach via allan key screws? I presume if there is outside brake rigging this might have to come off first, but I can't think of an obvious issue with removing the wheels/axles, or have more changes/'adaptions' been made during the construction perhaps?

 

If you can manage it a photo of the loco/chassis might help illustrate/reveal any problems. Always an issue with pre-owned stuff that's made from a kit/scratchbuilt. No two peoples standards are quite the same, or the methods/standards with which they are put together. So it's often fraught with problems such as these.

 

Izzy

[Mad_Dan_Eccles]

Twos step forward one back and one sideways.

 

Pics attempted but the paint used was the same as the stuff they used to paint Disaster Area's Sun Ship - light just falls into it. I'm reluctant to try Nitromors as i have no idea what it might do the wheel centres and have reverted to stripping with scrapers, wet and dry and scratch pen

 

Removing all the brake gear and ashpan has improved access and some thoughts are beginning to form.  Removing the wheels isn't going to be easy for a couple of reasons -  

• In past experience once a Slaters wheel has been locked down pulling near the tyres will simply result in spokes going crunch  - there isn't enough space to get the puller jaws in between frame and wheel so i can pull on the hub
• In this case it's made more challenging because the bodger in chief decided to fill the sockets for the Allen key with solder...In heaven's name why?  If you do need to fill something like a 1:1 screw head that is visible a little bit of clay wiped into the slot or hole can be painted over and scraped out again if you need to undo the screw again of future    

However there may be light...there's evidence to suffer that the hornblocks have suffered from the attentions of the Mad Aralditer. Araldite can be softened with heat and comes apart when dunked in caustic soda