Midland Railway 483 class 2P and Johnson tender

[OFFTHE RAILS]

2mm scale. Nigel is kindly sharing his experiences with the test etches of his proposed kit. Details of Nigel Hunt's other kits and projected costs of this one and the others he is currently working on are listed here: http://www.2mm.org.uk/small_suppliers/nigelhunt/

 

Simon

Thanks Simon!

[Nig H]

Here are some pics of the smokebox front. I've built it as a unit which I will epoxy in place when all soldering work on the boiler is finished. I'm not brave enough to try soldering the unit in place. There are lots of little bits on the smokebox door and keeping them in place as other bits were added was quite challenging. Once the door with lamp iron, handrail and door straps was finished, I soldered it to the etched smokebox front and then added the dogs. These haven't etched quite as intended but they are so small that they are hardly noticeable without magnification.

 

 

 

It looks like the handrail knob on the right needs straightening.

 

 

The back of the unit. The straight bits are 0.2mm n/s rod to locate the 'dogs'.

 

Nig H

[Nig H]

I spent several hours on Friday testing the running of the now almost-complete loco. It started off dreadfully and I spent most the time trying to find out why, without success. Eventually I found that the worm was rubbing against the side of the slot in the underside of the boiler. Electrical pickup via the tender wheels only was poor too. With the slot widened and the loco chassis wired up to the tender chassis, I tried running the loco again, and to my great relief it ran really well. Very smooth, with just a hint of hesitation. I've added some weight to the firebox, but there is room for more, and at this stage the loco pulled six coaches weighing 138g, with no sign of a struggle. I think that with a bit more weight, the loco should manage eight coaches, probably more than they were normally loaded to prototypically.

 

I'd like to finish off the loco by adding chimney, dome and safety valves, but I need to do the instructions for loco and tender while I still remember most of how I built it all.

 

Nig H

[Nig H]

Here are some pics with almost all the build done. Now I can ask, "2P or not 2P, that is the question". I think it looks quite like a 2P, though I'm not sure about the chimney and dome. One of the stanchion handles came off just prior to the pics being taken, and the other looks like it will follow soon. I'm struggling to understand how the can handrail has come loose and slipped down. Three soldered joints all failed!? 

 

 

 

 

 

Instructions now done, so waiting for the etchers to send me the production version. In the meantime, I can do the repairs, sort out the safety valves (base done, just need to source a couple of safety valves), the tender axlebox/ springs  and then paint it. I think I'll ask Ian Rathbone if he can line it for me. Just noticed the cab roof hatch looks a bit wonky too. The benefits of enlarging pics of ones models!

 

Nig H

[65179]

Looks good Nigel. Did your chosen loco retain its Midland chimney? If not you will need a squatter chimney (not sure about the dome). You've done a lovely job of that front end. That smokebox just shouts Midland. How did you make the railroad covers?

 

Simon

[JohnBS]

Here are some pics with almost all the build done. Now I can ask, "2P or not 2P, that is the question". I think it looks quite like a 2P, though I'm not sure about the chimney and dome. One of the stanchion handles came off just prior to the pics being taken, and the other looks like it will follow soon. I'm struggling to understand how the can handrail has come loose and slipped down. Three soldered joints all failed!? 

 ]

 

 

Instructions now done, so waiting for the etchers to send me the production version. In the meantime, I can do the repairs, sort out the safety valves (base done, just need to source a couple of safety valves), the tender axlebox/ springs  and then paint it. I think I'll ask Ian Rathbone if he can line it for me. Just noticed the cab roof hatch looks a bit wonky too. The benefits of enlarging pics of ones models!

 

Nig H

Nigel,

Perhaps you used aluminium wire for the stanchion - you should have photographed the other side (ugh!)

A lovely bit of model engineering - my compliments.

John

[Nig H]

Looks good Nigel. Did your chosen loco retain its Midland chimney? If not you will need a squatter chimney (not sure about the dome). You've done a lovely job of that front end. That smokebox just shouts Midland. How did you make the railroad covers?

 

 

Simon,

 

Thanks. I tried to do a chimney, height 2' above the smokebox i.e 4mm but it turned out 4.5mm. To me it looks more than 0.5mm too high. The 4mm is based on a drawing in the Wild Swan book of a Stanier chimney, and a table of chimney sizes in the Wild Swan Jinty book. I think I'll measure the chimney in Roche for 2Ps as that looks squatter, and work from there. What are railroad covers?

 

Nig H

Edited August 5, 2018 by Nig H

[65179]

Sorry annoying autocorrect. I meant to write tailrod covers!

[Nig H]

Nigel,

Perhaps you used aluminium wire for the stanchion - you should have photographed the other side (ugh!)

A lovely bit of model engineering - my compliments.

John

Hello John,

 

Thanks for your comments. I used 0.2mm nickel silver rod for the stanchions, but the handles are quite vulnerable, which is why I left attaching them till last. I had to modify a brass handle casting by removing the nice big base, to get the handle to the right height above the stanchion bracket, so there isn't much to solder to. I'll have to try to do better next time.

 

Nig H

[Nig H]

Sorry annoying autocorrect. I meant to write tailrod covers!

Hello Simon,

 

The footplate has half etched slots in front of the piston cover, and the rods fit in these slots. The rods are lengths of 0.7mm rod files to a 'D' then the front ends rounded off.

 

Nig H

[Nig H]

Some pics showing a new chimney and dome fitted, and a couple of repairs.

 

 

 

 

 

The chimney and dome look a lot more like what I had in mind originally.

 

I'm tempted to paint the loco soon. I thought it would need to be lined out but according to Summerson, it was finished in unlined black when sporting the first BR emblem. If anyone knows this not to be so, please let me know.

 

Nig H

[Rhubarb Loop]

What a beauty Nigel!

[65179]

Looking good Nigel.

 

It's amazing what you can find on the net, here's a link to part of 40439's record card: www.warwickshirerailways.com/lms/mrb1495.htm

 

I've not found a photo showing it lined and if it wasn't at it's heavy general in 1949 it won't have been until 1954 if at all.

 

Thanks for letting me know how you did the tailrod covers.

 

Simon

[65179]

Duplicate post

Edited August 14, 2018 by 65179

[Leander]

 

The chimney and dome look a lot more like what I had in mind originally.

 

I'm tempted to paint the loco soon. I thought it would need to be lined out but according to Summerson, it was finished in unlined black when sporting the first BR emblem. If anyone knows this not to be so, please let me know.

 

Nig H

I have a 30 years old 4mm Millholme models MR 2P 4-4-0 in BR lined mixed traffic livery and am increasingly thinking that most of these surviving to the mid 1950s were in unlined BR mixed traffic livery.

[Nig H]

Looking good Nigel.

 

It's amazing what you can find on the net, here's a link to part of 40439's record card: www.warwickshirerailways.com/lms/mrb1495.htm

 

I've not found a photo showing it lined and if it wasn't at it's heavy general in 1949 it won't have been until 1954 if at all.

 

Thanks for letting me know how you did the tailrod covers.

 

Simon

Thanks Simon.

 

After my post, I found a few web pics of 40439 in the mid to late fifties, all in unlined black, early emblem, so I'm happy to go with that evidence. A relief in some ways though it would have looked nice in mixed traffic lining.

 

Nig H

[Nig H]

Here are some pics showing extra weight added to the chassis (lumps of tungsten), and the stock used for testing the adhesion. The train weighed 159g in total and the loco did show some signs of slipping, so one coach less might be the maximum the loco could pull comfortably. 

 

 

The tungsten is glued inside the spacers either side of the worm.

 

 

 

 

All the coaches have brass or nickel silver bodies and underframes, with mainly Ultima detailing. They are significantly heavier than my other coaches built with plasticard underframes. The wagons are old Wyatt and Tizard products.

 

Apologies for the picture quality. It was quite gloomy in the kitchen when I did the trials.

 

Nig H

[Ian Smeeton]

Midland small engine policy,

 

you need another one!

 

Regards

 

Ian

[Coal Tank]

AHi Nigel I rathe like that last coach

John

[Coal Tank]

Is the kit still available Nigel

[Nig H]

Is the kit still available Nigel

Hello John,

 

I think you are referring to the coach next to the engine  - the GSWR restaurant composite. I think I have found all the bits to make one, but I don't have instructions. Please contact me by email or PM if you want to discuss this further.

 

Regards,

 

Nigel

[Nig H]

The production etches for the loco and tender arrived today. I'll take some to the AGM for people to have a look at.

 

Regards,

 

Nigel

[Nig H]

I've finally got round to painting the tender axleboxes/ springs for my MR 483 class. Here are a couple of pics with the left-hand side ones glued in place. When the right-hand side is done I can do a bit of weathering and add the cab windows and coal. I think I need to look at the cab handrails (again).

Regards,

Nig H

 

 

 

 

Here are some pics of the finished loco. I wanted to add some crew but there's not much space in the cab either side of the u/j. I quite pleased how the tender axleboxes came out, though they are a pain to assemble.

 

Nig H

Edited April 5, 2019 by Nig H
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