de Selby Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 I haven't posted much recently because I have been making a concerted attack on some unfinished projects which have been sitting around for a while. I suspect I am not alone in having a number of boxes which I look at guiltily from time to time and mutter things such as "I really must finish that some time" . The reason for stopping working on something varies. Sometimes I hit a problem which I can't readily solve. Occasionally I need a part which I can't get at the time. Or perhaps I am at the stage where I am adding fine detail, which takes a lot of time and by its nature you don't see much progress. Then something more "interesting" comes along ......... So my current mission is to turn some of the unfinished projects into - strangely enough - finished projects. What follows will not be a blow by blow account of the construction of these models, rather a summary of what has transpired. First up is a reboilered Claughton (Caprotti version) which had been lurking on my workbench for far too long. It came to me via eBay a couple of years ago, in a partially built state. It is the old Jidenco (more recently Falcon Brass) kit. It is a "rescue loco" in the sense that a fair amount of repair / reconstruction was necessary. It had taken a a bit of a battering at some point, and the boiler did not quite line up as it should. Much of it was therefore carefully dismantled, the old solder cleaned off, then reassembled. There were originally Romford wheels fitted, but the slightly oversize flanges tended to short out on the bodywork. This was eventually solved by fitting Gibson wheels and reusing the Romfords elsewhere. It has a Mashima motor driving through the excellent Branchlines Multibox gearbox, and now runs very smoothly. The recent work has all been adding small details such as lamp brackets and smokebox door "dogs". As photographed it is just about ready for cleaning up and painting - there are a few bits of pipework still to be added. One thing I have not been able to find out is the arrangement of the whistle and steam manifold on these locos. The original Claughtons had the whistle on the cab roof, but the rebuilds seem to have had the whistle (horizontal?) and at least part of the manifold on the top of the firebox immediately in front of the cab. There is a photograph in "Claughton and Patriot 4-6-0s (Toms & Essery) which appears to show something in this position but unfortunately is not clear enough to see the detail. So if anyone can point me in the direction of a photo or drawing I would be grateful..... Alan The reboilered Claughtons were impressive locos and make a fascinating model. The solder patches and repairs reflect the somewhat chequered history of this model. Smoke deflectors temporarily set in place. Some details such as the firebox backhead and the brass oil trays on the side of the boiler will be added after painting. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GC Jack Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 I am working on a Claughton at the moment. How is this project going? Jack Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
de Selby Posted September 16, 2012 Author Share Posted September 16, 2012 Apologies for not replying Jack, I have only just noticed your post, having not looked at this thread for some time. The Claughton is now pretty much finished, I will post some pictures to bring the story up to date. Alan I am working on a Claughton at the moment. How is this project going? Jack Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
de Selby Posted September 16, 2012 Author Share Posted September 16, 2012 First, here are a few pictures of the job of painting getting underway in my high tech (?) paintshop Halford's primer going on .... Followed by top coat. And a few pictures of the finished item. (Finished except for some tidying up, and adding the brass oilboxes on the side of the boiler) Should look good at the front of a L.M.S. express. The lining took forever, and definitely didn't want to go round some of the curves. Having completed the Claughton, the next case in the file was a Nu-cast J15 which I had picked up secondhand. Of which, more to follow shortly....... Alan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenton Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 That is a particularly fine build of a tricky Jidenco example (brave of you) but very successful. That paint job looks superb with the lining a real showcase model. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 ...some unfinished projects which have been sitting around for a while. I suspect I am not alone in having a number of boxes which I look at guiltily from time to time and mutter things such as "I really must finish that some time" .... *spits beer involuntarily over monitor followed by fit of coughing* Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
de Selby Posted September 16, 2012 Author Share Posted September 16, 2012 That is a particularly fine build of a tricky Jidenco example......... Thank you for your kind comments, Kenton. It's far from perfect, but I am pleased with the way it turned out. It did have its challenges, but these were more because it had been partially built (and other problems were self inflicted), rather than "Jidenciness" . That said, it definitely didn't fall out of the box and build itself! *spits beer involuntarily over monitor followed by fit of coughing* Don't worry - I estimate I'll need to live till I'm at least 357 to finish off all the stuff which I have accumulated over the years. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trebor Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/gallery/album/1980-just-for-fun/ You shall find a round tuit Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 Lovely Claughton. (Or is that an unthree-cylinder-converted Baby Scot?) The lining around the valance access holes very distinctive, well worth what must have required significant effort to achieve. Regarding the J15, definitely one to build around the chassis and motor: it is almost impossible to cut too much whitemetal out of the incredibly thick (motor and gearbox fit inhibiting) boiler castings... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
micknich2003 Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 Claughton is very nice, until I read the text, I pressumed it was 7mm scale. Mick. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
de Selby Posted September 17, 2012 Author Share Posted September 17, 2012 Lovely Claughton. (Or is that an unthree-cylinder-converted Baby Scot?) Thank you. I suppose that if you can have an Unrebuilt Bulleid ...... then again, perhaps not Regarding the J15, definitely one to build around the chassis and motor: it is almost impossible to cut too much whitemetal out of the incredibly thick (motor and gearbox fit inhibiting) boiler castings... Funny you should say that.... As will become clear, when faced with that problem, I cheated! Claughton is very nice, until I read the text, I pressumed it was 7mm scale. Mick. Thank you for the compliment. Shortly I after I finished it I encountered a 7mm scale Claughton on a sales stand. It was absolutely beautiful and contained lots of detail that would have been very difficult to include in the smaller scale. It was also very useful in showing me where a couple of small parts went that I had not been sure about! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
de Selby Posted September 17, 2012 Author Share Posted September 17, 2012 Moving on to the next unfinished project (OK, so it is now finished, but you know what I mean....) This J15 started off as the Nucast whitemetal kit. When I acquired it secondhand, it had been put together reasonably well, and ran reasonably well, albeit with the motor protruding into the cab. With hindsight, I should have taken a picture of it when I first got it, but I didn't. So here is a photo of the model working a train on the Cambridge (31a) club's layout Nightlayer's Drove. The rebuild of the loco was mostly complete at this time but some detail was still to be added. As purchased, the paint job was of the "lumpy" school, unfortunately, and was thus earmarked for "improvement" (of the nitromors variety!). I also decided to fit a high level gearbox and mashima motor which would leave the cab clear. The existing motor was reused elsewhere. Also to be replaced were the flangeless centre drivers. Here the chassis has been dismantled and the new motor and gearbox (top) are about to be fitted. 34theletterbetweenB&D mentioned the non-motor-frendly nature of the whitemetal boiler & firebox. This was the first attempt at a solution..... It also became apparent that the existing whitemetal boiler was, for some reason, slightly too short. So I ended up making a replacement out of some brass tube (boiler) and nickel silver sheet ( firebox) using the Isinglass drawing as a reference. An Alan Gibson backhead was bought and fits into the cab nicely. I found that the loco I had decided to model (from a photo in Yeadon's Register) had a different shape of cab cut out so a pair of new cab sides were also made, again using the Isinglass drawing as a reference. Alan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 I shall be interested in what you have done for the J15. Should mine ever clap out - and I am fervently hoping not as it is on its third power unit - an alternative arrangement using the better drive line parts now available might be contemplated. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
de Selby Posted September 17, 2012 Author Share Posted September 17, 2012 Should mine ever clap out ......... an alternative arrangement using the better drive line parts now available might be contemplated. I have fitted a High Level Roadrunner+ gearbox and a Mashima 1420 flat can motor. The gearbox faces rear and drives the rear axle. You can just about see this from the photos, but if it would help I could take a photo of the chassis with the body removed to show the arrangement. While all this modelling was going on I happened to have a firing turn on the real J15, so while we were raising steam I took a few photos of some of the detail of the loco (my driver thought I was nuts!) I have included these here - they might be of some use to somebody considering a similar model. Since these photos were taken the loco has been repainted in LNER livery and makes a fine sight when working the Quad-Arts. Back to the model. Various details were subsequently added, such as tender side extensions, vacuum and air pipework, fire irons and so on. Seen here before painting the new bits: Not forgetting the crew, of course. Finally, some photos of the completed loco. The gold numerals were replaced with yellow shaded ones which, I believe, are correct. Alan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 The view of the gearbox used makes it entirely clear thanks. Your earlier posting made me suspect you had gone tender motor with a shaft drive to the loco. The smaller cab side cut out is interesting: does it change the character of the loco or what? The assymetry of the life guards on the real J15 tender rear is an excellent detail, the sort of thing that is ideal for getting certain types of folk 'bent out of shape'. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
de Selby Posted September 19, 2012 Author Share Posted September 19, 2012 Your earlier posting made me suspect you had gone tender motor with a shaft drive to the loco. Not for this loco, but it is something I must try again some time. I attempted such an arrangement some years ago (on an LMS "Crab"), but it wasn't a great success. Hopefully my modelling skills have improved a bit since then. The High Level gearboxes are designed so that they can be used in this way. I think Branchlines still do universal joints, or possibly some one else also does these days. Definitely something to think about for a future project. The assymetry of the life guards on the real J15 tender rear is an excellent detail I hadn't noticed the lifeguards until you pointed it out. I am sure I have made models where the lifeguards are (unintentionally) like that.... So if anyone ever complains, I can produce the photo! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
de Selby Posted September 19, 2012 Author Share Posted September 19, 2012 Having completed the J15, attention turned to a another couple of forlorn boxes. These contained a pair of L.M.S. 3Fs. One of these was a set of resin castings produced by Golden Arrow, for loco and tender body. The other was a real hybrid, being an ancient whitemetal kit (don't know which manufacturer) that had been placed on a Bachmann Jinty chassis and paired with a Wills Finecast tender. The cab had at some point been replaced with one from an Airfix / Hornby 4F. The Bachmann chassis was subsequently renunited with a Jinty body which I happened to have, while the Finecast tender went into the spares box, and an old K's Johnston pattern tender was substituted. For both 3Fs I used a Comet 4F chassis, which was slightly shortened to fit. Similar to the J15, they have Mashima motors and High Level Roadrunner+ gearboxes, but in the case of the 3Fs there was also room to fit a small flywheel. Wheels are all Alan Gibsons, from which source also came chimneys, domes, safety valves, cab roof vents and a backhead for the whitemetal loco. The Golden Arrow one included a backhead cast in resin. Various small details were made out of materials such as scrap etch. Some items, such as the reversing levers, came from the very useful Mainly Trains etches. One not so small item was a new smokebox for the whitemetal loco made from nickel silver sheet, as the original casting had a G.W. style smokebox saddle! I didn't take photos of these locos when work was in progress (don't worry though, there's plenty of scope for that when I get round to some more of "the unfinished"). The pictures below show the locos as completed (no weathering has yet been attempted, though). 3763 is (mostly) whitemetal though the cab is a plastic one from a 4F. The tender is an old K's with a scratchbuilt inner chassis. 3763's chassis, a modified Comet 4F one, is fitted with Comet sprung hornblocks. 3644's chassis (also Comet), on the other hand, has been built rigid. This loco is a Golden Arrow resin cast body with added detail. Like 3763, the inner tender chassis is scratchbuilt from brass strip, and is fitted with electrical pickups. Not a Bachmann 3F in sight! I must get round to ordering some smokebox numberplates......... Alan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
de Selby Posted September 24, 2012 Author Share Posted September 24, 2012 A couple of years ago I went on the excellent Missenden Abbey modelling weekend and, as a project to tackle, I took along a DJH Coronation. Good progress was made, with a running (though not totally complete) chassis and much of the loco body being assembled. Following that the loco sat in its box (familiar story?) until recently. Having finished the 3Fs above, I dusted it down and decided it was the next one to tackle. The photos show the loco at the stage where it is ready to be painted. The tender has been built, (and fitted with electrical pickups) the valve gear has been added to the loco chassis, and many of the smaller details to the loco body. Some small parts will be added after painting, indeed with hindsight I would have left off the mechanical lubricators till then, as they make adding the lining to the centre splashers very difficult. The loco is powered by a Mashima round can motor, with flywheel, and is driven through a High Level "Highflyer" gearbox. It's built mostly as DJH intended, but Markits driving wheels (with the correct bevelled rims) have been substituted for the Romfords it originally came with. The tender, bogie and pony wheels are Gibsons, again of the correct Stanier pattern. I think that having the correct pattern of wheels improves the appearance of the loco no end. I've also added the beautifully machined Markits crossheads, and front (oval) buffers from the same source. Other minor improvements included adding an additional layer (from scrap nickel silver etch) to both the coupling and connecting rods which otherwise, to my eyes, are rather two dimensional. For the photographs, items such as the smoke deflectors and cab roof have just been set on to the model - they won't be fixed in place until painting is complete. That now brings things pretty much up to date as at the present time I am finishing off the painting and adding the final small parts to this loco. I will post more pictures of it as soon as I have. Alan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
de Selby Posted September 25, 2012 Author Share Posted September 25, 2012 Nearly there! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold ikks Posted September 27, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 27, 2012 This is great stuff, made me get off my @rse and start building again.....not quite as accomplished as your work though Rgds.......Mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 What happened to your Irish broad gauge stock? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
N15class Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 The duchess looks very good. I also think the 3F's are great. I have a part finished 7mm 3130 in my cupboard to finish. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
de Selby Posted September 27, 2012 Author Share Posted September 27, 2012 This is great stuff, made me get off my @rse and start building again..... Thank you. If it's got you building again, then I will put that down as a result! The duchess looks very good. I also think the 3F's are great. I have a part finished 7mm 3130 in my cupboard to finish. Thanks - I'll take a few photos of the completed Duchess (if it stops raining.....) and post them here in the next couple of days. What happened to your Irish broad gauge stock? It's definitely not forgotten. One reason I am trying to finish off the unfinished is so that once they are done I can then spend some time working on the Irish stuff. In the meantime, at least some things are happening. Baseboards are being constructed, and it's not impossible that a 21mm gauge layout may eventually see the light of day. Progress on it is a bit glacial at the moment though. As far as Irish rolling stock is concerned, I recently put together this G.N.R.(I) cattle wagon. It is produced by Provincial Wagons, and is normally supplied RTR for 16.5mm gauge. However it can also be supplied in kit form (it is cast resin) and I used the 21mm gauge axleguard etch from the Scalefour Society plus whitemetal axleboxes and springs from MJT to complete. Alan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mallard60022 Posted September 28, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 28, 2012 What a very amusing and inspiring post. Hasn't quite got me off my ar*e but has made me feel very guilty and am about to 'rearrange some boxes'. I love the Claughton and the big DJH Corri looks superb. Your finish on the 3Fs and detailing is smashing. However, the best thing on here are the proto J15 pics. I have an 'almost finished' Gibson effort that I got from a friend, OO, partly built and was OK but with lots of the difficult bits left to do and a very weird motor. I have no idea what it should really look like, so thanks. I think it will look OK when it's painted (black/weathered - hoorah) and I might ask Great Northern if he would like it I have not touched that for about 18 months; will I progress it soon? Maybe, but I need to sort out a load of point motors, wiring and switches first, then there is the scenic suff and buildings, then that load of nearly finished coaches followed by blah, blah, blah, drone, mumble......... P @ 36E Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 .....One reason I am trying to finish off the unfinished is so that once they are done I can then spend some time working on the Irish stuff. In the meantime, at least some things are happening. Baseboards are being constructed, and it's not impossible that a 21mm gauge layout may eventually see the light of day. Progress on it is a bit glacial at the moment though. As far as Irish rolling stock is concerned, I recently put together this G.N.R.(I) cattle wagon. It is produced by Provincial Wagons, and is normally supplied RTR for 16.5mm gauge. However it can also be supplied in kit form (it is cast resin) and I used the 21mm gauge axleguard etch from the Scalefour Society plus whitemetal axleboxes and springs from MJT to complete. I do like your work - particularly this engine here Have been in correspondence with Worsley Works, and am informed that the NCC "WT" 2-6-4T kit is on the way. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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