Nile's kitbuilding bench - Midland 1377

Nile · May 23, 2014

This is where I will detail my kit building, and will run in parallel with my other workbench topic.

(image restoration is an ongoing, and slow, process)

Topic Index (a wip) added to bottom of page

First up a kit that I bought nearly a year ago.

London Road Models LTSR No.1 class 4-4-2T

This is a long term project, the initial aim is to make a working chassis. I'll be making it to OO gauge with Gibson wheels.

I only recently obtained the recommended gearbox from High Level, a slimliner+D3 stretcher.

The motor is a Mashima 1020. This combination fits into a sub-chassis for the driving wheels.

There is a brass tube through the middle on which the assembly pivots.

The main chassis.

I used some 1mm square brass rod for the slidebars rather laminate the etched parts. The driving wheel assembly drops into place in the middle.

The front rests on the bogie. I'm using some wagon wheels to see how it all fits together.

Test running the motor.

All seems to be in order.

Conn-rods and piston rods fitted.

Happy that they seemed to work I then removed them so I could fit the brake gear and sand pipes.

I don't want to fix the motor position until I've built the body and know how much clearance there is for it.

That's all for now. Next is primer, paint and some pick-ups.

Edited February 7, 2023 by Nile
index link

Spitfire2865 · May 23, 2014

Wish I could build a brass chassis. Can barely solder as it is.

This looks great.

Twright · May 23, 2014

Excellent progress, I echo the above comment as well.

garethashenden · May 23, 2014

Excellent progress, I echo the above comment as well.

Wish I could build a brass chassis. Can barely solder as it is.

This looks great.

Practice!! It's not magic, it's a skill. Get some bits of brass and some solder and practice sticking them together.

Spitfire2865 · May 23, 2014

Practice!! It's not magic, it's a skill. Get some bits of brass and some solder and practice sticking them together.

Cant really when I cant afford a decent soldering iron and cant find flux. Nor do I know how to properly take care of am iron either. All guides say stuff but dont explain it.

Nile · May 23, 2014

Thanks all. My soldering isn't particularly neat but it works (so far). It's actually a Nickel Silver chassis, which is easier to solder. I've just built a Brass one (on my other workbench), quite a different experience.

One thing I forgot to mention is the splashers. I've left them off as I want to check their clearance (they sit above the bogie and pony wheels).

N15class · May 25, 2014

Cant really when I cant afford a decent soldering iron and cant find flux. Nor do I know how to properly take care of am iron either. All guides say stuff but dont explain it.

Flux is cheap. Get some phosphoric acid, mix with water to 12% acid. I bought an antax ifon 50 watt from the US for about $10US that builds 7mm kits.

PenrithBeacon · May 25, 2014

Wish I could build a brass chassis. Can barely solder as it is.

This looks great.

Visit Eileens https://www.eileensemporium.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&category_id=121&Itemid=9 for irons etc.

Visit YouTube http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=solder+models for a selection of tutorials. Exhibitions quite often do soldering demos.

HTH

trisonic · May 25, 2014

I used to be stupidly “frightened” of soldering too. Thinking: “This is really stupid” - I followed some online “lessons”, got a halfway decent iron, real solder, flux. The final best info was from our own Gordon S who advised “get in fast and quick with a hot iron, don’t be tentative”.

After all with solder it is very easy to correct if you get it wrong, try that with modern glues.....no don’t!

Now following this thread.

Best, Pete.

farren · May 26, 2014

Which class does the kit make the 51 or the 79

Will we be seeing a fully lined out lt&sr livery

Nile · May 26, 2014

On with the show.

After masking some important bits I sprayed it with Halfords primer.

I soldered a small piece of double sided PCB sleeper strip to the tab,. After refitting the wheels I soldered some phosphor bronze wire to the top of the PCB and bent it wipe the back of the drivers without touching anything else. Temporary wires from the PCBs to the motor complete the circuit.

And it works! I've yet to try it over any pointwork, that can wait for later.

Edited February 7, 2023 by Nile

Jol Wilkinson · May 27, 2014

Which class does the kit make the 51 or the 79

Will we be seeing a fully lined out lt&sr livery

Kit details here;

http://traders.scalefour.org/LondonRoadModels/locos-tenders-chassis/ltsr/

Built by Tony Gee and painted by Ian Rathbone, this may be a picture you would like.

farren · May 27, 2014

Simply stunning model if it's not art,it must be craftsmanship.

I see the kit does not build into the bigger class 79 which I plumped for as they were at Leicester with the added bonus of not having to try to do lt&sr livery.

Looking forward to your progress on this model.

Jol Wilkinson · May 27, 2014

Farren,

a quick web search shows that Ray Rippon did a LTSR 0-6-2T, as does Worsley Works today.

Cotswold Kits did a LTSR tank. I think they became part of the Nucast empire, but as they stopped trading I don't know any more than that.

Nile is making a super job of the LRM kit, I look forward to seeing the finished model.

Jol

Nile · May 27, 2014

That's a very nice looking model, and shows how complicated the LTSR livery was. As my modelling period is around 1920 mine will be in MR red, which should be a bit easier.

Nile · May 29, 2014

Time for a quickie! Well that's the idea, we shall see.

This is the starting point.

About an hour later this is what we have.

That was simple, mostly. The solebars are not quite long enough and need a fillet of styrene at one end to fill the gap.

I've enlarged the holes for the coupling hooks so that Dingham couplers will fit.

Painting and decaling will take a bit longer.

Edited February 7, 2023 by Nile

Spitfire2865 · May 29, 2014

Decided not to scribe planks?

I always love how quickly a Slaters wagon can go together.

Nile · May 30, 2014

I hindsight I think I should have scribed the planks inside, maybe I was too quick. Next time...(there will be more).

I'll have to put a load in it instead.

Edited May 30, 2014 by Nile

Spitfire2865 · May 30, 2014

I hindsight I think I should have scribed the planks inside, maybe I was too quick. Next time...(there will be more).

I'll have to put a load in it instead.

Well a little tip for next time. Absolutely NEVER assume your scribing tool of choice will follow a straight line. Haha. Even with a ruler, my efforts are crooked at best.

Whether or not the inside is pretty, the outside looks fantastic. Everything nice and straight.

Nile · June 2, 2014

Where does the time go? On with the paint.

First I paint the chassis and the insides matt black.

Then I go over the insides with a wash of dark brown. This is meant to end up looking like unpainted wood.

I painted the outside planks grey (Polly Scale reefer grey) and the metal work black.

The grey areas will get a coat of Klear to make then ready for transfers.

Edited February 7, 2023 by Nile

Spitfire2865 · June 3, 2014

Shouldnt the solebar be body colour? And the inside looks nice. Maybe you could pick out a few planks in a slightly darker brown. Though...that would depend on the wagons history..disregard my suggestions. This looks nice. I miss building kits.

N15class · June 3, 2014

Shouldnt the solebar be body colour? And the inside looks nice. Maybe you could pick out a few planks in a slightly darker brown. Though...that would depend on the wagons history..disregard my suggestions. This looks nice. I miss building kits.

Wooden solebars tend to be body colour, and metal ones tend to beblack. But I expect there are photos around that show differently.