5XP

Despite the ridiculous prices being paid for the steam crane on Ebay and wildly inaccurate information regarding D & S the steam crane is still available from Danny from time to time. I purchased two from him not so long ago. Darren.

Impressive stuff Mick, The coach body itself is one thing but the attention to detail in the interior is something else! Darren.

The cab and backhead for this kit is rather Spartan in detail other than a whitemetal backhead you don't get much else! See what I mean: The backhead isn't really quite right as the firedoor is to low and the backhead layout is wrong, but in saying that I have no pictures of them while they were running on the GWR. The only pictures I can find are of GCR engines including the preserved example so I've used a fair amount of modellers licence regarding cab layout and detail. I started by scratchbuilding the cab splashers/sandboxes and then some toolboxes or lockers above them, I'm not really sure what they are to be honest as the could be for keeping your sandwiches in for all I know. Cutting out parts for cab splashers: I then made up a fairly crude but I think a fair representation of the screw reverser and a GCR style of centre pivot firebox door with ratchet. I'm not sure that the GWR had these but I have nothing else to use as a reference so its back to modellers licence and all that.... After fitting these items I then added various handles and hand wheels to represent the blower and other controls, the backhead is not correct so therefore the layout is far from accurate but I hope it represents things well enough: That me signing off the workbench for a day or two till I recover well enough from my operation to get back to things. London Road J21 early crest coming up next, Regards, Darren.

Things are trundling along at a steady but unspectacular pace just like the real loco once did! The lamp irons have been sweated in place and I have finished fitting all the grab handles in place along the running boards and splashers as well as the cab sides, also note that the missing handrail knob has been fixed in place. (Thanks BR(W) ) I did ponder a little on how to fix it in place as the handrails are soldered into the cab front along with the handrail knobs so if youve ever tried to remove them in that situation you will know what I mean. I chose to just cut the handrail with the Xurons exactly in the position of the missing handrail knob and simply solder it back together within the new knob. Quite simple really in retrospective.... just took me a while to get my head around what to do with it..... The Falcon Brass kit does not cater for any type of smokebox door hinge so I fabricated a later style GWR unit from scrap etch, .45 brass wire and some small bits of tube. After tinning the back of it with solder it was sweated in position with my RSU so not to have it disintegrate if I had tried to to use a conventional iron. A small step was also sweated in place on the lower face of the smokebox. The reversing rod is also another item not catered for in the kit so once again is was into the scrap etch box for a suitable piece to utilise for it, I also tried to replicate the support for the reversing rod on the side of the firebox as best as I could. I have also sweated some .45 brass wire to the cab roof to represent the rather prominent ribbing that was noticeable on the prototype. Anyway to the pictures: The fabricated hinge unit before fixing in place. Sweating it in place with the help of an RSU. Front view showing the step, lamp irons and the once missing handrail knob, photos are so cruel but do show any discrepancies, note gap in the frame end where the solder hasn't run along completely. View showing the the ribbing added to roof. Darren.

Thanks Rob, that's a Bu*ger I'm sorry we didn't actually meet but I'm sure we will see each other in the future. I shouldn't have really gone to be honest as my knee is giving me some right grief but I had to come and pick up some loco kits as well as a few bits and bobs for current and future projects. Best regards, Darren.

Oh! Ive just looked back through my copy of WD Engines by J Rowledge and your right! I dropped a bollock there didn't I, thanks for pointing it out though.B) Thank you also for you kind words as I have had to wrestle this one a little so its nice to know my efforts are appreciated. As for burning fingers I do nearly everytime I switch the iron on! Thanks, Darren.

Well as mentioned in the kitbuilding thread regarding the L & Y horsebox the layout both the horsebox and the 04 were intended for has been shelved at present so we can concentrate our efforts in finishing and taking Rowntree Halt to shows. As I have a stack of kits both rolling stock and locos for Rowntree Halt sitting in front of me excluding the three loco kits in the bag below my workbench I've just purchased at Wakefield Scalefour show.... I'm on a mission to clear a few unfinished projects as its starting to niggle with them all staring at from the shelf above. The 04 did make it to Hull show in an unpainted and undetailed state so as it is so close to being finished I hauled it back out to continue on with. It requires grab handles, whistle, lamp irons etc along with a few other bits and pieces missing or not catered for in the kit. I've started by adding the top feed along with the pipework and the also the grab handles along the running board as splashers. Also missing/not catered for in the kit is the cover or top of the cylinder or valve chest which is quite prominent on all the ROD's on the running board at the base of the smokebox. I fabricated this from a piece of flat brass bar and some scrap etch pushing out some rivets then sweating them together and filing the top edges to get a rounded profile, these were then sweated in place on the base of the smokebox/running board. This picture shows the topfeed in place along with the gaping maw where the top of the cylinder/cover should be at the base of the smokebox: The fabricated parts being sweated together and shaped: After being fitted in place: Darren.

Fine job Dave, nice to see the finished loco. Darren.

The Lowmac is an interesting one so keep them pictures coming, I also have a D & S Loriot M to do sometime this year. Thanks for the pictures of the J26 also. Darren.

Im looking forward to seeing this Ian, I have had the Nucast kit on the go in the background for the last few years but it keeps getting pushed aside for other projects. I would suggest using two Comet Stainer 2-6-4 chassis and lopping off the rear portion as the wheelbase is correct. I'm not sure about RTR chassis as the wheel spacing could be a problem along with the wheel size (5' 3" / 21mm) I suppose you could use the Fowler 2-6-4 chassis again or the Crab, but the Crab wheels being slightly bigger may cause clearance issues as well as the rim profile and balance weights being slightly different if that bothers you. Darren.

Thanks for sharing all your lovely work Dibateg, I too have been using the water based flux for few months and am about to order my second bottle. I have noticed a slight difference in behaviour when soldering after switching from Carrs Green but once you get used to it its fine and cleaning up after a session has been as easy as running the components or loco under the tap with no ill effects and a lovely clean joint.:icon_thumbsup2: I do find that the iron tip does get dirty quicker for which I now have a tendency to keep dipping the tip in the small amount of the water based flux I keep out while working and that seems to do the trick. Darren.

I think unfortunately you've been hit with the crappy design of Backwoods chassis. Is the front axle moving back and forwards along the length of the chassis? as I found this to be a very weak point and poor design in the Lyn chassis as there is just not enough bearing surface to hold it all from oscillating back and forth while in motion so it effects the quartering when in motion. I struggled for hours with this until I eventually soldered bearings into the outer frame and did away with the compensation which cured it immediately. Dont give up though keep at it as its not to hard to make some new rods, just temp solder them to a piece of scrap etch and file them up before unsoldering them. I've already been through all this so I understand how you feel. Nice job with the LR btw. Darren.

Just re-read it again and seen the loco beside the stick of solder and the peg:blush:

Lovely workmanship halfwit but at the risk of sounding daft I cant tell what scale/gauge it is, I've read through the blogs but haven't seen it or picked it up. Darren.