Sorry to those who may like regular and frequent reports but I’ve been using the facilities offered by our excellent NHS and, the accordingly much reduced modelling time has given precedence to getting in the library to research; the drawing office to sketch and design loco parts; and the workshop to get my hands dirty, rather than to come spouting-off on here.
I made a start on my scratch-built Q4 on the demo stand at Manchester MRS show but, not feeling much like starting such demanding wo
Almost a month since I last posted but that is because recent modelling sessions have been aimed at getting the J10 & the banana vans ready for the clubs annual competition in early October. They will be on display at our exhibition; - see www.mmrs.org.uk for full details.
I shall be based on the demonstration stand so if you are coming to the show (and if not, why not?) please come and have a chat. I’ll probably be making a start on my scratch built LNER Q4 class 0-8-0 tender loco on th
A couple of weeks back I had an over-shiny J10. Since then I have ’Methfixed’ its number and its owners lettering. Unfortunately the Methfix sheet includes some well-known shed names but not “Heaton Mersey” where 5186 was shedded in my modelling era. At that time, LNER locos had their shed name in very small white letters under the number, to the left of the right buffer housing. I’ve left that area blank rather than have the wrong shed name.
With the ‘Methfixing’ done that horrible shinines
Some time back I was taken to task as it were, because my J10 had brakes but nothing to pull them on.
I deliberately took pictures with the representation of the draw gear fitted in place but I’ve just realised I have not shown these on here; - so here is one!
I don’t attempt to model the prototype draw gear because it should never be available to be viewed; at least not under normal operating conditions. I was taught that the only reason to accurately model that which could not normally be
I’ve not been here for a few weeks, but I have been getting some time in the workshop. Mainly this has been taken in adding detailing to the J10. Lamp brackets, fixing the sand pipes, organising the springing for buffers, vacuum pipes, washout plugs and inspection holes’ riveted frame extensions below smokebox, and very last has been the whistle. I would rather not have a model with the whistle perched up on the cab roof, it’s such a vulnerable position for such a small fiddly part that takes ag
Various things have caused me to spend less time than usual in ˜The Tank" but I have managed some visits there. Unfortunately the time spent has not seen great progress with the J10 but the events have caused some important decisions, not only about the J10 but about future scratch builds. The title of this page may give some idea of what I'm going to pontificate about!
My mentors taught me how to make simple, split-axle chassis that run well and involve only very simple, basic engineering p
I had planned that Thursday was to be a full day in the workshop and I hoped to virtually complete the J10 detailing and perhaps give it some shunting work on one or both of the S4 layouts prior to setting up the paint shop.
However, having completed the tender to loco drag link and wishing to test the running of the full unit, I was to discover that the tested and proven chassis had become a non-runner. This was at the start of the after-lunch session and from that moment every thing went d
Progress continues but perhaps rather more haphazardly than I would wish.
The loco now has its handrails and its lamp brackets. I’ve made a start on detailing the tender and there are a couple of photos to show the progress there.
For 'Portchullin Tatty', and others like him who would like to see the brake daw-gear then I must relate that all my scratch-built locos follow a basic set of demands. I want to be able to drop any axle, be it driving wheels or carrying wheels. To meet that need
The research to locate a suitable two car DMU for ‘Hayfield’ has resulted in my deciding that Longsight MPD had severe problems in keeping their fleet of DMUs on the road and had to resort to asking for loan from Carlisle. In short I’m now fairly confident that the Bachman version I purchased, is of a pairing that was never used on the Hayfield Branch. I don’t want to start carving the Bachmann set to suit, so I have come up with this story as to how this set got to Hayfield. All lies of
I'm in a period of 'bits-&-pieces' modelling!
The banana vans are complete and running around on 'Birch Vale' and 'Bowton's Yard', albeit in 'naked' plastic for the time being. They'll probably get painted when the J10 is ready for the paint shop, - save air-brush cleaning sessions!?! When shunting them I can't tell which are on solid chassis and which are on sprung chassis, a fact that won't please the purists!
Both lathes have been in use in order to produce a set of buffers for th
I’m waiting for some araldite to cure on the fifth Banana van, - you remember, the one that is having a sprung chassis.
There’s no doubt that araldite is one of the finest adhesives, particularly the old fashioned 24 hour type, but that curing time and lack of initial grip can be a pain. In today’s case the araldite’s job is to fix a lead weight to the plastic body of the van as a part-floor. The weight is drilled and tapped for 8BA and as the thread in lead is likely to strip, an 8B
The last two posts I promised pictures next time; therefore sorry for not posting any last time!
As I said I’m having a rest from pitting my brains against the J10 but it is at last beginning to look the part and those bl***y little splashers are complete. They are totally solid and no way will the wheels throw any splashes to their inside faces.
Posed on ‘Birch Vale’: the J10 with its part built tender and the prototype-build Ratio banana van waiting for painting. Although norma
Hello, sorry for the break, been having a bit of a rest.
Much less modelling than usual but the J10 now has its full complement of splashers and the body has been put on one side while further work has been carried out on the chassis.
Before the body was started the chassis had reached running stage but without the CSBs in place. I wanted the wheels to be in their highest possible position in the chassis so that when the body was fitted, clearance could be maintained within the splashers
Hello again everybody!
Minor illness and horticulture has kept any progress with the J10 to a minimum so it's been a while now since my last post.
The new running plate has been marked and fretted out and, looking for a less frail assembly, I increased the nickel-silver thickness to 0.015". I also dispensed with the 1/16" equal brass angle for the running plate valances with added fiddly bits (!) and fretted out new valances in 0.025" nickel-silver with the "fiddly bits" included. I say,
Against "Philosophy" the OED quotes "seeking after wisdom or knowledge2. Well I've certainly been doing that since I was unable to accept the J10 rear splashers looked like those in pictures of a J10.
Because of my modelling philosophy which has developed into "copy everything exactly to a ratio of 76.2:1 if physics and engineering limitations will allow", I've run into problems. Any genuine finescale modeller worth his salt knows that physics in general does not allow total accuracy in such
The progress with the J10 is a long way from making me happy but also this week I have been saddened by being told of the death of two modelling friends - Malcolm Crawley and Tom Harland. That is another unpleasant fact related to age, you loose old friends at a greater rate than you make new ones and you attend more funerals than weddings and christenings. RIP my friends.
The progress with the J10 is that I’m now back to where I was a few weeks ago. Four of the enlarged splashers are fixe
Hands up who got it right; yes, spot on it’s a jig! I can remember in my starting years – modelling that is – I was frightened away by some of the engineering jargon, and I was training as an engineer, so I know that it can be even worse for those not involved in engineering.
What it really is, is a bit of scrap MDF, four screws, a bit of scrap brass strip and a few veneer pins, all cobbled together to make a devise which will hold bits together while they are soldered together. A bit of
It may be old age, it may be winter doldrums (S.A.D. and all that!) it may be no more than the thought of the cold. That bit's not true because the workshop bit of Honley Tank is actually the cosiest room on the property - 3kW of heating available in a room about 11' x 8'!
What ever it is I'm not managing to raise the desire to get stuck into some modelling, and forcing my self to go out there is not the best situation to achieve high levels of modelling skill.
This week I've had only on
Well I had deliberately planned a break from modelling over Christmas but after the festivities other family commitments have over ruled any possible desire to go in the workshop. One of these involved a long over due clearing out of the loft space. The bedroom ceilings were at risk ! well not really but......!
This led to a discovery of several old vinyl records and a decision that these should be digitised and interesting though that has been it has kept me out of 'The Tank'
A couple o
Happy New Year everybody.
I decided on a long rest from modelling, (at least long for me!), over the Christmas break and I’ve not been in ‘The Tank’ for the duration. Since New Year I’ve been attempting to convert music from old tapes into .wav files in the computer ready to burn some cds. I’ve managed to sort out how to do it without any expense but that allows for my having in stock a whole host of audio leads. Mind you it’s time consuming if you want to improve sound quality a
OK; so last night was not my last before 2012!
I've just checked to see if any comments needed a rep;y and spotted on the 'Full Frontal' picture that one of the handles on the smoke box dart has gone missing. Who said Cyano-acralate was Super glue?
Merry whatnot,
This will be my last posting until after the festivities, so Merry Christmas and a brilliant modelling New Year to all my readers.
This week the pics are mainly about how I achieve belpair firebox shapes for ex-GCR locos. As you may have picked-up from recent photographs I initially make a round top firebox. This is easier to roll as part of the boiler/firebox tube and GC locos did not have the protrubent belpair forms of most other railways; simply flat sides and top but with curved top cor
It’s been a bit of a ‘bits-&-pieces’ week since my last posting.
The first job was cutting, rolling and fitting the cab roof, followed by the cab floor.
This was followed by a day on the lathes, turning the chimney, dome, whistle, two by safety valves and the smoke box door.
The master for the boiler back-head, originally for a J6 was modified and a new RTV mould made. Twenty-four hours later, the mould, now fully cured was used to cast a J10 white-metal back-head which was a good bit dee
I did those extra pics tonight, mainly so they are almost in the same post, but it will be difficult to post them tomorrow.
This one shows the running chassis and the transmission. The torque arm that figured in an earlier post is no longer required. Its job is actually done by the relation of the motor casing with the back of the boiler once the body is seated on the chassis.
Within the firebox, the motor actually sits more vertically than in this photo.
This fuzzy excuse for a ph
