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MSWJR 4-4-0 - BACK ON TRACK (OR IT WILL BE SHORTLY....)

scanman

Entry posted by scanman

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After an enforced layoff ( three contracts for windows - very nice) and the loss of my mum-in-law (b....y awful) it's nice to be back in the workshop modelling for myself (gerrynick - if you;re reading this I've not forgotten Hellingly's windows!). During the break I received a set of LRM axle jigs, so the next phase is the setting-up of the suspension units.

 

First, build the coupling rods! These are in two parts, both of which are reasonable thickness, so when sweated together do take on the 'massive' look of the prototype. The crankpin holes were then drilled out to take Gibson bushes.

 

blogentry-3469-0-30879900-1301697139_thumb.jpg

 

(yes, the bush is one of the long versions. The way they tend to 'ping' rond the workshop I didn't want to risk a short one)!

 

One of my teenage memories is going on a trip round Swindon Works with the school model railway society (do any still exist?) and seeing a coupling rod formed from a single blank of steel. So impressive!

 

On to the chassis. The rear axle is fixed, and had already been bushed. The leading horn-block/bushes were assembled and reamed 1/8th". Then the problem arose... The jig axle was marginally too big to pass through the bushes... (anyone else had this problem?) . I checked using the reamer and a Gibson axle - both passed through and rotated freely... Only solution - take a file & emery cloth to the jig axle! About an hour of file/check - file/check & the jig finally did what it was supposed to do.

 

I then 'loaded' the front jig with the hornblock assemblies - and then found the chassis is slightly thicker than the etched outer portion of the hornblock. Result - the outer face of the bush doesn't clear the chassis :angry: . The solution will have to wait until tommorw. I propose to file 'flats on the outer face of the bush. This will slide in the chassis - but prevent the bush from turning. I hope.

 

blogentry-3469-0-30972700-1301697138_thumb.jpg

 

The axle jigs roughly assembled!

 

It's nice to be back :D

 

Regs

 

Ian

 

 

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gerrynick

Superb soldering there!, as the late Eric Morecombe would have said, " you can't see the join !"

With reference to your problems with axle thickness, the best tool in my armoury for verifying this is a digital caliper. This is also a must for checking track gauge, etc.( especially on pointwork ) If the jig axles weren't too far out, then, surely a better way would be to reduce thickness under rotation?Even doing them half way at a time in a drill chuck would go a long way to ensuring concentricity.

I don't recall a school club, but we did have a Battalion one in Germany. We had inherited this from a predecessor unit, and it comprise Marklin stock and lots of teutonic plastic buildings.

In closing, I'm glad to hear that you haven't forgotten Hellingly's windows.....commiserations re your loss.

 

gerrynick

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scanman

Hi Nick

Thanks for the compliment - just the result of a lot of 'cleaning-up'!

 

the best tool in my armoury for verifying this is a digital caliper Yes - must get one *next time* I'm at the same show as 'Squires' (or similar). Keep promising myself!

 

surely a better way would be to reduce thickness under rotation? I did consider that (honest!). The trouble with the 'Dremel' is it's speed of rotation - slowest speed is about 2000 rpm & I knew there wasn't much to take off. The jigs look like they are made of aluminium rod, and I just had to take off the oxidation layer + a bit more. Be interesting to see what happens when they are not used for a while..

 

I'll see you at Expo - I've now found I can be there both days (too late to organise stand, so I've offered to steward). Should have some test frames to show you!

 

Regs

 

Ian

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bcnPete
  • RMweb Gold

Welcome back Ian - Sorry to hear about your loss though :(

 

I too did a trip around Swindon works with our School Railway Society...admiring the diesels of course ;)

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scanman

Hi Pete -

 

I'm lucky in that I still sometimes visit. It's now the 'home' of 'English Heritage' and as a part-time archaeologist I sometimes have to look at their mapping and aerial photo archive. Somehow I always seem to vist 'Steam'.. (if you go to 'EH' as a 'reader' you can get free parking - I tell them 'I'm just slipping out for lunch' as you cannot get any accessions between 1-2pm)!

 

Regs

 

Ian

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Jol Wilkinson

LRM jigs are now made by Markits (who copied the original ones to sell for themselves). As the original supplier required an order for a batch of at least 2000 to get a reasonable price, and some retail sales were already now going to Markits, LRM decided to buy in from Markits.

 

They are also made from 1/8" aluminium bar stock, but do seem to be slightly larger than the original LRM version. Perhaps the machining of the tapered end also increases the diameter of the adjacent parallel plain section of the jig.

 

Having reduced them to fit your hornblock bearings, I would wipe them over with a coat of light oil to prevent any oxidation/corrosion while they are in the tool box.

 

Incidentally, LRM don't claim the idea for the design, that was Iain Rice's. LRM just started to get them made.

 

Jol

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scanman

Having reduced them to fit your hornblock bearings, I would wipe them over with a coat of light oil to prevent any oxidation/corrosion while they are in the tool box.

 

Incidentally, LRM don't claim the idea for the design, that was Iain Rice's. LRM just started to get them made.

 

Jol

 

Cheers Jol -

 

A trick worth trying.

 

Regs

 

Ian

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