Well, the Duke is ready for lining. All the detail painting is done including some picked out pipework and the cab has a few touches of paint around steam pipes and the gauges are picked out in white with black pointers.
Tender is also ready, so there's really no excuse not to get the pressfix out is there?
What to do when your 13 year old takes a shine to an old Atlas loco at the Mansfield Model Railway show. Prize out the Kaydees and glue in some spare NEM pockets. He likes the big old style couplings so we have standardised on them. Plenty of spare small Bachmann style ones for me 🙂
One thing I have been doing over the summer is making #2 son's first layout. Quite refreshing bunging down set track!
It started as a 1st and 2nd rad loop set across the corners of two 2x4 boards using my now familiar dowels and toggle clamps. Power transferred from one board to another via the clamps.
Santa is bringing him a centre board with turntable and engine shed
So he can still have the simple 2 boards for a quick play or all three on a weekend (and Dad has a te
Interior almost done. I've painted the seats, fitted them to that partitions, soldered up the luggage rack brackets and fitted them, printed out some railway type posters on sticky labels and painted the mirrors with silver paint.
just got to add the netting then I can get on with the exterior fittings ahead of the masking off and paint!
Still not fitted those door ventilators ....
Just a quick update, the truss rod, axleboxes, springs and footboard hangers fitted to one side
I have hit a bit of a stop now as the truss rod support for the other side was broken - I've contacted Slaters and David is sending me a new casting in exchange for a couple of stamps
I'll find something else to do on it I'm sure while I am waiting for Postman Pat
Spent some time this weekend sorting out and unpacking in the man cave.
So around the room from left to right we have the workbench and storage
Clear area for setting up layout boards for work with layout storage behind
Finally tool storage and bookshelves
After doing a little more tweaking of the Crosti I'm building for Gavvy2 I took the opportunity to take a low light snap of all three locos recently received back from Roomey.
My Crosti is behind '021 with an O1 at the back. The O1 has had real coal added and the detailing pack fitted before weathering. A Paul Chetter (pauliebanger) L1 Zimo sound chip awaits, which whilst not strictly accurate is at least a Thompson 2 cylinder loco
First outing for my two new locos will be the Linc
So,
I've started making my second Golden Arrow Crosti 9F, this time this one's for me - a loco drive version using the latest Hornby Railroad 9F chassis. The intention is to sell off my existing tender drive version that although having given stirling service on Summat Colliery since day one, is, after all, tender drive.
To complicate matters the Railroad tender chassis will not do as it's too long at the front and lacking in the details that the current Britannia tender has. Although I
Well, I wimped out on using the lining pen and resorted to HMRS sheet 22 - I will find time to practice with the pen sometime, but didn't want to delay this build any longer and I had a spare used sheet lying around ...
Buffer beam red next then out with the satin varnish
I had a conversation with Pete Harvey of PH Designs at the Derby Show about getting some brake gear sorted for my Warren Shephard Sentinel. Well, yesterday this dropped through the door
It all goes together like this:
Superb quality as ever from Pete, going to make the rest of the kit look a bit basic
Soldering iron at the ready .........
It had to happen, didn't it? It always is the way with my projects, start out with a quick and dirty build and end up counting rivets (more of that to come!)
So thanks (I think) to Robert Thompson of RT Models for supplying lots of detailed photos of Isebrook, I have started getting far too detailed for my own good!
What I assume are linkages to the sanders (?) have been added from scraps of etch and 1mm 10 thou brass strip
The roof has received it's rainstrips and I have s
More progress!
The solebars were bent to shape using nothing more than a vice and two steel rules as bending bars then they were joined to the buffer beams using 188 deg solder. The angle plates were then added using 145 deg solder. You will see from the photo that the ends of the angle plates stuck out beyond the edge of the buffer beam - soon sorted with a file!
This assembly was then fitted to the superstructure and the buffers added.
Starting to look like a Sentinel now
Some of you might have seen my appeal on the forum for information on an ABS Models kit that I bought off Ian Morton at the Mansfield Show.
The box states GWR 10 ton 4 plank diagram O.21. It became immediately apparent on opening the box in earnest that this was no 4 plank wagon. What followed was a sometimes lively discussion about what I had bought. But when I sent some photos of the castings to Adrian at ABS he confirmed I had most of a diagram O.23 with Morton brakes. There's a lot of sp
OK, Golden Arrow Duke of Gloucester build starts now. Opening the box we have:
I've cleaned the loco body of the small amount of flash, needs a final fettle with some fine files to finish. There are a couple of air bubble holes in the chimney and a w/m replacement might be in the offing.
Similarly I might use some ex-JE etched deflctors now I've got the hang of them with the Clan and 2-8-2.
Tender is Chris' new BR1J and a fine moulding it is too - should match up to the Hornby c
Thanks to Steve (ramrig) of this parish for these nice shots taken at Derby last weekend
Those of you coming to the Member's Day in July will be able to see it in the flesh so to speak
Tender is now black and waiting it's red buffer beam and lining out
Actually, the loco body is done too, as are the bogies and deflectors. Time to start stripping down the chassis methinks
EDIT:
Deflectors are now on
B)
I'm getting better at these ex-JE deflectors, the ones I fitted to my Clan conversion kit ended up having a lot of superglue rather than solder. These for the 2-8-2 are 100% soldered and I'm real happy with them. You just can't beat the right solder and flux (thanks Eilleen's!)
I ignored the instructions and soldered the handrails with the deflectors flat, then formed the curve after. It works for me!
Also note lovely Comet buffers replacing the horrid puny Hornby ones.
Now, wh
I've started detailing the front end and of course as soon as I started looking at a close-up photo of a Brit it's all too clear the the standard Hornby buffers do not, as they say, cut the mustard.
A pair of Comet ones would be lovely, but they come in a pack of four and are no-where near the minimum order charge.
I've put out a wanted ad in classifieds here so if anyone has a couple to spare please PM me
UPDATE: Geoff at Comet made me an offer I couldn't refuse so watch out for b
For those of you who can't make it, and those of you who can, here's what will be making a guest appearance on Summat Colliery
I've got some more fiddling to do with the chassis and more weight to get in around the firebox/ashpan area but in appearance this is what you'll be getting on Sunday
UPDATE:
CVs have been tweaked so we now have approx 4 chuffs per rev not 8 and the front smokebox shovelling plate fitted. We'll see what tonight brings .......
Well, after a bit of a panic when the eccentric rod bearing cover decided to hide in the carpet for 24 hours, the right hand side motion is done
Still got some detailing to do, slide/lubricator supports to fabricate and the counterbalance spring housing for the RHS. I think I will also make a representation of the lever that connects the LHS lifting arm to the the screw adjuster from the cab.
But it all works and run in okay.
Next job is to fit the Loksound decoder and speaker r
not much progress this weekend, spent too long in the kitchen ripping off tiles and wall units ready for the plasterer on Wednesday
Finished off the front bogie and did a little more fetting with the boiler lower. Here's a couple of shots of the loco assembled so far
the second one shows an area of concern for me. I will have to fabricate the missing section of firebox bottom and grate so that it at least meets the frames (that shouldn't really be there). Ashpan might get so
While I wait for the new year to start the Mikado I am pottering around with the first of two DP1s on the bench. Over the years I have amassed a quantity of conversion kits/bits etc for DELTIC and now find I have enough for TWO!
The first is for me - Dapol body with A1 grilles etc, Fox transfers and plates, SE Finecast flushglaze and a Bachmann Deltic chassis. The idea is to produce a good loco but 1/3 of the price of an NRM one.
The Second loco will be a Craftsman conversion kit applied to
OK, I've finally bit the bullet and started on the coupling rods.
The motion set I'm using as a base is a Comet Models LM43 9F set, however all the main rods - coupling, connecting and accentric are too short for the 2-8-2. As most of them are laminated I have to cut the front overlays and backing sections in stategic places and solder them up the right length with suitable filler pieces.
Below shows my mock up of the Comet drawing showing what I intend with the coupling rods
T
Well, the frame jig spacers are being made so while I wait for them I've been playing with some other bits and bobs
I've built up the Comet GB5 and fitted it to the Sagami motor I bought from the Captain ages ago. After an extensive running in session it's running nice and smooth. Lovely dinky little gearbox and only 8mm wide, which is good for this project!
Only problem is the motor is not so narrow and will foul the frames. I need to add a DE38 drive extender, so more money for Ge
So here it is the Dapol/Bachmann/A1 combo primed ready for painting
Love those A1 grilles. Now all I need is someone with an airbrush and lets see if they can be finished for the Warwick show, or maybe the Nottm Show
If anyone wants to take the Lima version off my hands then it will be in "Bring and Buy Corner" on Summat Colliery at a forthcoming show
