Grasslands Workbench

Hi Grasslands,

 

What about all over black as a livery? There is a photo in one of Kevin Robertson's books showing the Leader in this colour in the workshop.

 

Could be fun at shows, the derision and then whipping out the picture to say "told you so!"

 

I rather like the grey too I have to say - gives it that prototype / experimental look!

 

All the best,

 

Castle

I had forgotten about the gloss black. It would have looked very attractive in this colour.

The off-centre boiler isn't that strange, as a good many American Shay locomotives were built this way to allow room for the crankshafts, etc.

The off-centre boiler isn't that strange, as a good many American Shay locomotives were built this way to allow room for the crankshafts, etc.

 

It would be great to see some examples. I think in Leader's case it didn't help it's running qualities. It suffered quite a few bearing failures.

Hi Grasslands, I too have taken the plunge and bought a leader.

have started cleaning the castings up and giving the body the once over to ‘iron out’ a couple of moulded details a didn’t like the look of but I was wondering what you did with the chassis? On the diagram included it shows an improved drive idea and wondered how would you get round the centre float axle? I’m new to the white metal castings and was looking for a little help.

I modified the original instructions (partly by mistake) and I installed one DS10 motor on each bogie and linked them together so they could pick up off both bogies. I retained the floating middle axle, and the model doesn't pick up of the floating axle (but I might change that). 

 

I used an Ian Rice design of pick up based around some lengths of brass wire with little bits of copper cladding soldered on them which slip behind the wheels. 

 

It hasn't run in a while, and I still have some work to do, but the tests went well and it runs fine. 

That sounds great, how did you get the middle axle to float? Did you solder the 1/8” axle bushes to the main white metal block? Could you maybe elaborate on what it means by floating axle for me? Surely if you solder the axle bushes to the main block then it’s not floating. 

sorry this is all new to me

Edited May 31, 2020 by SouthernWay

44 minutes ago, SouthernWay said:

That sounds great, how did you get the middle axle to float? Did you solder the 1/8” axle bushes to the main white metal block? Could you maybe elaborate on what it means by floating axle for me? Surely if you solder the axle bushes to the main block then it’s not floating. 

sorry this is all new to me

Sure! 

 

I have the central axle floating in the slot in the chassis and I didn't add any brushes to that axle. All it means by floating is that is effectively loose to follow the rest of the wheels. The slots inside the chassis means there isn't too much excess play. I was okay with this arrangement as it is similar to how the Heljan Westerns are set up.

 

I added bushes for the other axles though. And yes, I soldered those, but I used a low heat solder for white metal and a variable temperature soldering iron (set to a low temperature). I got all that stuff from Gaugemaster.

That’s very helpful thank you.

so just for clarity, with the central axle, did you put axle bushes on it or do you just drop the axle in the hole and allow gravity and it’s own weight to hold it in place?

i was just wondering, if I could extend the drive shaft coming off of the motor one end then do you think I could drive all three axles??

Edited June 1, 2020 by SouthernWay

My central axles are just dropped into the holes with no brushes.

 

You could plausibly drive all wheels but you would need a gearbox that can run across all three axles. The one that I have for my DS10 motor is just one ratio gear (fixed to the leading axle) and joins to the worm on the motor shaft. You could investigate the gear boxes at High Level Kits, but there isn't loads of room inside the chassis.