Goodness it’s been ages since I wrote up the goings-on related to the build of ‘Rugby’.

The delay is explained largely by something of a ‘back-story’ insofar as I had much to learn before moving on. Attached is a view of the chassis as it currently stands, hopefully showing that I used the PDK cylinder block over the Finecast framework. This was because I felt the Finecast arrangement was a little less representative of the actual block. In assembling it I managed to lose one of the upper cylinder extensions (correct term?) and so set about replacing them. The Finecast parts didn’t ‘do it’ for me so I resolved to make new ones. And so therein lies the ‘back-story’. In short; buy a lathe and learn how to turn new ones. Simple heh? Well my choice of lathe turned out to be the Proxxon FD150 as I did not view the larger and possibly better models to be appropriate to my modest needs. Suffice to say I am very pleased with it once I had it fettled and set up (that was a learning process to start with). So, we have new cylinder extensions and a skill that will be used more as I become more adventurous and inventive, I am sure.

Anyway, a chassis begins to grow in front of me, as you can see.

The wheels are a spare set of Gibsons I am using to set things up - the actuals wheels are to be Ultrascale - yes I had time to wait for them to be delivered! I have the valve gear partially assembled off the chassis, to be added once the wheels are in place and the coupling rods set in their quartering. The brake gear is removable.

The tender is now in primer.

The tender chassis was scratchbuilt as the PDK one was a bit basic, while, for some peculiar reason, the Finecast one, though nice, had a different wheelbase, something afficianados of Maunsell tenders might be able to explain, but not me. I also built it to be compensated - the brake gear, again, is removable.

Yes, I know everything is filthy and needs a jolly good clean, as well as making sure brake arrangements actually fit and look as if they will stop something. The gaps between loco wheel and brake blocks are likely to be narrowed to such purpose by a sliver of plasicard to bring the shoe closer into the wheel.

So, that’s it for now. I wasn’t sitting on my thumbs all this time - I have also had great fun building a couple of Wills kits ‘straight from the box’ onto some old Triang-Hornby chassis. I am becoming addicted to these old kits...

More anon, I promise!

Best,

Marcus