Jinty Jottings
Entry posted by 2mm Andy
1,790 views
For a little while I've wanted to build a 'simple' 2mm loco project - I have a couple of kits and etches for various 2mm locos, but I've never plucked-up the courage to finish any of them (apart from a chassis for a J72 loco that I built quite a few years ago now). Having almost got to the point of being able to run a train on my shunting plank layout, I decided to tackle one of the stored projects.
A year or so ago I started a project to build a Jinty loco, and bought a Graham Farish 'Jinty' body from BR Lines and an etched chassis kit acquired from Bob Jones of Fence Houses Model Foundry. A set of gears, wheels, motor and bearings were purchased from the 2mm Scale Association shop, and castings for the chimney and dome from Nick Tilston at N Brass Loco. I stripped the paint from the Farish metal body (using a caustic soda solution with the necessary safety precautions) to reveal a rather nice casting (albeit with a few details that needed improving). Then other things got in the way and the bits languished in a box.
I dug out the box from it's hiding place and had a good look at the body casting to see what needed improving. Then the butchery began!
I am lucky to have a Proxxon MF70 milling machine. It's a small machine - light enough to use on a table top, and is ideal for 2mm work.
First job was to mill out some of the inside of the body casting at the back to give more room for the motor. Then I thinned the splashers down to something approaching the correct width, and smoothed off the buffer beams (the Farish detail was rather heavy). The steps below the running plate were removed and cab doorways milled out. I removed the original dome (using a fretsaw and needle files) and drilled out for the cast spigot on the N Brass Loco dome. The chimney was carefully removed from the smokebox moulding and drilled out for the cast brass version. Having looked at photos of the full size locos, the chimney needs to be moved forward slightly.
In the meantime, the frames were cut out of the etch, cleaned up and bearings soldered in. The photo below shows them assembled in a 2mm frame assembly jig.
The frames are designed with extension pieces on each end which the frame assembly jig is assembled around, the whole lot being placed on a flat surface (plate glass or similar) while the frame spacers are soldered in. When everything is assembled and soldered-up, the extensions are cut off.
Next job is to cut and gap some pcb for the frame spacers and assemble the frames. I also need to fill in the holes left in the footplate and splashers, then start detailing the body.
Andy
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