Boston Lodge

This is surely a conspiracy, this steady drip-feeding of quality versions of the Bury locos and even Harvey Combe but all in large scales. What future do my own attempts at EM versions hold in the face of this onslaught? Grrr!!

Ooh, interesting. When I've got my modelling bench back I'm going to be investigating if I can make stone sleepers out of plastic jewellery cubes. Not sure how to replicate the 2 spikes used by the L&B but I plan on soldering the track onto the head of a pin pushed through the string hole.

I can't believe no one has mentioned Aylesbury for the gravity operation. Unfortunately (-ish) there is no record of it being used at the original station which one day I will recreate.

I know the water in the Channel wasn't what was planned but I thought the tide-out effect was superb.

I've created something similar myself, using Shapeways FUD pressed into Alan Gibson tyres. The model the wheels are destined for still hasn't run in anger so I can't answer whether a 3D print can take the forces and stresses generated by a motor and con-rod. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/130587-gibson-5ft-wheel-rimstyres-has-the-design-changed/

Thanks for all the replies. I'm not ashamed to say that I abandoned this idea. It sounded like an easy way to turn brass and lead into copper but the results just never matched the dream. I will be painting these bits once the model is ready for it. The ideal solution (sorry!) would be to make the whole thing out of copper bar using a lathe. Maybe one day.

The original engine shed at Aylesbury was apparently built to house 2 locomotives (quite why, it wasn't exactly a busy branch) and that is recorded as 100 ft long. Since the branch was principally operated by Bury 040 and 220 locos, both quite short, maybe they can be used as a guide. note: the shed was moved within 10 years of being built but i believe the length stayed the same.

No 1 tool is a gas soldering iron from B&Q. Only owned it for 4 weeks and i love it. Second favourite tool is the inside of a windscreen wiper, cut into 4 inch lengths, some straight, some bent at useful angles - used for stirring paint, applying pastes etc.

I've been wrestling with how and where to attach the frame and still be able to assemble the boiler etc. Finally I've managed to get all the brass bits in almost exactly the correct place, Weight-to-date = 80g

As with the every other part of this build I've made the riveted smokebox twice. I have tried to harden the tip of the riveter and might have been successful, at l least I think it hasn't changed with use but I'm pleased with the results. The second attempt showed that practice makes better, even if not perfect. This is the main structural and weighty part of the build completed, everything else is cosmetic. Note, the axles are too close together but the way the front suspension is made allows me to change this. p.s weight-to-date = 74g

From a personal point of view I would say that pre-grouping railways running south of London are spoilt rotten, but would I know? In terms of simple designs that would suit laser cutting in card I would like to request a London & Birmingham 2nd or 3rd class 4-wheeler, especially the ones without a roof. Something very similar to the blue open coach at the NRM sat behind The Rocket. Oh, 4mm scale please.

Errmmm, no ! I'll do some Googling and see if I can make this happen with my mini blow-torch.

For making the smokebox I'm going to need some rivets. I've looked at the stick-on variety but decided to have a go at embossing my own into the brass sheet I'll be using. As ever, Google provided some inspiration. The rod is from B&Q, M4 at £1.15. The sliding weights are a fishing weight and a stair-rod end, drilled out to fit over a short length of brass rod. The short nose end was turned in a drill to a point and it attaches to the rest of the rod using a cut-down cupboard joiner from IKEA. It works by lifting the weight a set distance, I haven't chosen which brass thickness vs drop height yet but these are the results: 0.13mm 0.23mm 0.43mm

After at least 4 different attempts incorporating over 20 modifications I have finally made my firebox. The change to EM became obvious after trying to build inside the OO width limits. After that it was different ways of adding the dome and the front lip that overlaps the boiler. This is the final design. I eventually gave up trying to solder lead sheets into place and settled on lead shot set in Miliput. Weight-to-date is now 58g

That looks fantastic, Chris. So many questions. 1) You said the weight was just enough - how much does it weigh? 2) What technique do you use for creating rivets? 3) Do your hook and chain couplings rely on 'the Hand of God' in operation? Looking forward to your Bury Goods. Richard ps, Did I mention that is an amazing model?

As is my way, I've re-made the gearbox/motor mounting and finally the motor sits straight and level in the tube. With this sorted attention turned to the front axle. I first tried to use a pair of Gibson sprung-hornblocks, mounted on the frame, but found them too difficult to fit and adjust. A second idea was to run the axle in a sleeve and pivot the sleeve, allowing some compensation. I thought this was a new and unique idea until I saw the same idea mentioned in Guy William's Model Locomotive Construction book. If it was good enough for him then it will be more than good enough for me. It only took 3 attempts to get my version to work, with the axle at the correct height and at the right distance from the smokebox. Does anyone know if I should try to put some springing on to pivot or can it be allowed to twist freely? Finally, just to show an idea of how far I've got. Note: I'm making as much of this model as I can out of brass, copper or lead to make it as heavy as possible. The weight-to-date is 20g

In between designing the wheels I did make a start on the drive train. The boiler/firebox and back axle align almost perfectly to accommodate a Mashima 10-series motor and a HighLevel SlimLiner+ gearbox. This combination was settled very early on but since then I’ve manufactured 3 different boiler mounting combinations to try to get everything fitted in the correct place. This is the latest idea. This motor mount is fixed inside a K&S brass tube #8140, which is 17/32 = 13.49mm. This is turn slides into tube #8141, which is 9/16 = 14.29mm, which forms the boiler proper. The design idea is to use the boiler as the structural component and have the frames as a cosmetic addition. By using the smaller tube I can fine-tune any adjustments without affecting the boiler itself.

Hi Killian. The model is in 4mm. Later posts will detail why I've had to choose EM against OO - essentially due to the available back-2-back distance required to clear the firebox. One of the Aylesbury numbered locos will be built once I've mastered the Goods locos. I also have dreams of a Stephenson's Patentee as a contractor's loco, but that will likely be a long, long time off, perhaps in a Galaxy far, far away.

This thread will record my attempts to model one of Edmund Bury’s original mainline locomotives. A lot of thought has gone into this, not much action but a lot of thought. Inspiration came from a simple search to find more info about my local station Tring. During my searches I came across this amazing document: http://gerald-massey.org.uk/railway_local/ From this I bought my ‘bible’ – Locomotives of the LNWR – Southern Region, by Harry Jack. This has a wealth of information including cutaway drawings of both original Bury locos, the 2-2-0 Passenger and the 0-4-0 Goods. I chose the Goods version because I quickly realised that wheels were not going to be available commercially and anything I needed I would have to make myself. Being an 0-4-0 all wheels would be the same so if I could make 1 I could make 4. It took 12 months (I get easily distracted) but I finally designed and had the following wheels 3D printed in FUD by Shapeways. The design is based on the dimensions of Alan Gibson’s 5ft rims, as used in their BoxPox Bulleid wheels. The design needed to change slightly to accommodate the slightly different rims used in the more universal 20mm wheels. This thread discusses the differences:- http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/130587-gibson-5ft-wheel-rimstyres-has-the-design-changed/

Thanks for the replies and ideas. I'm tempted to have another bash, perhaps using a 9V battery this time and treat the lead and copper pipe separately. (nothing to lose)

Hello. Has anyone ever successfully managed to copper plate a model at home? I've been slowly assembling parts to make a model of one of Edmund Bury's 1836 0-4-0 Goods engines. These were the earliest iteration of 'Old Copperknob' as seen at NRM. If you know the prototype you will know that one principle feature is the polished copper firebox. I've had a few goes at creating a 4mm version and my best attempt used a 15mm copper fitting for the cylinder bit and sheets of lead to form the dome. This provides a substantial weight but needs colouring. This website suggested that it could be done using electrolysis. http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Quality-Copper-Plating/ Here's my attempt. It started like this: After 20 minutes using a AA 1.5V battery produced this: Fair to say it hasn't really worked, especially on the lead sheets. Has anyone had any success with this or any other copper plating method?

Hi Chris. Thanks for showing how you've designed the loco to breakdown into sections. All very clever and good ideas that can be borrowed. Question 1 - do you have a special technique for 'grooving' the boiler?

My new design of wheels have arrived. They didn't fit as snugly into the 4860E rims (needing a gentle file whilst being rotated in a Dremel, so the size needs a subtle change) but the improvement in looks is significant. Time to begin some modelling.

Hi Colin. Thanks for the reply. I was really just asking to understand why the 2 different style centres had different style rims. The original Bulleid wheels I bought would have been nearly 30 years ago but none of this is a problem - i was just interested. Because the 3D prints fitted so well (even without making any adjustments for shrinkage estimates) my plan is to buy some more of the 'thinner' wheels, push the centres out and order some more prints based on measuring the 'more delicate' design. I can only apologise that I'll only be buying the odd wheel, here and there. I work far too slowly. Richard

Hi. I've been working towards scratch-building a Bury 0-4-0 Goods loco, from the 1830's. These engines had 5ft wheels with rather unique round cast iron spokes. Nothing exists commercially but 3D printing offers the opportunity to create my own. I bought 3 pairs of Gibson Bulleid wheels perhaps 25 years ago for a resin bodied Q1, which still remains half-built. Pushing the inner BoxPox centres out was quite easy leaving me with a set of nice accurate rims. I've now designed and had made suitable inserts for my Bury (Shapeways - FUD). They fit like a dream. But, I also have some other Gibson 5 footers, 16 spoke, ref 4860E. When the inserts are pushed out of these my new inners don't fit, the tyre rims are a different design, the rims are thinner and the insert needs to be bigger. Can anyone answer why? Perhaps the Bulleids are an old design and the 16 spokers are the new. Changing my 3D print to suit the thinner rims is simple but if I ever think about trying to sell them I'll need to know which one to put in the market place. Thanks in advance for any feedback.