Mike Megginson

LNER B4 Now for another of those processes which can make or mar the model; adding the valances. On this loco the valances were very deep and followed the shape of the footplate, which widened just aft of the cylinders. I have to confess that I did add some 'guide' pieces to the underside of the footplate, using 1.0 mm x .015" nickel silver strip. These were positioned and soldered around 0.75 mm from the edge of the footplate along much of its length. This strip is obviously invisible from any normal viewing angle, unless the loco 'turns turtle'. Anyway, starting at the cab end, each valance was very carefully soldered along its full length, ensuring that at no time was any unsoldered section soldered between already soldered sections as the heating up and expansion of the unsoldered section will cause it to buckle. So the soldering must be done absolutely progressively to avoid this buckling. Anyway the two valances were soldered successfully and then cleaned up for the photograph, which is posted below. I also slightly adjusted the upper slide bar on the visible side in the photo, as this slide bar was clearly diverging from parallel with the lower bar. Lots of flowing curves on the model now, with more to add. Cheers Mike ,

LNER B4 The bracing strip, which supported and spaced the two sides of the footplate has now been removed allowing the locomotive superstructure to be checked for alignment against the chassis. All seems to match and to mate up correctly, so we can proceed with fitting the valances and completing the front footplate. There really is something very satisfying in seeing these brass/nickel silver kits shining and reflecting in the illumination of the daylight lamp!! It has taken quite a while to get to here with a combination of new and different kit design approaches, at least for me as the builder, and the increasing demands of the garden. Now it really does begin to look like a Great Central 4-6-0 and I am greatly encouraged to push on to completion. Now I can add the valances and the front of the footplate. Cheers Mike

LNER B4 Having fitted the outer wrapper to the smokebox, now time for another of those acid tests. The bottom of the smokebox is designed to sit inside the top of the mainframes on the smokebox base, which is part of the chassis. If the bottom of the smokebox is too wide, or out of line then this matching will not be possible and some rectification will be necessary. Similarly, if the smokebox bottom is too narrow, then gaps between the smokebox sides and the mainframes will be clearly visible. With just a little judicious filing at the bottom of the smokebox, the fit is achieved and achieved such that the whole smokebox/boiler assembly will stand, unsupported, parallel to the footplate. Phew; that was lucky for it does. Anyone wondering why two authors of this thread appear to contribute, the answer is they/we are one and the same person. I use two systems to access RMWeb and, for some reason, couldn't use the same username on both? Cheers Mike

NORTH EASTERN KITS LNER F8 The new roof, from the latest etches, has been assembled and checked for fit against the cab front and rear. This seems to fit just fine. Again, even though I had made a smokebox on the first superstructure build, I assembled this sub-assembly from the latest etches, which have a modified smokebox wrapper. Assembles and fits just fine. The left hand brake linkage has been assembled (well so has the right hand assembly though this is invisible) and fitted. Here I made a modification to the rear brake pull rod, which I also made on the three G5's which I built a year or two ago. On the actual prototype the rear brake pull rod includes a length adjuster, which allowed the distance between the brake blocks and the wheels to be adjusted by effectively lengthening or shortening the length of the rear pull rod, which also moved the front pull rod. This was a length of tube with screw threads inside of it so a suitable length of 1/16th brass tube was cut, slightly reduced in diameter and then the pull rod split and re-joined inside the tube. Makes a difference to the look of the brake linkage. Anyway, I'm now well beyond the stage reached on the first build so I am now on 'new ground' with this test build, as I start to do the detailing of the superstructure, including 'plumbing in' the Westinghouse pump! Before anyone asks, yes. I prime every piece wherever possible, prior to assembly. This includes the brakes, brake linkage, etc. Helps enormously with the final painting and weathering. As always, a photograph to check the work and the buffer nearest the camera, needs straightening! Cheers Mike

Mick, Most of the coupling rods, on Arthur's kits, consist of two full thickness nickel silver etched layers (2 x .015") often plus two half etched layers at the journals (1 x .015") which can give a total thickness, at the journals of > .045"; more than 1.0 mm. I've tried using the standard Gibson crankpin collets but the journals have to be thinned far too much. So I now use the longer collets, suitably filed down to shorten them, on all models with etched rods. Obviously where both a coupling rod and connecting rod are attached, then the longer collets are used as supplied. I always buy the crankpin screws, collets and crankpin nuts separately rather than the crankpin sets, which only contain the shorter collets. Cheers Mike

NORTH EASTERN KITS LNER F8 A different dome has been found and trial fitted and more work has been done on the seating of the boiler fittings - chimney, dome and safety valve cover, which I think has improved their fit. The coupling rod journals have been opened out to accept the Alan Gibson crankpin collets and then the collets filed down to size and fitted. With most of Arthur's kits I have used the longer Alan Gibson crankpin collets and reduced their length to just clear the coupling rod journal. The final part of this process is to check that the wheels revolve without any tight spots on the rods, which they do. The crankpins still have to be filed back to size, once the crankpin nuts have been fitted The brake stretchers have been fitted and packing washers fitted to their ends to allow the brake pull rods to stand clear of the wheels. I use the tiny 1 mm outside diameter washers on the nickel silver boiler bands etch, with three threaded onto each end of the brake stretcher and then glued into place to prevent them from falling off. Clearly, threading these things onto a .5 mm rod does test the old eyesight just a little but all of the brake stretcher ends have been so fitted. One of the brake pull rods has been attached just to check that there is sufficient .5 mm rod protruding on the rear axle to allow the rear set of pull rods to be attached over the front pull rods. As with almost everything on these test builds, components are checked for fit before actually being fixed. I still have to assemble a new cab roof, as the one shown in the photo, which was from the first superstructure build, has too much curvature. Another photo just to check the work so far. Cheers MIke

I don't think it is the picture; I think you're correct. The flare on the dome is not right. Cheers Mike

NORTH EASTERN KITS LNER F8 The bunker rear assembly and most of the cab internals have now been added, along with the cab floor. The brakes have also been assembled, primed and added, though I still have to add the brake linkage, which on these locomotives, was outside of the driving wheels. So most of the major superstructure and chassis is assembled, now to move on to the detailing. Now I have moved beyond the stage reached with the first build of the superstructure. We're now not far from finalising the etches! The seating of the boiler fittings - chimney, dome, safety valve cover - is better but not yet quite right! As an aside, I guess the photo shows the model at something akin to 7mm/ft or 'O' gauge so any errors in construction are magnified. Cheers Mike

NORTH EASTERN KITS LNER F8 With the chassis now largely complete, with the addition of the guard irons, a coat of weathered black has been applied. The Alan Gibson 5' 8" 16 spoke 10 inch throw crankpins in line wheels have been fitted and quartered and the leading and trailing wheels have been fitted. The crankpin collets and nuts have not yet been fitted. I had assumed that the chimney fitted to the F8's (NER Class A) were identical to those fitted to the N8's (NER Class B) but reference to Volume 3 of North Eastern Record showed that this assumption is wrong. The two classes carried chimneys of slightly different heights and slightly different diameters, so a suitable casting has been found for the F8. I still have to do a little work on the seating of the boiler fittings, especially the safety valve housing but that will be done next. The loco still has to be balanced by adjusting the bearings on the front carrying wheels, as the back end is slightly too high on this photograph. So this build has very nearly reached the same stage as the first build of the superstructure with only one or two minor issues found. Next job is to fit the brakes and brake linkage before returning to the assembly of the superstructure. Cheers Mike

Hi Manna, Many thanks for the comments. Apparently (at least from the prototype information supplied with the kit) the overall dimensions were constrained by the dimensions of the standard T1 RAF hangar and standard RAF crating when the specification was issued, These constraints forced the compromise on wing span, which did limit the service ceiling of the aircraft. As to the bomb bay, the Stirling seems to have had various locations where bombs were carried. Strangely, despite the success of the Halifax and Lancaster, production of the Stirling continued until late 1945, though far fewer (2350) were built than the numbers for the other two 'heavies'. I'm not really an aircraft modeller but I do, occasionally, build them as they can be assembled in the relative comfort of my lounge rather than the workbench. Anyway, now back to the workbench and the railway modelling. Cheers Mike

John, Arthur Kimber does a sprue of ex-NER mechanical lubricators, eight off, cast in brass, which is sold as a separate item. I'll take the liberty of posting a photo of the B16/1, which has two of these lubricator castings on the RHS of its footplate, to illustrate the quality of this casting. Cheers Mike

Well, I did complete the Short Stirling which seems to have re-habilitated me to the modelling. So, having completed this model and sold it on to a collector, then I'm now fit and ready to start the next project which is a pair of ex-LNWR balanced bracket signals for a good friend's layout. First job is to make a decent 4mm design drawing of the models, both of which will be identical, with the actuating mechanism for the signal arms clearly laid out on the drawing. I'll post details of this build on the Signalling Topic Area, as they progress. I'll take the liberty of posting a couple of photos of the Stirling before I move on. Painting that cockpit canopy was a real challenge but, with the aid of the trusty cocktail stick, it was done! Cheers Mike

Absolutely; they were just bl--dy awful!! But then along came the Pacers and they marked an even lower point in comfort, ride quality, etc and still do. Cheers Mike#

Seeing this photograph and several more similar photos, of weekend excursion trains, reminded me of something which I wrote, for a competition, several years ago. I was fortunate enough to win that competition with this; simply called Yesteryear Sundays. Remember those days when the railways were fun, When we boarded a train for a day in the sun. Weekend excursions, seven shillings and three, To Bridlington, Scarborough or Saltburn on Sea. Remember the trains with their coaches so old. Faded upholstery in crimson and gold. Water colour pictures just under the rack, Of places of interest to see by the track. Remember compartments, four to a row, Squashed in the corner with nowhere to go. Smells of old pipe smoke, brylcream and fur. Just open the window to let in the air. Remember the sound of the train on the track, That metronome rhythm of clickety-clack. How fast are we going, let's see while we wait. Is it sixty we divide by; perhaps eighty eight. Remember the thrill as we first saw the sea, Just a dark strip of blue through a gap in the trees. The trains slowing down now, soon we'll be there. We can just smell the sea and the salt on the air. Remember the thrill as we walked from the station, A wave to the driver in smiled admiration. Excitement just building as we walked to the sand with a red plastic bucket and spade in out hands. Remember the fuss as we staked out the beach, For a place where the toilets were easy to reach. Wooden striped deckchairs, hired for the day. How do you erect them; just show me the way. Remember the paddle in a grey, freezing sea Dad with his trousers rolled up to the knee. Like some ancient king, be still he decreed, Then turned and ran back as the sea paid no heed. Remember the castles we built out of sand, Topped by a flag of some British land. Staunchly they stood there for most of the day, Till the sea would sweep in and wash them away. Remember the time to go home, all too soon, As the warm summer sun gave way to the moon, They'll sleep on the train, all that sea air and foam, Not a peep out of them till the train reaches home. So remember those days when the railways were fun, Days by the sea neath the warm summer sun. Yesteryear Sundays; we'll not see them again, A day by the sea and a ride on the train. Cheers Mike