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DLT

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Everything posted by DLT

  1. Aha yes, I get your drift. That hadnt occured to me. Dont suppose I'll get anything else done before the festivities now, but I really need to crack on with this loco, its taking too long. All the best, Dave.
  2. After a spell and decorating as decreed by SWMBO, and several repairs to the workshop roof, I've at last returned to the W class. Specifically matters below footplate level. This is turning into a long job. First job is the cylinders, the whitemetal castings fit onto an etched bracket that carries all the holes etc. The bracket is fine, but the castings were a bit out of shape. Following quite a lot of filing, the castings were square, but there wasnt much left of them! Comparing the result to the prototype photos showed that they were quite a bit on the small side. New wrappers were needed to help beef them up a bit. The photo shows the etched cylinder bracket, the undersized castings and the new brass wrappers. Fitting these with lots of araldite to fill the gaps should bring them up to size. Merry Christmas, Dave.T
  3. Hi James, have you tried the Pantiles sheets from the Wills Scenic range? They might not be quite the right type of pantile, but as they are moulded, they have plenty of relief and would be a huge improvement on the Slaters. All the best, Dave.T
  4. I thought you might say that! Would you have noticed if I hadnt mentioned it? :icon_what: Cheers, Dave.
  5. Thanks very much, your comments are much appreciated. Its certainly looking more like the real thing now. I'm sure there still a slight downward slope on the smokebox though, as a result of raising the firebox. Does it show? Cheers, Dave.
  6. As a quick diversion from the W class, another Southern loco project is the South Eastern Finecast E1/R kit. My involvement is building the chassis, as seen below. I've done it pretty much as per the kit, apart from any mods needed in order to fit my chosen mechanism etc. Supplied in the kit is a DS10 motor, with Romford gears and gear cradle. Instead I have fitted a Mashima 1420 flat-can motor and a Highlevel Roadrunner-Plus 54:1 gearbox, same as in the O2. Chassi is rigid, with Romford wheels, insulated on one side only, and Backscratcher pickups. The only other change was to fit Alan Gibson coupling rods, which provide a huge improvement over the supplied etches. I first fitted the rods as intended, in two pieces jointed in the middle. Running was jerky and poor, not what was wanted or expected. It improved dramatically though when I soldered the front and rear rods together to make single rigid rods. With a rigid chassis, jointed coupling rods are not only totally superfluous, but could be a source of problems. The whitemetal body parts look good, if a little hefty in places, and the single piece footplate fits perfectly. Has anyone else built one of these kits? I would be interested to hear. All the best, Dave.T
  7. Very good, the rendering looks particularly effective, how is it done? Whats the other building in the background on the bench? Looks like part of Penrhyn Castle! Fascinated to hear of your connection with David Lloyd and the Augher Valley Railway. Seeing it in the 1964 Railway Modeller at the age of six had a huge influence on me, and helped to kickstart my narrow gauge affection/afliction. Many years later I became acquainted with David during his time at Peco. He was building Coolcalaghta and I was building Charmouth. His untimely death was very sad. Best wishes, Dave.T
  8. We've all been there! Theres nothing like a photographic session to draw attention to all the little damaged or missing bits that we don't otherwise notice. Stocking a layout this size is going to be quite a task, how many slate wagons would you need? Or do you have a team of freinds who can supply stock for operating sessions? All the best, Dave.
  9. Hi Gordon, What an amazing project! The bit you have already built looks terrific, especially that flowing trackwork. Unfortunately your layout plan doesnt show up particularly well, would it be possible to post an enlarged version? Looking forward to following the progress on this layout. Many thanks, Dave.T
  10. Looking a bit more like a loco now, with a few boiler fittings attached and the smokebox front fitted. Handrails and the ejector pipe will be fitted after painting. Cheers, Dave.
  11. Hi Peter, This looks terrific, 009 built to scale. It looks huge, what are the dimensions? The trackwork looks very effective, I particularly like the diamond crossings. Do you have any more pics of the movable flat crossing? I would be interested to see how you did this. All the best, Dave.T
  12. DLT

    Taw Valley

    A masterpiece, Wow! Dave.T
  13. Yes there certainly was! The smokebox was actually egg-shaped in section, with the pointy end at the top. This made the smokebox too high in relation to the rest of the boiler and firebox. If you look at the box illustration further up the page, you can see that the top of the smokebox is sloping upwards. It took quite a bit of careful filing to produce a round (ish) smokebox. I made a new wrapper as the one in the kits suits the loco in its early condition, and the model is post-war. Not just the River, the N & U Moguls had similar boilers, so its probably the same pattern as them. Thanks, Dave.
  14. Once the new cab was added, another problem became apparent. Comparison with prototype photos showed that the firebox was too low, and too sharp-cornered. I managed to un-solder the firebox and after re-profiling the edges (with a large file) soldered it back on top of 1.5mm spacers. This very effectively raised the firebox and increased the slope of the boiler barrel. This unfortunately caused the smokebox to slope. This however has been rectified since the photos were taken; by adjusting the saddle, and bending the sagging whitemetal front footplate back to the correct shape! That just about completes the structural part of the body, lots of detail to be added and then I won't be able to put-off tackling the valvegear any longer. Does anyone have any comments? Thanks, Dave.
  15. Thanks very much Paul, I must admit I was pretty chuffed with the S15 myself. Thanks for the update on PDKs website, I had no idea. The old site is still working and theres no re-routing information on it. Things have definitely moved on at PDK. Dave.T
  16. Oo-er, me design an etched kit...? Sadly I don't have the time or expertise for such an undertaking. If an etched kit is desired, the thing is to gently lobby PDK Models http://www.pdk-models.i12.com/ to re-introduce their W Class kit. It was only the uncertainty of when this might appear that led us to go ahead with the Finecast version. All the best, Dave.
  17. At last I have made some more progress with the Finecast W, and finished off the cab with the addition of detail to the roof and bunker rear. The etched lampirons supplied in the kit are extremely delicate, and I might replace them with something sturdier. They bend far too easily and one is already broken. Handrails have been left off for the time being, hence the holes. Making the cab roof solid meant there had to be another way of accessing the interior. I opted for a completely removable cab, secured by two screws through the footplate, with cab floor and boiler backhead etc removable from below. Photo 3 shows the underside of the cab with the floor in place, secured by a single screw into a captive nut in the bunker, and photo four shows the floor removed. Also visible are the captive nuts used when screwing the cab to the footplate. All this performance must seem totally over the top, but it was the best way I could think of to get over the problem of the non-removable cab roof. It was a challenge I couldnt resist, and it seems highly successful so far. All the best, Dave.T
  18. Thanks for that, yes the cab was a pig to get looking right. I'm still not entirely convinced, but its a lot better than the whitemetal version. More pictures coming soon. All the best, Dave.
  19. DaveT's Southern Locos - Maunsell W Class - New Cab by dltaylor original page on Old RMweb __________________________________________ ??? posted on Tue Aug 25, 2009 4:34 pm Adam wrote: Re: The Finecast O2 A very impressive job there David. I've just finished one of these for a friend, he wanted it more or less from the box but with push pull gear so I didn't go as far. I will say that whatever it's deficiencies it is a rather better kit than the Gibson version which has many issues of its own; lack of proper location for parts, an interesting design of boiler assembly which if built per the 'instructions' means the smokebox is wrong ( the door on the casting for the smokebox front is too small as well), and which makes no provision for clearance to the front drivers. It did provide both heights of cab as well as the IoW version however which is a plus, but only if you want one of those! Adam Hi Adam, Thanks very much for the comments, I thoroughly enjoyed the O2 kit, and once I had sorted out the footplate and started adding the bodywork, it LOOKED right almost straight away. Casting shrinkage can change with the heat of the moulds, maybe I just got a rogue footplate. I've certainly never heard of anyone else encountering this particular problem. Otherwise, generally speaking the kit is fine; whitemetal kits can always be improved with replacement buffers, boiler fittings etc. However I always feel compelled to find something else to "improve"! Do you have any photos of your O2? I've been browsing your thread, and I particularly like your Southern Region electric locos; took me straight back to my 1970s schooldays in Bournemouth, when I regularly used the Waterloo-Bournemouth-Weymouth route. All the best, Dave.T __________________________________________ Comment posted by Adam on Wed Aug 26, 2009 8:56 am Hi David Thanks for the compliment, the '60s on the Southern were a contrasting decade which managed to include these pretty Victorian relics and the big blue electrics - this is what makes it interesting of course. The W looks impressive too. I keep being distracted from completing the glazing on the big ED which is really the one barrier to finishing it. No pictures of the Finecast version, well, not yet anyhow, but here's the earlier Gibson based model in EM, with rather ambitious* - but effective - full suspension, driving a HighLevel 54:1 box where having all the brake detail - which amazingly doesn't foul the bogie wheels - and the big guard irons which work rather better than in OO! Adam *This was the third loco' kit I ever attempted! The first two were very much easier 0-4-0 industrial types. __________________________________________ Comment posted by Peter Bedding on Fri Aug 28, 2009 4:17 pm Hello On the subject of Adam's 4mm version of the full size Adams' O2. The photo below shows it in the paint shop. It now runs as well as it looks, and is currently being fitted with a TCS M1 decoder prior to entering traffic in a Chicken Shed not a dozen miles from Yeovil. __________________________________________ ??? posted on Sat Aug 29, 2009 9:38 pm Hi Adam & Peter, Two very fine looking locos there, and it looks like the Finecast version has the correct length footplate; mine must have been a rogue casting. Ah yes, the rear guardirons... The only way I could see of doing them in 00 was to bracket them out from the bogie frame, so that they moved with the wheels. The thought of such a delicate assembly sticking out into thin air was asking for trouble, and we concluded that we could live without them. With the Highlevel gearbox on the rear axle and the motor pointing backwards, I managed to get enough weight at the front end by packing the boiler and smokebox with lead. The result was a good runner, even with only four-wheel pickup. Has anyone tried fitting pickups to the bogie? All the best, Dave.T __________________________________________ ??? posted on Tue Sep 22, 2009 5:49 pm At last I've made some more progress with the W, basic assembly of the new cab is done. Because Maunsell wrapover cab roofs give no easy place for a join, the roof is not removable and is made from the same pieces of brass as the sides. The join is in the middle of the roof. This gives one permanent join instead of two non-permanent, and the join is where the roof is flatest, and eventually partly covered by the sliding hatch. The downside of course is that access to the cab interior has to be from below, neccessitating a removable cab. Not quite sure how I will do this yet, probably two screws through the footplate from below, into captive nuts inside the cab. Anyway, here's a few photos of the assembled cab. I realised I'd got carried away with the filing, and the side windows were too big. I bent a thin strip of brass so that is just fitted inside the window frame and soldered it in. Various bits of detail still to be added, and more cleaning up. I've a suspicion that the whole cab is a shade too high, might need to take 0.5mm of the bottom Dave.T __________________________________________
  20. Dear All, As this thread has now passed 50 pages, I’m struggling to find things on it myself. So here is an index with links, to what has gone before. I hope it is helpful, Dave. Page 1 – S15 - PDK, O2 - SEFinecast, E1/R - Chassis SEFinecast: https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/2359-dlts-sr-locos/ Page 1 – 3: W - SEFinecast: https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/2359-dlts-sr-locos/ Page 3 – 6: S15 - DJH: https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/2359-dlts-sr-locos/&do=findComment&comment=190723 Page 6 – 8: Q - Body SEFinecast: https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/2359-dlts-sr-locos/&do=findComment&comment=424763 Page 9: B4 - SEFinecast: https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/2359-dlts-sr-locos/&do=findComment&comment=538137 Page 9 – 11: Z - DMR: https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/2359-dlts-sr-locos/&do=findComment&comment=556668 11 – 16: U - DJH/SEFinecast/Hornby: https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/2359-dlts-sr-locos/&do=findComment&comment=804697 16 – 18: S15 - DJH Rebuild: https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/2359-dlts-sr-locos/&do=findComment&comment=1071014 18 – 20: A12 Jubilee - Nu-Cast: https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/2359-dlts-sr-locos/&do=findComment&comment=1149838 21 – 29: 700 - PDK: https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/2359-dlts-sr-locos/&do=findComment&comment=1686136 29 – 31: O2 - SEFinecast Completed: https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/2359-dlts-sr-locos/&do=findComment&comment=1988375 31 – 33: E1/R - SEFinecast Completed: https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/2359-dlts-sr-locos/&do=findComment&comment=2159442 33 – 44: E5X - SEFinecast Conversion: https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/2359-dlts-sr-locos/&do=findComment&comment=2498238 44 – 53: K10 - EJ Sharp: https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/2359-dlts-sr-locos/&do=findComment&comment=2965955 53 - 56: T6 - Jidenco: Fixing for Tony: https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/2359-dlts-sr-locos-n15x-finishing-for-jack/&do=findComment&comment=3360113 56 - 60: N15X - Nu-Cast, finishing for Jack P. https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/2359-dlts-sr-locos/&do=findComment&comment=3514045 57: Tutorial Photo-Sequence on assembling soldered valve-gear rivets: https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/2359-dlts-sr-locos-n15x-finishing-for-jack/&do=findComment&comment=3546654 60 - 67: H15 Chonker - PDK: https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/2359-dlts-sr-locos-urie-h15-chonker-pdk-kit/&do=findComment&comment=3863533 65: Tutorial Photo-Sequence on Chemical Blackening: https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/2359-dlts-sr-locos-urie-h15-chonker-pdk-kit/&do=findComment&comment=3981026 67: Z - Another DMR Kit: https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/2359-dlts-sr-locos-another-z-class-dmr-kit/&do=findComment&comment=4035807 71: W - PDK kit, finishing for Jack: https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/2359-dlts-sr-locos-jackps-w-by-pdk/&do=findComment&comment=4187781 71: D15 - Resurrecting a couple of old kits: https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/2359-dlts-sr-locos-jackps-w-by-pdk/&do=findComment&comment=4208784 73: 0395 - Finishing a team-effort DJH kit: https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/2359-dlts-sr-locos-0395-completion/&do=findComment&comment=4343801 75: G6 - A rare Connoisseur Etched kit: https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/2359-dlts-sr-locos-0395-completion/&do=findComment&comment=4426790 DaveT's Southern Locos - Maunsell W Class - New Cab by dltaylor original page on Old RMweb __________________________________________ ??? posted on Sat Jun 20, 2009 10:19 pm Dear All, I am new to RMweb, but interested to see there are quite a few Southern modellers on here. My two main areas of interest are narrow gauge in 7mm scale, and the SR in the West Country. My main modelling project at the moment is a series of LSWR/SR locos, destined for an 00 layout based on the Exeter area in BR steam days. The first of these was a Maunsell S15, No.30841, built from the excellent PDK kit with a few modifications. I don't have any "under construction" photos of this loco, as I had to borrow a camera when needed. I hope this is of interest, All the best, David Taylor. __________________________________________ Comment posted by pete_mcfarlane on Sat Jun 20, 2009 10:58 pm That's a nice looking S15 http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/images/smilies/icon_clap.gif Welcome aboard! __________________________________________ Comment posted by Steph Dale on Sun Jun 21, 2009 2:15 pm Dave, Looks good to me too! NIce to have more Southerneers amongst the fray. I'd be interested to see what you're up to in 7mm... Steph __________________________________________ Comment posted by Graham_Muz on Sun Jun 21, 2009 2:46 pm Hi Dave and welcome to the forum. As Steph says nice to have some more Southern modellers about. Very nice S15 http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/images/smilies/icon_drool.gif I am yet to have a go at a PDK kit, but I must finish some of the other kits i have still to start before before I invest in any more. I look forward to seeing a few more of your models. __________________________________________ Comment posted by Pudley Wonderer on Mon Jun 22, 2009 8:09 am DLTaylor wrote: My two main areas of interest are narrow gauge in 7mm scale, and the SR in the West Country. My main modelling project at the moment is a series of LSWR/SR locos, destined for an 00 layout based on the Exeter area in BR steam days. David Taylor. Hi David, and welcome to the forum. Going by your introduction I'm curious, are you the David Taylor of Charmouth fame by any chance? __________________________________________ ??? posted on Mon Jun 22, 2009 3:19 pm Going by your introduction I'm curious, are you the David Taylor of Charmouth fame by any chance? Hi Pudley, Guilty as charged! I am indeed the builder of Charmouth and Bridport Town. I havent posted anything on RMweb about them yet, I am currently writing them up for various magazine publications. Charmouth has just finished a three-part "retrospective" in Roy Link's magazine Narrow Gauge & Industrial Review, Bridport will be featuring soon, and in Railway Modeller before too long. In the meantime I am building a series of SR locos in 00, for a friend's layout which will feature Exmouth Junction in BR steam days. This allows me to indulge my other main interest, the Southern in the West Country. The S15 is finished, and I am currently building a Maunsell W class from the SE Finecast kit. Will post some photos soon. Where will I find your projects? All the best, Dave.T PS Bridport and Charmouth are still available for Exhibitions if anyone wants them. __________________________________________ Comment posted by Pudley Wonderer on Mon Jun 22, 2009 3:36 pm DLTaylor wrote: Going by your introduction I'm curious, are you the David Taylor of Charmouth fame by any chance? Hi Pudley, Guilty as charged! Had a feeling it was you David. I've just sent you a PM, as you may well remember me from some communication we had some years back when all we had was pen n paper http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif I am indeed the builder of Charmouth and Bridport Town. I havent posted anything on RMweb about them yet, I am currently writing them up for various magazine publications. Great stuff, can't wait http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif Where will I find your projects? Right here for layout...... viewtopic.php?f=9&t=2486&start=0&hilit=postcards+from+pudley+lane and here for the workbench..... viewtopic.php?f=89&t=16530 __________________________________________ ??? posted on Thu Jun 25, 2009 10:49 pm My second Southern loco build was the Adams O2, from the South Eastern Finecast kit. Starting with the etched chassis, it was built much as intended, but with some added detail, and only a few minor modifications. The first thing I did was to replace the supplied motor and gearbox which unneccessarily large and would have filled the cab. The replacement was a Mashima 1420 and RoadrunnerPlus gearbox from HighLevel Kits. This box has an articulated section, allowing you to swing the position of the final drive, to find an optimum position. This combination allows the motor and box to be contained entirely within the sidetanks, keeping the cab clear, For gearbox details see http://www.highlevelkits.co.uk/ The biggest problem I found was when trying match the chassis to the body, it simply wouldnt fit. Eventually I realised that the whitemetal footplate was nearly 3mm too short. My solution was to build a new one from copperclad fibreglass pcb, with nickel-silver sheet soldered on for the top surface, and new brass rivited bufferbeams. Instant transformation! Mods to the chassis included adding a couple of rivited overlays where visible detail was lacking, improving the look of the brakegear, replacing the massive coupling-rods with Alan Gibson products, and the fitting of "backscratcher" pickups. Bodywork to follw soon, Cheers, David Taylor. __________________________________________ Comment posted by Steam on Shed on Shed</STRONG> on Tue Jun 30, 2009 6:58 am Hi David, thanks for sharing some of your work, lovely workmanship to. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/images/smilies/icon_thumbsup2.gif Darren. __________________________________________ Comment posted by SRman on Tue Jun 30, 2009 7:51 am I wish I had your skills with brass locomotives! I particularly love that S15. Lovely work there. Keep the pics of your progress coming. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/images/smilies/icon_clap.gifhttp://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/images/smilies/icon_clap.gifhttp://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/images/smilies/icon_clap.gif __________________________________________ ??? posted on Tue Jun 30, 2009 8:58 am Thanks very much for the comments guys, and yes, theres plenty more to come. Cheers, Dave.T __________________________________________ Comment posted by AlanRogers on Tue Jun 30, 2009 9:36 am Dave Interesting that these don't seem have to the split axles/chassis of your narrow gauge locos. What are the relative pros and cons of each from a scratch-building perspective? __________________________________________ ??? posted on Tue Jun 30, 2009 9:41 am Once the new footplate for the O2 was complete, the bodywork went together pretty well using low-melt solder. The main area needing modification was the smokebox front, where there was some very poor casting. Having found that some locos had smokeboxes with rivited wrappers but plain fronts, I filed the front completely flat. I made a new piano lid from a piece of 1/8" brass angle with a length of 1/16" rod sat inside it and filled up with solder. Additional parts included a whistle assembly from Branchlines; buffers, smokebox dart, tank fillers, safety valves and handrail knobs by Alan Gibson. Dome and chimney were produceds by myself. Some of the available casting for the dome are too small, Adams domes were huge when compared to later Drummond versions. Has anyone else built this kit? I would be interested to hear your comments All the best, Dave.T __________________________________________ ??? posted on Tue Jun 30, 2009 11:18 am Interesting that these don't seem have to the split axles/chassis of your narrow gauge locos. What are the relative pros and cons of each from a scratch-building perspective? Hi Alan, Choosing pickup method has as much to do with the size/shape of the individual loco as it it has with your own personal preferences. With narrow gauge locos, you've got a lot more width to play with, especially with outside frames. These SR loco kits come with a good quality etched chassis but with little provision made for pickup. As I'm using mostly Gibson wheels, split-axles are a non-starter unless you can electrically connect the rims to the axles, insulate the axles from the frames etc, etc. My preference is usually for conventional wipers, mounted on the underside of the chassis where they are accessible. These etched chassis have correct spring/spring hanger detail, brakegear etc, leaving virtually no space for wipers. I don't care for plungers, as you can't adjust them once fitted, and I dont like top-acting wipers on the wheel treads, as they can collect dirt. Back-Scratcher pickups were desctribed in MRJ many years ago (I forget who by) but seem ideal in this situation: The photo show my Maunsell W Class chassis, fitted with Gibson wheels and Backscratchers. A length of copperclad pcb is araldited to the inside of the frame, and a "U" shaped length of phosphor-bronze strip is soldered to the pcb, passing over the top of the frame and bearing on the back of the wheel. Works a treat! Aditionally, I filed a step in the back of the pcb strip so that it had a positive location against the top of the frame, the step also prevented the pickup from touching the frame. The O2 has Romford wheels, with one side un-insulated, and backscratchers on one side only. I hope that description is clear ??? All the best, Dave.T By the way, if the track looks overscale, the phot was taken on my 7mm scale narrow-gauge layout __________________________________________ Comment posted by number6 on Tue Jul 14, 2009 3:28 pm Really impressed with the tidiness of your work Dave. So extremely neat! Something about your photos also makes them all seem like precious objects! Not like my own abominations... I am intrigued by the back scratcher pickups - are they just flat strips or do they have a 'claw' end that makes contact with the wheel - if you get my drift. I guess when the wheels are off they stick out at an angle to apply pressure on the wheel backs when in position. I know this stuff doesn't take kindly to too many adjustments before snapping so I guess it has to be robustly correct the first time. Up until now I have been quite keen on pickups that can be tweaked. regards Raphael __________________________________________ ??? posted on Tue Jul 14, 2009 10:48 pm Really impressed with the tidiness of your work Dave. So extremely neat! Something about your photos also makes them all seem like precious objects! Not like my own abominations... I am intrigued by the back scratcher pickups - are they just flat strips or do they have a 'claw' end that makes contact with the wheel - if you get my drift. I guess when the wheels are off they stick out at an angle to apply pressure on the wheel backs when in position. I know this stuff doesn't take kindly to too many adjustments before snapping so I guess it has to be robustly correct the first time. Up until now I have been quite keen on pickups that can be tweaked. regards Raphael Hi Raphael, Thank you very much for your kind comments about my modelling. You are pretty much correct about the backscratchers, they spring against the back of the wheels with a slight S-bend in the end of the strip. So the face of the strip is against the wheel, NOT the cut end. The best way to avoid phos-bronze snapping is not to put a sharp bend in it in the first place, but curve it instead. Its more springy that way as well. I have had it snap as soon as I put a sharp right-angle in it, a curved U-shape is good and effective. I too like to be able to tweak, but these actually need very little tweaking. They are out of harms way where its almost impossible to accidently damage them, (or stick the sharp end in your finger!) I will add more photos of the W-class shortly. All the best, Dave. __________________________________________ ??? posted on Thu Jul 23, 2009 10:51 pm My current project is the Maunsell W Class 264T, from the South Eastern Finecast kit. Starting as usual with the chassis, this is an excellent etching, that goes together beautifully. My only modification was to change the position of some of the chassis spacers in order to accomodate my chosen drive, in this case a Mashima 1426 can motor and Branchlines 80:1 Multibox driving on the rear axle. Wheels are from Alan Gibson, the closest match being his LMS Crab wheels (5'6" diameter, 17 spoke, 13" crank throw) The Backscratcher pickups, and the reason for choosing them, were described earlier in this thread. The only other bits added at this stage are the brakehanger brackets, these need to be firmly soldered in place before the wheels are fitted. Having acheived a functional running chassis, I prefer to move on to the bodywork. The rest of the chassis (cylinders, valvegear, brakegear etc) can follow on later when the basic bodywork is complete. All the best, Dave.T __________________________________________ Comment posted by LNWRmodeller on Fri Jul 24, 2009 2:52 pm THe "backscratcher" pickups were described in MRJ by Allan Sibley IRCC. They became known as Siblups. Jol Wilkinson __________________________________________ Comment posted by Mallard60022 on Fri Jul 24, 2009 4:42 pm Well impressed with your S15 & O2. I'm sure the W will be as good. When are you going for the Z? I had a DMR one built by Geoff Brewin some years ago which looks the business and now I have just acquired one on that Auction site (includes wheels). It is not a straightforward kit from memory and I also think there has been a posting about building one in the not too distant past. Would you be going for Exeter Central by any chance? Sincerely 72A __________________________________________ ??? posted on Fri Jul 24, 2009 9:50 pm THe "backscratcher" pickups were described in MRJ by Allan Sibley IRCC. They became known as Siblups. Jol Wilkinson Hi Jol, Many thanks for the prompt, I thought it was in MRJ that I'd seen the idea. You've got me searching and I've found the article; it was by Mike Trice in MRJ No.17. In an even earlier edition, (No.6) Iain Rice describes many variations on the wiper/plunger type of pickup. Cheers, Dave.T __________________________________________ ??? posted on Fri Jul 24, 2009 10:10 pm Mallard60022 wrote: Well impressed with your S15 & O2. I'm sure the W will be as good. When are you going for the Z? I had a DMR one built by Geoff Brewin some years ago which looks the business and now I have just acquired one on that Auction site (includes wheels). It is not a straightforward kit from memory and I also think there has been a posting about building one in the not too distant past. Would you be going for Exeter Central by any chance? Sincerely 72A Dear Mallard, Thanks very much for the comments. I won't be starting on the Z until I've finished the W. It is the DMR kit, it looks excellent and I've heard nothing but good reports about it. A friend of mine recently built the 0-Gauge version and it looks stunning. These locos aren't for me, they are destined for a friend's long-term layout project, featuring Exmouth Junction loco shed in 00. All the best, Dave.T __________________________________________ Comment posted by Mallard60022 on Mon Jul 27, 2009 10:28 am Good heavens. Another old stamping ground was 72A (and then 83D ... yuch!). As you have probably noticed there is new a thread on a Z; worth asking if you could copy the pics for ref which I often find very useful. On that point, may I copy your O2 pics please? If not , no matter. Sincerely, Polsloe Bridgehalt. DLTaylor wrote: Mallard60022 wrote: Well impressed with your S15 & O2. I'm sure the W will be as good. When are you going for the Z? I had a DMR one built by Geoff Brewin some years ago which looks the business and now I have just acquired one on that Auction site (includes wheels). It is not a straightforward kit from memory and I also think there has been a posting about building one in the not too distant past. Would you be going for Exeter Central by any chance? Sincerely 72A Dear Mallard, Thanks very much for the comments. I won't be starting on the Z until I've finished the W. It is the DMR kit, it looks excellent and I've heard nothing but good reports about it. A friend of mine recently built the 0-Gauge version and it looks stunning. These locos aren't for me, they are destined for a friend's long-term layout project, featuring Exmouth Junction loco shed in 00. All the best, Dave.T __________________________________________ ??? posted on Thu Jul 30, 2009 10:10 am On that point, may I copy your O2 pics please? If not , no matter. Sincerely, Polsloe Bridgehalt. Sorry for the delay, yes of course you may copy the photos, if they can be of use to you. regards, DaveT __________________________________________ ??? posted on Thu Aug 06, 2009 3:28 pm With the chassis running, I turned to the whitemetal bodywork. Comparing the illustration on the front of the box to photos of the real thing showed that a number of dimensions were slightly wrong, upsetting the proportions. From photos anf the Railway Modeller drawing we worked out that the tanks were too low, and the whole thing sat too high on the chassis. I made new brass overlays for the tanks, a new smokebox wrapper to represent later condition, and by filing away large amounts of whitemetal, got the whole thing sitting lower. Cab proportions also appeared incorrect, and I spent a while trying to scale it from photos and drawing it four times full size. From this I made up new cabsides from brass. Trying to get the curvature of the cab roof looking right took ages, Maunsell cabs are a pig to model, there is no convenient location for a join. Can anyone suggest a simple method of producing a wrap-around cab??? I intended using the new sides as overlays, but ended up making a whole new cab The casting for the rear footplate section was poor, so I scraped away the surface and soldered on a new top surface and bufferbeam from brass, and filed it to the correct taper. The bufferbeams supplied in the kit were plain with no riviting, representing original condition. Having replaced the rear beam, I had to do the front one as well, and had great fun with the riviting tool and strained eyes! Please dont look too closely at this enlargement, it show all the blemishes. __________________________________________ Comment posted by Adam on Tue Aug 25, 2009 11:33 am Re: The Finecast O2 A very impressive job there David. I've just finished one of these for a friend, he wanted it more or less from the box but with push pull gear so I didn't go as far. I will say that whatever it's deficiencies it is a rather better kit than the Gibson version which has many issues of its own; lack of proper location for parts, an interesting design of boiler assembly which if built per the 'instructions' means the smokebox is wrong ( the door on the casting for the smokebox front is too small as well), and which makes no provision for clearance to the front drivers. It did provide both heights of cab as well as the IoW version however which is a plus, but only if you want one of those! Adam __________________________________________
  21. Its becoming clear that plenty of us ARE reading/following your construction, please keep it up! I'm interested as I regularly used the Bournemouth Electrics in the 1970s, in particular the 92 service, to and from my Boarding School in Christchurch. I can probably still recite the timetable. Like some others I find the blogs awkward to follow, as a reader I'm interested to see what comments others have made. I prefer the forum and threads section, as I find things easier to browse, and they have a read counter at the side All the best, Dave.T
  22. Not so little! These locos are massive compared to most British narrow-gauge stock. On the layout Countess towered above my locos. Cheers, Dave.
  23. Hi Rich, Exhibited at Exeter in 2007. In 2008 the layout went to Shepton Mallet, Redruth, and Truro (Cornwall 0-Gauge Group), so I guess it was one of those? Wimborne was my first show this year. All the best, Dave. PS Shoud be doing Exeter again next year.
  24. Thanks everyone for their kind remarks about the layout as well as Arthur's loco. Countess certainly did look "at home" at Bridport, (must be all that corrugated-iron) especially when posed with my W&L wagons. She towered above most of my locos, she's taller even than K1 Rich, where did you see Bridport Town? All the best, Dave.
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