5050

I love the Bo-Bo version. How many bodies -2? Any photos taken during the build? When (ha!) we get back to 'normal' (double 'ha!') I'll have to start digging around in the 'pre-owned' boxes at shows.

I know Ruston has posted details of his build on his loco thread but, as I'm currently in the middle of building mine, I was wondering how many others were on the go. After all, they sold out very quickly so some of them must be under construction! For me, this is the first 3D printed kit I've tackled. TBH, I much prefer wielding a soldering iron but I thought I've got to try at least one. The rather large box it is supplied somewhat dissappoints on opening as there is a lot of fresh air. Bubble wrap, some printed instructions, a body, an etch, a small packet of a few 3D printed fittings - and some rather large handrail knobs. I suppose it is the manufacturer's 'standard' box and I'm sure it will come in useful sooner or later. On examination the parts seemed reasonably self intuitive (although I wasn't to sure about a couple of the smaller printed parts - and the instructions didn't help much TBH). What I wasn't all that impressed by was the need to sand the bonnet top to get rid of the 'layers' and then the instruction to scrape everywhere to get rid of a fine white powder that seems to cover every flat surface. Is this normal? However, on remembering building white metal loco kits (and some etched ones!) from some makers there was a lot of fettling needed there too! And the results weren't always that good even then. This was all done in due course and the body washed and scrubbed. Glazing was cut to size while the body was 'naked' as it was easier to offer up pieces of thickish material with the openings clear of etch. Cab side, front and back panels were attached with Evostik so as to allow a degree of positioning. My experience with (so-called) superglue didn't fill me with the confidence to use it here so Evostik it was. Buffer beams are etched in 2 layers, I used the top layer without the NEM pocket 'slots' as I use 3-links. I used my RSU to solder them together. Prior to actual attaching to the body I decided to fix the front hook in place on the beam since immediately behind its position on the beam there is a large 'box' moulded. I marked the hole through the beam and drilled a large(ish) hole to clear the 'tongue' of the hook. The rear hook had a slot filed into the moulding behind the beam to clear the tongue. Again using Evostik, the buffer beams were attached them to the body and, as the rear beams do not have a lot of 'meat' to stick them to, I added a couple of 60 x 60 thou plastic fillets between the rear of the beam and the footplate. The bonnet side panels were next and I fitted the door handles in place while they were still on the main etch. However, looking at photos it would appear that 0.33mm (or at worst 0.45mm) should be used for fidelity - the holes are etched at 0.60mm. I therefore resorted to using this diameter of wire, the handles being soldered in position from the rear, the solder being filed down to clear the top edge of the openings in the bonnet side so the panels could fit flush. Evostik again being used for attachment. For the front grill (a choice of 2, I used the one with the half etched bolt heads, pushing them out from the rear with a gramophone needle) I cut a small piece of 20thou black plasticard to the exact size of the bottom 1/6th (approx!) of the moulded grill aperture and stuck this to the back of the etched grill so that it would locate squarely in place. There is no method of location provided as Ruston pointed out in his build. Cab steps were solderd up and a section of brass 'L' angle soldered to the top rear to reinforce the attachment to the body. Araldite was used here for strength as steps can be vulnerable in use.. The top panel of the bonnet was lined with 10thou plasticard to raise it slightly, the plastic being cut back along the sides to create a gap. Thanks to a photo provided by Ruston I was able to fabricate an approximation of some of the assorted 'fittings' on the bonnet top, most of which I have no idea what they are!. The exhaust is a section of small bore brass tube drilled out at the top. This is how the body looks currently - The cab roof (as yet not attached) is 30thou plasticard with ventilators, rain strips and lifting 'handle' (end of Smiths' coupling hook) fitted. And I haven't mentioned handrail knobs yet have I? The ones provided are MASSIVE compared to photos, even Gibson ones seem to large - and they should be different lengths depending on where they are situated on the body. More thought needed here! As the loco is being built for P4, the chassis is a 'scratch' built one using side frames milled for me by Ruston. I had to use some folded etch spacers as the ones Ruston made were slightly to narrow ( a miscalculation on both our parts) meaning that the slots milled to accept them are redundant. I have resorted to fitting some lengths of 10thou plastic to cover them which I'm sure won't be to obvious when all is painted and weathered. Gear box is a High Level Roadrunner Plus originally purchased for my Gordon Ashton Peckett chassis and wheels are Gibson 3' 3.5" ones. Driven axle is fixed (but removable) and the other is centrally pivoted, resting on a steel 10BA screw through a spacer above. The pickup 'plate' doubles as a keeper plate for the compensated axle which moves in some axle boxes and hornguides I found in my 'stash'. The motor rests in a 'cradle' formed from a section of brass tube and a spare EM width spacer from a High Level Pannier Tank chassis kit (both from my box of brass bits that 'will come in useful one day' - and they have!), the radii of the two being an exact match along with the between frame width for the spacer. The motor is mounted on a small piece of sticky back rubber foam sheet to cushion it in the cradle and will be held in place with a twist of soft wire. The rear shaft has been shortened to make insertion of the chassis into the body easier. Now to fit the wheels, attach the brakes, pickups, cab fittings....................

Did anyone catch the Blue Pullman film shown yesterday lunchtime on Talking Pictures? I recorded it and watched it later. A bit of a strange one with no dialogue or commentary but it showed the testing and test runs along with the first 'proper' run from Manchester to St Pancras down the old Midland mainline. Some nice cab and aerial shots with the odd steam freight train (8F, WD, standard 4, 9F) - and a 'typical' selection of mid-60's 'Pullman Class' passengers!

Well, it that's right then Braynerts Sidings will be spending another few months in the loft!

Thanks for such a prompt response Chris. Hope it all works out OK. Will you be at Expo EM North in September? I'm presuming it is still on but I haven't heard from anyone for a while.

Any news? Getting to need some 'stuff' to finish projects - as I guess a lot of people are. Hope you're OK Chris.

Lovely Sam, I look forward to seeing it. Soon??

I thought you said you used gel superglue to attach the etchings on the Ruston 165?

A brass/nickel silver loco kit chassis is conductive as are most proprietary ones.

It's what I've used David. Good old Evostik. Can't get used to 'superglue' for larger jobs, no time for adjustments in my experience. However, I've not tried the 'gel' variety yet. Does it take longer to 'set'? Has anyone else started/finished a build of this kit yet? This is my first 3D printed model and, I'm sorry to say, may well be my last. To much faffing around cleaning up the 'layers' and scraping off white 'dust'. Much prefer a soldering iron and etches.

My Airfix ones are in glass bottles. For some reason a couple are still unopened (I think!) and must be well over 60 years old. EDIT - just realised that they're unopened 'cos they're funny colours - like LNER Blue and LMS Red..........................................

I've got an unused unit complete with element that I removed MANY years ago from a loco, probably a Pannier. Any use to anyone for the price of postage? I may even have the gear and piston somewhere squirreled away in case it became 'useful' for something.

Tin can usage was very common around war time - there was nothing else. J N Maskelyne who edited Model Railway News had a favourite saying -'a coat of paint hides a multitude of tins'.

I did send a copy of the photo to R by R to go with the restoration of the loco but not been there (yet!) to see her in the 'flesh'.

Here he/she/it is working for H Arnold somewhere in the Leeds area. One of my 'Leeds Industrials' collection.

Another bump as I've started mine - and have more questions than answers! So much conflicting photographic evidence and differences between variants. My Braynerts brain hurts!

You mean the 08 is flatter? The only drawings I have immediately to hand are those in the BR Fleet Survey No. 7 and they're quite small.

I didn't know that! But it's the later 15101 - 7 that I was considering. A possible conversion from a commercial 08 but involving some major(ish) work. One to contemplate for some time I reckon!

A bit of additional railway interest is that, in the third photo, the long black building in the distance is (I'm pretty sure) Charles Roberts wagon builders. Interesting shots, I never saw it like that.

I've just 'discovered' the GWR versions and rather fancy one, especially with the GWR style lettering etc.. The body is rather different to the 'standard' 08 as it doesn't have all the footplate mounted boxes. The wheels are 4' diameter, no marker lights at front or on cab back (normal GWR style lamp brackets) and they need a cast (etched) numberplate. Has anyone built one? I have an already built Kitmaster body that I was considering 'adapting' but I think the work involved will be a bit 'heavy'. Also, to be OK for P4, the outside frames are to close together and need thinning and the 4' wheels need to be taken into account relative to buffer height. The position of the cab door is to far forward leaving (I think) insufficient width for a cast number plate. It's very tight for a standard 5-digit BR one. Perhaps another Pannier might be a simpler exercise...............................

The 'Made in Britain' series shows a selection of British manufacturers across all industries and this week they showed DJH building 0 Gauge locos . All done quite seriously without any hint of 'playing trains' - even when they showed Neil Corner's lovely 0 gauge layout. Worth a look as and when it is repeated.

Yes, getting a 10 bob note for your birthday was good. Getting a funny shaped coin not so.

TBH, it wasn't until I posted the photo that I realised they are N Gauge ones! I well remember 'Decimal Day'! We were a relatively newly married couple and our weekly shop at the local KwikSave supermarket increased in cost - for exactly the same things we bought nearly every week - by an appreciable amount. Didn't help our weekly budgeting at all. Items were always rounded up to the nearest 'new pence' conversion.

While rooting through my 'collection' of transfers for some BR 'Unicycling Lion' ones I found a folder of GF Transfers. These appear to be a 'rub-down' type and are for pre-nationalisation wagons and made by Letraset. I can't recollect having ever used any of them and neither can I remember how I came to have them. Going by the pre-decimal price tag and the Blue and Yellow packaging I suppose they date from the late 60's? Are they particularly rare - or very common?

I've never had any luck with the AG outside cranks, all the ones I've used have split. My thought is that on a wheel, the tyre provides an amount of 'compression' through the spokes when pressing the wheel onto the axles but outside cranks don't have this so they tend to split. I generally make my own from 1/16" brass, drilled on the lathe for axle and crankpin holes and filed to shape to suit the loco.