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Mikemeg's Workbench - Building locos of the North Eastern & LNER


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LONDON ROAD MODELS LNER G5's

 

The first of the backheads has been painted, rusted and detailed with Arthur's brass castings. A masking sheet of paper was made and placed over the loco superstructure to allow the cab interior, but only the cab interior, to be primed prior to painting this interior. The backhead is then just stood in position to check that it lies flush with the cab front, which it does. I have left off the Dreadnought valve as it will be virtually invisible from outside the cab.

 

I have to admit that progress has temporarily slowed, just a little, due to The World Cup and also due to Messrs Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, etc.

 

Now, does anyone know what colour tank locomotive cab interiors were painted in early British Railways days i.e. 1948 - 1950, particularly by Darlington Works? Obviously whatever colour was applied, at the time of a repaint, would very quickly dirty with the coal dust, soot and smoke but I can't believe that these cab interiors would have been painted all black.

 

Any information much appreciated.

 

Cheers

 

Mike

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Mike,

The "official" BR paint scheme for cab interiors was indeed black. Whether this was done in practice is another matter and I have no specific knowledge of Darlington works in this regard. LMS locos had been painted a sort of ivory colour on the upper parts and cab roof but, as you rightly say, that would soon have become discoloured and covered with soot and coal dust and probably soon looked black. Don't know about LNER stuff.

In the colour photos in the BR liveries book, all the tank locos look very dark inside the cab but the inside is in the shade, generally, so that might not be conclusive.

For what it's worth, the inside of the cabs on my models are painted black and weathered.

Dave.

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Mike,

The "official" BR paint scheme for cab interiors was indeed black. Whether this was done in practice is another matter and I have no specific knowledge of Darlington works in this regard. LMS locos had been painted a sort of ivory colour on the upper parts and cab roof but, as you rightly say, that would soon have become discoloured and covered with soot and coal dust and probably soon looked black. Don't know about LNER stuff.

In the colour photos in the BR liveries book, all the tank locos look very dark inside the cab but the inside is in the shade, generally, so that might not be conclusive.

For what it's worth, the inside of the cabs on my models are painted black and weathered.

Dave.

 

Dave,

 

Many thanks for the reply. I think black and weathered will be the way I go too.

 

Cheers

 

MIke

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LONDON ROAD MODELS LNER G5's

 

After a weekend spent photographing things moving at up to 700 mph, then its back to things not moving at all.

 

The first of the six under valance piping runs (two per loco) has been bent up and detailed and is now ready to be fixed under the right hand valance. The fixing brackets are made from tiny pieces of n/silver boiler band bent around the pipe; the unions are simply strips of paper glued around the 0.6 mm brass rod which forms the pipe. The kink in the pipe was to allow the pipe to travel around the sandbox as per the prototype.

 

Cheers

 

Mike

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Right off topic, I know, but many postings ago I posted a photo of a model of a Lancaster. Well, here's another photo of a Lancaster but this one isn't a model.

 

The line up, in the second photo, was three Spitfires, two Hurricanes, a C47 Dakota and the Lancaster. Every one over seventy years old.

 

And the third photo, well perhaps the most beautiful aeroplane ever made; certainly one of the most beautiful?

 

And photos four and five; two of the quickest, most agile, awesome and definitely noisiest - earth shatteringly noisy in the case of the Sukhoi SU27 - aircraft there.

 

The photos were taken with a Canon EOS 1100D with a telephoto lens and with a shutter speed of 1/1000 th of a second, hence the propellers are 'stopped'.

 

The Typhoon was travelling just below the speed of sound; around 1,000 feet/second; the Sukhoi SU27 was also moving pretty quickly.

 

The event was the Royal International Air Tattoo, held at RAF Fairford July 13 - 15.

 

Cheers

 

Mike

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LONDON ROAD MODELS LNER G5's

 

So after my 'blatant excursion' off topic, then it's back to the G5's.The superstructure detailing on build #3 is now almost complete (except for the p&p equipment); the backhead has been added and the bunker interior has been 'profiled' with pieces of rolled up tissue paper soaked in Araldite, which sets hard after around two hours. This allows the profile of the bunker coal load - in this case quite depleted - to be established prior to actually adding the real coal pieces.

 

The bunker interior and the cab rear will have to be primed and painted before the bunker cage is added and the cage, itself, will need to be primed and painted, at least on the underside, before it is fixed.

 

Was it worth fabricating new, detailed backheads; I think so?

 

As ever, the digital camera shows up an error; a lamp iron slightly out of true - now sorted!

 

So, a last photo of build #3 - 67340, the extended tank example - in its natural brass state before it is subsumed in a coat of grey primer.

 

Needless to say, with the combination of the very hot weather, and the lure of the beach and the sea, here in Scarborough, then progress has slowed just a bit.

 

Anyway, a slightly modified LRM G5 kit, to produce the model of a 'one off'! I guess there is quite a bit of scratch building/modifications on all of these G5's but especially this one. Nonetheless, very enjoyable!

 

Edit :- Perhaps two photos!!

 

Cheers

 

Mike

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LONDON ROAD MODELS LNER G5's

 

For various reasons I decided to try and make the electrical connectors which stand at the front and rear of push and pull fitted locos. These could be, potentially, much less thick than the white metal ones which are supplied in the detailing kits. Now this assembly is only just over 5 mm high with a triangular stiffener on the back approximately 4 mm high and, at its base, around 1.75  mm deep.

 

Anyway, this is the prototype, so far, after about ten minutes work. The bottom edge of the triangular stiffener needs tidying up and then the circular electrical contact needs forming and fitting to the semi-circular shaped top. The material is unused/scrap brass strip cut from the etched sheets; 1.6 mm and 2 mm wide and .012" thickness.

 

Cheers

 

Mike

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LONDON ROAD MODELS LNER G5's

 

So, can these electrical connectors be made? Yes, they can be made!! Now just the circular contact to make and add. Then seven more of these to do. I think I've worked out how the rest of the push and pull control equipment can be made, relatively easily.

 

Not too easy to photograph these; the camera struggles to focus. This is focussed on the blu-tac blob. I'll probably need to have an eye test after these are all done!!

 

Cheers

 

Mike

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NORTH EASTERN KITS D20

 

While waiting for the paper packing, in the bunkers of G5 builds #1 and #2 to set, I had a hunt around the 'to finish' line of models in the workroom. There are three but the one which has been there the longest is this. A D20 being built from one of Arthur's production kits and now awaiting its final detailing. So a couple of hours to fabricate and add the sandbox lids on the footplate, position the handrail stanchions, both sides, and the blow down valve and then form the one piece handrail. Well actually the handrail is in two pieces; one piece all straight from the left hand side of the cab front to the blow down valve on the smokebox, hidden on the photo below. The other piece from the right hand side of the cab front to smokebox and then carrying the curves around the smokebox front and back to the blowdown valve on the smokebox side. Only this second piece is visible on the photo.

 

I always make these one piece handrails deliberately too long so that the two sides can be checked for parallel, particularly as the left side (viewing from the cab forward) is truncated at the blow down valve on the smokebox , so can easily not sit straight once it is cut to size. The process then is to gradually shorten each side until the left side sits properly in the one stanchion on the left side of the smokebox and the right hand side protrudes into the cab, through a hole etched in the cab front, by around 1 mm.

 

The front top handrail stanchion has to be fitted with the smokebox top lamp iron fixed to it so that this lamp iron and the handrail front are fixed at the same time. This has to be assembled and then threaded onto this handrail section the correct way up (and checked for alignment and fit) before the final fixing of the handrail!

 

Then the vacuum pipe and Westinghouse piping can be formed and fitted and the final details added.

 

The angle iron, between the cab and firebox top and between the boiler and the splashers is 0.8 mm brass angle using three pieces, one piece is formed into a semi circle to surround the firebox using exactly the same process as I use for the curved lattices on the signals. The other two piees are curved and formed to meet the piece over the firebox as shown on the photo.

 

The bolts on the mainframe extensions, against the smokebox, are tiny pieces of 0.5 mm wire let into holes drilled in the frames and then all dressed off flush at the rear and to around .020" protrusion from the frames, on their outsides. I do this on all locos which have this line of bolts; looks much more realistic than simply punching them out or using cast or etched representations.

 

The chassis for this loco is complete so once the superstructure detailing is done then it can be primed and painted.

 

This D20 will be 62396, as it appeared around mid 1950, so the early BR totem on the tender. This loco was allocated to Hull Botanic Gardens shed at this time where it remained until transferred to Alnmouth just prior to withdrawal in 1957.

 

There's a few 62396's being built / been built on here!!

 

Note :- My tyepin is gatting wers and wours so I'll heave to stert yousin the spoll chucker!!

 

Cheers

 

Mike

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That's a great photo of 62396, and gives me some pointers to improving my DJH version. Can you confirm the location of the whistle by the mid-late 50's? 

 

Excellent work, as always.

 

John

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Mike,

 

Is the inside motion part of the kit or a scratch built item? You probably told us before but I’ve forgotten. :-(

 

Cheers,

 

David

 

David,

 

The slide bars are part of the kit, as is the motion plate. The very prominent oil pots, on the tops of the slide bars were scratch built as were the cross heads and con rods. There is so much daylight under the D20 boiler that it does need something to fill that void.

 

Cheers

 

Mike

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That's a great photo of 62396, and gives me some pointers to improving my DJH version. Can you confirm the location of the whistle by the mid-late 50's? 

 

Excellent work, as always.

 

John

 

John,

 

All of my photos of models are taken on an old Olympus Camedia D-395 compact digital camera (nearly fifteen years old), which produces relatively small digital images, in terms of data storage; normally less than 1 mb. Whereas the Canon SLR image would be > 10 mb. Normally, having rendered the image onto my laptop, I use a photo editor to crop and/or rotate 1 or 2 degrees (where necessary) the image and then enhance the colour contrast to highlight the subject. Sounds a lot of work but the entire editing process rarely takes longer than 20 - 30 seconds and does produce a much better image.

 

The aircraft photos, shown earlier, were also heavily photo edited, though you can't add or change what isn't there on any image.

 

Many of the black and white photos, which Mick Nicholson posts or supplies, have been subjected to several hours of work by Mick, with a photo editor, both to remove foxing, muck, etc. and to sharpen the image. The difference between the originals and Mick's final edited copy can be staggering.

 

The whistle, on the D20's, was, latterly, located between the rear Ross pop safety valve and the cab front, on the boiler top centre line.

 

Cheers

 

Mike

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NORTH EASTERN KITS LNER D20

 

Having interrupted the G5 detailing, to do a few things to the second D20, then it seems sensible to complete the detailing of this to the point were it can be primed, ready for painting. So the boiler handrails are now fitted, pipe runs are made and are, here, checked on the loco superstructure, prior to final fixing - the digital camera is again the arbiter of horizontal and parallel. The unions on the vacuum pipe, against the smokebox, still have to be added, along with the mechanical lubricator, whistle and the cab handrails; on the chassis, the reversing rod and weighshaft and the final brake linkage and cylinders.

 

Once those are added then a coat of grey primer can be applied - at long last!

 

Just as the bolts on the smokebox are represented by pieces of 0.5 mm brass wire, so the lines of bolts on the front of the mainframes, between the bogie wheels, are similarly represented.The bogie wheels on this and the other D20 build are Alan Gibson 3' 11" 12 spoke; the prototypes had 4' 0" 12 spoke. In P4, and perhaps EM, these 3' 11" wheels will work without the flanges shorting on the underside of the footplate. For OO with its deeper flanges, then 3' 9" diameter bogie wheels may need to be fitted.

 

I can see a 'batch' of North Eastern tenders needing to be made; one for this and one for the J25, both of which kits I have but they're in the not yet started pile!

 

I know there are some white metal kits, out there, for this prototype - some pretty good; some not so good - but, for me, Arthur's D20 etched brass and nickel silver kit takes the biscuit. Really does capture the essence of the D20's!

 

Cheers

 

Mike

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NORTH EASTERN KITS LNER D20

 

Having interrupted the G5 detailing, to do a few things to the second D20, then it seems sensible to complete the detailing of this to the point were it can be primed, ready for painting. So the boiler handrails are now fitted, pipe runs are made and are, here, checked on the loco superstructure, prior to final fixing - the digital camera is again the arbiter of horizontal and parallel. The unions on the vacuum pipe, against the smokebox, still have to be added, along with the mechanical lubricator, whistle and the cab handrails; on the chassis, the reversing rod and weighshaft and the final brake linkage and cylinders.

 

Once those are added then a coat of grey primer can be applied - at long last!

 

Just as the bolts on the smokebox are represented by pieces of 0.5 mm brass wire, so the lines of bolts on the front of the mainframes, between the bogie wheels, are similarly represented.The bogie wheels on this and the other D20 build are Alan Gibson 3' 11" 12 spoke; the prototypes had 4' 0" 12 spoke. In P4, and perhaps EM, these 3' 11" wheels will work without the flanges shorting on the underside of the footplate. For OO with its deeper flanges, then 3' 9" diameter bogie wheels may need to be fitted.

 

I can see a 'batch' of North Eastern tenders needing to be made; one for this and one for the J25, both of which kits I have but they're in the not yet started pile!

 

I know there are some white metal kits, out there, for this prototype - some pretty good; some not so good - but, for me, Arthur's D20 etched brass and nickel silver kit takes the biscuit. Really does capture the essence of the D20's!

 

Cheers

 

Mike

That is a work of art - almost a shame to put paint on it!
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That is a work of art - almost a shame to put paint on it!

 

Forgive my lateness in thanking you and replying but I have been away in Devon for a week and completely out of contact with the Internet.

 

The kit is lovely and was a joy to build as all of Arthur's kits are and have been. This kit does require some care, especially around the splashers but it does build into the best 4mm representation of these very handsome locos, that I've ever seen.

 

Once again, many thanks.

 

Cheers

 

Mike

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NORTH EASTERN KITS LNER D20

 

In another interval, while details set on the three G5's, then I managed to assemble the basic shell of the 3940 gallon tender for the D20. So, a quick check to ascertain whether the ride height is correct before moving on with more detailing on the G5's.

 

62396 is coming together.

 

Cheers

 

Mike

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LONDON ROAD MODELS LNER G5's

 

So after my 'blatant excursion' off topic, then it's back to the G5's.The superstructure detailing on build #3 is now almost complete (except for the p&p equipment); the backhead has been added and the bunker interior has been 'profiled' with pieces of rolled up tissue paper soaked in Araldite, which sets hard after around two hours. This allows the profile of the bunker coal load - in this case quite depleted - to be established prior to actually adding the real coal pieces.

 

The bunker interior and the cab rear will have to be primed and painted before the bunker cage is added and the cage, itself, will need to be primed and painted, at least on the underside, before it is fixed.

 

Was it worth fabricating new, detailed backheads; I think so?

 

As ever, the digital camera shows up an error; a lamp iron slightly out of true - now sorted!

 

So, a last photo of build #3 - 67340, the extended tank example - in its natural brass state before it is subsumed in a coat of grey primer.

 

Needless to say, with the combination of the very hot weather, and the lure of the beach and the sea, here in Scarborough, then progress has slowed just a bit.

 

Anyway, a slightly modified LRM G5 kit, to produce the model of a 'one off'! I guess there is quite a bit of scratch building/modifications on all of these G5's but especially this one. Nonetheless, very enjoyable!

 

Edit :- Perhaps two photos!!

 

Cheers

 

Mike

 

Mike - I've just discovered 3 photos of this loco on The Avenue Branch from Monkseaton to Blyth in 1957. Now I'm sorely tempted to have a go at tis unusual prototype myself. Please keep on inspiring..

 

John

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Mike - I've just discovered 3 photos of this loco on The Avenue Branch from Monkseaton to Blyth in 1957. Now I'm sorely tempted to have a go at tis unusual prototype myself. Please keep on inspiring..

 

John

 

John,

 

I do have photos of this loco which were not taken at Hull, which were supplied by Mick Nicholson, so we did wonder where it went after leaving Hull Botanic Gardens shed.

 

Many thanks for the info.

 

Will you use a white metal or an etched kit as the basis if you do go ahead with this?

 

Cheers

 

Mike

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John,

 

I do have photos of this loco which were not taken at Hull, which were supplied by Mick Nicholson, so we did wonder where it went after leaving Hull Botanic Gardens shed.

 

 

Many thanks for the info.

 

Cheers

 

Mike

Yes, that photo is at North Blyth to where it was transferred in Dec 1954 and spent its last 4 years. I don't imagine the extended tanks were needed on the duties from there..trips to Newcastle and back would be the longest turns, unless it was loaned out for runs into the wilds of Northumberland.

 

John

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NORTH EASTERN KITS LNER D20

 

The remaining parts of the tender superstructure have now been assembled, leaving the tender sub frame, wheels, brakes and the the tender detailing to be done. Another digital photo to check that everything lines up.

 

In the course of building a loco I can easily take thirty or forty 'checking' photos; they are invaluable for providing an 'unbiased' eye showing up anything which is not correct.

 

The mechanical lubricator situated on the footplate, just above the rear bogie wheel, is one of Arthur's lost wax brass castings. I've also used this casting (x 3) on the LRM B16/1 in place of the castings supplied.

 

The cab roof is still not fixed and will not be until the cab and backhead detailing is done.

 

The vacuum pipe is formed from 0.8 mm brass rod; the pipe from the smokebox to the Westinghouse pump is formed from 0.6 mm brass rod.

 

Looks like a D20 (or perhaps two) now! There was something about these Victorian locomotive designs; they were just lovely.

 

As an aside, there is a thread, on here, 'What have you done with your Keyser kit?'. I won't post a reply on that thread but the only Keyser kit I have ever had (and it wasn't good) I cut up as ballast weight for the etched kits, as I did with a DJH kit also. That said, at the time of their introduction, they were ground breaking.

 

Also, reading the TMC thread (the G5 introduction) there seems to be some enthusiasm, nay even clamour, for 'OO' r-t-r B16/1 and D20 models. I can understand that. Both classes were long lived and they 'got about a bit', especially the B16's. But I'll still build the kits!!

 

Cheers

 

Mike

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LONDON ROAD MODELS LNER G5's

 

The supports for the electrical contacts, front and rear of the push and pull fitted locos, were made reasonably easily from brass strip shaped and then soldered together. Then comes the issue of the circular contacts at the top of these supports. After a little deliberation and some abortive attempts, I hit on the idea of using some of Arthur's 1 mm diameter nickel silver washers. So there are three of these washers glued one on top of another.

 

This whole assembly is just over 5 mm high and 1.5 mm wide, so not easy to photograph; even less easy to make. The blob of blu-tac is just to allow it to stand for its picture to be taken! Anyway, I've made all eight of these for the two push and pull fitted G5's. Now to make the appointment for an eye test and new specs!

 

Cheers

 

Mike

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Mike,

I'm sure it's worth the eye test. Fortunately, for me, the ex-LMS and BR Standard electrical connections are more easily represented, but still fiddly enough.

Nice to see further progress with your tri of G5's.

Dave.

 

Dave,

 

Thanks for the encouragement.

 

Whenever I get 'mired' in a long detailing phase, where everything is tiny (micro), I often counterbalance that with some superstructure work on another model (macro), just to be able to see some measureable progress.

 

So the G5's will be progressed to completion, as will the D20's, through the building of their 3940 gallon tenders and their final detailing.

 

The counterbalance to these activities will probably be the initial phases of building another B16/1 and starting the build of an ex-GC B4 4-6-0 - 61482 - 'Immingham'.

 

So, perhaps another thread - 'Building locos of the Great Central' ere long!

 

Cheers

 

Mike

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