Jump to content
 

Building kits for Tyneside in the BR era.


rowanj
 Share

Recommended Posts

Got a really helpful e.mail from Railtec about NCB transfers. I need to check the photo of 46 to see if anything else would be useful.

 

Hi John, hopefully I should be able to come up with something. Looking

at what you need more holistically, is it literally just the numbers

you need and absolutely nothing else, or other bits besides?

 

Any suggestions?

 

This is the NCB sheet as things stand

 

image.png.95af961fd6540f291bf4be5e02ce5859.png

Edited by rowanj
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium
1 hour ago, rowanj said:

Got a really helpful e.mail from Railtec about NCB transfers.

Yeah, so did I nearly 4 years ago...

 

Strictly, a transfer pack for this loco needs: 

 

  • Numbers (missing digits) 
  • A "C" (in NCB) in a different font: Railtec's has a curved back, whereas the Derwenthaugh locos seem to have a "C" with a straight back, but this might be being too finicky...  
  • "No. 6 area" in yellow shaded red.

I have the existing pack somewhere; not sure if the transfers even fit the tank side, size-wise. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Daddyman said:

Yeah, so did I nearly 4 years ago...

 

Strictly, a transfer pack for this loco needs: 

 

  • Numbers (missing digits) 
  • A "C" (in NCB) in a different font: Railtec's has a curved back, whereas the Derwenthaugh locos seem to have a "C" with a straight back, but this might be being too finicky...  
  • "No. 6 area" in yellow shaded red.

I have the existing pack somewhere; not sure if the transfers even fit the tank side, size-wise. 

We will have to see what happens, David. how did you eventually finish your version?

 

The chassis has gone into the paintshop, The brake arrangements look suitably "busy" though I doubt they would actually stop the loco. Mike suggests the springs are fitted to the chassis, though I'm not clear why. In any case , for now I have tack soldered one side to the inner edge of the loco footplate, and they don't foul either the wheels or the motor/gearbox, nor effect the ride height. Easy enough to change if there is a problem.

 

Edit - With the springs soldered to the body, if they touch the flanges of the driving wheels where they cross the splashers and cause a short. How do I know that???

 

One other mod will be the position of the handrail on the cab rear. On the kit, this is designed to fit below the half etch which is filled with 30SWG wire, whereas all the photos of the Derwenthaugh locos I have show it above. given all the other compromises I am making, this might seem a small point, but it is an easy mod, and we all have our foibles.

Edited by rowanj
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium
1 hour ago, rowanj said:

We will have to see what happens, David. how did you eventually finish your version?

 

The chassis has gone into the paintshop, The brake arrangements look suitably "busy" though I doubt they would actually stop the loco. Mike suggests the springs are fitted to the chassis, though I'm not clear why. In any case , for now I have tack soldered one side to the inner edge of the loco footplate, and they don't foul either the wheels or the motor/gearbox, nor effect the ride height. Easy enough to change if there is a problem.

 

One other mod will be the position of the handrail on the cab rear. On the kit, this is designed to fit below the half etch which is filled with 30SWG wire, whereas all the photos of the Derwenthaugh locos I have show it above. given all the other compromises I am making, this might seem a small point, but it is an easy mod, and we all have our foibles.

I haven't finished it yet, John - partly lack of transfers, partly making patterns for the sandbox covers and tank fillers, but mostly because I haven't found a suitable replacement for the dome supplied in the kit: I need to see if any of my friends in high places can turn me one in a lathe. 

 

But you've inspired me to get back to it. 

 

Good spot on the handrail - I hadn't noticed that.   

Link to post
Share on other sites

I have been taking my time on the kit, bot have now got a running chassis, and the main superstructure of the body completed. There is still a fair bit of detailing to do, and I am struggling to find a good top-down photo to show the runs of the sanding rods down the top of both tank sides. I filled the sand boxes ahead of the cab, using scrap etch, and represented the filler with , I think, a Markits washout plug out of the spares box. i'll fit an operating lever in due course.

The chimney, dome and cab roof are just posed for the photo. Some locos had a distinctive bend in the roof at the cab sides, but my photo of 46 is inconclusive. Another photo shows a sliding ventilator on the roof of one of the class, so this needs to be fabricated. I fitted a tank balance weight on the LH side, and will repeat on the other - I used 7mm rod.

Steve at Railtec has produced a customisable sheet for NCB locos, and I have one on order, so will see how it looks. I'm not quite sure if we have got the height right of the cab numbers. I am more or less resolved to use LNER Green for the livery, but am finding the colour of the lining a bit unclear - is it Brown? Black? Dark Orange?

This is the link to the transfers

https://www.railtec-models.com/showitem.php?id=4371

IMG_20210308_203532.jpg

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

I'd always thought the lining was black on 42, but it looks red on the picture of 46 a couple of posts ago. 

 

Route of the sanding rods: 

 

20170903_111806.jpg.ba110fa1d1a19063b86da1b4a6b6ad02.jpg20170903_113335.jpg.90a0997f6939a6bef76e4308c0f48f86.jpg20170903_113340.jpg.1f22d32c87af6951b5991034b75ceb2a.jpg20170903_113346.jpg.6c8d3f0b50a8c71c8b6e2220e6aa43f3.jpg

Note the kink here: 

20170903_113403.jpg.3fd66b80fad4d26430d7d490041e6f1b.jpg

In this last picture the sanding rod is the one furthest from the camera; the nearer one goes to the injector. 

20170903_113406.jpg.13a98b280c1687cac2e9acc1ad7d512d.jpg

  • Informative/Useful 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

The pictures from Daddyman reinforce the presence of the injectors on each of the tank ends at the cab / Unfortunately , they aren't in the kit and there are no suppliers as far as I can tell. I decided it would be better to have a representation of them rather than have none at all, so this is my first attempt, using a casting from the spares box. I'm not wholly convinced, and will spend a bit of time filing and shaping. Does anyone know of a source of anything more suitable? I did try ArthurK and had a look at the Gibson Catalogue, but nothing doing.

IMG_20210311_203912.jpg

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

No, John, you have to scratchbuild - as you do with the sandboxes, sandbox lids, washout plugs, tank fillers and dome.... 

 

The little wheel came off one of the Mainly Trains etches.   

 

I wonder if the Hornby J52 (readily available second hand) would offer the basis of suitable injectors? 

20170827_111705.jpg.09564523fbd730e914ae107fafab4b80.jpg

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Lovely work, David. Is there an injector on both sides of tank or only on the RH?

 

I took these photos for another thread, but thought I may as well put them on here too. The loco is on the layout test, and I am really pleased with how it runs - Highlevel RR+ and one of Chris' Cam motors. No 46 had a really odd chimney - it almost looks as though it was cut and a new top grafted on it, so I had a go using a whitemetal one from the spares box. 

IMG_20210313_112219.jpg

IMG_20210313_112408.jpg

  • Like 5
  • Craftsmanship/clever 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Progress to date. The photos are pretty cruel, but there isn't anything I cant tidy up. I'm more or less at the detailing stage now, with steps, lamp irons washout plugs and whistle amongst parts to be fitted. Mike supplies resin castings for the front sandboxes, but my loco, like most at Derwenthaugh, had taller ones, I still need to work out what to do about the boiler fittings. I'll fit dummy couplings, and hope that, once painted, the bar which will be the actual coupling wont be too obtrusive. i'm reasonably happy with the chimney, which was a casting in the spares box, and looks like the one-off fitted to 46, which I suspect was cut off and anew top welded on at some point.

IMG_20210315_085826.jpg

IMG_20210315_085838.jpg

  • Like 8
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

The Kitson in action. I still need to fit dummy couplings, glazing, crew and transfers. The injectors will be replaced if and when better alternatives surface. I'll take a final shot when the transfers are fitted and some weathering done.

 

The kit is just what I like at this stage of my modelling. The design is excellent, all parts fit well, and getting the chassis to run without cursing and swearing is easy. It also involves some research and problem solving, as some parts are not supplied - notably the injectors, which nobody seems to make, so some adaptation is needed of what is around to get a representation. No two locos looked the same by the end , and probably were altered several times. In my case, I needed to scratch-build the front steps, the tank balance pipes, and the cab ventilator. The sandboxes were taller than those supplied, so they too were scratch -built, using only the top and bottom from Mike's resin casting.  I have also had the pleasure of making contact with Steve at Railtec to obtain appropriate transfers for number 46.

IMG_20210326_082054.jpg

IMG_20210326_081734.jpg

Edited by rowanj
  • Like 10
Link to post
Share on other sites

Railtec  transfers added - thanks, Steve-superb service. I finished up using Railmatch LNER Green, which is a touch darker than ideal. Latterly, these locos has wasp stripes on the rear and the sandboxes, and didnt carry a number on the front and rear buffers, as far as I can tell. But I chickened out of that, as I have a photo of 48 in green livery on the boxes, so went for the easy option. The only other mod was to the chimney supplied my Mike- No 46 had no lip and seems to have a less pronounced base, so I made as much of an adjustment as I dared to the resin casting, after having been unhappy with an earlier attempt at a whitemetal version.

The works plates are very prominent in photos, so I added mine using something from the scrap etch box - the kit really deserves a genuine plate, and will get one at some point. 

IMG_20210328_120257.jpg

IMG_20210328_120314.jpg

IMG_20210328_120349.jpg

Edited by rowanj
  • Like 8
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

The Kitson in action with a short rake of  NCB internal user wagons. I have a couple more Slaters wagon kits to complete the train, and it will look really colourful, albeit unprototypical for Little Benton, with the red-liveried Northumberland Coalfield wagons behind the green loco. 

IMG_20210408_164213.jpg

IMG_20210408_164248.jpg

IMG_20210408_164616_burst_01.jpg

  • Like 11
Link to post
Share on other sites

I had to do some minor amendments to this pair - the LRM N9 needed an axle screw tightening and the Kitson needed adjustment to a couple of pick-ups" . Having sorted that out and stuck them on the track, I thought they looked not entirely unsatisfactory together, so took a quick photo before they went back into the loft.

IMG_20210414_095912.jpg

Edited by rowanj
  • Like 11
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

I posted this on my layout thread, so thought I may a well show it here as well, as I illustrated the build of many of the locos. No nominations for an Academy Award necessary. I'm actually doing another 3 videos for my own amusement - a second one of locos appropriate to my layout, another of my diesel stock, and a final one of "strangers"- a sort of locospotters delight.

On video No 1.

1-North Eastern Kits J77 on a short ballast train.

2-DJH A2 on SEF chassis 60535 Hornets Beauty on Edinburgh- Newcastle semi-fast

3-Mike Trice V2 60835 -light engine

4-GBL /Bachmann J39 64838.

5-DJH A8 69853 on a Morpeth-Newcastle

6-Bachmann B1 61322

7-LRM J25 65697 collects meat and fish empties

8-LRM N9 69424 runs light to Blyth.

9-Mainline/Mainly Trains J71 68264 takes the meat and fish to Morpeth

10-PDK B16/1 61410 on a local 

11-Cut and Shut/ Alexander chassis K4 61996 Lord of The Isles on Blue Spot relief

12-DJH D20 62395 on Alnwick all-stations

13-Hornby/Graeme King A2/2 60503 Lord President on Edinburgh relief

14-Dave Alexander J27 65813 wobbles south on another hopper train

15-Mike Edge Kitson A with my short NCB rake

16-Bachmann WD 90135 leaves with the LOCO Coal rake - Parkside/Colin Ashby kits

17.PDK B16/3 61464 runs kight back to York.

18-D20 62395 on an SLS Special to Rothbury

19- Dave Alexander Q7 63464 on an empty rake of cattle wagons.

 

 

  • Like 4
  • Friendly/supportive 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Long ago, in what seems like a galaxy far far away, I had a not entirely successful go at converting a Hornby A3 to A1/1 Great Northern , using Graeme King's resin castings. The bodywork was pretty ordinary, through no fault of the castings. The idea was to modify the then new Hornby A3.4 China build chassis, with a much modified valve gear. It worked after a fashion, but succumbed to mazak rot, with the motor  consistently coming out of gear. After many tries to fix it, I chucked it in a drawer (literally, as I recall), then dug it out a few years later when I tried to fit it to  a Wills A3 chassis which turned up in an EBay purchase.. Again, I had an issue with the valve gear, but tried a third time a couple of weeks ago, and actually got it running, So, flushed with success, I tidied up the worst of the bodywork, and put it on the layout, where it promptly failed , with the Mashima/Markits motor slipping out of gear.

 

So, this is last chance saloon. I had a set of ancient Comet A3/4 frames and a cylinder block etch, and a set of coupling rods. I also have a Taff Vale motor and my last remaining High Level RR+ gearbox. My pal Brian sent me some great pictures of his version, using Comet V2 valve gear, so a set is on order from Wizard. What could be simpler?

 

The front end and rear of the frames need altering, especially if the body is already built. Brian, I believe, extended the front of the frames, but because I already had resin frames above the leading  bogie, part of Graeme's resin castings, fitted to the loco, I shortened mine. The repositioned cylinder block fits against a convenient point in the frames where a notch must be made to allow the cylinder block to drop in, and the front of the block is where the cut in the frames needs to be made to allow the block to but against the castings. The photos should make this clearer. I also slightly shortened the rear to make a better fit against what was below the cab on the loco. 

IMG_20210525_133132.jpg.33a972f7edec530de74b83d458101c39.jpg

 

IMG_20210525_133208.jpg.b2e0958b32bce806e296f7df3557d4b1.jpg

The frames were assembled using my normal "jig" of 2 Romford screwdrivers. In this case, because of all my mods, it was useful that Comet's spacers are pretty universal, and can be fitted anywhere. I still need to solder the spacer for the leading bogie, Then the rest will be pretty cosmetic until it's time to fit the valve gear.

 

IMG_20210525_133245.jpg.d529dd555fe7d58c24c1aef4cc861464.jpg

 

IMG_20210525_143509.jpg.9b1cf0c80d29d194a28ffd3d198a8aaa.jpg

  • Like 5
Link to post
Share on other sites

These are the 2 locos currently going through the works. 60113 is now ready to get the brakes and valve gear fitted , and this hopefully will be straightforward- I'm using the Comet V2 etch for most of the parts.

 

The J21 is another story. It was built years ago from a Dave Alexander kit, when I was less knowledgeable/capable/fussy and Yeadon's were an unknown factor. It was built as 65033 when serviced and painted at Darlington to work a Special. there is a video on Youtube  from Railway Roundabout of the loco shunting at Newcastle Central. I built the kit without the very prominent outside brake rods, which has jarred in recent years, as well as other detail omissions which Dave  never provided in the kit.

 

Fitting outside brake rods is too difficult at this stage - I'll build an LRM kit at some point- but there were a number of locos with the rods behind the wheels.  This includes 65070, which lost its' vacuum brakes in 1948. It also has no "piano lid" in front of the smokebox, kept NER buffers and towed the later style tender with oval cut-outs on the frames. It also had an extra lamp iron on the loco RH side, and a wobbly pipe down the RH boiler where the vacuum pipe ran, and kept globe lubricators on the smokebox up to withdrawal.

 

It seems to have wandered around, with spells on the GE and GN pre-WW2, before coming home, In the years from 1948 when it was converted to to freight only, it was at Blaydon, Tweedmouth and South Blyth, so fits my location, and will make a reasonably authentic addition to the roster.

IMG_20210531_093124.jpg

IMG_20210531_093130.jpg

  • Like 10
Link to post
Share on other sites

A couple of rather cruel photos show what I did to get a reasonable model of 65070. I still need to fit the sanding rod and globe lubricator on the LH side, then it's into the body/paint shop.

 

The tender has the new frames fitted - I think these came from a J27 kit.

An extra lamp iron has been fitted on the RH loco footplate. Quite why it had one is a mystery - something to do with its' wanderings down South?

I needed to replace the leading pair of steps, from a 52F etch.

The conduit on the boiler is 10 amp fuse wire, and the run matches the photo in Yeadon. It more or less follows where the vacuum pipe used to be, but I don't know its' function. Either way, it adds something distinctive to the kit.

Sanding rod over the leading splasher, from scrap etch.

Remove "piano front" from smokebox, and fit frame extensions and representation of cylinder fronts, all from scrap etch.

Ex NER buffers, which the loco seems to have carried until its' 1960 trip to North Road, and removal of pipe on buffer beam.

A representation of globe lubricators from a lost wax sprue- just a force fit until I can source some better ones.

 

IMG_20210604_094244.jpg

IMG_20210604_094308.jpg

Edited by rowanj
  • Like 10
Link to post
Share on other sites

More or less ready to head off to South Blyth, J21 65070 is now, as a steam-braked loco, consigned to freight duties. I suspect the loco was sub-shedded at Rothbury, from which it would trundle the daily pick-up freight backwards and forwards to and from Morpeth.

IMG_20210605_204425.jpg

IMG_20210605_204444.jpg

  • Like 10
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

I've had a couple of goes at 60113, and my model has been "in works" almost as much as the prototype. This attempt uses a Comet A3/4 chassis, DJH AM9 motor/gearbox and Comet V2  motion. Still needs a bit of tweaking, and the other side's motion is only half complete, but it might actually work. The AM9 in a K3 was sufficient to pull my 8-coach rake, but there is plenty of room in the boiler and, with hindsight, I could have gone for the larger AM10.

There has been a lot of discussion about the value for money of these motors, and with postage, you don-t get much change out of £85. I will probably stick to High Level once Chris gets back into business, but for convenience of fitting and smoothness of operation, these take some beating, And the service from DJH was excellent. Still, I'm glad I dont need 10 of them.

IMG_20210625_163408 (2).jpg

IMG_20210625_163600.jpg

  • Like 9
Link to post
Share on other sites

G'Day Folks

 

85 quid for a motor and gearbox !!!!!! Most of mine run with a $2 Chinese motor, fitted with a Hornby 'blue' worm and held in place with a 'Hot glue gun' and they run really well, quiet, smooth and slow.

 

manna 

  • Like 5
  • Agree 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • rowanj changed the title to Building BR ex-LNER from kits. 60113

Great Northern ready for action. Notwithstanding the price issue, I have to say the DJH motor/gearbox is an outstanding piece of kit, and even the smaller version has plenty power/torque for my 10-coach rake.

At some point. I'll fit a correct dummy coupling and AWS banger plate, but the couplings need to be sourced- I've either run out or lost the pack I thought I had.

IMG_20210628_090726.jpg

IMG_20210628_090838.jpg

  • Like 6
Link to post
Share on other sites

During the first lockdown I got a few kits to keep me going, including this industrial from High Level Models. I've just got round to starting it.  As expected, the quality and fit of the etches is excellent, and there are a LOT of small detail parts to test my soldering and vocabulary. The kit includes a gearbox, but needs wheels and motor as usual with etched kits. Chris recommends a Markits set, but I already have 14mm Scalelink wheels, so I'll use these unless they cause a problem later on.

IMG_20210703_171405.jpg.1a6e1e4d04fc6ab88accbf6e6e490996.jpg

 

No real issues so far - the basic chassis/spacers fitted well. The chassis can be built rigid or compensated, and spacers are provided for all the usual gauges - mine is bog-standard OO. This is the current state, with the representation of the inside cylinders fitted,

IMG_20210703_171333.jpg.3a28c779ea5736d42d17952d245957ce.jpgIMG_20210703_171351.jpg.1de888e42be885dad93eee7d08d6c382.jpg

  • Like 10
Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...