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Building kits for Tyneside in the BR era. J24 and PDK D49/2


rowanj
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On 25/01/2021 at 23:38, Headstock said:

 

The Work bench Fairy for me, it looks like Tinkerbell  but is almost as villainous as the Rug beast. Then there is the swivel chair demon. The latter puts lost objects that have been regurgitated by the carpet shark, under the path of it's wheels.

You would go a long way to beat the Laminated Floor Fairy, Andrew.  Also, how is that the piece you spent ages looking for only turns up while you are spending ages on your knees looking for the latest piece you dropped? 

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The N9 on the layout test, and after a bit of tweaking, all is well from a running point of view. I need a new set of drill bits to fit the remaining detail- handrails, globe lubricators, safety valves. I have a drill set from Hobbyzone, but they are hopeless on metal, especially with the thickness of the LRM boiler, so replacements are awaited.

 

One of my foibles is to try to get some detail into the cabs of my tank locos, To allow me the occasional look inside, I try, not always successfully, to make the cab roof removeable. ArthurK's kits  are designed to allow this. T soldered a couple of strips of scrap etch above the cab sides, then added a couple of 3mm strips of wire to the roof, giving the impression of roof supports. This time, it seems to have worked. My cab interiors are representations but once painted and crewed, at least it looks like something is happening. To see how to do it properly, have a look at Mikemeg and Micklner's efforts.

 

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On 25/01/2021 at 20:39, 46256 said:

The loft floor, I sometimes seem to spend more time on my hands and knees rather than at the workbench. Then there is that other dimension, the ability of small objects to land at such an angle that their shape is not immediately apparent Lastly the loft gremlin, the one that hides that part / tool you have just put down whilst doing something else.

Hi 46256

 

It might be worth investing in something like this image.png.756a63230c880561b640af66f688eb2b.png

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This shows my efforts at the N9 cab interior. I'll give a final waft of black then add some "dust" to match the prototype photo in Yeadon. Though it isnt a great shot, the loco seems to overall dull and greyish rather than streaked with rust and white calcified overspill, the more classic look of locos nearing withdrawal.

 

 

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69424 nearly completed. Other than what came in the kit, I added plates behind the coal rails, Ross pop valves, rods to the sandboxes over the front splashers, and bars to rear spectacle plates. I still need to track down a fireman, and glaze the spectacle plates.

3 N9's lasted to 1955, with a pair of them at Tyne Dock. 69429 looks quite different to 24, with vacuum brakes, Westinghouse pump still in place, (though possibly out of use), taller bunker and Ramsbottom trumpet, so I feel another purchase coming on. But in the meantime, the N8 and N9 are posed to show the alternative options offered by the LRM kit.

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To wrap this up, here is the N9 on its' debut. The cab roof is removable, as I spent a bit of time adding cab detail, but I see it has slipped forward a touch. 

 

As I said earlier, the LRM kit also allows the building of the N8 version - one I made earlier- and for amusement, I ran them alongside one another, together with my other LRM kit- a J25. All classic ex-NER motive power, albeit almost at the end of their working lives,

 

These ex-Connoisseur kits are perfectly suitable for less experienced etched-kit builders, have sufficient detail to make a good loco "out the box" but still leaving plenty to be added for those so inclined, 

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Just for a bit of fun, here is the K4 chassis soldered up with 21mm Romfords fitted. The jury is still out as to whether it will work, but it wont cost me anything and actually, because I need to use a bit of ingenuity, it does no harm to developing skills. I'm determined not to spend new money on a loco which would never be seen at Little Benton, but it would nice to get it running.

 

I originally had 3 of the etches, which Dave Alexander was selling at shows for £1 each, after he upgraded the chassis in his K4 kit. My idea was to use the valve gear parts on other models, though I did try, and failes, to build a complete chassis to go under a bodged K4 body using, I think, a GBL K3 and original Hornby B17 boiler as the main source, which I built as 61996 "Lord Of The Isles".

 

So I had 2 and a bit etches left, and have picked away at them ever since on various projects, and  decided to see what could be done to get a working chassis. So far, the basic frames have gone together, using spacers from the spares box. I had a set of coupling rods left, so the wheels and rods were fitted were fitted. All is square and the chassis runs without any issues. I'll fit a Highlevel RR+ gearbox with one of their motors as the power source.

 

Brakes are just as on the etch, and are a touch crude, but should look OK once panted. Brake rods are there too. There are no springs, and I don't have any, but they are all but invisible when running on the layout, so I'm not too bothered.

 

There are 2 etched sidebars on the etch - single sided like RTR. I always struggled to get crossheads to stay in place in this system, and much prefer the "sandwich" system to trap the crosshead. I had a Comet A3/4 cylinder block, so have used that, and will 2 slidebars to each side, The photo shows that this is a simple job, but I wont do any soldering until the connecting rods are assembled to check distances and clearances.

 

I think I have enough parts to put the valve gear together, but I cant spot a couple of bits which I must have used elsewhere. 

 

Incidentally, I will have a spare set of frames at the end of this which I'm happy to pass on - I wont need anything with the K4 wheelbase- so PM me if they will be of use.

 

This build is really just for laughs, so we shall see what happens.

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Edited by rowanj
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I think you are correct. I wonder if it works? 

Having cut one from the etch and folded it up, it is designed for the D11/13 motors, of which I have a couple sitting in a box, and must be at least 30 years old. I'll dig them out, see if they  still run, and whether i can find gears and worms and get them to mesh. If so, I may even fit then and save my Highlevel stuff for other uses.

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3 hours ago, Michael Edge said:

It looks like a motor mount for a D11 motor but you would still be better using High Level.

Yes, I agree, Michael, and that is what I'm going to do. Incidentally, in the not too distant future, my efforts at your Consett A kit will make an appearance here. 

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A query for a friend of mine, who is thinking about buying Overhead Projector Film to glaze etched coach sides. Is there a preferred "weight" to use to do this? I confess I thought they were all the same, but apparently not.

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I'm pleasantly surprised to have found that the K4 chassis actually works. I fitted a rough representation of the pipework under the cab, using 7mm wire., and just used the brake brakes from the etch. There is still an empty space between the centre and rear drivers which was full of pipework and associated fittings on the real thing. Part of me wants to fabricate something  to fill it and another part can't be bothered.

As i say, the chassis runs , at least on the test track, and with the Highlevel RR+ and motor is very smooth.  The cylinder block is CometA3/4 , using the slidebars from the etch, doubled up to sandwich the Comet crossheads. At the moment, the block is just perched for the photo, but I did tack solder it to check that the crossheads ran freely when attached to the centre drivers.

So, in theory,, there is "just" the last bit of valvegear to assemble, but "there's many a twist twixt cup and lip".

 

As far as the loco is concerned, I did do a bit of filling and filing, and the back end is a bit better, My main beef at the moment is the saddle, which was quite "bulbous" on the really thing, and I havent manged to capture that. I tried to build it up will filler, but I may have a go with either modelling clay or Plastic Padding and ee what happens.

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

I'm going into "Walshaerts Re-hab" after putting this lot together. I suppose building it from bits and bobs on various etches doesn't  help., but I'm looking forward to my next kit, a simple 0-6-0.  

The loco looks OK, I think, given its' origins. Proper old- fashioned cut and shut, and I think that this is the only way to get a K4, now Dave Alexander's kit is out of production. 

Still to fit pick-ups and check running on the layout, then I'll give the loco a run for a few turns around the loft, before it goes onto the shelf like others I have which wouldn't be seen at Little Benton.

 

 

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I have pretty much run out of available kits of appropriate loco kits for my layout and era, so last year I thought I might have a go at a couple of Industrials, one from High Level kits, and one from Judith Edge.. The time has arrived to make a start, and it's the Judith Edge Kitson ConsettA which is the first to have the box opened.

The preserved example is just a few miles away from me, so, hopefully, I'll get to see and study her before too long. In my case, however, I'll build the kit as an NCB example in early 1960's condition/livery.

This is my first Edge kit, and I have a degree of trepidation, not least because of the need to roll the boiler. The kit has, I believe, been out for quite a while, and I expected to find a build online, but not so far. So we will see how we get on.

The instructions are pretty good, though I would have liked a diagram of the etches to sit alongside the list of parts, and an illustration, a la Wills/SEF to show where the parts fit. The etches are superb.

I started on the frames, using the extra pair provided for OO to prevent the flanges touching on the rear pair of wheels, which are VERY close together. I build all my locos with rigid frames, though the kit provides for them to be built compensated. Spacers are provided for all the 4mm standards. I haven't seen the fixing methods used in this kit before. The OO ones are the same as EM, and have half etches to show where they need to be cut to fit OO width. Rather than tab and slot, they then fit into half etched slots on the chassis (in)sides. These slots show which spacer goes where, and it all went together well.. There are additional spacers which will spring in when the basic structure is checked for squareness, etc.

I have a Poppy Jig, which is a great piece of kit, but, to be honest, for simple  0-6-0's I find using a pair of Romford screwdrivers simpler and as effective.

So far, so good.

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3 hours ago, rowanj said:

I have pretty much run out of available kits of appropriate loco kits for my layout and era, so last year I thought I might have a go at a couple of Industrials, one from High Level kits, and one from Judith Edge.. The time has arrived to make a start, and it's the Judith Edge Kitson ConsettA which is the first to have the box opened.

The preserved example is just a few miles away from me, so, hopefully, I'll get to see and study her before too long. In my case, however, I'll build the kit as an NCB example in early 1960's condition/livery.

This is my first Edge kit, and I have a degree of trepidation, not least because of the need to roll the boiler. The kit has, I believe, been out for quite a while, and I expected to find a build online, but not so far. So we will see how we get on.

The instructions are pretty good, though I would have liked a diagram of the etches to sit alongside the list of parts, and an illustration, a la Wills/SEF to show where the parts fit. The etches are superb.

I started on the frames, using the extra pair provided for OO to prevent the flanges touching on the rear pair of wheels, which are VERY close together. I build all my locos with rigid frames, though the kit provides for them to be built compensated. Spacers are provided for all the 4mm standards. I haven't seen the fixing methods used in this kit before. The OO ones are the same as EM, and have half etches to show where they need to be cut to fit OO width. Rather than tab and slot, they then fit into half etched slots on the chassis (in)sides. These slots show which spacer goes where, and it all went together well.. There are additional spacers which will spring in when the basic structure is checked for squareness, etc.

I have a Poppy Jig, which is a great piece of kit, but, to be honest, for simple  0-6-0's I find using a pair of Romford screwdrivers simpler and as effective.

So far, so good.

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The spacers are intended to be cracked off, not cut.

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1 hour ago, Michael Edge said:

The spacers are intended to be cracked off, not cut.

Yes - to be fair, the instructions do say "cracked off". I did try to do this, but didn't have either the tool, strength, or nouse to do it, so cut the parts. The half-etch makes this easy enough, if care is taken.

Wheels have been fitted to ensure the chassis sits properly on the track, after being tested on glass, and also checked on a Hornby 4th Radius curve, which is tighter than anything on the layout, and all is well so far. The odd wheelbase is very obvious in the photo. I had to file back the the axle bushes, but am now confident enough to finish soldering up all the remaining spacers and complete the basic chassis.

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