Jon Fitness Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Now on with the Chowbent offering. The chassis is a straightforward conventional design that has gone together well. The only small modification will be moving the cylinder assembly towards the back 2mm as they are too far forward when checking against the chassis with the wheels in place. (that is much easier that making the connecting rods 2mm longer ) IMG_1917.jpg Ah, my favourite locos, I'll be following this one closely!Jon F. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazz Posted July 22, 2014 Author Share Posted July 22, 2014 Not much to show for a few hours work. Mainly because the brass etches were heavily tarnished and had to have the sonic cleaner workout. For a kit of this vintage (pre cad days) it fits together surprisingly well. It's not easy by any means as there are very few slots & tabs and almost no half etch lines for positioning of parts. Very tricky getting the tank sides correct on the running plate. Tomorrow is my birthday and will be doing something we have not done for more that 30 years, (no, not that), we will be riding the cable car on the Gt Orme. With a meal out, it should be a lovely day. (Scary that I'm in the last year of the 6th decade, how time flies). 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenton Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 (Scary that I'm in the last year of the 6th decade, how time flies).Just keep enjoying it. Happy Birthday. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozzyo Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 I hope that the weather is good at the top, don't forget the camera as some of us would like to see some of the photos, All the best Ken, OzzyO. PS. I thought it was a tram-way. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazz Posted July 22, 2014 Author Share Posted July 22, 2014 Thanks guys, will do. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Pulham Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Happy Birthday for tomorrow Ken. Enjoy! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazz Posted July 22, 2014 Author Share Posted July 22, 2014 Thanks Rob. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
3 link Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Happy Birthday for tomorrow Ken, at least we know the weather will be fine for once. Martyn. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibateg Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Happy birthday Ken - it will be interesting to follow this build, there is a gap in the market for this class of loco.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve fay Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Happy birthday Ken Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
N15class Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Have a good birthday tomorrow. It is a long time since I have been up Great Orme, There is the largest bronze age copper mine up there I do believe. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
barry_yardley Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Happy birthday for tomorrow Ken. Have a nice day. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.hill64 Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Happy Birthday! Enjoy your day out. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffP Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Happy Birthday Ken. Have a good 'un. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazz Posted July 23, 2014 Author Share Posted July 23, 2014 (edited) Thank you one and all. (Yes Peter, the mine up there is doing extremely well as a tourist attraction and has been featured one than once on various TV programmes) The weather is already warm and sunny (08.00 hrs). Looking forward to the day. Edited July 23, 2014 by jazz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.hill64 Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 It might be chilly at the top: take a hip-flask! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazz Posted July 23, 2014 Author Share Posted July 23, 2014 (edited) Hi all. What a fab day it has been. Perfect weather (hip flask not required on the Orme). A very enjoyable meal a local Chinese. (An amazing thing happened in there, the TV started playing 'happy birthday' just as we started the meal. It was only on a TV ad but what a surprise) The photos show what a great day it was on the Orme. Hope I do not bore y'all with these images. Strolling to the able car past the restored vintage coach that take trips round the Orme. Standing in line for the cable car. Off we go. Views across the Conwy estuary Passing the Gt Orme copper mine. The St Tudno Church (pronounced Tidno, near the summit. This church is where Llandudno, (pronounced Clandidno meaning parish of Tidno, got it's name. Do not ask why it's dud no not tidno, maybe a true Welshman can answer that one. Trig point at the summit. Summit looking across to Penmaenmawr. Very busy on the cable tram. (I have the embarrassing honour of bringing the system to a complete stop a few years ago. But that's another story) Coming back down. Just for interest, our house is just in front of the large great property on the tree line just left of centre of photo. We love the views to the sea & Orme. Back to the 2-6-4T in the morrow. Edited July 23, 2014 by jazz 12 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Boucher Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Happy Birthday, Ken. Looks like you had a great day! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
N15class Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Glad you had a good day the pictures are lovely. May have to add it to our tour of Wales over Christmas. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozzyo Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Now you have mentioned that you brought the tram way to a stop you must tell all more. Glad that you had a good day out. The view from the top looks to be fantastic. A number of years back my old man and me had a day out in Llandudno on a steam ship from Barrow, the ship was from the Isle of Mann Steam Packet Co. It could have been one of two steam ships that the line still had (approx. 1972), The Lady of Mann, or The Ben Macree [approx 2,500 tons] (sorry about the spelling), both of these ships at the time were passenger only ships, the only way that they could carry cars on them was as deck cargo. I did sail to the IoM on one of the smaller ships [approx 2,000 tons] the outward trip was very good, coming back was a bit of fun due to the sea having blown up a bit and Douglas Harbour being on the meeting point of three currents (not the fruit) it starts to bob about a bit , dad and me are having some fish and chips and I could see water washing over the portholes, is the ship OK I mention to my old man, he says yes, so I carried on eating. We finish eating and walked up to the upper-deck and all we could see were people looking a bit green and a lot of sick on the deck that the ships crew were starting to clean down. Dad went for a pint and I had a big glass of pop. Good days. I wish I had him with me now. OzzyO. PS. you never forget the people that you love. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazz Posted July 24, 2014 Author Share Posted July 24, 2014 (edited) Thank Mike, we certainly did. Glad you had a good day the pictures are lovely. May have to add it to our tour of Wales over Christmas. Peter, you will be very welcome in Wales & Llandudno. A lovely story Ozzyo, I would have been one of the green looking passengers. We do miss the ships coming to the pier. There is rumours that a company is looking to providing a fast ferry from the pier to Liverpool. Hope it comes happens. Now, Ozzyo. The tram. Back in the 90's I was a part time Social Serivce Ambulance driver for Conwy County. One of my pickups was half way up the Gt Orme. The vehicle was well under powered 2 litre diesel Talbot 16 seater. I stopped on the tram crossing right at a very steep section whilst trying to negotiate a very tight swing right. There was insufficient power to make a restart. The parking brake would not hold. So to be able to 'phone for help (No mobiles back then.) I gently reversed it against a wall to make it safe. It was impossible to reverse down the even steeper tram track. Then along came full trams, on coming down t'other going up. All had to stop and wait for a tow truck. Red faces and much laughter all round. After that fiasco, drive past the crossing without stopping until you could turn round and then turn coming down the hill. (It was my first trip, that's my excuse anyway) If the red light was showing at the crossing, stop well short and make a flying run at the crossing. All good fun. It does not look too steep here, I believe it's 1:3 and a heck of a pull walking up. Edited July 24, 2014 by jazz 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
90164 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Glad you had a good day, Ken. I've fond memories of Llandudno, having seen the Beatles play there in 1963. As a kid I longed to go on the tram but my parents thought it expensive so up we walked. I could do it then but it's a different story today. Regards Frank Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazz Posted July 24, 2014 Author Share Posted July 24, 2014 Hi Frank. I have to admit it's been 3 years since we walked up. But we have been up the lazy way, bus or tram and then walked back down. That's very easy to do. We may be tempted to give it a go before the summer ends. Back to the 2-6-4T. The body is not quite as good as the chassis was. But going OK so far. A few minor adjustments needed though. The tank tops had to be redone as they were flush with the sides. There was no satisfactory way to bolt the body to the chassis, not covered in the instructions at all. There will have to be small adjustments to line up the roof with the door openings. No fault of the kit here but there had to me quite a bit of surgery to get the huge motor/ gearbox to fit. But it has turned out OK. 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshall5 Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 Hi Jazz, I was very pleased to see to progress you've made on your Chowbent 2-6-4T as I built one some 10 yrs ago. I don't remember finding any problems with the body although I'm still not sure i got the flare on the bunker sides right for 42626 but I did have to scratch built new (larger) bunker tank vents. The notes I made at the time show many mods to the chassis particularly the cylinders and motion - maybe you've not got that far yet. On my kit the slots in the frames for the motion bracket set the cylinders/slide bar asembly at way too steep an angle. In the end I re-cut the slots and made the cylinders/motion as a bolt on sub-assembly. I admit I did't notice the cylinders were too far forward but I did find that the slidebars were too far apart as designed and it was quite a lot of work to get it right. I found that, contrary to instruction C27, the missing valve rods/buckles were noticeable and new holes were needed in the combination lever. If I was doing another I would certainly spring or compensate the chassis as I found the long wheelbase a bit rigid where there was any twist in the track. I'll get the loco out and see how I secured the body to the chassis. I'd be happy to pass on any notes if they help. Best of luck with your loco - a most under-represented class. Cheers, Ray. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazz Posted July 29, 2014 Author Share Posted July 29, 2014 Thanks Ray. I seem to have had different issues in the build. Although I did have to reposition the cylinder/slidebar supports. The slide bar were too close together too. The real big issue was the clearance for the coupling rods, crossheads and slide bars. The worst case I have ever had. Anyway, thankfully all assembled now. Tomorrow will be a good testing on the rolling road. 13 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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