RMweb Premium Michael Edge Posted December 1, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 1, 2020 At the risk of making you feel any worse..... My customer is something of a Garratt enthusiast, this is the first one I built for him, also painted by Dave Studley - Mauritius Railways 2-8-8-2 in EM. He's got a couple of narrow gauge ones as well that I built from Backwoods kits. I will confess to being a Garratt enthusiast myself. 2 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giles Posted December 1, 2020 Share Posted December 1, 2020 Very, very nice...! That one has a certain charm and elegance. I understand the addiction well.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilMortimer Posted December 1, 2020 Author Share Posted December 1, 2020 Very nice. Was that scratch build? I've built one of the Backwoods OO9 NGG16's - it was a nice kit and I'd like to build a couple more if I could find them at a reasonable price. I do like NG garratts. Here is my 009 NGG 16 on my fledgling layout. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sir douglas Posted December 1, 2020 Share Posted December 1, 2020 one day, maybe you, Giles and Simon should get together and have garratt cavalcade 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Michael Edge Posted December 1, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 1, 2020 35 minutes ago, PhilMortimer said: Very nice. Was that scratch build? I've built one of the Backwoods OO9 NGG16's - it was a nice kit and I'd like to build a couple more if I could find them at a reasonable price. I do like NG garratts. Here is my 009 NGG 16 on my fledgling layout. The Mauritius loco was mostly etched. I've built quite a few of the Backwoods NG Garratts, the NGG16 goes together well but the K1 has a few problems. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilMortimer Posted December 1, 2020 Author Share Posted December 1, 2020 I've done K1 in OO9 as well. One for some one who wanted one, one for myself (still needs fitting). I seem to remember I made a whole new barrel, firebox front and firebox rear. Power units are tricky, but they are also very small. I remember that i squeezed a dcc chip into it! Still need to finish the power units for the one for myself - boiler unit and tanks are done. Link to the build is here.... 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilMortimer Posted December 1, 2020 Author Share Posted December 1, 2020 51 minutes ago, sir douglas said: one day, maybe you, Giles and Simon should get together and have garratt cavalcade I'm up for that. on the wrong continent at the moment, but maybe when I'm back home at some point. I think that DLOS also has at least one, and maybe another that is awaiting building. So that makes 5, possibly 6 that I know of! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted December 1, 2020 Share Posted December 1, 2020 (edited) I do like the idea of a get together, but, no deadlines... Edited December 1, 2020 by Simond 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Isambarduk Posted December 1, 2020 Share Posted December 1, 2020 1 hour ago, PhilMortimer said: I think that DLOS also has at least one Ah, not me, Phil, sadly. David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giles Posted December 1, 2020 Share Posted December 1, 2020 You've still got time to build one, David! Beer or Champagne to celebrate? 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilMortimer Posted December 1, 2020 Author Share Posted December 1, 2020 3 minutes ago, Isambarduk said: Ah, not me, Phil, sadly. David Hmm. I could have sworn that you had acquired one and another one to build. I guess that Anno Domini must be catching up with me again. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilMortimer Posted March 14, 2021 Author Share Posted March 14, 2021 OK, Its been a while, but I have been plugging on with these loco's. Mainly it has been about painting, something I REALLY hate. The cold winter weather has made things difficult, as I have to spray outside, since Diane can't tolerate the fumes. So it has been a case of waiting for the occiasional warm dry still days to try and get some paint on. In the main this was successful, but some problems did occur and I did have to strip and repaint the rear bunker of the Sneyd Colliery loco and the boiler unit of the Baddesley colliery loco, which added to the time. Anyhow enough of the waffle, on to the pictures. So, the Sneyd colliery loco now has had its smokebox painted. The top and inner ends of the front tank and rear bunker, as well as the framing of the central boiler cradle have also been painted black. Due to air brush problems, these unfortunately had to be done with rattle cans. This was not my preference, but needs must. So the Sneyed Colliery loco now looks like this..... The valancing still needs to be painted - this will be done by brush. However, we are close to the stage where the details can be painted and added. The other loco is being painted as the Baddesley colliery loco "William Francis". This ran into problems. with the painted surface of the bolier unit not coming out properly. I tried to repair it, but ultimately, ended up stripping the boiler unit back to brass and starting again. The above looks nice, but I was not happy about having it back in this state. However, whilst it was like this, I was able to add some additional details to the cab, including the bunker water level indicator, the drivers fold up seat and the lubricator oil box and associated piping under the cab seat, attached to the rear cab sheet. And then back into primer.... Followed by a coat of blue on the boiler and the cab, as well as outer side of the front tank and rear bunker. The Blue was actually a Rustoleum Satin Dark blue, decanted from a rattle can, diluted ~15% with Acetone, and applied with an airbrush. After allowing a week to dry, the blue was masked off, and the smokebox sprayed, again with decanted Rustoleum Rattle can paint (semi Gloss black in this case) with an airbrush. After allowing a further week to pass to allow the paint to dry and harden, the boiler, smokebox, cab and outsides of the tank and bunker were masked off and the boiler was sprayed with semi-gloss black, along with the tops and inner ends of the front tank and rear bunker. After removing the masking and allowing everything to dry and harden off, the loco was reassembled to allow us to view the full loco in its full glory for the first time. Again, the valances still need painting, along with the seperately added details, but to my eye it looks really good. Whilst all of this has been going on, the smoke box doors have been prepared, and the backhead is being worked on. The smokebox doors will be primed and painted shortly, ready for final assembly for the front of the smoke box. The back heads have been worked on. The one for the Sneyd loco is being modled as supplied, with firebix doors closed. However, the one for my own bvaddesley colliery loco has been modified, with the the firehole being opened up. This is so that I can model the firehole doors slightly open with a firebox glow (from a suitable LED in the firebox) being visible. Injector levers are fitted to the LHS of the backhead. I've scratched up a new regulator handle and the manifold on the top is cut down from the castings supplied in the kit. The water level glasses have been prepared and will be added after painting. A steam gauge is being scrtached up for adding to the front cab sheet. Finally, a picture of both loco's in their current state. Going forward, I will now be concentrating on completing the the Sneyd Colliery loco and getting it out to its owner. My own loco will follow, as I want to add some additional details without time pressure. Cheers, PM 5 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdb82 Posted March 14, 2021 Share Posted March 14, 2021 These look brilliant Phil! I nearly bought one of these loco kits from Mercian a couple of years ago, and decided against it in the end as I didn't/don't feel I have the necessarily skills to either make them half decent. It would have sat around in a cupboard for a few years. Now your builds have got me thinking again! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted March 14, 2021 Share Posted March 14, 2021 If you want one, you’ll have to be quick! https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/7mm-Avondale-Beyer-Garratt-William-Francis-Limited-Edition-Loco-Kit-New-Boxed/265078904401?hash=item3db7ef1651:g:fQEAAOSw55ZgQkA~ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdb82 Posted March 14, 2021 Share Posted March 14, 2021 (edited) 28 minutes ago, Simond said: If you want one, you’ll have to be quick! https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/7mm-Avondale-Beyer-Garratt-William-Francis-Limited-Edition-Loco-Kit-New-Boxed/265078904401?hash=item3db7ef1651:g:fQEAAOSw55ZgQkA~ Oooo......now then..... Edit: You weren't wrong about needing to be quick. When I clicked on the link there were 9 seconds left Edited March 14, 2021 by jdb82 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted March 14, 2021 Share Posted March 14, 2021 Did you get it? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdb82 Posted March 14, 2021 Share Posted March 14, 2021 1 hour ago, Simond said: Did you get it? Nope...... my bid wasn't high enough. Shame really, because even the final selling price was quite reasonable Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilMortimer Posted March 14, 2021 Author Share Posted March 14, 2021 15 hours ago, jdb82 said: These look brilliant Phil! I nearly bought one of these loco kits from Mercian a couple of years ago, and decided against it in the end as I didn't/don't feel I have the necessarily skills to either make them half decent. It would have sat around in a cupboard for a few years. Now your builds have got me thinking again! Thanks, it’s been a long slog and has involved a lot of scratchbuilding. However, if you want a unique loco, this is one such. Go for it, but be prepared for a lot of frustrations and the need for much ingenuity! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilMortimer Posted March 29, 2021 Author Share Posted March 29, 2021 (edited) OK. There was no earthly reason to do the following. It was a total wste of time, as it will barely be seen. It occupied time, was frustrating and has no benefit whatsoever. But I did it. I made working fire hole doors! It all came about because I was showing Diane the backhead castings. Now Diane has little to no interest in railways, but likes machinery. So I was explaining how the door mechanism worked and how the supplied casting wasn't quite right, but no problems, it would be hiden inside of the cab. "OK!", said she. "Why don't you make one that works for your own model?" Now there was a challenge! So I give you the following. First the components laid out. Here we have the modified backhead casting, complete with fire hole, sliding rails for the fire box doors. and pivots for the operating mechanism. Also on the backhead is the scratchbuilt regulator arm. The water gauges have yet to be added (after painting). On the right are the two fire hole doors (minus the outer heat shields that I have made and put safe somewhere - so safe I can't find them!) and the door operating mechanism. At the top are the castings for the steam gauge and a valve of some sorts. When assembled we get.... In the open position. And below in the closed position Just to show it working.... This is all purely a little piece of vanity on my part. But heh, life is supposed to be fun! Actually, it will be useful as it will allow me to insert a fire box glow LED into the firebox once assembly is complete, so it does have some function. The whole lot has been stripped down and painted now, ready for gluing into the cab front. And now its back to the tedium of the build! Edited March 29, 2021 by PhilMortimer 4 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted March 29, 2021 Share Posted March 29, 2021 Well, I scratched my fire doors, regulator handle & some other bits, and I considered working doors, and sliding cab shutters too. And having considered it, I made mine static. well done sir! Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
laurenceb Posted March 29, 2021 Share Posted March 29, 2021 All you need now is a working fireman. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
34006 Posted March 29, 2021 Share Posted March 29, 2021 Perhaps Giles can knock you one up,when he's got 5 minutes.................. Phil 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilMortimer Posted March 29, 2021 Author Share Posted March 29, 2021 I had thought that maybe you could make it work by servo, synced with the sound of shoveling. You would see the change in the fire hole glow as the doors opened and closed. Then I woke up screaming! No, thats as far as I'm taking it. It serves no purpose apart from proving to myself that I could do it. As I said, an exercise in vanity! I still have to make the sander, break and reverser parts, but those will follow in due course and be glued in once finished. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilMortimer Posted June 25, 2021 Author Share Posted June 25, 2021 (edited) A long overdue update on the garratt build. I’ve been working on final details and enclose a number of pictures for you. The first picture above shows the valences of the boiler unit being painted, Whilst the second shows the underside of the LHS of the boiler unit, with the water balance pipe and sump box. The next picture shows the RHS whilst the valences were being painted, also showing the reverser cylinder and its associated operating rods having been fitted. This picture shows the separately painted parts ready for fitting and attachment to the boiler unit. Parts include the injector pipework, handrails, and the parking brake shaft and crank. These are fitted using 2 part epoxy glue for strength. Here, the main injector pipework is fitted to the boiler unit and the small pipe along the RHS of the boiler. Whilst here, the underside of the unit with the pipework connecting the feedwater sumpbox and injectors fitted is visible. The following pictures show the process for the manufacture of the firebox washout plugs. The original kit had an etched piece of brass providing a very 2 dimensional representation of the washout plugs, which I thought was crude and a very poor representation. When I built the firebox, I ditched these and fitted deeper recessed washout sockets, tapped 2-56. I finally got round to making the new 3 dimensional washout plugs. These started out as brass 2-56 threaded screws with the heads removed and faced off in the lathe. The first picture shows one of these mounted in a square collet block in the mill, ready for milling the square head. Here, the milling is in progress. Use of a collet block allows easy and repeatable milling of the square head on the threaded rod with an end mill (Bearing in mind that I needed to make 12 identical items!). Finally, below shows the finished washout plug in the collet block. After making 12 of these (plus a few spares in case…….), these were blackened using Birchwood Casey Brass Black. The next picture shows a finished washout plug being screwed into position. To do so, I made a driver to screw them into place from a piece of brass tube, slightly flattened to allow it to grip the square end of the plug. Finally, this picture shows all the washout plugs screwed into the RHS of the firebox. They are fixed in place with Loctite so they don’t shake loose with use. I think they look much better than the 2 D representation as supplied in the kit. The next picture shows the clack valves fitted to the clack box shroud on the top of the boiler. These are made from 10 BA screws with the top turned down in diameter in the lathe. The clack valves and clack box shroud on Sneyd #2 are different to those supplied in the kit (which is based in the Baddesley Colliery loco, the last of the four Vivian style garratts built by Beyer Peacock) and so the whole clack assembly had to be scratch built for the model of this particular loco. I think it has turned out well and is a good representation. Here we see the LHS of the boiler unit with the washout plugs fitted, along with the handrail and a trial fit of the parking brake rod passing diagonally down the LHS of the firebox. This next picture shows the interior of the cab with the parking brake test fitted. Here, we see the components for the parking brake ready for painting. There are three main assemblies. At the bottom is the slip link that pulls on the crank attached to the hand brake shaft. On the real thing, the threaded rod pulls the crank upwards when turned, rotating the hand brake shaft and applying the brakes. A very nice cast representation of the handle was supplied in the kit, but it doesn’t match the pictures or drawings, so I substituted my own, made from tube and nickel silver wire. This will be glued to the top of the rod after the rod and slip link have been fitted to the boiler unit, as the rod has to pass through a slot in the cab front. These components are all currently being prepared for painting. I still need to make the upper bracket that will hold the rod to the LHS of the firebox backhead. (Tomorrows job) The next picture shows the preparation for the addition of lead ballast to the boiler interior. This was originally supposed to consist of some lead sticks and some additional lead roof flashing that I brought over with me from the UK for the purpose many years ago. Ultimately, I decided only to use the lead sticks, which are glued into the boiler with 2 part epoxy (Picture 424). The lead flashing has subsequently been replaced with some lead shot, which was poured into the boiler space up to the lower level of the smokebox door aperture. This was then flooded with epoxy to encapsulate it and fix the lead shot in place. Current weight of the boiler unit is about 1.2 1lb. Since all the weight of the loco is on the drivers, the loco should be sure footed and capable of plenty of traction. Finally, here you can see an overall view of the boiler unit, with all the pipework in place. This included the small pipes running along the lower RHS of the firebox from the cab to duck down into the frame just ahead of the firebox front sheet. This is seen in detail below, along with the injector water valve operating mechanism (fitted to both injectors, one on each side of the firebox). Not pictured (will follow), but the smokebox door is now glued into place. This just l eaves me with the cab roof to build (this will be left loose per the customers request) and a small valve and associated pipework that is situated on the RHS of the boiler close to the done (I believe this was a steam supply to the lubricator for the reverser mechanism). I am currently working through the power units to make sure the valve gear is all secure and won’t fall apart when operating. Three sets of valve gear have now been done with all the screw fixings trimmed to length and fixed with Loctite so they don't come loose. the final set will be done this weekend and then pickups and wiring will then be fitted for testing. I will arrange the wiring so that he three main units can be separated for maintenance and travel. Edited June 25, 2021 by PhilMortimer 4 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted June 25, 2021 Share Posted June 25, 2021 Fab work Phil. Looks lovely. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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