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G-Train Locomotive Works - LNER B3 'Valour'


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What a very smart looking set of parts; real craftsmanship. There is something quite mesmerising about watching a kit being tested like this. You must be very pleased with the inside gear. I can't wait to see the body and chassis united despite it is a loco of which I have zero knowledge.

P

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Slight pause, but nothing sinister - been away for 10 days or so at the end of last month.

 

attachicon.gifDSC04563.JPG

 

Chassis is now complete

 

attachicon.gifDSC04562.JPG

Front end looks very 'busy'. The diagonal rod is the linkage to the cylinder drain cocks.

 

attachicon.gifDSC04564.JPG

Partly to prove that it's finished on both sides(!) Prominent here is the rear sand box. The front one is all but obscured by the motion bracket and steps - but it is there!

 

Finally, as promised last time, some video to prove that it all works

https://youtu.be/hS9zRcruoZY

 

You should be able to see the inside valve gear working on the second pass. On the final two runs, look carefully and you should be able to detect the valve rod moving back and forth.

 

Hopefully shouldn't be long now before loco and the trial resin boiler casting are united for the first time...

That is s.e.x on a stick.

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Marvellous!  Drooling in anticipation for the finished model. 

 

My problem is deciding if it looks better in LNER or great central livery.
Richard

 

Great Central.  Has to be Great Central.  (But with the caveat that per John Quick's research, at least one of them had a green running plate valance when built- how long did that last and were they all in full GC livery with the claret frames and valences by 1920?  Hmmm....)

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Why not treat yourself to all six class members modelled in every phase of their existence, including all livery changes and all permutations of chimneys, domes, safety valves and tender pairings? I'm afraid you'll be on your own when it comes to the matter of two types of Caprotti valve gear and a total rebuild in Thompson pseudo-B1 style, but at least these domes and chimneys may be of some use:

 

post-3445-0-08817400-1539027525.jpgpost-3445-0-77486000-1539027535.jpgpost-3445-0-67603200-1539027554.jpg

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This really is a wonderful build, just off topic, I have recently taken delivery of the Poppy's Jig, could you please tell me what are those rectangular pieces of material you use for and what are they made of?Hope this is not a stupid question.

 

Rgds.......Mike

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Sorry, I should have been more specific, I was referring to the pieces between the blue tube and the mainframes, as I understand the instructions, the non-slip patches are for the base of the unit.

 

Rgds......Mike

Edited by ikks
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The penny's just dropped - I think you're referring to the items in this picture (I originally thought you were referring to items as supplied in the Poppy's kit)

 

post-16151-0-41289600-1539156517_thumb.jpg

Unless I read them wrong (quite likely!), I believed that the instructions referred to fitting the blue tube pieces to the outside of the alignment bars, having the effect of clamping the bars against the outside of the jig. That will hold the bars firm but leaves the frames in the middle free to move on the bars. I couldn't see therefore how to hold the spacers in place between the frames so that they were snug in their half etches, allowing the soldering iron to be wielded without fear of the assembly slipping at the vital moment.

 

So I elected to use the blue tube pieces as shown - but then I thought there was a risk of the heat from the iron melting the tube material ... so what you see are simply pieces of 1mm card with a hole in the middle which the tube pieces clamp up against. The card acts as insulation to protect the tube pieces from the heat.

 

As shown, the whole thing is still free to move about in the jig; however, I didn't find that a problem as it was quite steady in practice. I guess a couple of bits of sellotape or blu-tack (other sticky products are available) could be employed to stop that if necessary.

 

I am aware that some people solder the spacers to one of the frames first before fitting the second but I prefer to have the whole thing set up in a jig first as shown to avoid any risk of things not being square and true. All I know is - and as the video hopefully alludes to - I have a sweet and true running chassis straight out of the jig without any tweaks being required.

 

Hope that helps?

Edited by LNER4479
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I favour the idea of soldering nothing in place, not even the bearings, until the whole of the main frame structure has been assembled "dry", with all parts fully cleaned up (etching cusps removed), with the rods on the jig axles and with everything inspected/tested for straightness/squareness/"levelness" and "willingness to fit". That way, if anything isn't quite right you can decide on any form of adjustment that you consider best in order to eliminate the problem, or to distribute the error so that its consequences become negligible, before soldering anything up so solidly that it becomes awkward to adjust accurately.

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The penny's just dropped - I think you're referring to the items in this picture (I originally thought you were referring to items as supplied in the Poppy's kit)

 

attachicon.gif03_soldering spacers_LR.jpg

Unless I read them wrong (quite likely!), I believed that the instructions referred to fitting the blue tube pieces to the outside of the alignment bars, having the effect of clamping the bars against the outside of the jig. That will hold the bars firm but leaves the frames in the middle free to move on the bars. I couldn't see therefore how to hold the spacers in place between the frames so that they were snug in their half etches, allowing the soldering iron to be wielded without fear of the assembly slipping at the vital moment.

 

So I elected to use the blue tube pieces as shown - but then I thought there was a risk of the heat from the iron melting the tube material ... so what you see are simply pieces of 1mm card with a hole in the middle which the tube pieces clamp up against. The card acts as insulation to protect the tube pieces from the heat.

 

As shown, the whole thing is still free to move about in the jig; however, I didn't find that a problem as it was quite steady in practice. I guess a couple of bits of sellotape or blu-tack (other sticky products are available) could be employed to stop that if necessary.

 

I am aware that some people solder the spacers to one of the frames first before fitting the second but I prefer to have the whole thing set up in a jig first as shown to avoid any risk of things not being square and true. All I know is - and as the video hopefully alludes to - I have a sweet and true running chassis straight out of the jig without any tweaks being required.

 

Hope that helps?

Looks like the Poppy could be an excellent replacement for the Hobby Hols one I had years ago?

Phil

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I favour the idea of soldering nothing in place, not even the bearings, until the whole of the main frame structure has been assembled "dry", with all parts fully cleaned up (etching cusps removed), with the rods on the jig axles and with everything inspected/tested for straightness/squareness/"levelness" and "willingness to fit". That way, if anything isn't quite right you can decide on any form of adjustment that you consider best in order to eliminate the problem, or to distribute the error so that its consequences become negligible, before soldering anything up so solidly that it becomes awkward to adjust accurately.

I think it is time to run a masterclass on chassis and loco building techniques; I'd pay for a session as I have decided I know #### ### about what I'm doing. Could funds for new kits be raised by something like this Mr King/Mr Grantham/ Mr or Mrs whoever?

Anne Onnymouse 

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I think it is time to run a masterclass on chassis and loco building techniques; I'd pay for a session as I have decided I know #### ### about what I'm doing. Could funds for new kits be raised by something like this Mr King/Mr Grantham/ Mr or Mrs whoever?

Anne Onnymouse 

 

Building on that idea, maybe an RMWeb/ LNER.info group build thread?  I've registered my interest in a B3 and looking forward to the finished model, but err.... I've absolutely no prior experience of etched brass locos!  I've done wagon chassis and carriage bogies in etched brass, I've got a couple of etched brass wagon and carriage kits in the roundtoit pile, but locos?- no experience at all!  Even if it's a weekly workshop, 'today we're going to do this' followed by photos and explanation so we can sit the laptop next to the workbench and follow the post...  

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Etched kit construction is a demo at Warley with Mike Edge (who has designed and built a lot of etched Kits over the year s demoing.)  

 

This thread is showing how to build locos and you may try looking at Mikes thread which has covered how he builds such things as part of his job.

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/45248-judith-edge-kits/page-39

 

between these (and other threads on RMeb there is a lot of information on building kits here on RMWeb

 

Baz

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Building on that idea, maybe an RMWeb/ LNER.info group build thread?  I've registered my interest in a B3 and looking forward to the finished model, but err.... I've absolutely no prior experience of etched brass locos!  I've done wagon chassis and carriage bogies in etched brass, I've got a couple of etched brass wagon and carriage kits in the roundtoit pile, but locos?- no experience at all!  Even if it's a weekly workshop, 'today we're going to do this' followed by photos and explanation so we can sit the laptop next to the workbench and follow the post...  

One thing to point out if I may? The etches for this kit are supplied in nickel silver, not brass. If you've not worked with nickel silver before then you'll find it a revelation compared to brass. It accepts solder easier (partly - mainly? - because it doesn't conduct the heat away so fast). If you've done some etched brass soldering of wagon chassis and carriage bogies then it should not be beyond your capabilities. Just steady as you go, taking each joint in turn.

 

Meanwhile, a significant milestone was reached today with the successful marriage of boiler and chassis / footplate:

 

post-16151-0-09167900-1539186681_thumb.jpg

I'll post some more details later (still en route back home at the moment) but a very enjoyable joint session with Mr King the resin-meister resulted in this. All coming together very agreeably. Talking of Warley, both Graeme King and myself will also be demo-ing at the show and we plan to have the loco as shown (possibly with an assembled Mike Edge etched tender replacing the stand-in Bachmann one) available for examination on Graeme's stand.

Edited by LNER4479
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Looks utterly gorgeous!

 

 

One thing to point out if I may? The etches for this kit are supplied in nickel silver, not brass. If you've not worked with nickel silver before then you'll find it a revelation compared to brass. It accepts solder easier (partly - mainly? - because it doesn't conduct the heat away so fast). If you've done some etched brass soldering of wagon chassis and carriage bogies then it should not be beyond your capabilities. Just steady as you go, taking each joint in turn.

 

Meanwhile, a significant milestone was reached today with the successful marriage of boiler and chassis / footplate:

 

attachicon.gifDSC04577a.JPG

I'll post some more details later (still en route back home at the moment) but a very enjoyable joint session with Mr King the resin-meister resulted in this. All coming together very agreeably. Talking of Warley, both Graeme King and myself will also be demo-ing at the show and we plan to have the loco as shown (possibly with an assembled Mike Edge etched tender replacing the stand-in Bachmann one) available for examination on Graeme's stand.

 

Didn't realise it was nickel silver- looking forward to having a go with it.

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Looks utterly gorgeous!

 

 

 

Didn't realise it was nickel silver- looking forward to having a go with it.

The only really tricky bit is the footplate which is built on a jig. Take care with that and the chassis : the rest is relatively easy.

I almost always design for nickel silver. It is slightly more difficult to bend than brass and about 10% more expensive but the advantage of ease of soldering is worth in IMHO.

 

NIck

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One thing to point out if I may? The etches for this kit are supplied in nickel silver, not brass. If you've not worked with nickel silver before then you'll find it a revelation compared to brass. It accepts solder easier (partly - mainly? - because it doesn't conduct the heat away so fast). If you've done some etched brass soldering of wagon chassis and carriage bogies then it should not be beyond your capabilities. Just steady as you go, taking each joint in turn.

 

Meanwhile, a significant milestone was reached today with the successful marriage of boiler and chassis / footplate:

 

attachicon.gifDSC04577a.JPG

I'll post some more details later (still en route back home at the moment) but a very enjoyable joint session with Mr King the resin-meister resulted in this. All coming together very agreeably. Talking of Warley, both Graeme King and myself will also be demo-ing at the show and we plan to have the loco as shown (possibly with an assembled Mike Edge etched tender replacing the stand-in Bachmann one) available for examination on Graeme's stand.

I just knew it would look that good. Beauty.

Phil

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