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I think it's a quirk of the software/shapeways Dave - if you click "3D" on the image you can rotate it by dragging across it. The cylinders (x2) and motion (non working) looks to be a separate part which can be slid into the correct position behind the boiler. 

 

Anyway, you raise a good point about 3D printing - I'm not overly keen either. Not that this is a thread on the subject - I'm sure there's hundreds so apologies for the hijack. The prototype pictured above looks much more appealing. Not sure about a source for six spoke driving wheels though. Perhaps someone could 3D print you some centres?:D 

 

Paul A. 

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The crane tank chassis is running but needs the crank pins to be cut down and the brake gear to be fitted, as well as the rods and wheels given a lick of paint.

cranetank2-1.jpg.7a0e31eaea44382e239bb30400fa9bcc.jpg

The wheels were in unopened Gibson packets but for whatever reason were a slack fit on the axles, so they couldn't be pressed on, or quartered using the usual (I've forgotten the name of the maker) wheel press/quartering jig. In stead they are soldered on using low-melt solder. The first axle was done to approximately 90 degrees and on the second axle one wheel was soldered on. The rods were fitted and the whole lot was allowed to run up and down a length of track, so I then knew the last wheel had got itself quartered. This was then soldered on.

cranetank2-2.jpg.f776638dc25bc75c9b8a7b0c402724aa.jpg

The axles were made by the Gittins Patent Insulated Axle Co. at their Braynerts works.

Edited by Ruston
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On 09/07/2019 at 18:19, Ruston said:

An interesting prototype but I have yet to be convinced by 3D-printing. From what I've seen the surface is either like sandpaper or has visible layers where the machine has laid down the plastic. It doesn't exactly fill me with confidence when the illustration is a 'digital preview' rather than a photo of an actual model that the designer has finished, or at least printed.

 

I have ideas for an even more unusual loco but fitting a motor, and obtaining the correct diameter wheels is an issue.

cochrane-1.jpg.bbdbab432d0c0075a31b39152bb01466.jpg

One of at least 3 (possibly as many as 5) built by Cochrane & Co. at the Ormesby iron works. Although it looks like one It isn't a vertical boiler but is a Brown boiler (Brown & Co. ,Winterthur, Switzerland) that has horizontal tubes in the short part to the right. The main part is the firebox at the lower part with the upper part acting as a huge steam dome.

The two thirty six ton swl steam cranes ordered by the GWR from Ransome & Rapier were originally fitted with this type of boiler. 

Later on in their life they were fitted with conventional vertical boilers.

 

Gordon A

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cranetank2-3.jpg.6ffe1eec2637e15f8c7c097dd48cafe5.jpg

As it stands at the close of play, today. The only part that I used from the old crane is the large gear wheel. I didn't like the cab that I made and so fitted the kit cab but the thick walls looked horrible, so these are covered by an in-service modification of the addition of wooden planks being fitted as cab sides. Because there is such a large rear overhang I have tried to get as much weight as possible to the front so the additional buffer blocks are made from brass at the front but plasticard at the rear. For the same reason I made a new cab roof from plasticard. A small amount of lead has been put in the space in rear of the smokebox.

 

I have used up all of my etch primer spray so will need to get some more before I can paint the brake parts and the rods. I don't usually paint the rods but they will be painted red on this occasion. I also need to make sandboxes to go under the running plate, forward of the smokebox as the SECR boxes supplied can't be fitted because of the slewing engine.

 

Ah yes, the slewing engine... I'm still thinking about how to do that; watch this space.

Edited by Ruston
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1 hour ago, sir douglas said:

maybe ask Giles about it, he could advise on little motors and maybe some radio control stuff small enough to fit in the boiler

No, Sam, It's only going to be cosmetic and I don't think that even Giles could make this work. There really isn't the space for anything at all in there. Don't forget that this is 4mm. Making just the cosmetic engine is going to be difficult enough as it's got to look as if it is an engine and not just a couple of tubes, which the hoist engine casting that comes with the kit looks like.

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I have found some photos that show the engine from angles other than the side.

slewingengine.jpg.11dc7aedf9f4149f6bfdfe4f8dfc7dfc.jpg

Two plates at either end of a block of plasticard for the cylinders and some pieces of rod and strip for the waggly bits ought to do it, I reckon.

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Well, it's not exact but it's not bad considering it's done from a photo and without a drawing. Also that it's under 12mm tall.

cranetank2-4.jpg.4268555016ffa723b69963edd864829b.jpg

All plasticard and strip construction with inital coat of red oxide primer.

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Today I threw together a collection of random parts, plus a bit of scratchbuilding, to make this runner/.P.W. /re-railing wagon to go with the crane tank.

cranetankrunner-1.jpg.ba3aeb25a8fcf64d334ac2de28188c7d.jpg

It needs sleepers, chairs, chains, tools etc, to finish it.

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Just a minor point Ruston, the loop on top of the boiler for the crane hook - in real life what would it be screwed into?

I think screwing into the boiler would be a no-no.

Apart from the boiler itself the cladding is very thin and the loop would be pulled out on the first bit of rough track.

 

How about a couple chains secured to a strap down the backs of the side tanks?

 

Gordon A

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6 hours ago, Gordon A said:

Just a minor point Ruston, the loop on top of the boiler for the crane hook - in real life what would it be screwed into?

I think screwing into the boiler would be a no-no.

Apart from the boiler itself the cladding is very thin and the loop would be pulled out on the first bit of rough track.

 

How about a couple chains secured to a strap down the backs of the side tanks?

 

Gordon A

I don't know, Gordon. I'm only going by the photo of the Stobcross crane tank on the previous page, and that the kit instructions show that the loop has to be fitted there. There's no reason why it couldn't have been welded or riveted to the boiler, rather than being screwed in.

 

The wagon with added P.W. stuff. The pickaxe head belonged to the driver of the crane tank until he was plucked from the obscurity of the Airfix track gang and was promoted. What it really needs are some jacks for re-railing and P.W. work. Does anyone sell such things or is it scratchbuilding again?

pwwagon2.jpg.8bfa0eda02f4166f9aa49cc0ac90d9eb.jpg

A van and a wagon capable of carrying 30ft. lengths of rail is in order next.

 

pwwagon1.jpg.6dc057c1fd3fb3c4889e1c1563eea6e4.jpg

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51 minutes ago, mike morley said:

GEM did/does re-railing jacks

Thanks, Mike. I've just googled those and it's difficult to tell the size of them and they don't look to be any better than I can make for myself anyway. I'd still need to make the P.W. jacks as they're very different. It's a long time since I used one but I remember them being a ratchet thing and having a sort of foot that stuck out to the side so they could get under a rail on in-situ track so that it could be lifted and ballast packed under it.

 

I've also just remembered these re-railing ramps that I must have had for getting on for 20 years and have never used and haven't even painted them until now. They are cast resin and were for O-14 narrow gauge and so are about the right size for 4mm standard gauge for use with the type of small engines on the CVMR. I've seen some full size standard gauge ramps at the Tanfield railway and they're very similar in design.

 

ramps-004.jpg.9076f413f50dde7d1dc68f51fa92a7dc.jpg

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1 minute ago, Regularity said:

How did they get the keys to stay in the chairs, without the rail being present?

:unsure:

Magic? There doesn't appear to be any keys in there, except for the single chair and that's the last of about a dozen C&L chairs that 5050 gave to me. Half of those disintegrated when I tried to cut the keys off and since this is my last one I thought I'd just leave it as it is. I was quite surprised to find that P4 modellers don't fit seperate keys. :lol:

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Joking apart, I am surprised that no one has produced castings/mouldings of just a chair, to be used as scenic items: they were often neatly stacked for future use. And not so neatly piled after recovery from other use.

 

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Next in the erecting shop is this Manning Wardle Class F kit. It's by Chivers Slimrails, which is a manufacturer that I have never had any experience of before. The whitemetal castings have a little flash but are otherwise crisp and the lost wax castings look excellent. Most class F had 2ft. 9in. diameter wheels but a few had 3ft and as that's the smallest MW pattern wheel available that's what it will have to be.

cansandstuff-003.jpg.021e3e8544b6226751c422223a9280c9.jpg

The instructions for motorising it mean nothing to me and I'll be looking to find which High Level gearbox will fit. Some of the parts are surplus as the kit is intended to build Wantage Tramway No.7, with it's non-standard fully-enclosed cab. Needless to say that I'll be building it as the Boyne Engine Works intended.

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I've put the Class F kit back in its box and started on the 'Tin tab' brake van kit that I bought from Sandhole a few pages ago. The problem is that I have run out of coupling hooks and have also got several unfinished kits, RTR and second hand purchases of wagon stock that also need couplings. The last time I looked, Smiths hooks cost £7.20 for a pack of 20 and then there's the cost of the links, so I've borrowed a former to make links and have invested £7 in having a new cutter for the pantograph ground to just 0.7mm so I can make my own hooks. I could have done it without but drilling holes in brass using a pin vice is tedious and I'd have blisters on my fingers.

 

hooks-1.jpg.32b7043435d2c995534bd0598848d675.jpg

That is the master pattern to 16x finished size. From this will be made 10 4x size styrene patterns so that I can make 10 brass hooks at a time with just one tool change. I have made the shank much shorter and narrower than those on Smiths couplings as I find it tiresome to have to cut them down and then file the shank so that it fits through the slot in a buffer beam or headstock. I don't ever fit my couplings with springs anyway. Once I've made the patterns I'll never have to buy hooks again and I can buy a sheet of cartridge brass that is large enough to produce 100 hooks for £16.

Edited by Ruston
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