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J M Design MGWR 2-4-0 Test build.


John M
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I thought it would be worth-while posting what is hopefully the final test build of this loco, before I release the production version. I have made a number of amendments to the design including adding (non-working) inside valve gear since producing the initial study model in 2014 . The masters for the detail castings are currently with the casters so all going well the production version will be available in early 2019.

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Loco & tender chassis fret.

The majority of people who model Irish broad gauge railways in 4mm work to OO gauge. The chassis is designed to allow the alternatives of simple fold up assembly as a rigid chassis in OO gauge, or in 21mm gauge with conventional etched L frame spacers as a rigid, sprung or beam compensated chassis.

 

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Loco chassis, valve gear sub assembly and rear frame spacer.

 

The valve gear is based on the Beyer peacock of the MGWR D Class 2-4-0 supplied in the 1880, available information  of the 650 K Class is basically limited to a MGWR/GSR weight diagram from the 1920s. 

 

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Slide bar and valve gear assembly

 

Designing the gear to fit a OO gauge loco was challenging, I chickened out of modelling dummy let alone working cranks which opens up the possibility of a motor driving on the driving axle so to speak. The slide bars are basically fold up assemblies that slot through the rear of the cylinders and into the motion bracket, the con-rods and Stephensons gear are aligned with pins which hopefully are not to noticeable when the loco is assembled and painted.

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Basic loco chassis

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Chassis assembled with Romford wheels. Brakegear to be added

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Tender chassis fret with OO fold-up frame spacers.

 

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Tender chassis with Romford wheels.  The tender is designed on the Sharman Bogie principal with the leading axles floating and weight of the tender carried by the loco drawbar and tender rear axle.

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Basic loco and tender chassis.

 

The build picked up a few blupers mainly half etching a some fold lines from the wrong side which are easily corrected before the loco goes into production.

 

Kits of this nature are traditionally supplied without wheels gears and motors, while it would be feasible to supply the loco as a complete kit this would be likely to involve significant additional costs, (shipping & potential VAT liability) compared with the buyer sourcing the necessary components in the UK. 

 

John

Edited by John M
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  • 2 weeks later...

Completed basic chassis assembly incl. brake gear, reversing lever, and guard irons. 

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 Valve gear is a bit crowded when the loco is assembled to OO gauge! The kit is also supplied with frame spacers, motion bracket and cylinder covers suitable for 21mm gauge.

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I usually assemble brake gear as a separate sub assembly to simplify painting/chassis maintenance.

 

And now to the body!

 

The kit is supplied with parts to assemble the loco with a superheated or saturated boiler in post 1918 condition and includes a choice of MGWR canopy cab, GSR Inchacore style cab with circular or rectangular spectacle plates, flush and riveted smokeboxes for saturated and superheated locos, alternative MGWR cast iron & Inchacore built up chimneys and laminated or volute springs for the leading axle.

 

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The running plate valence and buffer beams are designed to be folded in up in one piece to provide a base for the running plate and buffer beam overlays.

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I attached the running plate overlay by temporarily bolting the overlay in place at the smokebox end and working backwards dressing the overlay around the curved valence using a small paintbrush handle before bolting down at the drag beam end. I sweated the overlay in place, but gluing with superglue should be feasible as an alternative.

 

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I decided to assemble the loco in late MGWR early GSR condition with canopy cab.

 

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I used the spectacle plate as a template for forming the cab side sheets and roof.

 

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Starting to look like a MGWR loco!

 

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Boiler firebox smokebox  sub assembly.

 

A distinctive feature of smaller Midland locos was that the smokebox finished flush with the boiler cladding quite different from GNR(I) and GSWR practice.

 

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The boiler is rolled from brass sheet with rebates for the boiler bands engraved  and holes for handrail knobs formed, firebox is pre-formed.

 

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Boiler and smokebox are designed as bolt together sub assemblies, disc helps align sub assemblies. I was tempted to form the disc as a tubeplate but would weaken the assembly, plus different tube plates saturated and superheated locos. :O

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Smoke box assembly. The kit includes short flush riveted smokebox for saturated and extended riveted smokebox for superheated locos. I originally designed the extended smokebox to be assembled in either flush or snap head riveted form by embossing from the reverse side, but not really a workable option for modelers without a riveting tool and a set of rolls.

 

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Assembled smokebox, I surprised myself the wrapper worked out correct length and width to fit the former.

 

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Starting to look like a loco though the boiler fittings are a bit pissed.

 

Almost looks like a Stirling loco with a dome. 

 

The round canopy cabs were unpopular with enginemen and replace with Inchacore style cabs in GSR days.

 

I will probably finish this loco in MGWR livery on 21mm gauge with beam compensated chassis

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I will just outline the tender assembly without getting into a blow by blow account of its construction.

 

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The tender can be assembled in MGWR condition with coal rails or later GSR/CIE condition with solid GSWR style coal plates, there is also the option of tender rear steps as fitted to some locos in CIE days.

 

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Tender superstructure basically breaks down into three main sub assemblies.

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Completed tender with coal rails.

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Loco and tender with production chimney. dome and safety valve castings.

 

I hope to post photos of completed locos in MGWR & late GSR condition within the next two weeks and have information on release date and pricing.

 

I am planning to follow up with a MGWR L Class/CIE J19 standard goods with superheated boiler in late GSR/CIE condition at some stage in 2019 (I need a couple for my own layout!) https://transportsofdelight.smugmug.com/RAILWAYS/IRISH-RAILWAYS/CORAS-IOMPAIR-EIREANN-STEAM/i-87MgP3C/A

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  • 5 weeks later...

 

Test builds nearly complete, some minor changes to the artwork to get the cab interior to fit and I had forgotten the ashpan sides leaving a lot of daylight in the area between the driving wheels!

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657 (MGWR 33 Arrow) as rebuilt with superheated boiler in1925, before receiving a saturated (original style) boiler and presumably GSR cab in 1939, rebuilt with CIE Y superheated belpair boiler 1953!

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Loco is on a OO Chassis. Funnily enough I have only found a photo of one superheated loco (23 Sylph) in this condition fitted with tender coal rails. Which indicates that at this time coal was of high quality and the superheated locos very economic of coal and water which was the whole point of the exercise.

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654 late GSR/CIE condition.  Originally MGWR 23 Sylph this loco went through four re-builds/changes of boiler between 1924 & 1959 and eventually ended up with a Y Class superheated Belpair boiler the model covers the 1939-59 period.

I assembled this loco lat week in a bit of a hurry and haven't bolted the back end of the loco to the chassis with the cab sitting a bit high.

The kit includes parts to build the loco with either MGWR or GSR/CIE condition including alternate cabs, boiler fittings, leading axle springs, tender coal rails or coal plates. 

There was a lot of detail variation between individual locos as the class was overhauled/re-built by the GSR & CIE particularly around cab handrail location and rivet detail.

Handrail and rivet locations are half etched on the inside of the cab side sheets and drilled out or embossed to taste by the builder.

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3/4 front view 21mm gauge loco.

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21mm Chassis with inside valve gear & Mashima motor & Hi-Level Road-Runner+gear box fitted. I have assembled the chassis with an equalising beam suspension system rather than as a compensated or sprung chassis for comparison.

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Rear view of the chassis, I seem to have mislaid the gear wheel for the final drive! Motor is an old stock Mashima 12x20, the 10X20 motor is considered to be a better motor and currently available through High Level.

Gear ratios are pretty much a personal thing the 650 Class were mixed traffic rather than express passenger locos, 40:1 or 53:1 should provide reasonable torque and range of speed for these locos.

Wheels are vintage Mike Sharman and unfortunately no longer available, Alan Gibson Workshops supply suitable wheels to an EM or S4 profile and extended 1/8" driving axles.

Edited by John M
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Very nice. It would take a bit of time to build, 

The research, design work and writing the instructions are the most time consuming part, assembling the kits took up 20-30% of the time that went into the project. 

 

I started to assemble 654 last Wednesday and completed the basic assembly and detailing by Friday afternoon probably about 20 hours all-up, this compares reasonably well with the time required to assemble, paint and decal a composite whitemetal and brass kit like a DJH Black 5 4-6-0 or Comet 2MT 2-6-0 in OO.

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Sorry, but isn't the point of the hobby to spend some time away from work, tv, cleaning or whatever in order to fiddle with something enjoyable? The fact that one might see red now and then when some of those tiny bits don't fit/ melt together/shoot off onto the floor is another matter.....

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  • 3 months later...

I expect to start shipping these kits from 25th February. I am currently finalising the instructions.

 

Two separate kits are now available:

1. MGWR early GSR condition with solid valences and can be assembled with MGWR pattern canopy cab or GSR style cab, superheated or saturated boiler, MGWR or GSR boiler fittings, tender coal rails or side plates.

2. Late GSR/CIE condition slotted valences, GSR style cab, superheated or saturated boiler, GSR boiler fittings, tender coal rails or side plates.

 

Wheels, gears, motor, pick up wire/strip, spacing washers, paint, decals, number and name plates required to complete the locomotive.

 

For those that have not already placed an order a small number of kits are available at $250NZ plus $30NZ shipping.

 

 

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John

 

Congratulations - she's a thing of great beauty - even without the Flyaway cab!

 

I must look up Bob Clements' notes to see how they made the switch from Flyaway to the rounded version on the earlier model. It appears that some of the nice curves of the original cab were retained?

 

What are you going to blow us away with next?

 

Leslie

 

 

 

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On 23/02/2019 at 13:52, leslie10646 said:

John

 

Congratulations - she's a thing of great beauty - even without the Flyaway cab!

 

I must look up Bob Clements' notes to see how they made the switch from Flyaway to the rounded version on the earlier model. It appears that some of the nice curves of the original cab were retained?

 

What are you going to blow us away with next?

 

Leslie

 

 

 

 

Leslie

 

How could I possibly respond to such flattery.

 

 

 

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GSWR 52 Class 4-4-0.

 

Mainly designed during my daughters Saturday morning music lessons. The artwork for the loco superstructure and chassis is at quite an advanced stage.

 

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What an elegant machine! All legs and little boiler.

Hearty congratulations on your completion of the MGWR 2-4-0! I hope it sold well. Wonderful to have well thought through kits coming on the market. My vote goes for the the GSWR 0-4-4 well tank next, if we can keep you on the roll.......  '

I hope you daughter loves her music and keeps at it a long time.

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16 hours ago, merlinxlili2 said:

What an elegant machine! All legs and little boiler.

Hearty congratulations on your completion of the MGWR 2-4-0! I hope it sold well. Wonderful to have well thought through kits coming on the market. My vote goes for the the GSWR 0-4-4 well tank next, if we can keep you on the roll.......  '

I hope you daughter loves her music and keeps at it a long time.

Thanks Robert

 

I am planning to release a Midland Standard (J19) goods and possibly an Achill Bogie rather than a further GSWR loco as a follow up to the 52 Class though the GSWR 0-4-4 back tanks sure were pretty locomotives.

 

The Midland locos fit in more with my personal long term plans and I already have the patterns for most of the detail castings in stock from the 2-4-0

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  • 10 months later...

I had some name and number plates for the locos in MGWR condition prepared in connection with a commission and my own personal use, the running numbers were engraved as a splasher overlay to simplify installation. 

 

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Just spotted this thread. One thing I’m curious about looking at the chassis construction is if you’ve allowed the leading axle to deflect? I found I couldn’t get any real traction on mine without doing this. Here’s mine, O gauge with a flyaway cab.

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Edited by Northroader
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On 09/01/2020 at 01:42, Northroader said:

Just spotted this thread. One thing I’m curious about looking at the chassis construction is if you’ve allowed the leading axle to deflect? I found I couldn’t get any real traction on mine without doing this. Here’s mine, O gauge with a flyaway cab.

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Very nice I am tempted to build a loco with a flyaway cab.

 

The kit is designed to be assembled with either a rigid loco chassis or the builders choice of suspension, and a weighted tender with floating leading and middle axles to increase traction.

 

The two locos in MGWR condition were built in OO with rigid chassis and hauled 9 4w wagons under test with 70gm lead in the tender, I still have to add weight to the locos.

 

 

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