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Dave Bradwell J27

 

I bought this kit some time ago, and we decided that it would make a nice addition to the motive power available for South Pelaw. Of course now that Oxford Rail have announced an RTR J27 we will have other options. I have a Dave Bradwell Q6 to build at some point, and it will be interesting to compare with Hornby's version. No one else seems to have documented a build of this kit for EM gauge, so here we go ...

 

It's going to be 65871, which was a Sunderland engine that appeared at South Pelaw at least once in the 1950s, appears to have retained a Diagram 57 boiler with long smokebox to withdrawal, and had a 4-rail tender in the early 60s. If anyone has any further information or photos, I would be very grateful.

 

The instructions recommend starting with the tender. As with Dave's other kits the kit goes together very nicely and the springing leads to very slick running -- I am a veteran of 9 x Consett-Tyne dock iron ore wagons, a couple of single bolsters, and several hoppers and hopper chassis, but this is the first of his loco kits that I have built. All completed except for the brake gear.

 
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The only problem I had with the tender was with the internal frames, which I initially fitted outside the tender tank. However this provide only just enough clearance for an EM wheelset and I was worried about the potential for shorts. However, they have holes to locate the rods on which the brake blocks hang, as well as supporting the ends of the axlebox springs, so couldn't be simply removed. Instead I cut them into three pieces, and relocated the middle section inside the water tank, using 0.45mm rods to make sure everything was nicely aligned.
 
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The kit was an earlier version, with a fold up chassis. I was somewhat nervous about the instructions for EM gauge modellers than involved crushing the chassis in a vice to obtain the correct chassis width, so I wrote to Dave, who now does an updated chassis etch. This has spacers for EM, and provision for full suspension. The next job is to embark on the chassis, and then find a suitable gearbox that will fit between the bearings.
 
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Dave Bradwell J27

 

The last couple of days have seen the chassis fall together really well. The spacers required a fair bit of fettling until they were the right size (the instructions recommend 14 mm), square, and a smooth fit. The chassis was then taped together and tweaked until flat and square; I have a long piece of brass bar that was used to ensure that both halves of the chassis were exactly aligned with horn cheeks at right angles to the chassis before the spacers were tack soldered in place. This felt very risky compared to my usual approach with a jig -- we will see in due course how successful this stage has been. At least the chassis is 15 mm wide, which should be just right. And it is not banana shaped.

 

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Next stage has been the footplate and valances. This was surprisingly time consuming to prepare, along with the overlay. One of the valances went on fine, the other (the first) was a nightmare of bending and heat expansion.

 

Modellers working to EM gauge are advised to remove the back of the splashers, which was a delicate operation. At least I only broke one fretsaw blade in the process.

 

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The overlay includes some very fine detail, and has not yet been fixed.

 

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So far this has been an absorbing, time consuming, and extremely satisfying kit to build.

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  • 1 month later...

Dave Bradwell J27

 

A short update, in case anyone reads this stuff.

 

The footplate and cab have been assembled, without any major traumas. The fold-up assembly for the sandboxes in the cab was very difficult to get square, so I disassembled it into several pieces, which were then soldered nice and squared to get a good fit.

 

J27cab.jpg.f55fb7f0784e647178137f4f4a08b5f9.jpg

 

The boiler and smokebox were rolled using the steel-bar-on-thigh method, which was broadly successful. There is a slight flat on one part of underneath of the boiler, which is annoying but should be invisible. The reverse curves on the smokebox were tricky (as predicted in the instructions), and I had to remove some material behind the splasher/sandbox so that the frame extensions fit. Here it is, temporarily in bolted in place. I like the look of the longer smokebox, which will hopefully distinguish it from the OxfordRail models.

J27body.jpg.76d9a9af811bc9c053b73d5ee437eefe.jpg

 

There has been some progress with the chassis too. I have assembled the dummy inside motion, but need to decide how to fit it. I'm not going to try and make it work (though this is tempting). It could fit on the central axle, but I suspect this will be problematic, and at the moment I plan to have it suspended in space, as has been done for a 7mm J27 -- http://www.raymondwalley.com/loco/other/j27.html. Any other thoughts would be very welcome!

 

J27valveGear.jpg.2a02a256ca1c766a22040bc844977419.jpg

 

The next problem is to fettle the bearings and hornguides to accommodate a gearbox, most likely to be a High Level RoadRunner, or a RoadRunner+ if I'm prepared to file down the bearings. Again, thoughts and opinions would be welcome.

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Looking good Richard.

 

I've managed to get away with the Loadhauler+ on the N10 after some advice from Chris G.  If you're putting the motor in the firebox you'll be better off with your choice of gearbox given the tight space.  I had to file the axleboxes / hornblocks to fit the gearbox in but the axle now has enough room to rock from side to side etc.  The only issue I have is that at certain angles the gearbox catches on the hornguides, but that is not a problem for my eventual gearbox / motor position.

 

Good luck with the inside motion!

 

Joe

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  • 1 month later...

Dave Bradwell J27

 

So it is now starting to look like the finished article -- obviously there are still some details to add, and sprung drivers will bring the locomotive footplate in line with the tender. However, so far so good, and I can report that this is still a very enjoyable kit to build. I also love the slightly pugnacious look that the longer smokebox gives.

 

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One of the reasons it is such fun is the sheer quality of the castings and etches, and the ease with which it all goes together. There is an additional cast weight that fits inside the backhead casting, and shaped weights for the firebox.

 

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To my immense relief, a trial fit of wheels to the chassis went well. Despite a tight fit of coupling rods to crankpin bushes, everything rotates very smoothly. I don't think this has ever happened to me before. I'm sure it is down to the kit design , although I have made extensive use of a large-ish square and digital callipers in an attempt to keep everything true.

 

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For anyone else building one of these kits, I have used a High Level RoadRunner gearbox with 45:1 reduction, and have a Mashima 1620 lined up for it. This will fit vertically in the firebox. Fitting the gearbox required a fair bit of surgery to the etching for the dummy springs, but it all fits nicely now.

 

J27chassis3.jpg.6bbc1dcc12ab0d7fd133e8e9df04d3b6.jpg

 

Next on the menu will be springing the chassis, adding weight to the body, and fitting all the various details.

Edited by RichardClayton
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  • 2 months later...

Well it has been a while, but some progress has been made -- the chassis is sprung, and everything rotates smoothly. The details are gradually being added, and hopefully next time I will report on progress under power.J27assembled.jpg.c879da99d689065ade7e856fba857395.jpg

 

I rather like the look of the long smokebox. The gap at the front will be covered in due course by a frame extension.

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  • 3 months later...

I have taken some time off the J27 to convert a Bachmann Ivatt to EM, but over the last couple of weekends I have put some more time in on the J27. Here it is, all ready for a clean before I add handrails, safety valves and whistle, and apply primer. I have suspended the inside motion from wire attached to the frame spacer behind the centre wheels. It looks great in the chassis, but is not really visible once the body is on. At least I know it is there, and I have not attempted to make it work!

 

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Over the years I have tended to use fluxite paste as flux for soldering. I have found that phosphoric acid tends to get dripped, and other fluxes can be corrosive unless you clean them off immediately after use. Fluxite and clean metal seem to be a great combination. However, it is a paste and models often end up with a greasy residue in corners, which attracts filings and glass fibre fragments. I have tried various ways of cleaning is -- white spirit, petrol (!), detergents etc. All work quite well, but I have recently found that degreasers sold for cleaning bike chains do a fantastic job without the risk of accidental immolation. I'm a keen cyclist, but it took years to make the connection between the stuff in the garage and my modelling activities. I've been using this stuff, which is a thick foam that is good for getting into corners with a stiff brush.

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It is a lovely kit, but I imagine the chassis  might have been more of a challenge in OO. Everything fits reasonably well in EM, but it is complex and time consuming to assemble. The sprung chassis feels spongy, in a nice way :), and I am looking forward to powering it up and seeing how it manages to negotiate the point work on South Pelaw.

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  • 1 year later...

One pandemic later, I have finally got round to adding the boiler fittings, brake gear, handrails, and electrics. It goes, at least in a straight line, and soon it will be time to dismantle, clean, and paint.

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It’s looking the part — and will be 65871 sporting a long smokebox and diag 57 boiler, based on a 1961 photo that can be found here https://rcts.zenfolio.com/steam-lner/j-0-6-0/j27/hA10483A6#ha10483a6

 

 

Edited by RichardClayton
Fix typos.
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I obtained one of Dave Bradwell’s revised chassis etches. I wasn’t all that keen on the squeeze and hope approach, and the newer etch went together nicely.

 

In today’s developments, it has been dismantled, cleaned with jif and bike degreaser, and dried out ready for priming with Halfords etch primer if it warms up enough today.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

The J27 is now primed with etching primer, and while the etching business was going on I was sidetracked into building a Parkside Trestle wagon from the stash.

 

I’ve built one of these before, and the kit is a little misleading because standard Plate wagon sides are provided, whereas all the photos of Trestle EAs I have seen have a plain side at the foot of the trestle. I fabricated this from plastic strip. The chain pockets on the other side are provided, but I decided to make these too.


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Buffers are Lanarkshire Models. The coupling hooks are in nickel silver from Exactoscale and are things of beauty, as are the instanter links from the same source.
 

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From this photo it looks like there is still some tidying up to do. And of course the trestle is going to be fixed down once painting is complete.

 

I took a delivery of some wagon goodies from HA models this week, which included some more 16 tonners, and I discovered a hidden stash of ABS 9’ brake gear — so odds are even on whether the next entry here is wagon or loco related ...

 

Edited by RichardClayton
The coupling hooks are Exactoscale ...
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  • 2 weeks later...

A couple of coats of paint and some Railtec transfers later, here is a test assembly of the J27 loco and tender. I’m not 100% happy with the paint finish, and I hope the very slight orange peel will vanish once a layer of dirt is applied. The re-insertion of the tender wheels was quite tricky, as was the re-assembly of the loco chassis. There is still some way to go; fitting a DCC chip, glazing, buffers, smokebox number plate, cab details, crew, coal, and so on. I’m also planning a tarpaulin folded on the cab roof. But I do feel we are getting there.

 

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As well as the J27 and introducing some variety, I’ve also been working on some North Eastern signals for a friend. These use MSE components, with a home made bracket scaled from photos. Again, these aren’t quite complete, but look the part I think.

 

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  • 1 month later...

The Trestle wagon is now nearly finished -- just need to fix the trestles in place, add some chains and maybe a load. I'm quite pleased with the overall finish though, despite the slightly wobbly TRESTLE lettering. The transfers are a mixture of HMRS and ancient and rejuvenated Woodhead. The number may not be completely correct -- it is right for a Plate, and among a batch that were (according to David Larkin) converted to Trestles. So it is plausible. And will anyone notice?

 

 

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I have also started on a new project to turn a cheap eBay purchase ....

 

IMG_0645.jpeg.69805aadd3895dec8e29fd130685f8c8.jpeg

 

... into a better representation of J94 68038, which spent time at Blaydon and Tyne Dock sheds, so could plausibly have made it to South Pelaw. The first part, as is often the case with RTR enhancements, has been complete deconstruction, and it was considerably more drastic than usual this time.

 

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Gulp. But the horrid seam along the saddle tank has gone, and I have been greatly helped and encouraged by Ruston's thread that covers a similar conversion -- 

 -- many thanks to all who contributed to this thread. The reconstruction stage has begun already, with an RT models chassis kit that made up really nicely.

 

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With a bunch of RT models etchings and castings to come.

 

 

Richard

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  • 4 weeks later...

Some progress to report on the J94 -- the chassis fits underneath the body nicely, and the RT models castings look the part. The steps and handrails are also an improvement on the Hornby offering. I made a new boiler to fit underneath the tank from brass, after several futile efforts to shape plasticard to a consistent radius. It is lined with tissue soaked in epoxy to reduce the likelihood of fried DCC decoders. Lots more detail to add, and I'm starting to enjoy this :-).

 

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  • 3 months later...

So now we are getting close to the end. Here are the component parts. The opening in the firebox is quite small, so the gearbox needs to tip up so the motor can sit snugly in the boiler. I’ve therefore kept the cab and boiler/saddle tank assemblies separate.

 

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The gubbins in the bottom of the boiler is lead wrapped in tape, with some gaffer tape for extra insulation — I’ve had some expensive experiences with fried DCC chips in metal locos and am now rather paranoid.

 

All the different parts slot together as Hornby intended. The RT models chassis is held in place by a plasticard keeper plate on the rear buffer beam and secured by an 8 BA bolt at the front.

 

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There are some final jobs still to do — sand pipes, brake gear, coupling hooks, and surface fettling. But she’s looking very purposeful, runs well on the rolling road, and is off to Tyneside for an outing on South Pelaw this weekend. If all goes well then the paint shop beckons …

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Degreaser worked well on etched brass and nickel silver — but I’m a bit wary of deploying it on the J94 in case it damages the plastic. I’ll probably go down the more traditional detergent route.

 

Today’s outing on South Pelaw was encouraging — 21 loaded 21T hoppers were managed satisfactorily, and the slow speed running was very pleasing. An attempt take all of the wagons up the bank towards Consett was less successful — but given the normal load without a banker was 7 x 21T hoppers, perhaps this failure was fairly prototypical.

 

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The next project will be a Dave Bradwell WD 2-8-0, acquired as part of an estate disposed of over on Tony Wright’s thread. I’ve wanted to build one of these kits for a while, and today’s visit enabled me to take a look at 90074, which is a Bachmann conversion I did a few years ago, and so is bit of a benchmark.

 

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It’s a superb runner, looks the part, and is a reliable exhibition loco. It also pulls the 21 x 21T hoppers up the bank without any trouble.
 

So why build the kit? The Bachmann model is very good, but close up some of the deficiencies become apparent. The footplate detail is just a bit chunky, the smokebox door joint is very visible, and the cab and tender sides are noticeably thick.

 

 

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Having built a number of Dave’s wagon kits as well as the J27, I’m looking forward to the new project, but I’m also expecting it to take a while. But the prospect of a side by side comparison with 90074 is an intriguing one.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Work on the Bradwell WD has begun with the fold up chassis. I have ended up with something that appears to be square and flat, which is a relief. The nickel silver inner chassis folds in a U shape, and the brass outer chassis sides then fit on the outside.

 

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The outer chassis pieces locate using holes for the brake hangers, which need to be enlarged for EM, to take account of the difference in width of the U bend compared to P4. Keeping everything square was quite a challenge, as was ensuring a close fit. The instructions aim for an outside width of 15.6 mm for EM, a getting close was quite a struggle.

 

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The multiple G clamps provided a huge heat sink, so it was out with the 40 W iron.

 

Adding the remaining frame spacers was something of a challenge too. Unusually, the instructions and diagrams are a bit vague. I am hugely grateful to Ian C over on Western Thunder, who is documenting his build of a Bradwell WD in P4 — as well as some really helpful photos, there’s a lot in here about a thorough engineering approach to building this kit. This is preceded by an account of constructing a 8F model in scale seven, which looks like a fantastic model.

 

Here are pics of the front and back end. The drag box at the back is awkward to fit, and in defiance of the instructions I fitted the spring retainers for the front axle before the bottom spacer. Goodness knows how I would have fitted them otherwise. So thinking and planning ahead seems to be key.

 

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Hi Richard, I bought the other Bradwell WD from the same collection so I am very interested to see how you get along. Unfortunately due to circumstances I can't do any modeling for forseeable future so it will have to stay in the drawer. I have read through the instructions and shaping the boiler and firebox is worrying me.

When I do get back to modeling I have a half finished Jidenco Crab, the half etched boiler has been binned, so I will try out Dave's method to make a new one.

David

 

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Hi David — I do hope your circumstances improve enough for you to begin modelling again soon. I’ll try to remember to post updates on the Bradwell here. There are a number of aspects of this kit that make me worried — it looks like sideplay will be quite limited, with minimal clearances behind the crosshead, so nasty clunks and disintegrating motion are a distinct possibility. And there is the risk of inadvertently buiding a frame that is too wide to negotiate the bends on our layout. Then there is getting the boiler round, and fitting the wrapper, which looks super thin. It’s certainly going to be a challenge … 

 

Richard

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  • 2 weeks later...

A quick update on the J94 -- transfers and numbering have been applied. After a good experience with Railtec custom 3D printed smokebox door numberplates and shed plate for the J27, I ordered some for the J94 as well. They are fantastic, much better than trying to paint etched ones and the 3D relief is spot on. Together with the made up bunker number the cost is not much more than a pint. The photo doesn't really do justice, and I'll post another one when weathering of the whole loco has finished -- it is looking far too shiny at the moment!

 

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