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The Larass branch of the MGWR - Irish 2mm finescale 10.5mm gauge


Argos
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2 hours ago, DavidLong said:

 

Good decision, Angus. That Code 30 is a nightmare. Shame really as it could be very useful for lightly-laid prototype track. I'd be open to using it again if someone could suggest a foolproof method of straightening it in both vertical and horizontal profiles but it defeated me!

 

David

used code 30 about 10 years ago on Line No 4 and was ok however last attempt to use the latest batch was scrapped as rolled in the vertical and even after extensive reworking could only produce a roller coaster hence line no 16 been built in code 40

 

Nick 

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Progress has been slow.

 

I got to the point that where the track was painted and stalled.

 

image.png.9ab9ae88fcca0e76fad19e8649074c2f.png

 

I really want to get something running to check the gauge and clearances before I buried everything in ballast.

 

It is rapidly becoming apparent that I won't have time to scratch build one of the Bayer Peacock 0-6-4t in time for June, at least not if I want to get all the other elements of the layout complete.

 

I was casting around for a cheat when I remembered that a couple of Jintys where re-gauged and sent across to Ireland. A quick trawl of the internet revealed the NCC (UTA) Y class which consisted of a pair of re-gauged LMS Jinties used to shunt Belfast docks. For the period I am modelling both had been repainted in UTA livery.

 

In my alternate reality the SLNCR suffered a couple of breakdowns leaving it short of motive power (not that far a stretch, the three Sir Henry classes were approaching 50 years old and undergoing heavy maintenance work. the remaining member of the Leitrim class Hazelwood was another 10 years older). To work the timetable the SLNCR need at least two engines in steam with a spare, so had to borrow one from the UTA. A 3F Jinty would be ideal for the line.

It is a neat reversal of fortunes as the UTA ultimately bought the two Lough class locos when the SLNCR closed and used them to replace the two jinties on Belfast docks.

As far as I can tell from the photos I found the UTA jinties were standard (apart from the gauge of course) I need to remove the numberplate moulding on the smokebox door as the locos never carried a numberplate.

 

The first stumbling block in the conversion was the parts. Shop 3 only had 2 pairs of 9.5mm wheels available. Jerry (Queensquare) very kindly offered me a spare pair following an appeal in the "any Questions Answered" topic. 

 

The wheels, rods and balance weights have all been chemically blacked and the conversion has commenced.

As of last night I have 0-4-0 rolling chassis.

Jinty_chassis_0-4-0.jpg.ec099a7c7f205888a9b18f206aed6961.jpg

 

I've had to remove the brake gear as this clashed with wheels due to the wider gauge (10.5mm). I'll replaced this suitably shimmed out once I'm happy with the chassis.

There is also limited clearance behind the rear footsteps so these have been thinned down with a file to provide more room.

I may do the same with the front steps as they are now noticeably chunky.

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1 hour ago, Argos said:

A quick trawl of the internet revealed the NCC (UTA) Y class which consisted of a pair of re-gauged LMS Jinties used to shunt Belfast docks. For the period I am modelling both had been repainted in UTA livery.

It is worth noting that in re-gauging these, the LMS effectively reversed the wheel centres, and the flanges on from the other side. The rear face, which was flat, was thus presented to the outside world.

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I'm led to believe the issue was clearance inside the splashes, the wheels were also turned down.

 

It's not a detail that stands out on the real thing let alone at 2mm scale.

 

Vintage Irish Railways - Northern Ireland - UTAIn 1944 the Northern Counties Committee was desperately short of shunting engines and negotiated the purchase of two Jinty 0-6-0T's from the LMSR. Neither was an LMS product and this example, 'Y' class No. 18, had been built by Bagnall bearing LMS No. 7456 before being converted to the Irish broad gauge. No. 18 performed her mundane tasks in Belfast until withdrawal in 1956 where as her sister, No. 19, worked on until 1963. Strangely, I have two almost identical negatives from different sources featuring No. 18 but none of the longer lived sibling. [Mike Morant collection]

 

 

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I've now got a three axle chassis, the plain muff has been swapped out and replaced with the geared muff and the whole lot run under power.

 

878301866_JintyChassisrolling.jpg.58cd3269da9e15e40fbed4d1051a96d0.jpg

 

I'm happy to say that all seems well.

 

The wider gauge did cause a few challenges, the axles are too far apart to get enough "bite" in the muff so I was suffering from the wheels going out of quarter and gauge.

A drop of superglue in the muff sorted this.

 

If I'm feeling brave I may get the crankpin washers soldered on this evening.

.......or I may quit whilst I'm ahead!

Edited by Argos
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5 hours ago, Argos said:

In my alternate reality the SLNCR suffered a couple of breakdowns leaving it short of motive power (not that far a stretch, the three Sir Henry classes were approaching 50 years old and undergoing heavy maintenance work. the remaining member of the Leitrim class Hazelwood was another 10 years older).

 

Saw this picture in Sligo Museum:

SLNCR.JPG.d57c4b9a0d610eb42a5918670645a7ec.JPG

Edited by Damo666
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Hi Damo666,

 

A Sir Henry class is on the "to do" list albeit behind the older slightly prettier Leitrim class.

 

999280367_Hazelwood-Manorhamilton.jpg.eeff337c9ee7b96dd6a1cc233e2ea486.jpg

 

The Irish Railway Record Society have a set of drawings available for the Sir Henry That I'll have to purchase in due course.

I've already got a GA of the Leitrim class from the Beyer Peacock archive at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester.

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If you’ve now got a Jinty (NCC “Y”) chassis going, wheels 4’7” dia., wheelbase 8’ + 8’6”, the GNR AL 0-6-0 tender loco is not far off dimensionally, same size wheels, wheelbase 7’6” + 7’6”, and they would be around Enniskillen waiting to be borrowed, and the tender might be handy for stowing that fiendishly complicated that electronic gubbins box?

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Hi Northroader,

the SLNCR did buy a couple of the earlier GNR A classes.

One was swapped because it was so knackered. They lasted until 1948.

I'm trying to track down a drawing if you know of an sources?

 

One of the pair was named Sligo and is seen here in 1947 from Ernies Railway Archive

 

SLNCR Collooney 'Sligo' May 1947 img104

 

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Lifted from “locos of the GNRI”. A class had wheelbase of 7’3”+ 7’3”, slightly shorter than AL, but as you say, two of these were on the SLNCR. The class was based on the Dublin & Drogheda no.5, BP built 1872 wks. 1161

4859377E-346E-46AC-938B-DD5F6ED3D516.jpeg.05a398208839c7a19d6462a958445c4a.jpegThis design used for the A class, first of these was GNR no.79, BP built 1882, wks. 2116. I notice you ordered a drawing from Manchester, so I put in the Beyer Peacock detail if you want to go that far. Here’s a side shot of one of the class.B0450640-6CB3-4EB4-BF18-12AD5A2CA4F3.jpeg.f9c149d7f803ca4f6869f642dfc4968f.jpeg

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Thanks Northroader that is really helpful.

 

The Irish Lines Drawing index indicates a drawing of the A class held by J.P James, I just need to work out how to access this.

 

The Beyer Peacock archive is a bit odd as the MoSI removed the online access a few years ago.

I have enquired about accessing the archive to identify and get a copy of drawings relevant to the SLNCR  but was guided to their photo site that has a very limited number of drawings on it. From there I was able to order a print of the Leitrim class drawing (which felt expensive at £20 + P&P for an A3 print).  Bizarrely I couldn't order a copy of the drawing unless I was going to use it for professional purposes (and presumably pay an associated premium).

I can't help thinking there is a lot more in the archive. 

 

I'll have to track down a copy of Locos of the GNRI (if I can find a reasonably prices copy) price seem to start at £50 from my online search which a bit steep!

Mind you it does equate to only 2.5 drawings from MoSI!

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I knew I should have quit whilst I was ahead!

Despite using oil soaked cigarette paper as a barrier I still manged to solder the last two crankpins solid. I've un-soldered these joints now and knocked a wheel off true in the process but with some fettling everything is back running. I just need to tackle those pins when I'm in the mood.

 

Taking a break from the chassis I attacked the layout instead. The garage was raided for some 6mm MDF offcuts for the platforms.

These took a while to size as I had to work out all the dimensions of the platforms and buildings with no datum.

The 25 inch OS, Google Earth, Bing maps and the Irish Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (snappy title...) Historic Environment viewer all generated different dimensions so I went with an average and what looked right.

 

1558453005_Platformsdone1.jpg.454b6d84b5afc5d037105a7a19f1da35.jpg

 

The buildings are cut from Ratio course stone sheets and held together with blutak to get a feel for the situations.

They still need the corners chamfering and all the remaining windows and doors cut.

 

The white stuff around the platforms is foam that will be scribbed to represent course stone.

 

475987105_buildingsstarted.jpg.d296723752fa7e332b54ad6503b1c04c.jpg

 

 

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I knew I should have quit whilst I was ahead!

Despite using oil soaked cigarette paper as a barrier I still manged to solder the last two crankpins solid. I've un-soldered these joints now and knocked a wheel off true in the process but with some fettling everything is back running. I just need to tackle those pins when I'm in the mood.

 

 

I find kitchen foil works well at preventing con rod / crankpin seizures

 

Nick

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9 minutes ago, CF MRC said:

If you chemically black the rods they will resist soldering very well.  

 

I would not only second Tim's advice, which isn't just applicable to coupling rods by the way, but would add that, by some strange quirk, attempting to chemically blacken nickel silver, whilst often unsuccessful in terms of actual blackening (which depends on the precise nature of the alloy used), will usually (at least in my experience) still make it resistant to soldering.

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Thanks both,

 

Just to show the level of my ineptitude I had chemically blackened the rods......

 

I think I had been overly generous with the solder when laminating the coupling rods together on one side which led to the problem.

On the other side all three pins were fine.

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When laminating coupling rods I always use a high melting point solder that contains silver (not silver soldering though). The reason that I actually do that is because I like to start with small holes and then broach out all the rods together to the correct diameter, thus ensuring that they are all exactly the same length, and I discovered the hard way that the localised heat generated in the broaching process was quite sufficient to soften lower MP solders. However, it has the added bonus that it is quite difficult to melt or even soften the solder in the laminated rods when subsequently soldering up crankpins and the like, especially if you use an iron with a temperature-controlled bit.

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I've completed scribing the foam to form the first section of wall.

This is only coloured with a black wash at present and needs dry brushing with some light grey and brown to tone down the effect.

 

Overall I'm quite happy with the effect though.

 

480957986_Platformwall2.jpg.a8cc0d178a2066c4f4a679e138d2030b.jpg

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I've spent the week end dabbling with stonework, which is now virtually complete.

 

The remaining sections have been scribed and painted.

 

1796069887_Platformdone2.jpg.145db6ab1cb40a42c5c2448156dfd36b.jpg

 

Overall I'm quite pleased with outcome, although the stones are overscale, I just can't scribe them any smaller.

 

I've also created the station sign on the printer using the only decent photo for reference.

 

1338913647_DromahiarstationwithRailcar.jpg.720166f3b1e7a48cc256dfc46ae5350a.jpg

 

1463553497_StationSign.jpg.f17da004231bfa660aa5ba3bda8e7f9b.jpg

 

 

 

Next up I need to colour the sleepers and install the point rodding ready for ballasting.

 

Edited by Argos
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Hi Northroader.

 

The custom posts and border are well up the line from Dromahair. There is limited information around the photo so I don't know the circumstances. If they all arrived on the railbus it would have been a cosy trip!

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Hi Jan,

 

Thank you, rather embarrassingly the answer is nothing.

 

The platforms were cut from 6mm MDF and sanded smooth at the edges. I then sanded the top surface with 100 grit sand paper to scour the surface. Once secured the platform was then painted dark grey with a thin paint being sure not to mix the white and black too well to avoid producing a consistent finish.

 

I might add some weathering powder before sealing the whole lot with Matt varnish.

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Thanks!

I noticed it was solid but it was hard to tell what material. Could also have been a softer material like sundeala.

I've built up my platform from styrene but I'll make some test pieces from card to see if I can get something similar.

 

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I have used very similar techniques with painted and roughened MDF. I found that adding a matt varnish coat tended to smooth the surface but that light sanding once the varnish was thoroughly dry roughened it again. Weathering powders are probably best used as the very final touch - the apparently dry matt varnish seems to be quite happy to "grab" them. I use artists' acrylic matt varnish in small bottles applied with, say, a no.5 artists' brush - it goes a surprisingly long way - and rinse the brushes with neat washing up liquid followed by copious water.

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