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4 hours ago, Tom F said:

Not a layout/model update.

Last night I completed a cleaning roster at the East Lancs Railway, including a touch of firing, injector management and coupling/uncoupling.

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Working on the real thing, makes you realise what Awdry could see....they really are the closest to a living being!

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When I was designing a steampunk heart, I noticed that a lot of steam locomotives had very similar parts to a heart and just like any living thing had to be looked after and cared for to make sure it works well. Every steam locomotive is individual even if it’s the same class of loco. To me, a steam loco is more than just a machine. I grew up with them and they’re as much a part of my life as my cat :laugh: 

it’s a shame we stopped using them like before because they’re a renewable power source (because steam locos can run on pretty much anything that burns hot enough)

Edited by PannierTanker14
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22 minutes ago, PannierTanker14 said:


Every steam locomotive is individual even if it’s the same class of loco.

 

This actually came up in conversation.

We were on 80080, but the railway also has 80097. Both are the same class of loco (Standard 4 Tanks). However the point was made that 80080 is the stronger engine.

 

A similar comparison was made between Jubilees Leander and Galatea (with it being said Galatea is the stronger engine).

Edited by Tom F
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3 hours ago, Tom F said:

 

This actually came up in conversation.

We were on 80080, but the railway also has 80097. Both are the same class of loco (Standard 4 Tanks). However the point was made that 80080 is the stronger engine.

 

A similar comparison was made between Jubilees Leander and Galatea (with it being said Galatea is the stronger engine).

Hi Tom,

 

It depends upon who set the locomotive up in the first place and whether or not they checked all of the leading dimensions or just bolted it all back together hoping that it is right from last time.

 

Should you get deeper into the setting up of the engines then the equality of the swing of the expansion link by making sure that the back-set is correctly proportioned in conjunction with the length of the eccentric rod is quite critical. This is often incorrectly set as the quarter of the return crank is not always checked with regard to inclination of the cylinders and valve gear, also the axle centre is sometimes wrongly placed as may be the running height.

Another factor is that mid gear is actually mid gear for all engines when the reverser is set to mid gear in the cab so that all the engines are actually working at the same cut off. This is not overly important for locomotives with independent sets of motion so long as the reverser is adjusted when setting each engine however many there may be but for four cylinder GWR and LMS Princess Coronations and especially so for LNER conjugate gear this is a most important check. 

 

One thing that is quite a trick to get right is the heat allowance on the valve spindle as they are connected at one end only and the cylinder valve chest expands either side of centre line of the cylinders.

 

I used to work to less than .010" where possible on the measuring of the admission edges of the ports within the valve chests and to dead sizes between the admission rings of the valve heads. The sizes over the exhaust and admission rings on individual heads were adjusted by way of booked sizes should the figures from measuring the port sizes varied by any amount when taking datum measurements. This is important so that depending on the type of locomotive the exhaust clearance or exhaust cap figures are maintained to booked sizes.

 

I do know that some locomotives have had their valve setting measurements taken with tape measures, risible !

 

Other things that cause differences in performance are the angle and length of the brick arch and the diameter and concentricity of the blast cap with regard to the choke area of the chimney. The chimney must of course be lined up in all plains to effect the proper pumping action of the venturi.

 

Of the things that cause loss of performance the largest influence would be the fit of the smoke box door and how airtight the smoke box is, obviously wear of the cylinder and valve liners along with the piston and valve heads and rings make a difference over time even when properly attended to in the first place.

 

Gibbo.

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32 minutes ago, Gibbo675 said:

Hi Tom,

 

I'm now cluttering up your thread with this !

 

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Gibbo.

 

Is that an N-drive productions example? If so what did you think and what items did you have to make/source elsewhere? I was tempted in such but £70 seemed a bit steep. 

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How do you go about matching the liveries? Do you literally compare the pics in the books to a colour chart or is there anything that can make a good guide?

 

I like the idea replicating NWR 4 passing though the layout (going foreign!) but I’m not sure on how best to paint it up!

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24 minutes ago, Luke123 said:

How do you go about matching the liveries? Do you literally compare the pics in the books to a colour chart or is there anything that can make a good guide?

 

I like the idea replicating NWR 4 passing though the layout (going foreign!) but I’m not sure on how best to paint it up!

I've also been tempted by this thought aswell :scratchhead:I'd be tempted to do something more like BR Express blue so it didn't completely jar. I was also tempted to make the stock for the Express using some generic coaches to represent NWR stock.

 

I'd be very interested to see what Blue Tom uses though!

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54 minutes ago, richbrummitt said:

 

Is that an N-drive productions example? If so what did you think and what items did you have to make/source elsewhere? I was tempted in such but £70 seemed a bit steep. 

Hi Rich,

 

It isn't an N-drive productions kit, it is scratch built on a Dapol Pug chassis.

 

The build is described on my thread although I can't remember which page.

 

Gibbo.

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1 hour ago, Luke123 said:

 

I like the idea replicating NWR 4 passing though the layout (going foreign!) but I’m not sure on how best to paint it up!

 

I used Caledor sky from Games Workshop.  It looked too dark though so I put quite a bit of white in.

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Don't worry. He's got his upgraded front wheels from n brass now. The coaches are minitrix and Dapol gresleys repainted to match the TV series, approximately. 

 

 

 

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1 hour ago, Aire Head said:

I've also been tempted by this thought aswell :scratchhead:I'd be tempted to do something more like BR Express blue so it didn't completely jar. I was also tempted to make the stock for the Express using some generic coaches to represent NWR stock.

 

I'd be very interested to see what Blue Tom uses though!

BR Express Blue is what I went for, it's a lot darker than the one in the books.

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I've also taken the decision that all NWR locos will have a small BR crest in the form of either the early crest or late crest (but in the form of the coach roundel). 

My reason for this was looking at things from the a real world perspective.

Awdry makes it clear, the NWR becomes the North Western Region of BR. Every other big railway company had to conform as a region. I accept the NWR was for whatever reason, able to retain its locomotive liveries, but I do feel the Railway Exececutive would have made it clear that the NWR (North Westion Region) would have to show some form of public ownership. For this reason, I'm going with something similar to what the LMS did, with numbers on the tenders, but with a small crest on the cab side (or bunker). I personally think it will look quite smart.

 

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6 hours ago, Tom F said:

I've also taken the decision that all NWR locos will have a small BR crest in the form of either the early crest or late crest (but in the form of the coach roundel). 

My reason for this was looking at things from the a real world perspective.

Awdry makes it clear, the NWR becomes the North Western Region of BR. Every other big railway company had to conform as a region. I accept the NWR was for whatever reason, able to retain its locomotive liveries, but I do feel the Railway Exececutive would have made it clear that the NWR (North Westion Region) would have to show some form of public ownership. For this reason, I'm going with something similar to what the LMS did, with numbers on the tenders, but with a small crest on the cab side (or bunker). I personally think it will look quite smart.

 

IMG_5773.jpg.c77e463f799a0090d7791ec3d49ade2f.jpg

Hi Tom,

 

How about putting the crests on the wheel splashers as the L&Y did with their locomotives, that way the cab sides remain plain as they appear in the books but the crest is non the less carried.

 

Gibbo.

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1 hour ago, Gibbo675 said:

Hi Tom,

 

How about putting the crests on the wheel splashers as the L&Y did with their locomotives, that way the cab sides remain plain as they appear in the books but the crest is non the less carried.

 

Gibbo.

 

Interesting idea, although the likes of Percy and Henry don’t have splashers.

 

I quite like the cab side idea.

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3 hours ago, NeilHB said:

NWR No.7 is looking good Tom. What colours have you used for the wooden bodywork please? 

 

Hi Neil

It's Mig 'New Wood'. Brushes rather nicely.

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