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Michael Edge's workbench


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Starting on the Dsa this afternoon - this is what I have in the "kit".

 

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The etch is .018" nickel silver, 1:48 scale is fairly new in New Zealand but is the usual US scale for 0 gauge. These locos had a lot in common with the early BR 05s and other HE diesel mechanical shunters, the frames are the same width as standard gauge locos - for 3'6" gauge the axleboxes were fitted on the inside, standard gauge on the outside.

 

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With no alternative frame widths to allow for I've tried a different technique for the bearings in the compensating beams, threaded through the holes in the frames and soldered to the beams - seems to work so far,

 

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The completed frame, waiting for Slater's wheels now, these will be 7836Y8, they do produce axles for this gauge.

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The Dsa is taking shape now and the wheels arrived from Slater's yesterday.

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On its wheels now (Slater's 7836Y8/X7NG03F axles), the gauge comes out at 21mm (nearer to metre gauge than 3'6" though) which fortunately I found on my multi gauge test track. Buffer beams are fitted to the frames rather than the footplate, cab and engine casing built up on a bolted base as usual. The top bend on the cab side is very difficult to form and may need some more thought.

 

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Looking down into the frames with my usual compensation system, leading axle rocks under a knife edge, the trailing axles are linked by beams on the inside of the frame plates. Doors next and then the engine casing.

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More work on the Dsa, cab nearly finished and on with the engine casing.

 

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Cab doors and handrails fitted, the cab roof is formed to shape but has left a rather large gap at each side. This will be adjusted for the production etch but for this pilot model an angle rainstrip will cover it. The roof won't be soldered in place until I've finished all the interior detail, the slots either side of the side window are to fit the typical NZR folding sight screens (again, later).

 

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The engine casing is in one piece, annealed to make the curve across the top - hence the discoloured appearance - and the first side bend made. Casing doors are fitted separately, located with broaches through the handle holes.

 

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It looks a lot more messy on the inside but it won't show there and there's no solder on the outside at all.

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Very nice Mike

Is the Hunslet like this one at the Whiai Goldfields Railway in NZ? A team of elder statesmen are restoring it.. you could eat a meal off the Gardner engine!

 

 

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Baz

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Yes, that's 253 from the first batch in 1954, like most of them it acquired some additional boxes on the footplate during its life. I didn't think it would have a Gardner engine though, the original was a 250hp National, many later had 315hp Cat engines fitted.

Latest photo on the test track next to its near relative, the 7mm 05.

 

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Most details on the cab and engine casing now, cab interior and steps next, then finish the frames and running gear before posting it off to Auckland. The family resemblance to the 05 is apparent here but notably the Dsa didn't have the silly narrow door, although the door is a bit oddly shaped to clear the cab when opened. The NZ cab turns in quite sharply above waist height, their loading gauge must have been a bit tighter here although the loco's overall dimensions are about the same. It doesn't look it in this photo but the NZ one is 1:48, the BR one 1:43.5.

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Mike,sorry to be off topic, but a good opportunity to ask if you can supply the etch of the pantograph for the ES1 .Mine became detached during a house move and has disappeared!  Many thanks if you can help.

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Sorry but we can't help with this, the pan is on the main etch and we have no spares for this kit. Best alternative, especially if you want it to work is the Sommerfeldt 882 pan, this is about the right size although it's a conventional diamond frame design rather than the strange geared thing that was actually fitted.1828351256_Sommerfeldtpan.JPG.ad79ae79b2489e1b0673c7e587f0c5e7.JPG

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Back to the Dsa

 

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The controls are all built up from etched components with pins for the levers. Some more information has come to light since this was designed and some modification will be needed, according to Don Townsley the early BR 05s were like this, including the handbrake wheel, so this may well go into the 7mm 05. The forward/reverse lever, nearest the control desk, should be in a slot, the other levers are about right. The shelf is soldered into the cab but access from below and through the windows should be OK.

 

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These folding screens on the cab side are typical of NZ diesels, in this scale they can easily be made to move, there is a half etch to set the glazing in, visible on the right hand one here. The gap in the fit of the cab roof is just about covered by the rainstrip angle, production etch will fit properly of course.

 

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Cab steps are folded up and fitted to the underside of the footplate. The handrail along the footplate end is also typical NZ practice, there is a large step across the bottom of the buffer beam for shunters to stand on, this will probably be fitted last to avoid damage in construction. These are 4mm scale medium handrail pillars, just about right for this scale with .6mm wire.

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Down to the running gear now.

 

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Brakes fitted, three laminations for each. Hunslet cross beams were usually hefty square section with pull rods threaded through, these are made in two halves with the rods sandwiched between. Pull rods are a bit on the thin side, other option might be to assemble the cross beams and drill them out a bit - they obviously need to be somewhat to fit between the brake hangers.

 

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The whole arrangement shown here, the trailing cross beam is flat with two rods back to the brake arms on the cross shaft. Handbrake linkage is almost entirely hidden between the frames so I've left it out.

 

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Coupling rods are etched in three layers, initially in one piece but are split and joined on the crankpins. I also mark the holes for the knuckle pins if these are to be used as pivots. The layers are soldered together by running the iron along the top edge of the three laminations leaving a generous amount of solder there, no need to soder all round, capillary action will take the solder through. The finished result after filing and cleaning up fitted on the LH side of the loco.

 

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The same technique for the cranks, four layers this time, a finished one pressed on to the axle, unfinished one in the foreground. With one crank on and running everything round by hand it was quickly apparent that the crankthrow quoted by Slater's wasn't correct - out by .25mm. Opening out the holes has allowed this one to run but production etches will be altered to match the wheels. It's not the first time I've found this, builders of steam locos aren't much concerned about the exact crankthrow as long as they are all the same but it's vital to designing jackshaft drive diesels.

 

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Last photo on the test track for now, the only etched parts to add are the shunter's steps but next job will be pattern making for air reservoirs, sandboxes, air filters, brake cylinder and tail lights.

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On 12/08/2019 at 18:22, Michael Edge said:

D9001 The Fell is still available, nothing ever goes out of production, some might be out of stock from time to time but we can always produce more.

Matt S. Which Fowler do you have in mind?

I'm interested in any of the NZ diesels - 1/120 scale on 9mm gauge track is a relatively niche interest though, it may not be worth your while. 

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I've just had a chance to look through the stock, we have two NZ 1:120 etches (stock list says more but I can't find them), one for a Hitachi Tr 0-4-0 and one for a Dsc Bo-Bo. these were originally done as complete kits in 9mm scale and we also re-scaled two Rustons - 48DS and 165DS 0-4-0. In other scales I have two Hitachi Tr etches in 1:87 scale. Let me know if you are interested in any of these. No mould patterns were ever done for these re-scaled etches but instructions, drawings and parts lists are available.

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Not much work done this week, too busy getting ready for our first exhibition of the autumn but I have done some of the pattern making for the Dsa.

 

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From left, leading air reservoir, leading sandbox, jacking bracket, leading headlight back and air intake. The last two are simple turnings, the jacking bracket is fabricated from etched components and the sandbox was milled from a larger resin moulding from another kit with a brass turning added. The large air reservoir is a bit more difficult though, the body of it is easy to machine from brass but soldering the straps on isn't easy, the block at the left side (actually the top) is to get a flat surface for the mould. Hunslet air reservoirs had on end plain and this bolted cover in the other end, after moulding this once I'll knock the end out and transfer it to the other end to make another mould for the other handed version. Not visible here is that the pattern is flat on the other face as well to make moulding easier - otherwise I would only need one pattern. The Dsa has three of these at the leading end (actually one is a bit smaller but hardy visible against the frames) and four more bigger ones as well. I've no idea why it needed so much air capacity when the very similar BR 05 managed with just two - although the latter didn't have train air brakes of course.

The Dsa should be finished next week and on its way to New Zealand, next job on the bench will be a 7mm Stanier 3P 2-6-2T.

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About half a day's work done today in between kit packing for this weekend.

 

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Frames and wheels for LMS 148, smaller version on the test track behind it.

 

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From below, showing my usual compensation system. This etch is a straightforward enlargement of the 4mm test etch so it has etched spacers, drive will be on the centre axle from a Slater's gearbox and Canon motor. Unusually at this stage I've added the top hat bushes to the compensating beams, some of the flange had to be cut off to avoid the keep arrangement for the beams. Front footplate support is loosely in place now since it is trapped by the leading spacer, next job will be to build the footplate, this one and the others will be fixed in place then. Work on the 4mm version this week has revealed that the pony truck pivots were etched in the wrong positions so these are not fitted yet. I'll probably fit the cylinder ends and motion bracket tomorrow but otherwise no more work will be done on the frames until the body is more or less complete.

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We're now busy getting ready for Scaleforum but I have managed to get some more done on the 7mm Stanier 2-6-2T.

 

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Footplate, cab, tanks and bunker now assembled - quite a lot of rivets to punch out on this one but everything seems to have fitted well. The only major alteration needed (found this out on the 4mm version) is the width and shape of the inset bunker top. Temporary bars still in place on the tank top which as usual is etched in one piece, the bars will be removed as the boiler is fitted later.

 

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View from the back, all the detail added to the bunker back now while I can still get to the inside.

 

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Inside the cab most of the bunker front is complete with handbrake and water valves.

 

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The inner part of the cab floor is attached to the frames, this leaves a large access hole to the inside of the cab.

 

The New Zealand Dsa is just about finished now, just a mould pattern to make for the lights above the shunter's steps.

 

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Air reservoirs are a bit of a lash up, I made one pattern for the leading ones and then realised that the others are longer. I'll do some better ones later for production, these are a cut and shut operation on several of the shorter ones.

 

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I've just noticed that I haven't fitted the leading jacking brackets either.

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