Michael Edge's workbench

[D-A-T]

Very interested in the turntable build if you get chance to do lots of photos. And/or pass an opinion on the “skill” level required. I’ve got a 50ft LRM turntable to build but could be tempted by this. Thank you. 

Edited July 9, 2021 by D-A-T
Typo

[Michael Edge]

I'll put some more on as I go along, everything looks straightforward and well designed so far. I have built one of the LRM turntables for Garsdale, that worked out very well and quite easy to build, the drive mechanism works very well. The Garsdale turntable only has to line up with one track so it didn't need anything special to control it, just a stop both ways - you do have to remember that it only turns round one side though.

[MJI]

I like the 2Ps I am trying to make one out of a faulty tender drive Hornby ex Airfix with Comet chassis and LRM tender.

[Michael Edge]

More work on the turntable this afternoon.

The rail is soldered to pins fitted in the middle layer of the well, the holes are located with this radius guide made from brass channel - the same one obviously serves for other diameters. The rail comes approximately curved to shape, plastic chairs threaded on before soldering in place. Once the rail is soldered the chairs are spread out and locked to the mdf with thin superglue. There's a gap each side in this rail, the layout is DC so the running rails will be linked to the two halves of this rail.

To set the rail accurately while soldering the radius guide is turned over and two grooves machined in it locate the rail.

The three layers forming the well are screwed together with machined spacers holding them apart. The machine screws form their own thread in the mdf quite easily.

All very impressive so far, I'll build the bridge next week.

[Stanley Melrose]

Over 10 years ago I was in contact with the gentleman offering these turntable kits hoping to buy a kit for a C & S 70ft version.  Now it seems Metalsmiths and Midland Railway Centre have vanished from the internet as far as these turntable kits are concerned.  Does anyone have any idea if the owner is still in business?

[Staffordshire]

3 hours ago, Stanley Melrose said:

Over 10 years ago I was in contact with the gentleman offering these turntable kits hoping to buy a kit for a C & S 70ft version.  Now it seems Metalsmiths and Midland Railway Centre have vanished from the internet as far as these turntable kits are concerned.  Does anyone have any idea if the owner is still in business?

 

    As was I,  waiting patiently for the 70' turntable ....

[RobjUK]

Metalsmiths still have a site listing up to 65ft turntables - but 70ft C&S still "Under development".

There is a contact phone number; it may be worth giving them a call?

 

(The Midland railway centre site appears to either have been abandoned or hijacked.)

 

Metalsmiths site:

http://www.metalsmith.co.uk/4mm_scale_00_EM_P4.htm

 

And contact info:

http://www.metalsmith.co.uk/toolmakers-contact.htm

[Stanley Melrose]

Many thanks - it looks as if ownership has been transferred to someone who may be more interested and able to bring the promised products to availability.  Let's hope so!

[Barclay]

I hope I can be forgiven for interrupting your flow, but going back to 'Hecate', I see the motor you have used looks like one of those inexpensive Chinese 5 pole skew wound ones that have been available. I have a couple I want to use but they are really very fast - the original ebay advert said 36,500 rpm - did you use a very high gearbox ratio?

 

Thank you

[Michael Edge]

No flow to interrupt at the moment in sunny Jersey, just a bit of drawing work going on.

Yes, these motors do run very fast, Hecate has a 60:1 High Level Roadrunner, still has quite a turn of speed but slow running is good. The only other snag with them is the lack of screw holes in the ends but they are easily soldered to the gearbox.

[St Enodoc]

6 hours ago, Michael Edge said:

No flow to interrupt at the moment in sunny Jersey, just a bit of drawing work going on.

Yes, these motors do run very fast, Hecate has a 60:1 High Level Roadrunner, still has quite a turn of speed but slow running is good. The only other snag with them is the lack of screw holes in the ends but they are easily soldered to the gearbox.

Give my regards to young David!

[Michael Edge]

Back at work for a while, latest test track photo.

My B7 has moved on a bit, EF1 ready to go to the customer, MR 0-4-4T back from Dave Studley and the 2P painted ready to go. Nothing changed in the background though.

More photos of the Kirtley and the 2P

Dave Studley has done his usual superb job with this loco - not the easiest paint and lining job - and it wasn't easy to build either.

This 2P turned out to be a bit if a saga as described earlier but at least it was easy for me to paint.

[AlfaZagato]

Is the Kirtley the Jidenco kit?   I know the topic was discussed not too distantly, but a shame such a loco isn't really available at the current moment.   I'd like such a peculiar looking thing to go with the rest of my early LMS collection.

[Michael Edge]

No. it's the LRM kit, I put quite a bit of stuff on here about building it. It wasn't easy because the kit was never designed to build the original version. I do have a Jidenco kit in the storage pile but whether I'll ever build it is another question - if you want one make me an offer....

[AlfaZagato]

Apologies, I must have forgotten you posting it before.

 

I might take you up on that offer.   Give the thing a chance to languish in another stash.

[Michael Edge]

I's been in mine for a very long time.....

[MJI]

Hello Michael

 

How do you do the washout plugs?

 

I need to move a lot on a 2P body to MR positions.

 

Thanks

 

Martin

[New Haven Neil]

No sign of that 'intriguing' saddletank on the test track.....still have an idea what it is, but not sure!  ;-)

[Michael Edge]

The only saddle tank there recently was an EM Peckett 0-6-0 (builder unknown) which as here for a very minor repair, it has gone back home now.

I've described how to do washout plugs somewhere up this thread or possibly in the Judith Edge kits thread, basically holes in the outer firebox/boiler, backed with lead sheet, drilled again and short lengths of square brass wire pushed in. 

[New Haven Neil]

This one, Mike.

 

[Michael Edge]

Sorry, I forgot about that one. It was for someone else and  no doubt you will hear about it on here in due course - but not from me.

[New Haven Neil]

Thanks Mike - I appreciate you have customer confidentiality to consider.  Interesting loco though, bottom half looks like the huge Bagnall Standard 18" aka Victor and Vulcan.  Perhaps if the owner is reading he or she may care to enlighten me?  A Hunslet response to the design maybe...I'm intrigued.

[richard i]

32 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

Thanks Mike - I appreciate you have customer confidentiality to consider.  Interesting loco though, bottom half looks like the huge Bagnall Standard 18" aka Victor and Vulcan.  Perhaps if the owner is reading he or she may care to enlighten me?  A Hunslet response to the design maybe...I'm intrigued.

Top half looks like an austerity. I too am intrigued. 
however if the owner wishes to keep stum, I respect that

richard 

[Corbs]

It's not a secret  just a while in development. Here is the V1 body on the prototype chassis Mike was working on.

 

[Michael Edge]

Thanks for posting that Corbs, I wasn't sure whether you were going public on this project yet. The top half is indeed an Austerity, must be the outside cylinder version that Hunslet didn't get round to....

The real reason is that a Hornby Austerity provides the frames and wheels for this - it looks very convincing as a Hunslet though.