Loco/Triplet Coach Kit Building. In at the Deep End

[richard.h]

23 hours ago, Ian Rathbone said:

A few points. Phoenix two part etching primer is good providing you add cellulose thinners to the mix, it won't work otherwise. Mix the Phoenix thinners and primer 1:1 then add 2 parts cellulose thinners. Spray lightly, you don't need much. Etching primer is meant for brass and nickel silver and has little effect on white metal where a filler primer, rubbed down, does a better job. Just remember to give your airbrush a good clean with cellulose thinners, which I am sure is available in Spain.

 

BR green is not Brunswick Green, it is Mid Chrome Green (or Landrover Deep Bronze Green). Brunswick was used by the GCR and SECR; it has more blue in it. In BR livery the A2 should have green valances, not black.

 

Regards

 

Ian R

 

Thanks for all the info, it all helps.

 

 On the loco body as the cab is brass but the body is whitemetal so I was going to err on the side of caution and use etching primer for all of it but when I couldn't find a suitable thinner I used a basic spray primer instead which so far seems to have taken well.

 

I have tins of Brunswick Green in my paint store but when researching an order from Phoenix I noticed they sold BR  standard Loco Green paint as applied from 1954 onwards so hopefully that's correct.

 

Regards

 

Richard

[hayfield]

Richard

 

For years many modellers never used primer and just slapped paint on, things have progressed quite a lot. You will probably find the standard rattle can primer is fine, lets face it its designed to go on a car which is normally outside for most of its life. I now use Halfords etched primer, I have no idea if either its better than standard primer or works any better on whitemetal, but I am certain if you let it harden it will be fine. 

 

As for the correct shade, don't forget the sun bleaches colour over time, then the effects of weathering, finally how correctly the paint was mixed in the first place, who knows what the correct shade actually was and how it changed over its lifetime  

[richard.h]

Well that's a relief.

After about a week of slow careful work the valve gear is finally assembled and working. Luckily I had left the motor axle stub on where you would normally put the flywheel so using this I was able to turn the unit slowly by hand to check for clearances and binding and then make minor adjustments.

 

I now have nothing but admiration for people who do this regularly you are highly skilled gents with lots of patience who don't swear.

 

Hopefully it will get easier from now on as it mainly consists of putting the various completed sections together and tidying everything up.

 

[Bucoops]

 

16 hours ago, richard.h said:

Well that's a relief.

After about a week of slow careful work the valve gear is finally assembled and working. Luckily I had left the motor axle stub on where you would normally put the flywheel so using this I was able to turn the unit slowly by hand to check for clearances and binding and then make minor adjustments.

 

I now have nothing but admiration for people who do this regularly you are highly skilled gents with lots of patience who don't swear.

 

Hopefully it will get easier from now on as it mainly consists of putting the various completed sections together and tidying everything up.

 

 

Looks good - but something doesn't look right with the eccentric rod (the one that goes from the return crank to the expansion link.

 

 

 

Edited March 26, 2020 by Bucoops

[Michael Edge]

Beware of that drawing - it's for outside admission valves, yours are inside. Radius rod will be pinned above the valve rod (as you have it already) and the return crank should lean the other way.

[Bucoops]

4 hours ago, Michael Edge said:

Beware of that drawing - it's for outside admission valves, yours are inside. Radius rod will be pinned above the valve rod (as you have it already) and the return crank should lean the other way.

 

Apologies - I'll remove the image.

[Michael Edge]

No need to remove it, it's a good diagram for outside admission gear. I just didn't want Richard to alter anything that was already correct.

[richard.h]

Thanks gents for taking the time to help, the return crank was out as I had disturbed it while getting the valve gear running but I wasn't sure of the exact setting anyway but had used my Isinglass drawing and some DJH photos as a guide.

Looking into it I found this description and drawing for Valve Gear.

 

 

Using this as a template I reset the return crank and link.

 

 

This seems to be correct now as in any position it corresponds to my drawings and photos.

[Michael Edge]

It all looks correct now.

[30368]

13 hours ago, richard.h said:

Thanks gents for taking the time to help, the return crank was out as I had disturbed it while getting the valve gear running but I wasn't sure of the exact setting anyway but had used my Isinglass drawing and some DJH photos as a guide.

Looking into it I found this description and drawing for Valve Gear.

 

 

 

Really good starting project Richard. Best of luck for the future.

 

Interesting wheelset choice on the diagram!

 

Kind regrads,

 

Richard B

[hayfield]

Richard

 

Top marks for the build, I have just skipped through the thread again and realised that I need to re-read your posts again as there seem to be some great ideas to copy (fitting the handrails early for instance). Plus getting the valve gear to work even if it took a week. Especially as I have realised you reside in northern Spain, so going down the local model shop is out (as it is for us for the next few weeks)

 

At the moment I am finishing off a couple of 0-6-0's, a Comet chassis was giving me grief until I realised it was shorting out upwards (not inwards ) on the chassis, suddenly I had a chassis where one revolution of the wheels took 62 seconds.

 

How good is your GB1 gearbox, I have a GB4 with a Anchorage D11 (must be an early one) which runs very quietly and a GB1 with a Mashima round can which sounds very tinny (I may try and fit some additional washers in it

 

Most of all do stay safe 

[richard.h]

On 27/03/2020 at 10:10, hayfield said:

Richard

 

Top marks for the build, I have just skipped through the thread again and realised that I need to re-read your posts again as there seem to be some great ideas to copy (fitting the handrails early for instance). Plus getting the valve gear to work even if it took a week. Especially as I have realised you reside in northern Spain, so going down the local model shop is out (as it is for us for the next few weeks)

 

At the moment I am finishing off a couple of 0-6-0's, a Comet chassis was giving me grief until I realised it was shorting out upwards (not inwards ) on the chassis, suddenly I had a chassis where one revolution of the wheels took 62 seconds.

 

How good is your GB1 gearbox, I have a GB4 with a Anchorage D11 (must be an early one) which runs very quietly and a GB1 with a Mashima round can which sounds very tinny (I may try and fit some additional washers in it

 

Most of all do stay safe 

 

Hi John

Thanks for your kind comments and help, after looking at the excellent work you did on the Beatties tank it's even more appreciated.

 

The biggest thing that slowed me down with the valve gear assembly was that as supplied I couldn't get the correct range of movement on the slidebar, in the end I had to cut small pieces off the motion bracket so that the slidebar tucked in behind it. Once that was done it worked fine but of course you think that it won't work because you have assembled it wrongly and end up double checking everything before cutting.

 

The gearbox is fine it runs smoothly and quietly but I can't take any credit for that as it was purchased fully assembled.

 

Regards

 

Richard

 

[richard.h]

The Loco has now been put together for running trials, here it is in what I would call paint shop finish.

 

It is extremely shiny due to the layers of matt varnish that were sprayed on during construction to hold down the transfers and not really suitable for my layout in this state as all the other locos are weathered. I also added sprung buffers instead of the whitemetal one supplies as I think they look far better.

 

So now here it is after going through the weathering works, I hope people don't think it's spoiled but I like my locos to look how I remember them 'scruffy'.

 

The intention now is to give it a good running session, make sure there are no problems with short circuits or performance then once it is fettled I will add the remaining small fiddly parts.

[richard.h]

The Wolf is now on Running-in trials around the layout so that I can identify problems such as the front pony truck fixing that was moving and causing shorts  and then continue to fit smaller parts.

 

 

Because the Tender and loco body are opposite polarities they must not connect electrically so I have made some plastic drawbars so that I can safely get the gap as close as possible and then fit the cab doors.

 

[richard.h]

For anyone looking for a different loco kit to build a large collection has just been put online at:-

 

 

http://wmcollectables.co.uk/index.php

 

[richard.h]

Just arrived in the post is the next item to go on the workbench.

 

 

I've always liked the idea of having a Triplet Set to run on the layout and chose this particular version as there is lots of information on RMWeb  from other people who have built it previously so I won't be short of reference material.

 

First step, open the box and check all the contents.

 

[hayfield]

Nice !!!

[30368]

Richard,

 

I think 60506 is a really good effort, looks great and I hope the running issues now soerted. Good luck with the coach kits. I have some to build too but havn't started due to....

 

Followed your link and purchased a Crownline A1/1 and a DJH Urie S15 from WM. So now too busy for coaches! Many thanks a really useful tip!

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

[richard.h]

Made a start on the Triplet set

The coach sides come in two halves which were clamped and soldered.

 

 

 

Then the coach ends were formed with the brackets bent to shape both parts tinned and then clamped and tack soldered until they were in the correct position for full soldering

 

 

Next the window droplights were fitted and the tumblehome was formed by shaping the coach sides over a suitably curved piece of wood.

 

 

Think it's time for a break now and another look at the instructions

[richard.h]

On 23/05/2020 at 13:59, 30368 said:

Richard,

 

I think 60506 is a really good effort, looks great and I hope the running issues now soerted. Good luck with the coach kits. I have some to build too but havn't started due to....

 

Followed your link and purchased a Crownline A1/1 and a DJH Urie S15 from WM. So now too busy for coaches! Many thanks a really useful tip!

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

 

 Thanks for that, I'm glad the link was of use to you I don't know who collected all that but there is a massive selection available, I keep looking through it thinking about the next project.

 

 The A2/2 runs Ok now I managed to get extra washers for the centre crank pin which stopped what seemed to me to be excessive side play on the rods.

 

Richard

[richard.h]

Kitchen Car

 I thought that I would concentrate on building the Kitchen Car first as it looked the simplest to assemble so started by putting together the coach base.

I didn't have a jig to bend the solebars but managed to do it very carefully with long nosed pliers.

 

 

Then added the underframe fittings plus steps.

 

Laid out the sides and ends ready for assembly, you have to be careful here as corridor connections are not central so you must get the alignment correct.

 

 

 And finally cut the roof to size and mark out the position of the fittings from a paper overlay.

 

[richard.h]

A bit more progress this week.

 On the Kitchen Car the brass sides were assembled and roof put in place temporarily.

 

 

And all the bits underneath added.

 

 

As the widows in this unit are opaque there are no interior fittings so I'm just waiting for the BR Maroon paint to arrive when it will be given a thorough clean and a first coat.

 

The other two restaurant cars however are different as they have interior seating so a different approach was used for these.

I've  left the delicate undercarriage till later and built up three sides of the coaches which meant that it was easier to slide in a floor and temporary partitions and then I could work out how the seating was going to fit in as there seem to be different options depending on which version is built.

 

[richard.h]

I concentrated on finishing off the Kitchen Car this week so that I could gain experience before starting on the two dining cars.

First off a good scrub and degrease to prepare the body for painting.

 

 

Then a coat of primer and a first coat of maroon.

 

 

After a general tidy up a coat of varnish for the transfers to stick to then transfers applied and sealed in with a second coat of varnish.

Also opaque glazing applied to all windows except the crew quarters

 

 

I also took the rainstrip off the roof  as now it had been cut down the profile didn't match the coach length.

 

 

Just need to find a supply of the correct coach numbers now.

[richard.h]

Started on the Dining Cars again last week, firstly by fitting all the underframe details.

 

 

Then I temporarily put together the unit to check clearances around the sharpest curves on the layout and general running over the pointwork.

I also gave the brass parts a good clean-up and degrease ready for painting.

 

 

When everything checked out OK the painting was started with primer, paint and a first coat of varnish for the transfers to key into.

 

[richard.h]

Completed the Coach Lining this week apart from the numbers which are on their way.

 

 

Then fitted out one coach with seats, tables and passengers.

 

 

Finally put the unfinished roof on temporarily to see how it looks.