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Building an Ace Products N15X 4-6-0


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Having finished the K2/2 I have decided to return to the Ace Products N15X 4-6-0 kit that I started about 8 years ago. It is another fairly complex kit with all the etches being Nickel Silver which should aid my soldering. The chassis is constructed but I have dismantled it to fit plunger pickups and re-work the valve gear. I may also fit a two stage gearbox but more of that later.

DLT's SR Loco's thread has a very good (as always) exposition of building an N15X, I can't recall if that build was Nu-Cast or Ace Products and in following this I promised that I would go back and build my version.

 

Couple of pictures of the running plate showing the smokebox saddle and cover for access to the inside valve chests.

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I like the way that the splashers are etched together with the running plate.

 

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I am building 32331 "Beattie" the last survivor of the class of seven.

 

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

 

 

 

 

Edited by 30368
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A few more pictures.

 

The running plate etch also has the splasher tops, those for the leading and middle axle have come adrift but the trailing are still attached.

 

Splasher tops were usually attached to the top of the running plate I foundit very easy to bend the splasher top to profile then solder straitened end to the running plate. Any final adjustments to the radius can then be made.

 

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This view shows the cab sides attached to the cab front and the trailing splashers soldered up. AS on other build, I like to etch plate joint lines on cab sides and running plate tops and add rivet/set screw detail. No loco builder back then would make a one piece cab side!

 

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Kind regards,

 

Richard B

 

 

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Body trial fit to chassis - needed some chopping since kit designed for 4-6-4 tank and Maunsell rebuild.

 

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Kind regards,

 

Richard B

 

 

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On 26 March 2020 at 13:34, 30368 said:

 

This view shows the cab sides attached to the cab front and the trailing splashers soldered up. AS on other build, I like to etch plate joint lines on cab sides and running plate tops and add rivet/set screw detail. No loco builder back then would make a one piece cab side!

Quite often, they did. A cab side in one piece is not much of a challenge to a well equipped locomotive works and is smaller than quite a few of the other platework components.

 

Jim

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Made some progress with the chassis - valvegear re-assembled and running well.

 

Started building the Balpair firebox, starting with the boiler/firebox throatplate. The main components of the firebox. The throatplate needs carefull bending. I have opened up the boiler washout holes (4 each side) to receive Alan Gibson brass washout plugs.

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The throatplate needs plenty of solder to fill the gaps betwen each "petal".

 

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Firebox wrapper folded into shape and throatplate solder cleaned up.

 

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Kind regards,

 

Richard B

 

 

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That was My N15x on DLT's thread - a Nu-Cast Whitemetal kit. 

Richard, you are a brave man for tackling the notoriously difficult products offered by ACE. It does look fantastic though, and I am looking forward to seeing it finished!

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I could not find a smokebox wrapper in the kit so I've scratch built one from very thin brass sheet. Boiler prepared for soldering by careful use of elastic bands then soldered from the firebox end leaving the smokebox front last of all to solder to the boiler wrapper. Quite tricky!

Smokebox wrapper slightly overlapped on underside of boiler and then soldered making sure the fit is very tight. Then tacked to the boiler to prevent it turning.

Smoke box wrapper

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With boiler in place, looks quite a large locomotive, perhaps that helps to explain how the N15X flattered to deceive?

 

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Kind regards,

 

Richard B

 

 

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Spent all morning cutting and filing away the wheel cut-outs in the firebox. Best to cut roughly with snips and then progressively file away to profile. What fun!

 

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Fits footplate/cab front fairly well.

 

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Soldered to boiler and compound curves on firebox sheeting created, probably needs a bit more work. Boiler/firebox unit fits very well!

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I realise that for some reason (finger trouble) this thread is in the wrong place, can I re-asign it to scratch-building etc? I can't see how? Help please!

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

 

 

 

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Boiler bands now soldered in position. Begining to capture the look of the prototype. :good_mini:

Chimney supplied with the kit is wrong so fitting King Arther/Schools chimney, which, I believe, they were fitted with.

I will also have to fit LSWR style buffers since 32331 had those fitted. Rest had original Brighton oval buffers fitted to the loco.

 

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and a bit further away with a filter applied!

 

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Kind regards,

 

Richard B

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Hi Richard,

 

That looks fantastic! Seriously makes me consider keeping the chassis from my existing one and replacing the body!

 

Fantastic that You've chosen to do (3)2331 too! What time period are you modelling her/him in? I only ask because I had a real mare trying to find the correct buffers for this particular class member as it seemed to change more than any other class member.

 

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Hi Jack,

 

Many thanks for the compliments, much appreciated. Without wishing to dampen your enthusiasm, you can see from others following the thread what a tricky old kit this is. I tend to agree! However, providing I can keep things in line, I think it will build a good likeness to the prototype.

 

I model BR SR so from 1948 until the 1960's. My much loved and late brother and I would visit Basingstoke shed on our way to school each morning in the early 1960s. So I have built the shed and other lineside buildings and will, I promise, eventually build the layout!

 

As you know, all the N15X's were all shedded at Basingstoke in BR days  until their demise. 32331 was the last survivor. You are right, it does seem to be the odd one out. It had LSWR style front buffers (ran out of spares and/or collision damage?) rather than the oval LBSCR pattern that seemed to have been carried by the rest of the class. Also, this loco had long struts to secure the smoke deflectors to the running plate. As far as I know, none of the others had this feature which perhaps suggest she did suffer front end damage at some time.

 

Now detailing the body, gravity oil pipes and covers fitted on one side.

 

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Sorry about the lousy pictures!

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

 

 

Edited by 30368
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Adding the detail on the drivers side.

 

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Fitted a spare King Arthur chimney.

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

Edited by 30368
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On 04/04/2020 at 18:40, Michael Edge said:

The slide bars look very thin, you could beef them up a bit with strip added top and bottom. It looks a very good job with an awkward kit - I have refused to build these in the past!

 

Yes Michael I agree on both counts, and thanks for the comment, praise from the praiseworthy is always welcome! The chassis runs very smoothly with little resistance but the valve gear is all a bit fragile. When I have completed the body I will go back and finish the chassis and take up your suggestion. The kit is very tricky and I am scratch building many parts that are not present in the kit (smokebox wrapper) or not too good (cylinder).

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

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Finished a fair bit of fiddly stuff. The boiler feed pipes to the clack valves have some complex curves and take few hours to get right. The reverser mechanism is mostly scratch built and looks prototypical. The kit is difficult to build in many ways but I'm just pleased that someone makes an N15X kit! So must not complain too much!

 

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Kind regards,

 

Richard B

 

 

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Just about finished the detailing on each side of the loco body. Will turn attention to front and finally cab which will include injectors and footsteps. Checked out the smoke deflectors that appear too low although I need to check the drawings and the images to be sure.

This picture shows the cover over what I assume is the reverser mechanism. Made from scrap pieces of NS.

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Drivers side.

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Firemans side.

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Kind regards,

 

Richard B

 

 

 

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Smoke deflectors this morning, they still need cleaning up further.

 

Brass replacement compared to that supplied in the kit.

 

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The deflectors with beading fitted, still need a bit of tidying up.

 

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Kind regards,

 

Richard B

 

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Good afternnon (just!), what a great day? At least here in Wiltshire and I hope it is the same where you are.

 

Handrails now fixed, kit supply of handrail knobs were very good, fitted very easily I wonder who the manufacturer was that supplied Ace Products?

Smoke deflectors temporarily fitted with blutack.

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Kind regards,

 

Richard B

 

 

 

Edited by 30368
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Busy on the cab end of the loco. Injectors fitted. Picture shows loco with some of the cab sub-assemblies. I have decided to fit the smoke deflectors prior to painting since I have to fit long support brackets to the deflectors and would prefer to solder these all up before paint! It will make painting tricky.

 

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Kind regards,

 

Richard B

 

 

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Happy Easter to all. Its a very fine day here in deepest Wiltshire.

 

I relented and painted (brush) behind the deflectors before fitting. Really starting to look like 32331. The deflector braces seem to be unique to this loco. I have seen a pre-war picture of this loco and it has oval buffers and no braces so these seem to have been a wartime (was 331 one of the loco's lent to the GWR??) addition.

 

Cab backplate details now complete and ready for painting. The backplate and cab floor will be fitted after the loco body is painted.

 

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Kind regards and hope you are all well,

 

Richard B

 

 

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