locomotive kits 30368's Workbench SR Loco's with a bit of LNER

[30368]

Postscript - I had to carry out a further mod to the chassis. I was not able to get the front bogie to work well from the Crownline bogie arm so soldered a further chassis cross member so that the bogie rotates about it centre.

 

 

 

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

[30368]

Progress with the tender.

Although the tender fitted to 60113 has no rivet detail on the tender body (A3 standard non corridor tender) it does have rivet detail on the frames. Firstly the frame cross members and secondly around the brake hanger mounting holes to secure the hanger casting to the frame. This was all added to the kit since it was not represented.

 

Cant go much further awaiting 14mm disc wheels with pin point axle ends. I stupidly purchased  wheels with standard axles assuming an inner frame with brass axle bearings in the kit design - should have confirmed!

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

[30368]

Wheels for the tender have now arrived so on with the tender chassis.

 

The holes in the tender frames need to be opened up for the bearings to fit - I used a broach.

 

I soldered one side of the chassis to the body and then fitted the wheels followed by the other side of the frame - very fiddly. Tack solder the second frame side and then check for square and free running. I soldered the second frame with the chassis on a glass plate to ensure it was all flat.

 

Underside ready for the brake rigging and lastly the drag box/buffer beams.

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

 

PS Rather rough wet windy weather down here in Wiltshire!

Edited October 24, 2020 by 30368

[30368]

Today's update describes the stages in constructing the tender. I have also added some forgotten details to the loco - running plate footsteps on firebox and front "curves" and windscreens at between the cab windows.

 

Firstly the tender tank top and coal space soldered together.

 

Underside of the tank top - soldering a bit messy but on the underside so no need to clean it up!

 

And soldered to the tender.

 

The tender sides are very thin etches that require careful handling. Ready for soldering.

 

One side soldered in position, thats enough for today!

 

Lastly mated up to loco.

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

[30368]

Starting to look like an A3 non corridor tender.

 

 

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

 

[30368]

60113's tender is now ready for painting with only the coupling, buffer heads and steam heat/Vac pipes to fit.

 

Took a few pictures before doing so. I have adjusted the tender/loco coupling spacing and made some adjustments to the trailing wheel that improves rear driver traction/pick-up. I am conscious of the fact that I don't have a layout to run Great Northern on only a metre or two of track with some test curves.  This is a concern and I will stop building loco's for a while after we have moved to get that layout up and running.

 

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

 

 

[30368]

Loco and tender united.

 

 

 

 

 

KInd regards,

 

Richard B

 

 

 

[30368]

60113 just needs tender weathering and coal.

 

 

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

[30368]

Final post on Great Northern which is now finished and I am pleased with the result. I always hope that the next build will improve on the last. In this case my DJH Sun Castle. I would say that the Crownline kit was a bit more difficult to build than the DJH A2/3. In a sense that is not a surprise given that the former is an etched brass kit. I have already mentioned my difficulties with the resin boiler but given that it really wasn't that difficult to construct a reasonable version of the prototype. My use of 2 thou brass sheeting over the firebox created some problems namely surface distortion but then I looked at many photographs of LNER pacific fireboxes and many had just the same distortions!

 

Anyway, I intend to stop building loco's for a while, at least until after our planned move to Buxton which should take place at the end of the month or early December. Following the post move chaos I plan to make a serious start (re-start really) on the layout in my new 25sq m hobby room. I suspect though that I might just drift back a little and start my Urie S15!

 

Some final pictures of 60113 Great Northern

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kind regards and stay safe,

 

Richard B

[30368]

Thanks John and all, much appreciated.

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

Edited November 2, 2020 by 30368

[30368]

We have been busy planning the move so not much time for building loco's although I did find time to buy a Brassmaster A4 and A3 enhancement etch. They are very good if a little fiddly.

I have to confess that I also bought a second hand Hornby A3 and Bachmann A1! This LNER thing is getting serious!

 

A few pictures of my 60026 purchased a while ago (to compare with 60700 which is on order) with some of the Brassmaster mods fitted plus a few more of my own.

 

I carefully re-profiled the cylinder fairing - it seems too flat to me.

 

New cylinder end cover Hornby moulding is a little small.

 

 

 

Front gravity sandpipes added.

 

Its a great model, well done Hornby but one can always add a bit more!

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

[davidw]

I've 16 A4s plus a W1 how did you reprofile the cylinder?

[30368]

Hi David,

 

I can't claim any originality for this! I simply gently filed the bottom edge of the body casting, starting at the bottom and slowly increasing the area filed as the radius increased. There are limits to this given the need to cover the chassis mounted cylinders. Finished with very fine W&D paper. To improve still further the illusion of a thin sheet covering the cylinder casting I made two new front cylinder cover from, in this case ally sheet recovered from old Venetion blinds, and trimed these to fit as close to the body as possible without impeading body removal.

 

I am very pleased with the result - I would love to show you a few more pictures but the loco, together with the other 120 or so of various sorts, not all A4!!, are packed ready for our impending move. As soon as I can I will take some more pics and post them here.

 

Good luck and take it slowly - its worth the effort the rest of the Hornby model is really good.

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

 

 

Edited November 18, 2020 by 30368

[30368]

On 14/11/2020 at 10:36, davidw said:

I've 16 A4s plus a W1 how did you reprofile the cylinder?

 

Sorry David - should have done this first !

[davidw]

2 minutes ago, 30368 said:

Hi David,

 

I can't claim any originality for this! I simply gently filed the bottom edge of the body casting, starting at the bottom and slowly increasing the area filed as the radius increased. There are limits to this given the need to cover the chassis mounted cylinders. Finished with very fine W&D paper. To improve still further the illusion of a thin sheet covering the cylinder casting I made two new front cylinder cover from, in this case ally sheet recovered from old Venetion blinds, and trimed these to fit as close to the body as possible without impeading body removal.

 

I am very pleased with the result - I would love to show you a few more pictures but the loco, together with the other 120 or so of various sorts, not all A4!!, are packed ready for our impending move. As soon as I can I will take some more pics and post them here.

 

Good luck and take it slowly - its worth the effort the rest of the Hornby model is really good.

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

 

 

Thanks I'd love to see close ups and maybe hve a go myself

 

[30368]

59 minutes ago, davidw said:

Thanks I'd love to see close ups and maybe hve a go myself

 

Fortunately I didn't have to dig too deeply. Sorry about the picture quality and I would add that painting/weathering has not been completed.

 

 

 

 

Richard

 

 

[30368]

My Hornby A2/2 60501 arrived today - what a fabulous model!

 

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

[30368]

I am making good progress with my layout 70D Engine Shed and have completed the ex LNER G5 0-4-4T for the Darlington Model Railway Club although I await the April easing of lockdown before delivering the latter. So I thought I would continue with building my Rodney Stenning E4 0-6-2T kit started many years ago, well before the excellent Bachmann E4 was available. I have one of those too but am happy to build the kit for the pleasure that gives me. Basingstoke shed also had two E4's allocated to it in the 1950s, 32481 and 32502. I also have a picture of 32505 on shed too.

 

The kit is well designed with N/S frames and a cast whitemetal body. I will be using Markits wheels and a combination of Alan Gibson plunger pickups for the leading two driving axles and a wiper pickup for the trailing driving axle since this is driven and plunger pickups would foul the gearbox. I will also see if I can fit a wiper contact to the trailing wheel.

 

The chassis was assembled many years ago so all I had to do was fit the pickup housings and paint. I spend a lot of time cleaning up the whitemetal parts and test fitting before soldering.

 

Low melt solder to assemble the body - it is simple to use providing surfaces are clean, flux applied and soldering iron applied sparingly!

 

Body temp. fit to chassis. I plan to fit a flywheel to the free end of the motor.

 

All square.

 

The Bachmann version is very good I will endevour to match it!!

 

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

Edited March 29, 2021 by 30368

[Guest Jack Benson]

Richard,

 

An image of a wandering E4 at Salisbury and two E4 were noted at Dorchester in the early ‘50s. I am always surprised to find locos ‘off the reservation’

 

StaySafe

 

 

 

[30368]

I have now bought a couple of old part built kits from a fellow South Western Circle member. One is a T9 which will probably end up as an S11 6ft Drummond 4-4-0 and an old Wills E5 kit which needs some work to complete.

 

Meanwhile the E4 is moving along slowly. I have now assembled the radial pony truck. The cast mounting point for which was discarded due to ride height issues (trailing driving wheel off the rail) and used a 1/8" axle bearing as a substitute.

 

Side frames soldered to casting.

 

 

 

 

Chassis test mounted to body.

 

 

Brighton radial tanks gallore!

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

Edited April 1, 2021 by 30368

[Michael Edge]

The snag with that radial truck its that the pivot is far too short - however the theoretical point will be somewhere in the region of the gear wheel. This is the same problem found in BRs 1-Co-Co-1 designs which resulted in swing link pivots from the outside. It will almost certainly have tendency to go the wrong way in K crossings.

[30368]

8 minutes ago, Michael Edge said:

It will almost certainly have tendency to go the wrong way in K crossings.

 

What a disapointment Michael!

 

The pivot is about 5mm too short then. Lets hope that the weight over the axle helps a bit.Tests on my layout seem encouraging. I have to complete the build of the E5 kit mentioned so lets hope I can resolve it.

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

 

PS Your V4 and B9 kits are on the list for completion. Any news on Maunsell 350HP shunter?

[Michael Edge]

I've had this problem before, tried lengthening the pivot to forward of the gearwheel - then it tends to derail on plain curves. The only way to get it right is to follow Baldry's rule, for locos like this I wouldn't drive on the trailing axle but it's a bit late for that....

I'll look forward to seeing the V4 and B9 on here.

[30368]

Whilst I wait for some parts for the E4 and E5 to be delivered I have moved on to the LNER again and started to build a Judith Edge ex GCR LNER B9 4-6-0 etch/kit that I bought some time ago at something called "a model railway exhibition" whatever they are.

 

The etch is first class and is supplied with a single sheet line drawing and some instructions. It is minus boiler fittings and smoke box door etc but is priced accordingly - its very good value.

 

 

The instructions and etches. All very clear and includes a template for boiler and firebox - not supplied.

 

Frames and frmae spacers . Drawing clearely shows location of all spacers and these are located by slots in the frames.

 

The kit (as I shall now call it) has provision for compensation but I intend to make this loco a solid frame so 1/8" bearings all soldered in position.

 

Frames set up in my frame jig. Spacers progressively fitted and tacked to frame.

 

It all goes together very easily.

 

There are two more frame spacers to fit

 

One spacer fits over the centre wheel - I have left this off until I have sorted out motor and gearbox arrangements. The other spacer fits inside the ashpan which is yet to be fitted.

 

Impressively easy to assemble. I now have a tender kit on order from Judith Edge kits which is a reasonable £32. I also have some printed parts from same and some from Graham Nicholas (G-Train Locomotive Works - more on this later) which are really detailed and of good quality. Both suppliers recommended.

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

Edited April 3, 2021 by 30368

[Michael Edge]

That looks to be a good start.