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

[30368]

Many thanks John and Sir William(!).

 

Firstly I'm sorry about the Drummond tender ruse, I had one spare from my S11 4-4-0 build so paired it up for this totally made up story. Just to balance up all the very serious discussion about V2s (Bachmann and otherwise) that has appeared on the site.

 

As to the finish John, I will give it a light dusting of weathering powders on the body and then carefully polish with cotton buds etc. This will polish the cleaned areas and leave traces of the powders around the fittings etc. The underframe will be treated with various washes to get a cleanish but oily finish.

I agree, all the pictures I have suggests the V2's on the SR were kept clean and were popular with SR crews wich is no surprise they were great locos. I have a picture of 896 on the Belle and it still has front footsteps fitted so the removal of the footsteps must have been after clearance problems and third rail fears were identified.

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

 

PS I worked with Sir William's grandson back in the 1980's and 90's.

Edited October 21, 2021 by 30368

[46256]

Thanks Richard stranger things happened in real life, and still do on my layout whether, intentionally or not! 

 

My moniker more a reference to my favourite locomotive, rather than the great man

 

 

not that I’m gullible, but still waiting to hear from the Foreign Princess I have been financially assisting for the last few years. I fear she may have lost my bank details, and is struggling to reimburse me.

 

best wishes Brian

[30368]

Tue V2 60896 is now complete apart from some gentle weathering and polishing. I am pleased with the result given the starting point of a problematic kit of the early 1980s. The loco looks like Gresley's wonderful locomotive design. And now onto the tender with its Tony Wright donated etches to modify the kit supplied variation into a suitable tender for 60896.

 

 

 

 

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

[30368]

Some more pictures after dusting and cleaning - needs a little more finishing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

[30368]

A tender update today. Like the loco mainframes, the tender frames are also of great thickness and should provide a stable platform for the tender tanks/coal bunker. The frames are designed for pin-point axle ends rather than having a seperate frame for the wheelsets and "dummy" frame to house the axleboxes. Pin-point axles can be problematic when assembling the wheelsets to the frame, alignment is critical and sometimes the wheelset can drop out of the frames just as you are ready to secure the two frame halves together. At least that seems to happen with me!

 

To be fair, the Pro-scale kit designer solved this problem by providing two crossmembers that locate the two frame halves by 10BA screwes that have slottted holes so that the frame wheelsets can be easily fitted and then the two halves of the frames tightened up so that the wheelsets have enough sideplay. Worked very well.

 

The tender tank bottom etch is secured to the frames via two 10BA set screws and the tank also houses the tender drawbar pin (longer 10BA screw).

 

I am still debating the question of tender brake gear. No provision for it is made in the kit and in pictures it hardly shows. In contrast, the vacuum brake pipe does show so I have soldered a short legnth of 1.2mm brass rod on the drivers side of the tender frame only.

 

You can just see the slots by the set screw heads that provide adjustment making wheelset fitment very easy. The vacuum brake pipe soldered to the inside of the tender frame, drivers side.

 

Tender tank base with securing nuts and drawbar set screw solderd in position.

 

Tender sides ready for the removal of the beading ready to fit the Tony Wright supplied etches to convert the tender to the later design as fitted to my loco.

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

 

 

[Michael Edge]

You'll have fun fitting brakes to these - I have done it in the past but drilled the enormously thick frames together before assembling them.

[30368]

22 hours ago, Michael Edge said:

You'll have fun fitting brakes to these - I have done it in the past but drilled the enormously thick frames together before assembling them.

 

Thanks Michael. I'm still not convinced the effort of fitting the brakes is worth it, if I change my mind I have a very good mini-drill that will go though those frames easily providing speed is right and a dab of lub is applied.

 

No progress today, birthday treat lunch at our favourite Italian restaurant in Soho - Vasco and Piero's. Absolutely delicious, we have been going there since 1996.

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

Edited October 29, 2021 by 30368

[30368]

Todays update. I have had a serious rummage in my many scrap boxes and discovered a suitable set of brake etches that with a little modification will solder to the tender frames without too much work. The brake hangers and blocks are hardly visable from the side of the tender frame.

Soldering not cleaned up yet.

 

Returning to the tender body which is being prepared for the Tony Wright etch overlays.

 

I have totally removed the (oversize) beading at the two ends of the tender side since these will show after the overlay is soldered in position. At the top I have reduced since this will be covered by the overlay.

 

As mentioned, the kit tender beading is too wide you can see the difference between the Wright overlay and the tender back. The beading on the tender back will be removed and new beading applied as well as a thin overlay to match the tender sides.

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

 

[Michael Edge]

I think it's worth putting the brakes in even though you can't see much if them - you do notice the absence of them. There should be two pull rods at the back end, either side of the water scoop - are you putting that in as well?

[30368]

29 minutes ago, Michael Edge said:

I think it's worth putting the brakes in even though you can't see much if them - you do notice the absence of them. There should be two pull rods at the back end, either side of the water scoop - are you putting that in as well?

 

I have added them. I have no drawing of the 4200 gall tender so will change the rear pull rods next work session, thanks for the info. Will have a further think about the water scoop, us SR modellers not really familiar with such devices...

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

[Michael Edge]

You can get a nice white metal casting from Gibson, easy to fit. 

[30368]

Again, many thanks to Michael Edge and everyone that have offered constructive advice, much appreciated.

 

I have now removed all the overscale beading and fitted the Tony W overlay both sides and then added my own overlay to the rear of the tender tank. I have also noticed that the 4,200 gall. tender (and other versions too perhaps?) top section has a series of verticle rivets at regular intervals which will coincide with strakes on the inside of the tender to provide additional stregnth. I have scribed lines and added rivet detail. All looks ok. I have modified the brake pull-rods as Michael has suggested.

 

 

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

 

 

[30368]

Tender sides soldered to the tank base. The bodysides are very thin so whilst I have tacked the sides I will need to run a fillet from the inside to ensure a good fit. The tender body will get most of its stregnth from the tanks top and bunker etch which is about 0.5mm thick. I have added some rivet detail since this is very pronounced since the bunker/tank side "protrudes" into the tender fall plate. I assume I will have to cut back the Tony W supplied tall version of the bunker baulkhead?

 

I have one view off the tender fallplate/binker baulkhead, does anyone have any more details?

 

Tank top/coal bunker bent to shape and soldered.

 

60896 united with its "tender".

 

 

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

[30368]

Tender coming along fine although the tanks top, after fitting the high front plate (baulkhead), seems too low. As a result, the rear plate separating the bunker from the filler etc, is little too low. 

 

I notice too that the kit is minus the "dome" for the water scoop so perhaps I will have a chat with Colin at Alan Gibson and buy both components.

 

 

Loco has been polished a bit more and is looking a little closer to the condition it appears in the picture of it on the Bournmouth Bell.

 

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

Edited November 2, 2021 by 30368

[Michael Edge]

My drawings show the top of the tender tank 2.27mm below the top of the sides (at the back, not along the raves). Yours definitely looks too low.

[30368]

1 minute ago, Michael Edge said:

My drawings show the top of the tender tank 2.27mm below the top of the sides (at the back, not along the raves). Yours definitely looks too low.

 

I am fairly certain have assembled it correctly, location determined by the tanks top etch and the front plate. When I have fitted the rear baulkhead, which will be sctratch built, I will consider fitting a second tank top over the rear section of the tender to restore the correct hight. If the tank is too low along the raves this won't matter too much because it will be covered in coal.

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

[30368]

I have now added a "false" top at the rear of the tender to bring it in line with the 2.27mm depth that Michael Edge supplied. I have also started to add the detail, water filler and vacuum res. Like wise at the front of the tender with scoop raising/lowering and handbrake columns added. I have ordered a tender water dome and water scoop!

 

 

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

[Michael Edge]

That's better, forward of the bulkhead doesn't matter, just fill it with coal. One more query though, where do the fireirons go on this tender? There are different arrangements on various tenders.

[30368]

1 hour ago, Michael Edge said:

One more query though, where do the fireirons go on this tender?

 

Its not really clear from the images I have where they are stored when not in use. As mentioned, I don't have a drawing. One possibility is the cut out on the left hand side (looking back from the loco cab) top of the front baulkhead may be the location?

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

[micklner]

8 minutes ago, 30368 said:

 

Its not really clear from the images I have where they are stored when not in use. As mentioned, I don't have a drawing. One possibility is the cut out on the left hand side (looking back from the loco cab) top of the front baulkhead may be the location?

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

I presume V2's  are all LH Drive , the Irons would be on the Left when looking at the front of the Tender . I presume where the slot is already cut out, will be near enough.

[30368]

34 minutes ago, micklner said:

I presume V2's  are all LH Drive , the Irons would be on the Left when looking at the front of the Tender

 

Yes that makes sense Mick, many thanks.

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

[k22009]

Looking at the Brassmasters instructions and drawings for the Martin Finney GS tender it shows exactly as you say, a fire iron cradle on the L/h side as you face it.

[30368]

Tender is now almost complete and ready for painting. Awaiting delivery of tender water dome and scoop and some handrail knobs - my large stock has finally depleted.

 

I have solderd a 1mm wire to the tender so that I can couple to rolling stock and pull a load - a first for me usually only fitting (heavy duty) screw couplings which will be able to pull a load but will be very fiddly to operate so the V2 should be able to pull the Belle through Basingstoke and around to the fiddle yard without a lot of fuss!

 

I have fitted the bracket for the fire irons to the side of the tender perhaps a couple of mm to far forward. In most pictures it hardly features.

 

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

Edited November 9, 2021 by 30368

[30368]

I have located some suitable handrail knobs so tender is complete apart from water dome which should arrive tomorrow.

 

On another, although very related V2ish matter, I have just located and bought a DJH A2/1 kit thus I will have an example or two of each Thompson variation of the A2 when this kit is built as well as a completed example (Crownline) of the A1/1.

 

I will need to touch base with the LNER experts since I recall there are variations in the A2/1 class regarding cab and tender....

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

[davidw]

I didnt think DJH did the a2/1?