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Southern workbench (Currently two Dapol/Airfix Light Pacifics and a scratchbuilt 4-BUF)


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Index

Locos

Southern D1/M from the Albion models kit - page 1

Airfix/Crownline/Albert Goodall Bulleid pacifics - page 2

Chivers SECR J class chassis rebuild - page 2

 

EMUs

Scratchbuilt 4-BUF - page 3

Kirk 2-Bils - page 4

 

Coaches

D&S LCDR Brake 3rd - page 2

Comet/Triang Mk1 first rebuild - page 2

Southern Pride Mk2 first build -  page 4

 

Southern D1/M

I've got this week booked off, so I can go away on holiday. Obviously that's not happening (this was written when we were all locked down), so instead I've made a start on this 4mm scale LBSC D1 from Albion models. It'a a really nice kit, although not one for the beginner as the body etches are designed to cover both the E1 0-6-0T and the D1 0-4-2T - it;s basically a body for the slightly larger E1 with half etched dotted lines where the parts need modifying for the D1.

 

The only real issue so far was that following the instructions had me solder nuts on top of the footplate, and then the valences on the underside. So I made a little jig out of scrap plywood with holes cut out for the nuts so it would sit flat.

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This is the current state of the body. The tricky bit bit was forming (and modifying) the trailing wheel splashed inside the cab. So far one has been done, and the other will follow today when I summon up the enthusiasm.  The splashers are over scale width to allow for 16.5 gauge, but the kit lets you build then to scale width for P4. It;s a nice well thought out kit. 

 

The chassis has got to this point. It's going to be driven on the front axle and beam compensated on the rear two - this is designed into the kit although you need to provide your own compensation beam. This is my first attempt at building a chassis compensated where the kit is 'fitted for but not with' rather kits using parts provided in the kit. 

 

The middle axle has had bearing temporarily fitted to check everything is aligned correctly, something I've copied from a recent issue of (I think) Scalefour news. As you can see, it's all straight and as it should be - the next step is to open out the cutouts (which have been partially cut before assembly) and fit the hornblocks. 

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It's going to be finished as 2220 in lined Maunsell green - this was one of the motor fitted D1/M variety.  

 

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Edited by pete_mcfarlane
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Another day and a bit of work. The chassis now has the compensation fitted and is ready to be painted. The driving wheel uses a High Level hornblock, and the 2mm trailing axle a MJT one (as I'm using what bits I have available). Both were easy to make up, but the High level ones were the slightly easier of the two.  The only real problem with the chassis today was the lack of an drawing showing how the handbrake and brake cylinder arms are arranged. There isn't a general arrangement in the kit instructions, so the only drawings I can find are the DR weight diagrams and a J N Maskeline drawing of the locos in their original form (in 'Locomotives I have known').  So it took a bit of guesswork.

 

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The body has got as far as the outer tanks. The kit replicated the stepped top of the side tanks, which is a nice feature that's often missed on models of LBSC locos. Forming the curved tops was easy on the first one, and much harder on the second. Perhaps I got complacent.....?

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Edited by pete_mcfarlane
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I've built three of these so far and still another one waiting, it's a very good kit, accurate as far as I can tell.

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Some of the fittings are not as supplied with the kit, my customer supplies better ones from various sources.

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They are all slightly different, this one with a Marsh boiler.

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This is the latest one, painted by Ian Rathbone.

I think all these Albion kits are excellent but not very well known - I hope this provides more inspiration, keep up the good work with yours.

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It is a lovely kit. I rather fancy some of their other locos - I seem to remember that there's a Gladstone and E5 in the range, which I'd quite fancy.

 

This is where I've got to tonight. I've deviated from the instructions and haven't fitted the steps yet to avoid damaging them, but have started the detailing. Handrails done - one of these seems to have a rod inside it to operate something in the smokebox (some kind of damper?) so the gubbins for that is a couple of bit of tube. 20200612_213428.jpg.2e599aed78dc07c1e0a1363a6e009373.jpg

It needs a bit of a clean as well. Everything so far has been pretty simple. The cab roof seemed a little low, so has some scrap etch inside to lift it up, so the angle round the bottom is clear of the windows. The kit comes with a choice of rear coal rails, and one thing I'd not realised before is how little rear visibility the D1/M version has due to the coal rails (and the pile of coal which often seems to go above them). This explains why they were always coupled with the bunker towards the pull-push set.  

Edited by pete_mcfarlane
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9 hours ago, pete_mcfarlane said:

It is a lovely kit. I rather fancy some of their other locos - I seem to remember that there's a Gladstone and E5 in the range, which I'd quite fancy.

 

 

I've built both of those, they are just as good.

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The Gladstone is P4 gauge but the others are all 00.

Checking through my records again I've actually built 5 of the D1s (and three E1s) - all for the same customer but he assures me that the next D tank will be the last (he said that last time though).

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Just have to keep your nose to the ground.  The same D1 came up some time ago on a well known auction web site, 4 letters beginning E ending in a y, other auctions are also available (gosh been watching to much BBC).  Also O gauge guild events.

 

Good luck

Phil

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My D1 came from the Roxey stand at a show, but I had to pay cash for it (and separately from the other Roxey bits I was buying). Dave Hammersley said at the time that he sold them for the chap who produced them, rather than as part of his range. 

 

The contact address on the (4 year old) kit instructions is: 133 Westleigh Avenue, Coulsdon. Surrey. CR5 3AF. 

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On 14/06/2020 at 01:40, Furness Wagon said:

I will see if I can find a phone number

 

Marc

 

I'd be interested to know if you do. 

 

I was going to place an order with Roxey soon, I might call Dave instead and have a chat to him, see what I can find out.

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I seams Ian MacCormac, has now taken over some of the range. I know Ian from the HMRS and I my passenger brake van is one of his kits.

 

He is also on this forum but he trades as EB models.

 

Email:   ianmaccormac@hotmail.com

or

Post:     E B Models,

 1 Arundel Avenue,

 Bispham,

 BLACKPOOL,

 Lancs FY2 9HJ

 

Marc

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A progress update - having rushed through the basic build in my week off, it's taking a lot longer to add the detail. I'm still adding pipework, and there's a lot of it on a D1/M. They are dual braked, with the air control connections for the pull-push equipment - so a lot of pipework for a Victorian steam engine. 

 

This is the state of play as of tonight. Still a fair way to go

 

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The wheels have also had the balance weights and crankpins added. As an experiment I've tried Romford crankpins in the Gibson wheels, to see if this is less faff than using the Gibson ones. These have now been painted ready for fitting. 

 

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Oh and the balance weights come with the kit. Which is always good, as I hate making them. 

Edited by pete_mcfarlane
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I've got a GW models wheel press to push the wheels onto the axles, and do the quartering at the same time. 

 

I've done the rear axle, and hit a snag with using the Romford crankpins, in that they are slightly larger than the slots in the wheel press designed for the crankpins. So I ended up quartering them by eye, and just using the press to push the wheels on (having removed the crankpins first). As usual with these things, check that everything is correct half a dozen times before finally pushing the wheels onto the axles. 

 

 

 

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Chassis now assembled and tested. I found that it had a tendency to derail on crossovers, as the pickups on the middle axle interfered with the sideplay, and acted as springs to centre it. It now has pickups bearing lightly on the wheel rims. Other than that, it runs OK. The motor is one of those cheap eBay ones from China, with a high level gearbox. It's very smooth and controllable, but does make a noise like a jet engine spooling up when run at top speed. I can live with that, although the Mitsumi motor in my Judith Edge 05 is a equally smooth and a lot quieter. 

 

This week I have mostly been assembling brake gear.....

 

The first mistake I did was to use the holes in the chassis marked 'extra clearance' for the brake hangers, thinking I'd need this for the middle axle (which has a lot of sideplay). The brakes ended up a very long way from the wheels. 

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These were carefully removed (with side cutters and a burr in the mini-drill) and new holes drilled using the etched pilot holes provided (marked 'prototype position'). The result is a bit closer and just about acceptable, although the trailing axle is a lot nearer).

 

I also replaced the brake shoes (which looked the wrong shape compared to the 1930s photos I'm looking at) with some from the Mainly Trains SR brake gear etch which were a better shape. A bit of fiddling and some burnt fingers got it all soldered up. 

 

It's still not quite finished (I need to sort the end cranks ) but I have added some half round wire to represent the tensioners, and cranked the pull rods around the trailing wheel boss. The real thing has clearances so tight that it needs this. 

 

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Edited by pete_mcfarlane
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I've used that motor and it ran fairly quietly - are you sure it's not an out of balance flywheel causing the noise? I have tried some other cheap motors which really scream at high revs though, fine at low speed. I used to use flywheels a lot, mainly to make sure small locos kept moving but since I started applying graphite to the rails they are redundant.

I think I did that with the brakes on the first one I built.....

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10 hours ago, Michael Edge said:

I've used that motor and it ran fairly quietly - are you sure it's not an out of balance flywheel causing the noise?

 

That's was a very good guess. I removed the flywheel, which cured the noise. I then carefully refitted it, and there's a small amount of noise, but nothing as bad as before. I'll live with that if it means having a flywheel.  

 

2 hours ago, Pebbles said:

Not sure what is meant by cheap motor as I believe this is the type used by Hornby in their J15 and J50. 

They were about £2 each direct from China, so cheap but decent quality. 

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