Mercian BR Class 14 in 4mm

[k22009]

As lock down is still pretty much unchanged here in Scotland for the moment anyway, another of my slightly smaller to do kit pile has been started. This time a Mercian kit for a BR class 14 Teddy Bear.

 

Having had a good look through all of the parts it seems this time i have a full house (unlike the 50550/J94 i recently built) so hopefully no need to scratch build frames or major parts, fingers crossed. However there is no parts list and the instructions/diagrams omit a lot of the parts so i need to be careful and study plenty of photos.

 

Here's what you get, i've also bought Gibson wheels, a loadhauler + gearbox from Chris at High Level and a Japanese/Chinese 16 dia coreless motor.

 

 

First up is the chassis, so the frames were removed from the etches along with the rods, spacers and etched cosmetic spring/hornblock details.

 

The spacers come in 2 width options ones for OO and the others supposedly for finescale OO, EM and P4. The smaller ones would make the frames 11.5mm overall and the larger ones 13.5mm. So i've opted to file down slightly the larger ones as i want the frames around 13mm overall. The rods are also one piece so i will cut those up and make them articulated.

 

 

Thay's all for now, hopefully more tomorrow.

 

Dave

[Michael Edge]

Class 14 frames are very narrow, in 4mm scale 12.5mm overall width. The axleboxes are on the outside of the frames, same as many Hunslet locos (the gearboxes were from Hunslet).

[k22009]

Thanks Mike, the etched axle boxes that are supplied will be almost invisible behind the wheels so i may not bother adding them. I'll file a little more off the spacers to make the frames 12.5mm o/all.

 

Cheers

 

Dave

[Michael Edge]

I've just looked again, that dimension was a bit out. I started preparing this drawing to etch P4 frames for the rtr class 14.

00 gauge wheels will easily go round scale width frames but there should be a very noticeable gap between the back of the wheel and the frame plate.

[k22009]

Thanks Mike for the info i can keep the frames at 13mm now, i also found an old product from off the drawing board you produced from back in 1974 of the class 14 on here. Well before CAD, we only used ink to detail and razor blades to scratch out in the drawing office with 5'-0 long wooden T squares in those days, it wasn't until i moved to Canada and started work on the skyscrapers in the US in the late 80's we switched to a very basic form of CAD. 

 

Dave 

[k22009]

I split the rods rather than have them in one piece, i prefer them articulated. The holes etched into these for the crank pins were already 1.5mm dia so i'm using gibson crank pins with the bushes. I drilled out the hinged points to 1mm dia, added some brass black to the center etch of the middle piece so that when i solder up the pin to the outer sides it doesn't jam up. 

 

 

I've made a mistake here, the center piece on the bottom needs turning around through 180 degrees as it doesn't match the top set so i'll remove the pins and redo it.

 

 

I've also made up the gearbox which is a High Level Loadhauler + with a 108-1 ratio (or whatever the new ratios are, slightly more i believe). These as with all of Chris's stuff fit together perfectly as long as you follow the proper sequence. Drive unit added which is a 16 dia coreless motor from Japan which has screw holes in unlike the Cheap chinese motors i've been using which need soldering.

 

 

The spacers have been reduced in width and added to the frames which is now 13mm overall,  i've also added the sandboxes and brake levers. A quick test with a set of 16mm dia Romford wheels and after a few tweeks opening out the coupling rod holes all seems to run smoothly. I've now primed this so it's sitting hardening off until tomorrow when i can add the gibson wheels, the drive unit and hopefully do a powered test.

 

Dave

[k22009]

I laminated 4 thicknesses of the etched cranks and with a Romford EM gauge axle through the bearings i soldered them on to the square shaft end, removing the threaded portion of the axle. A piece of 1mm dia rod to act as the crank pin was also soldered on.

 

 

 

The gibson wheels were pressed onto the axles, coupling rods and drive unit attached. 

 

 

With the final drive grub screw still loose i tested it up and down the track before securing and applying power.

 

 

On with the footplate next.

 

Dave

 

[k22009]

Made a start on the footplate, laminated the buffer beams which needed to be fitted a particular way as they were not perfectly symmetrical. The step assemblies are an origami fold up that included the steps and the closure panels adjacent to the buffer beams, they looked very nice on the etch but when it came to making all of the bends it was quite difficult to keep everything square, as even a slight bit out with a bend and it threw it all out of kilter, they may have been better as smaller separate assemblies.

The valences were slightly short so i'll use some flat strip instead, these are described to be fitted to the half etched lines on the underside, however these are set in about 1.5mm and looking at the photos of the class the valence, footplate and cab are all pretty much flush. So it looks like the footplate was going to be about a scale 6" to wide (2mm) or the cab is too narrow. I'm not going to change that so i'll have to remove the excess from the footplate. Time for the big file.

 

 

Cab next.

 

Dave

[Michael Edge]

You can use the drawing I posted to see which is correct, cab/footplate/angle are more or less flush and 8ft 6in wide. I know what you mean about the origami, I've seen a few kits like that, great in theory but impossible to fold.

[dmsmith]

Dear Mike

 

i’m very pleased to hear that you might be preparing a P4 chassis. I replaced the wheels in my Heljan version with Ultrascales, and fitted Brassmasters replacement rods, but try as I might, I can’t get it to run smoothly. The rods also foul the footsteps. A proper compensated or sprung chassis, with bespoke brake gear,  would solve all my problems!
 

Best wishes

David

[Michael Edge]

It's on hold at the moment, mainly because I can't figure out how to dismantle the Heljan loco far enough. It was going to be discussed at Scalefour North, failing that at Bristol - and then the world came to a halt.

[k22009]

The footplate was a scale 9'-3 so 1.5mm each side needed coming off, fortunately the cab was correct at 8'-6. The cab was a one piece fold up unit and with this kit you get several options for the cab interior. There is a cast white metal floor, a fold up etched one, a white metal operating desk and rear cab panel (which is also an etched option) seats and instrument panel. I decided to use the etched options where there was a choice with the white metal castings suitably filed down to fit inside to add additional weight. The interior is mostly all mounted onto the floor which i've not yet attached to the cab sides, but i'll have to and then solder the cab to the footplate from the outside. This is where Mike Edge's design for the cabs on his kits are nice, there the cab floor and any interior is generally fitted to the frames allowing you access inside the cab to attach the roof and get to paint it all.

 

 

 

At the same time i rolled the roof to check it was all ok. Oh dear short in the rolled direction by around 1.5 mm. So i added 2 narrow strips to the cab sides and blended them in, i also added a couple of strips that i can glue the roof onto once the cab is painted. The doors are recessed and i've added wire handles to these, the cab handrails at 0.45 mm dia looked a bit thin for these so i used a slightly larger rod as they seem quite prominent on the original. The cab windows will go on after its been painted as they have nice etched frames (i've glazed these already while they're off the model) which look like the aluminium ones on the prototype. 

 

 

Assembling and forming the bonnet's is next.

 

Dave

[Down_Under]

Many thanks for this build thread. I’ve one in the stash so this is invaluable. excellent modelling

 

 

[37114]

Nice project, I built the A1 models kit a few years ago so it is interesting to see how this one compares.

[5050]

I built the Moderrn Outline kit in P4 around 30 + years ago with original Gibson wheels, a Sagami can motor driving lost wax brass gear mount and Romford gears onto the fly crank axle with home made milled brass fly cranks.  I found the Gibson fly cranks split around the axle hole. The 2 pairs of wheels at the long bonnet end have 2 compensating beams at the sides with the single short bonnet axle with a central pivot.  Body parts all unscrew from the footplate and each other with (I think) 10 BA studs and nuts.  This made the painting MUCH easier!  The last time I tried it it still ran very well, I just don't have a suitable layout for it at the moment!

 

I had no idea at the time that the chassis was so narrow and built it with a 'normal' spacing.  Nobody has ever mentioned it.  Yet

 

There was yet another Cl 14 etched brass kit on the market around that time and I bought one of them as well but didn't build it and sold it on.  Can't remember the name of it now!

[Michael Edge]

I would agree with that, the Gibson cranks were very fragile but otherwise the MOK kit went together well - I built two of them in 00 gauge many years ago.

[Bucoops]

1 hour ago, 5050 said:

I built the Moderrn Outline kit in P4 around 30 + years ago with original Gibson wheels, a Sagami can motor driving lost wax brass gear mount and Romford gears onto the fly crank axle with home made milled brass fly cranks.  I found the Gibson fly cranks split around the axle hole. The 2 pairs of wheels at the long bonnet end have 2 compensating beams at the sides with the single short bonnet axle with a central pivot.  Body parts all unscrew from the footplate and each other with (I think) 10 BA studs and nuts.  This made the painting MUCH easier!  The last time I tried it it still ran very well, I just don't have a suitable layout for it at the moment!

 

I had no idea at the time that the chassis was so narrow and built it with a 'normal' spacing.  Nobody has ever mentioned it.  Yet

 

There was yet another Cl 14 etched brass kit on the market around that time and I bought one of them as well but didn't build it and sold it on.  Can't remember the name of it now!

 

Constructeon? I have one somewhere.

[k22009]

I've heard good reports about the Constructeon kit.

 

The bend lines should have half etched grooves  but they have not been etched properly so i gently used an Olfa cutter to cut a few grooves to assist in the bending without leaving an impression on the outer face. Only one template was supplied for each bonnet so i made another so i had one for each end. The one adjacent to the grill casting was inset slightly. 

 

 

 

The bonnet doors are a laminate so these were cut out tinned and soldered together.

 

 

I'll attach the doors, grills, fan, cover, cast vents and lifting eyes which are not supplied but i've a few 1/32 brass nettlefolds ones lurking in a box etc next.

 

Dave

[hayfield]

I have a Judeth Edge diesel kit to build, seems to use similar principals so very much enjoying watching your build and hopefully soaking up you comments 

[k22009]

4 hours ago, hayfield said:

I have a Judeth Edge diesel kit to build, seems to use similar principals so very much enjoying watching your build and hopefully soaking up you comments 

 

You'll have no problem with one of Mike And Judith's kits John. They are well designed and crucially everything fits, just follow the instructions always think ahead and take it step by step.

 

Fitted the cab to the footplate and did a quick test to make sure the chassis and drive train fitted ok. 

 

 

Folded up the cab steps and fitted those to the underside of the footplate also.

 

 

I'd fitted the bonnet doors to the bonnet last night, i found that you need to position the grills at the rear of the engine casing first and then line up the tops of the doors with this. The fuel tanks and boxes at the side of the bonnets are too high as is, if you use these as a guide to fit the doors they will be too high. The tanks and boxes needed reducing in height by about 1mm. The bonnets can be attached from the inside under the footplate. Does anyone produce lifting eyes ? the cotter pins look ok but they could be better.

 

  

 

Cast bonnet fronts and handrails need to be made up now for around the bonnet tops and also the front and rear steps, the exhaust  needs fitting too which comes as a cast white metal lump. The one i received in the kit is too big (too high, too deep and covers the edge of the windows) and the casting is quite poor with holes and large deformities all over it. So i'll make one up from scrap etch and that way i can add the exhaust pipe too.

After that it needs the buffers adding and a little lead weight but as i've used quite a few of the castings in the cab it's not too bad.

 

Dave

[k22009]

There was plenty of scrap etch leftover so the new exhaust was duly made, as i said in the last post the white metal one was  over sized and a bit rough. 

 

 

Cast bonnet fronts attached and handrails to the steps added along with short spigots for the bonnet handrails which i'll attach after painting. I'm deliberating whether to add handles for the bonnet doors or not. While i ponder i'll give it a good clean up before it gets the Halford's treatment.

 

 

 

Dave