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My First Austerity


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Mine has got Lanarkshire housings with Gibson sprung buffer heads.  The former I'd highly recommend but I'm not so keen on the latter.

The Gibson tails are extremely skimpy and it takes very little for them to get bent to all kinds of odd angles.  Getting the loco in or out of its box without at least one buffer head aiming either skywards or down at the floor is impossible.  I've had to bend mine straight so many times I'm amazed they havent snapped.  If I use them again I'll cut the tails off, drill the shafts and glue in a piano wire replacement.

I also found using the Gibson sprung buffers made fitting the gussets behind the buffer beams extremely difficult.  I didnt even attempt the double gussets mine probably ought to have and fitted the single gusset its actually got slightly out of position.

Edited by mike morley
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53 minutes ago, mike morley said:

Mine has got Lanarkshire housings with Gibson sprung buffer heads.  The former I'd highly recommend but I'm not so keen on the latter.

The Gibson tails are extremely skimpy and it takes very little for them to get bent to all kinds of odd angles.  Getting the loco in or out of its box without at least one buffer head aiming either skywards or down at the floor is impossible.  I've had to bend mine straight so many times I'm amazed they havent snapped.  If I use them again I'll cut the tails off, drill the shafts and glue in a piano wire replacement.

I also found using the Gibson sprung buffers made fitting the gussets behind the buffer beams extremely difficult.  I didnt even attempt the double gussets mine probably ought to have and fitted the single gusset its actually got slightly out of position.

Early examples had a single gusset behind the buffer beam. Later ones and rebuilds had double gussets. Many single gusset locos had/have bent/distorted buffer beams

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I've been pondering the tank seam and I may to take a different route to how Corbs has done it. The standard model needs the top to be removable in order to access the motor as it is mounted in the body but with an etched chassis the motor and gearbox will be completely independent of the body and, instead, is fitted to the frames. So I've cut out the motor mount, which leaves a hole large enough to fit a motor and HL gearbox through.  I could glue the tank to the rest of the boiler and then fill the seam and the body will fit on the chassis as one piece.

 

On the other hand, Corbs' way has the advantage of that once the lower parts of the tank are out of the way, the lower part of the boiler and that box can be cut out and replaced with some brass or plastic tube. It would also be easier to get at the solid running plate that's under the boiler, too. It's starting to become too much trouble at that point though  so I might just live with the box under the boiler and view it from the reach rod side, where it isn't so obvious.

 

The square motor won't fit if the upper and lower parts of the tank/boiler are glued together, so I've found a Mashima 10/20 in my stock of motors, which will fit nicely through the hole. The decoder can go in the bunker and the speaker between the frames beneath it. That will leave enough space in the tank/boiler to fill with lead to get it back up to the as-bought weight of 147g.

Austerity-016.jpg.0743e62d245746869dcfbfed447800e1.jpg

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On 25/06/2020 at 20:21, Ruston said:

Probably the most well-known and successful British industrial steam design ever and I've never owned a model of one before. OK, I have but they were N gauge so they don't count (sorry, N gauge folks but they weren't very good models in any way).

Last week I was looking at pictures of Austerities and thinking how great they are and looked into buying a model of one that could end up on an NCB line that I may or may not build at all. I was aware of the DJ models version but had heard bad things about the running qualities of some, and how the motors aren't very reliable. Not only that but the price tag put me off. Then I saw a bargain-priced Dapol version on ebay and bid on and won it.

I'd already bought it by the time I looked closely at the picture and found that despite it being a liveried and numbered as a WD engine that was never owned by the LNER or BR, it's got a ruddy great moulding for a BR number plate on the front of the smokebox! Did Dapol think no one would notice? I noticed and so I figured that it may be ready-to-run but it isn't going to be ready to run on any layout that I own.

Now I've got the thing in my hands I realise that it's a project in itself. The smokebox door has to go, the handrail knobs are huge, so they'll have to go, the injectors are on some plastic backing, so they require attention, the wheels are wrong, not to mention being bright nickel silver, so they'll have to be replaced...

It runs well but it's noisy. I could probably put up with it if it was just DC but if it's going DCC sound it'll be annoying, so I think it's a new motor and gearbox job, which I guess also means a new chassis.

I'm wondering just how much of the original model I'm going to be left with and if it wouldn't have been cheaper to just fork out for the DJ one to begin with!

 

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The buffers are sprung but the bodies look too thick on the shank and the backing plate where they bolt to the buffe beams needs a good feed. They'll have to be replaced.

Austerity-003.jpg.0690c47ee9188550e506fa803da08c3c.jpg

This cover for the Kylpor exhaust doesn't sit right. I want to replace it with a standard chimney anyway. The smokebox hinge is a bit heavy duty!

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I think the extra steps and handles on the tank are an LNER thing, so they'll have to get the chop. And there's that awful seam that I need to do something about.

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What's this sliding hatch thing? I've not noticed that on the Austerities that I've seen.

These are all the things I've noticed myself and I'm no expert on Austerities. I'm sure someone will be along to tell me more...

 

Buckle up, Warrington, it's going to be a bumpy ride! :butcher:

 

The sliding hatch was a feature on some of the NCB austerities in Lancashire. Repulse HE3698 definitely had the feature and still does.

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12 hours ago, Respite said:

 

The sliding hatch was a feature on some of the NCB austerities in Lancashire. Repulse HE3698 definitely had the feature and still does.

Of course. A safe place to hide the pies!

This is the key to getting locos right, understanding the local adaptations. Radical solution to the tank seam: remove the lower boiler moulding from the foot plate, split if and glue back just a little bit wider apart. Handrails from a lighter gauge wire will also help. In some ways the fine detail on these locos is quite delicate.

Whilst we are being hypercritical of the Warrington model the ridges on the tank need to go. I knew something didn't look quite right: the tank is seamlessly welded (which is why they are a good choice for a first scratch build). This appears to be the same from all the manufacturers.

Edited by doilum
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Good morning all,

 

here is an Austerity at Ashington with an Armstrong Patent Mechanical Stoker.

 

Note on this one the hatch is vertical.

 

Loco is VF 5278 of 1945 and was fitted with the stoker from 221/1962 to 8/12/1962

evidently not very succesfull.

 

The photo was taken on 27th Jan 1962 less than a week after being released form

the workshops.

 

Trev.

26 VF 5278 of 1945  Ashington 27th Jan 1962.jpg

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5 hours ago, Sludger said:

Good morning all,

 

here is an Austerity at Ashington with an Armstrong Patent Mechanical Stoker.

 

Note on this one the hatch is vertical.

 

Loco is VF 5278 of 1945 and was fitted with the stoker from 221/1962 to 8/12/1962

evidently not very succesfull.

 

The photo was taken on 27th Jan 1962 less than a week after being released form

the workshops.

 

Trev.

26 VF 5278 of 1945  Ashington 27th Jan 1962.jpg

 tThis appears not to be the same type as fitted by Hunslet. The units fitted to the Yorkshire locos were much larger and we're clearly visible under the rear buffer, hence the large protection plate to prevent the coupling from swinging back.

Good to see a new photo!

Having had a good second look, there is a lot of unique detail.

What is the opening on the bunker side and the pipe / vent above the cab roof. The DIY window repair is worth modelling in it's own right. Now I can see this on a full sized screen I get the crazy idea that the stoker was powered by an internal combustion engine. There appears to be a filler cap and air intake in the bunker side whilst the pipe above the cab could be an exhaust. No idea what the other fabrication is though. Can anyone help?

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The stoker wasn't the only modification. VF5278 also was fitted with a Giesel ejector in 1965 being finally scrapped in 1969. Sister engine VF5276 had a mechanical stoker fitted at Allerton Bywater workshops. I assume these NCB conversions are in addition to ones listed in Martin Bane's article.

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On 26/06/2020 at 22:58, mike morley said:

With regard to the handrails, on the great majority of Austerities those across the front of the saddle tank are level with those along the sides.  On the Dapol/Hornby models they are not.  I'd assumed that was simply a mistake by Dapol that Hornby had perpetuated until I found a photograph of a prototype that matched those on the model.  Then I found a few more and realised they were all built by Andrew Barclay.  Bear that in mind when deciding both where to site your handrails and which prototype to select.

The smokebox handrails are the same. The WB locos have the tank rails pitched higher than Hunslet and the others. Check carefully where the handrails meets the cab window.

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5 hours ago, doilum said:

Of course. A safe place to hide the pies!

This is the key to getting locos right, understanding the local adaptations. Radical solution to the tank seam: remove the lower boiler moulding from the foot plate, split if and glue back just a little bit wider apart. Handrails from a lighter gauge wire will also help. In some ways the fine detail on these locos is quite delicate.

Whilst we are being hypercritical of the Warrington model the ridges on the tank need to go. I knew something didn't look quite right: the tank is seamlessly welded (which is why they are a good choice for a first scratch build). This appears to be the same from all the manufacturers.

I noticed the vertical ridges because they're not on the lower part of the tank and I was racking my brains about how I would not only make them but how difficult it would be to get them matched up to what's already on the upper part but you're absolutely right, they shouldn't be there at all! The penny hadn't dropped until you mentioned it. Easy enough to get rid of them completely.

 

I've just chopped the lower parts of the tank off, Corbs style, and they are now fitted to the rest of the tank. I'm waiting for the MEK joint to fully harden before I sand the ridges and join line.

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On 26/06/2020 at 15:17, Alister_G said:

 

Yep, I found I could leave the original motor keeper plate (shortened slightly) and managed to fit a keep-alive capacitor in there as well.

 

ladmanlow587.jpg.f33178a309cc0fdd15076fb092557e59.jpg

 

With all that and a cast-metal crew, it didn't need the damn great weight at all, for what I use it for.

 

Al.

What decoder and sound file do you have in there , Al?

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27 minutes ago, Ruston said:

I noticed the vertical ridges because they're not on the lower part of the tank and I was racking my brains about how I would not only make them but how difficult it would be to get them matched up to what's already on the upper part but you're absolutely right, they shouldn't be there at all! The penny hadn't dropped until you mentioned it. Easy enough to get rid of them completely.

 

I've just chopped the lower parts of the tank off, Corbs style, and they are now fitted to the rest of the tank. I'm waiting for the MEK joint to fully harden before I sand the ridges and join line.

Funny how you think you know a subject well. Everyday a school day!

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6 minutes ago, Alister_G said:

 

Hi Dave, it's an ESU Loksound v5 with a J94 sound file from Olivia's Trains.

 

Al.

Can you shut off the regulator and it will coast, slowing very gradually unless you press a function button for the brakes? I've only ever used Zimo deocoders and they all have this feature. I'm used to it and I find it makes driving so much more interesting and realistic, so I wouldn't want to fit something that doesn't have this.

Do you know which loco was used to record the sounds?

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Hi Dave, if you shut off the regulator it will coast, with just the clank of the action, but to be honest I have never tried to let it coast to a standstill, I might give it a go on the rolling road to see what happens as I don't have a long enough stretch of track to try it. It is very configurable though and I haven't done much messing with the default settings.

 

I'm afraid I don't know which loco was used for the recordings, sorry.

 

Al.

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Tank bottoms cut from the lower part and reattached to the upper part.

Austerity-023.jpg.7062210a2a238b63f5fbd2f87f411e4d.jpg

 

The welds that shouldn't have been there to begin with are now sanded off. I'll have to give it a coat of primer to see just how well I've done that and if the joins of the tank parts need any filler. Some holes and those weird shapes where the thick extra steps on the tank were are going to need filler.

Austerity-022.jpg.4c52f3b335c3432769fca9eb66941f77.jpg

I've ordered a detailing kit that has etched steps included, so by the time I've done with this there isn't going to be much left of the Dapol model at all. I presume those things sticking up in front of the smokebox are meant to a lamp irons? They'll get chopped next.

 

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On 27/06/2020 at 09:25, Ruston said:

 Wimblebury is my favourite Austerity because you let me drive it. :biggrin_mini2:

 

 

 

Dave,

 

My project for ZIMO was recorded from Wimblebury, but I also have Whiston and some fab Stannier Hooter blasts from Foxfield Railway (coal mine end), courtesy of Nigel, (Avonside 1563) if you would prefer them to the normal whistle.

 

Or, of course, I could put both whistle and Hooter on the same decoder and you can choose which AWD to use as it suits you.

 

As you know, all my projects have long coasting and manual progressive brakes on F2.

 

I've been expecting an email since I saw this the other day. LOL.

 

Best regards,

 

Paul

 

Edited by pauliebanger
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1 hour ago, Ruston said:

Tank bottoms cut from the lower part and reattached to the upper part.

Austerity-023.jpg.7062210a2a238b63f5fbd2f87f411e4d.jpg

 

The welds that shouldn't have been there to begin with are now sanded off. I'll have to give it a coat of primer to see just how well I've done that and if the joins of the tank parts need any filler. Some holes and those weird shapes where the thick extra steps on the tank were are going to need filler.

Austerity-022.jpg.4c52f3b335c3432769fca9eb66941f77.jpg

I've ordered a detailing kit that has etched steps included, so by the time I've done with this there isn't going to be much left of the Dapol model at all. I presume those things sticking up in front of the smokebox are meant to a lamp irons? They'll get chopped next.

 

Much better ! Just a superfluous set of foot steps to lose.

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18 hours ago, doilum said:

 tThis appears not to be the same type as fitted by Hunslet. The units fitted to the Yorkshire locos were much larger and we're clearly visible under the rear buffer, hence the large protection plate to prevent the coupling from swinging back.

Good to see a new photo!

Having had a good second look, there is a lot of unique detail.

What is the opening on the bunker side and the pipe / vent above the cab roof. The DIY window repair is worth modelling in it's own right. Now I can see this on a full sized screen I get the crazy idea that the stoker was powered by an internal combustion engine. There appears to be a filler cap and air intake in the bunker side whilst the pipe above the cab could be an exhaust. No idea what the other fabrication is though. Can anyone help?

Hi Doilum,

 

having read our questions i referred to IRR No 196 which had an article on NCB alterations to locos.

This loco was possibly fitted with a Hill-Bigwood Stoker which was a Thomas Hill fitment which included a diesel engine. This was fitted in the bunker which explains the attacments to the top of the bunker (air intake?/radiator?) and the equipment behind mesh at the bottom of the bunker side.

 

The locos at Ashington had chanels at the top and bottom of the cab opening into which could be slid a wooden weather board to protect the crew. They were normally the same collour blue as the loco.

 

Trev.

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47 minutes ago, Sludger said:

Hi Doilum,

 

having read our questions i referred to IRR No 196 which had an article on NCB alterations to locos.

This loco was possibly fitted with a Hill-Bigwood Stoker which was a Thomas Hill fitment which included a diesel engine. This was fitted in the bunker which explains the attacments to the top of the bunker (air intake?/radiator?) and the equipment behind mesh at the bottom of the bunker side.

 

The locos at Ashington had chanels at the top and bottom of the cab opening into which could be slid a wooden weather board to protect the crew. They were normally the same collour blue as the loco.

 

Trev.

Thanks for that. Locally, conveyor belting was sometimes used to improve weather protection although more common on the big Hudswell Clarke shunters. Individual locos appear to have had more permanent arrangements in steel which came and went with subsequent rebuilds.

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20 hours ago, pauliebanger said:

 

Dave,

 

My project for ZIMO was recorded from Wimblebury, but I also have Whiston and some fab Stannier Hooter blasts from Foxfield Railway (coal mine end), courtesy of Nigel, (Avonside 1563) if you would prefer them to the normal whistle.

 

Or, of course, I could put both whistle and Hooter on the same decoder and you can choose which AWD to use as it suits you.

 

As you know, all my projects have long coasting and manual progressive brakes on F2.

 

I've been expecting an email since I saw this the other day. LOL.

 

Best regards,

 

Paul

 

I'll get the Ruston sorted first :crazy_mini: At least I've got all the parts for that. This one may take some time as I'm now waiting on parts from 4 different suppliers.

 

This is where it's up to now and until I get the parts it won't make much more progress.

Austerity-031.jpg.6ac76efd4db8447bce891e282cd63046.jpg

All the redundant handrail holes are filled, the tank join filled and the spurious weld lines removed.

 

I may not paint it as RSH 7164. I've found that 3 Austerities worked at British Oak over the years.

 

71442 HE 3206/45

71505 RSH 7161/44

75173 WB 2761/44

 

Does anyone know of any photos of the above?

Edited by Ruston
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1 hour ago, Ruston said:

I'll get the Ruston sorted first :crazy_mini: At least I've got all the parts for that. This one may take some time as I'm now waiting on parts from 4 different suppliers.

 

This is where it's up to now and until I get the parts it won't make much more progress.

Austerity-031.jpg.6ac76efd4db8447bce891e282cd63046.jpg

All the redundant handrail holes are filled, the tank join filled and the spurious weld lines removed.

 

I may not paint it as RSH 7164. I've found that 3 Austerities worked at British Oak over the years.

 

71442 HE 3206/45

71505 RSH 7161/44

75173 WB 2761/44

 

Does anyone know of any photos of the above?

Looking good. The first two were only briefly at British Oak. The first for less than a year in 1948, the second perhaps 1951/3.

Pepper is recorded as being there 1951-64 and finally scrapped on site 1966. Sadly no photos yet.

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I've found a photo of the Bagnall-built one at British Oak. It's a black and white, taken in 1953, so it's impossible to know the colour it was painted, except for it was a very dark shade. It has no lettering or numbering visible at all, so is a bit too boring and I won't be doing that one.

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