Ruston's Industrial locomotive and wagon workshop thread.

[Michael Edge]

I don't know, looks about right for loco speed when run off load - just about nothing on the ammeter. I'll know more when I've found something I can put it in, if I can get the shaft out without damaging the gears I'll try machining the ends down to 2mm and put it in an 0-8-0 Sentinel (next 4mm test etch to be built).

[cctransuk]

17 minutes ago, Michael Edge said:

I don't know, looks about right for loco speed when run off load - just about nothing on the ammeter. I'll know more when I've found something I can put it in, if I can get the shaft out without damaging the gears I'll try machining the ends down to 2mm and put it in an 0-8-0 Sentinel (next 4mm test etch to be built).

 

I'm thinking in terms of your Taurus kit - that'll need the output shaft bearings and the final drive gear reaming out to 1/8".

 

John Isherwood.

[Carnforth]

34 minutes ago, cctransuk said:

 

I'm thinking in terms of your Taurus kit - that'll need the output shaft bearings and the final drive gear reaming out to 1/8".

 

John Isherwood.

Have a look at my thread on Motors and drive systems, gives a breakdown of how I modded mine. HTH

[Enterprisingwestern]

1 hour ago, Michael Edge said:

I don't know, looks about right for loco speed when run off load - just about nothing on the ammeter. I'll know more when I've found something I can put it in, if I can get the shaft out without damaging the gears I'll try machining the ends down to 2mm and put it in an 0-8-0 Sentinel (next 4mm test etch to be built).

 

The EMGS 3mm to 2mm reducing axles might be an easier way to go Mike, my route for powering your new LMS shunter.

 

Mike.

[Ruston]

And now for something completely different...

 

I have been asked to build/paint/weather a Hardy's Hobbies 3D-printed body kit. It is a Robert Stephensons & Hawthorns "Ugly".

 

It has been designed to fit the new Hornby Terrier chassis.

The brake gear on the donor chassis is totally inappropriate as it has wooden brake blocks. The blocks are moulded as part of the keeper plate, so a replacement from the A1X type should at least look better. Those spindly eliptical rods will be replaced by a chunkier set that I will mill from brass.

 

I'm hoping to try and hide some of the electrical gubbins that is visible where the bottom of the boiler should be by painting the boiler and gubbins black and by painting the springs (to be added to the running plate) red. This, and oil cans etc. will hopefully draw the eye away from the gap.

 

Before that, there are a shed load of print lines to erase, or at least minimise. This won't be an easy task as the running plate, cab, tank, boiler and firebox, with chimney, dome, filler and safety valves, is all one single piece.

Edited April 2, 2022 by Ruston

[PenrithBeacon]

Do you know if the body has been 'compromised ' to suit the chassis? 

[Ruston]

1 hour ago, PenrithBeacon said:

Do you know if the body has been 'compromised ' to suit the chassis? 

I know nothing about it.

[Corbs]

The RSH 56 and the Terrier have the same wheel size (4ft) and wheelbase (12ft even split), the RSH is about a foot and a half longer than the Terrier IRL, as I understand it the Hardys Hobbies model was designed using a works drawing as reference, so it should be a good match.

[Ruston]

 

[Ben B]

On 25/06/2021 at 15:03, Ruston said:

The Hudswell now has brakes, lettering, and a light weathering, so I'm calling this one finished, although I may add some more weathering.

It is still running on plain DCC and requires sound to be fitted.

 

I love this shot- it's very reminiscent of the Middleton Railway, who have a similar Hudswell machine.  I wonder if they ever used theirs on the commercial scrap trains in the 70's?

[Ruston]

There really wasn't a lot to show as regards building the Hardy's Hobbies kit. It is one big lump, plus a front buffer beam, and 4 buffers, so here were are with it finished.

 

The fact that it is a single main piece made sanding down the print lines on a lot of areas very difficult,but the main ones have been done satisfactorily. Others are not only difficult to get to, but have rivet detail to work around, which is a pain in the backside. There are pockets for tension lock couplers as part of the large piece and these had to come off. I broke parts of the false frame extensions off whilst doing this - why not make these things as separate parts? At one point I dropped it just 2 inches onto the workbench and a corner of the cab shattered. This stuff that they make 3D prints from really is unforgiving!

 

Handrails and knobs are supplied but not the ones that run the length of the saddle tank on its underside. I wasn't able to add any as it is impossible to get in to drill the lower sides of the tank. There are no injectors, or other pipework, supplied, so I made some rough representations of injectors.

The turbogenerator, and headlights, are whitemetal castings, from RT Models. I milled the rods from 1mm thick brass. They may not look absolutely right, but they're a huge improvement on the spindly Terrier rods.

 

Edited April 2, 2022 by Ruston

[Ramblin Rich]

On 30/05/2021 at 19:22, Ruston said:

Nearly done now. I have fitted some sandboxes. They are the same as on a Brush-Beyer Peacock 0-4-0DE and the 'boxes are from Mike Edge. The cab needs the interior finishing, and I may do that dropped side window again. The cab then needs to be fixed in place.

 

Other than that, it only needs brakes, as far as building is concerned. It has had some weathering but needs more yet.

 

A plain DCC decoder has been fitted, enabling it to be run on Charlies/Watery Lane. It surprised me that even with the long overhang at the rear, it can still pull or propel a train on the tight curve.

 

 

 

Since you made such a good job of the Brush-Bagnall: how about a bogie version!  Seen in a discussion about preserved ex-steelwirks locos.

 

[Mol_PMB]

They do sound good propelling 1200 tons up to the BOS plant at Port Talbot! 

Interesting British locos but in the American style. 

Edited July 7, 2021 by Mol_PMB
Typo

[Ruston]

24 minutes ago, Ramblin Rich said:

Since you made such a good job of the Brush-Bagnall: how about a bogie version!  Seen in a discussion about preserved ex-steelwirks locos.

I have drawings for the Brush-Bagnall Bo-Bo locos and have thought about building one for some time. They are far too big for my current layout, in every sense. They are built to a wider loading gauge than the usual BR one and Charlie's yard has some very tight clearances.

 

Never say never though. Making a decent drivetrain that drives on all wheels would be a challenge. I absolutely refuse to build one that runs on Tenshodo bogies!

[Ruston]

Up next on the workbench is this Hornby coke hopper. It's a simple add 3-links and weather-it-to-death job.

Edited April 2, 2022 by Ruston

[Ruston]

Never trust RTR manufacturers to get things right. The coke hopper needs a little more than weathering. Hornby, in their wisdom, have applied the running number of a Diag. 1/151 hopper, but the model has self-contained buffers and roller bearings, which makes it a Diag. 1/152. This means that is should also have a through vac pipe and it doesn't have one. In fact it doesn't even have the holes in the hopper supports for one.

 

[goes off to find pin vice and some brass rod]

[AlfaZagato]

I suppose it doesn't help you here, but did Hornby number any as 1/152's, with the requisite pipe?

[Ruston]

On 09/07/2021 at 19:12, AlfaZagato said:

I suppose it doesn't help you here, but did Hornby number any as 1/152's, with the requisite pipe?

I haven't seen any.

 

Supports drilled, brass rod fed through and bent in the right places.

And on the correct side, too! At least I hope it is. All the photos that I've seen show it as being on the side with the lifting link brake lever, anyway...

Edited April 2, 2022 by Ruston

[Ruston]

That didn't take long.  Acrylic paints are a great time saver.

 

Edited April 2, 2022 by Ruston

[Ruston]

Next on the production line...

 

A Drewry-designed Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns 204HP 0-6-0DM.

 

I am starting with the old Airfix/Dapol plastic kit. I had thought about the Bachmann Class 04, but it has the small radiator grille and a running plate that has recesses for the shunter's steps. The industrial versions don't appear to have had these things, so it's no to Bachmann (plus the plastic kit is a lot cheaper!). I have already got some suitable Gibson wheels in stock.

I have made a start by filing off some of the BR rubbish, such as lamps, and have started on the moulded handrails, moulding seams, flash and the silly moulded painting guides for wasp stripes.

 

I've seen people build these up with various panels removed and engine detail showing, but as far as I know, they have all been static models. I'm going to attempt to go one better and have it as a working engine. To do this it will be necessary to fit the power unit in the cab. I don't see why I can't actually drive the jackshaft, instead of driving an axle, as every jackshaft-drive model that I've ever known does.

 

Edited April 2, 2022 by Ruston

[Corbs]

Are you going to be using the original frames or milling brass ones?

 

Sounds interesting, being able to see the innards would be cool. Fit an offset weight motor out of a mobile phone and you can replicate the teeth-chattering vibration?

[Neilgue]

I've had one of these sitting around for a number of years. Who knows, you may inspire me to do something with it...

[Ruston]

On 10/07/2021 at 23:28, Corbs said:

Are you going to be using the original frames or milling brass ones?

 

Sounds interesting, being able to see the innards would be cool. Fit an offset weight motor out of a mobile phone and you can replicate the teeth-chattering vibration?

As you're about to see, I'm making my own chassis. I have some of those motors with an offset weight but the weight will come off and be replaced by a scale flywheel. The idea is to build the motor into the crankcase and have the engine turning, even when the loco is at a stand - if I can figure out how to do that on DCC. I imagine it can't be too difficult to use the 0 function that switches on lights to send power to the motor. I don't know how feasible it is though. Another trick would be to run the cooling fan from the "crankshaft", too, but I think that's all a bit too ambitious and I may not bother.

 

Anyway...

 

The patterns that I made for the Hudswell were originally intended to go under a Class 03 body and the parts that were produced from them had to be modified to fit the Hudswell. This time they should work as originally intended.

It is going to be a very tight fit at this side of the cab. The wheels are a temporary fit and will be replaced later.

 

In my spares box I found a brass 0.4 module spur gear that came from a High Level Black Hawthorn kit. It was the final drive gear, but I got one of Chris' new types to replace it. The other gear is one of the new type and became spare when the gearbox that this one came out of ended up in a different loco that used a 2mm axle.

 

The brass gear was of course for a 1/8th axle and the N20 has a 3mm D-shaped shaft. I cut a short length of copper tube and soldered it into the gear, before opening it out to 3mm, using broaches. The gear is soldered on to the shaft.

As you can see, I have driven an axle and not the jackshaft.

Edited April 2, 2022 by Ruston

[Corbs]

12 hours ago, Ruston said:

As you're about to see, I'm making my own chassis. I have some of those motors with an offset weight but the weight will come off and be replaced by a scale flywheel. The idea is to build the motor into the crankcase and have the engine turning, even when the loco is at a stand - if I can figure out how to do that on DCC. I imagine it can't be too difficult to use the 0 function that switches on lights to send power to the motor. I don't know how feasible it is though. Another trick would be to run the cooling fan from the "crankshaft", too, but I think that's all a bit too ambitious and I may not bother.

 

 

That's a really good idea, I had thought about something similar for a BPRC loco since it has a basic on/off switch. I wonder if turning the fan would have a better visual effect than the flywheel, as you'd be able to 'read' the blades spinning much more than a solid disc (which could look very similar turning as standing still). Unless you used a dual-output motor.... I am guessing the fan is directly driven from the crankshaft rather than a pulley.

[Ruston]

11 hours ago, Corbs said:

 

That's a really good idea, I had thought about something similar for a BPRC loco since it has a basic on/off switch. I wonder if turning the fan would have a better visual effect than the flywheel, as you'd be able to 'read' the blades spinning much more than a solid disc (which could look very similar turning as standing still). Unless you used a dual-output motor.... I am guessing the fan is directly driven from the crankshaft rather than a pulley.

The fan is, as far as I know, driven off a crankshaft pulley, but although I haven't seen under the bonnet of one of these, I'm not sure that it is visible. There is often a cowl around the fan. The flywheel idea is also out. I was looking at a picture of a naked 03 and thinking the flywheel was easily seen, but it turns out I was looking at one that has had its Gardner replaced by a Cummins 855, which a lot shorter in length. The flywheel on the Gardner will be so far back that I would need to have all the panels off. If I have all the panels off, and all the under-bonnet detail showing, there won't be anywhere to put any weight and to hide the DCC gear. It needs some weight to be able to function as a working locomotive. I'm going to have to keep the last two panels near the cab, so as to allow some weight to be put in there.

 

I'll see where it is as regards weight, once the frames are ready to run.

Edited July 12, 2021 by Ruston