Arthur's Workshop

[Blue Max]

Arthur,

 

Good to see the W progressing so well, of all the loco's (and coaches) you are working on, this is the one I am most looking forward to. I know its probably still a way off, but I can't wait to have a couple of the long smoke box and a short smoke box variant of this loco.

 

SteveT

[ArthurK]

Arthur,

 

Good to see the W progressing so well, of all the loco's (and coaches) you are working on, this is the one I am most looking forward to. I know its probably still a way off, but I can't wait to have a couple of the long smoke box and a short smoke box variant of this loco.

 

SteveT

 

At least I am finding where the problems are. As I said I intend to use beams on the rear axles.but the point that I chose as the beam oivot is too close to the brake hanger bracket. I intend to raise the pivot above this hanger. Normally I prefer to have the pivot close (in height) to the axle centre but putting it where it is now is asking for trouble. Trouble is something that I try to avoid. I have the beam in position, it works but I don't like it. The brake hangers are also there. Next the wheels and hopefully a few more photos.

 

Arthur

[ArthurK]

NORTHEASTERN KITS NER T/T1 (LNER Q5)

 

I am always pleased to receive photographs of models built from my etches. The model below and the photograph are by Roger Stapleton. Not yet complete, it is to be finished in NER lined green livery. Being one of the very early batch the footplate mas been shortened by 6" (2mm) the give a front overhang of 8' 0" as opposed to the 8' 6" on later builds. Also the early builds had lever reverse rather than steam reverse, hence the absense of the steam reversing cylinders above the right-hand sandbox. Roger is also looking for a source of a brass capped chimney as used on the earliest builds.

 

I look forward to seeing the model dressed in all its green finery

 

[ArthurK]

NORTHEASTERN KITS

NER W 4-6-0T

 

A bit more work. It now has wheels. THese are the nearest that I can find to correct size.They are Gibson offerings. 5' 0" diameter rather than 5'1 1/4". The bogie wheels look very small, The NER often used 3'6" or more. These are 3'0" rather than the correct 3'1 1/4". They appear too small. Setting the calipers on them the biggest diameter that I could find (hard up to the tyre) was 11.8mm which might account for appearances. The frame cutouts look enormous, they are to scale, but they are unlikely to give problems going round bends. The rear rear wheel sets are on beams wilst the leading driving axle is currently sprung. That needs a bit of experimentation to get the spring rate correct. The bogie has no springing at all as It will carry part of the loco weight. It rides on compensation beams like the prototype but these are not sprung. Since the photos were taken I have added the coupling rods. For some reason, as yet unknown I have got a bit of binding with these. No doubt I will evtually find out why.

 

[ArthurK]

NORTHEASTERN KITS

 

PROGRESS ON THE B15

 

I have not posted on this thread for some time as I have been concentrating on getting the Q5/1 (NER T/T1) completed and also completing the castings for my earlier offerings, the J24, J73 and J77. These are now all available. The only things now missing from the latter two are the tank fillers and the ashpan side injectors.. The production artwork for the Q5/2 is ready to send off. But I need castings for the chimney and dome.

I have taken a little break to check build the latest etches for the B15 (NER S2). This has been by far the longest gestation period of any of my etches having been started in 2007. It has also been by far the most difficult to obtain a satisfactory design, one that modellers can sucessfully build. The biggest problem has been the design of the running plate and the boxes running lengthways above it. In practice the inside vertical faces of the latter form the inner limit of any "solid" construction, leaving only about three millimetres (4mm scale). In my latest attempt (I have lost count of the actual number of attempts) I have added a downward extension below the running plate so that there is a solid base on which to start. There are also cross pieces joining the two sides of the running plate. All of these must be broken/cutoff when the superstructure is complete. Add to this the fact that the cylinders break up the front and rear running plate and you will appreciate the difficulties. When the superstructure is complete it relys on the upper visible frames to hold the front and back together. Fortunately these are quite sustantial. When complete the result is surprisinly strong. The photos should show the prtoblems.

 

In this first photo we have the front upper frames. When completed these will form a vital bridge between the front and rear running plates.

 

The two layers of the running plate. This shows the lack of material in the centre and the temporary bridges that have been added.

 

The two layers of running plate united (Blue Tackto hold the two together) with the front upper frames and saddle. Sorry the vavle chest covers have come adrift but nothing in these photos is soldered.

 

The upper sections of the running plate incorporating the cab sides.

 

The following photos show top and bottom united. also on some is the front sandwich buffer beam, now a fold-up item rather than the multi layer version used on my earlier etches. The only things holding everthing together are the locking tabs and a couple of 8BA bolts

 

 

 

 

 

[ArthurK]

Just a comment I have upgraded all the photos. All are now a presentable size? Also this willl bring it back to the head of the queue

 

ArthuK

[ArthurK]

Progress with the Tennant 2-4-0

 

When I got the castings for the J24/73/77 I knew that they were applicable to many other NER locos with 4' 3" boilers. They are the same as on the Tennant 2-4-0. The model shown is a bit of a botch-up but I used it to give an impression of how it was going to look. I have chosen to model this with the later Worsdell boiler and the corresponding fittings. Here are the first photos with boiler fiitings in place, Chimney and dome are merely sitting there, no adhesive at all. The safety valve is soldered in place from below and the smokebox door is a push fit.

 

It is posed with a J24 tender which is more than a little tarnished. There are differences for the Tennant. The the front corners of the coal well were square and it lacked the well tank between the frames.

 

 

I have revised the artwork for the loco and have that for the tender. Things are moving- slowly.

First I must get the Q5/2 finished. I am awaiting the production etches for that and for the B15.

 

ArthurK

[ArthurK]

CHECK BUILD OF THE Q5/2

 

At long last I have etches that I beieve will be the production run of the LNER Q5/2 rebuilt from the NER Class T/T1 (or LNER Q5). The original Q5 becane Q5/1 when fourteen of vthe class were rebuilt with boilers from the H&BR 0-8-0s. These boilers were LNER roundtop firebox design as opposed to the Belpair design originally fitted to tne H&B locos and were quite new.

 

I have been struggling with the design of a kit for these locos over a number of years. I was nearly there in June of this year only to discover that there was en error on the etch for the upper footplate. Part of the artwork had slipped, not enough to be noticed but apparant when I tried to build it.

 

Next job to put the new bits together and satisfiy myself that ewverything worked as planned. I first paid my attention to the footplate and cab. Together these ensure that the two footplate layers line up correctly.

 

First two shots of the parts that I intended to build first. Two footplate layers, cab shell plus its overlays. the front sandboxes and a foldup for the sandwich buffer beam.

 

 

 

Next I did a check assebly of the two footplate layers using the cab shell and the lamp irons to loicate them correctly the made sure that they would not move by bolting them together with 8BA nut and bolt.

 

 

 

 

When I was sure that everything was fine I set about Soldering these bits together after impressing the rivets aroud the splashers. After abiut two an a half hous I mae up the footplate layers together with the angles along the footplate. and the cab complete with its overlays

 

I normally photograph in daylight but the light was now gone. The photos will be in t5hs next post!

[ArthurK]

CHECK BUILD OF THE Q5/2

 

After a break over Christmas I settled down in and endeavoured to complete this check build.

Things went very smoothly and very soon the cab had acquired its wndow rails and its raised cab floor. Next it was the time to add the splashers. No problems here as they are the same as the Q5/1.

 

The boiler was rolled to shape and the smokebox built up and attached with my usual bolt the the smokebox rear.

 

 

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Next job is to add the buffer beam overlay, the Smokebox/Boilerbrass ring and the cleading bands.

 

I now have the fiirst set of castings for the boiler fittings, chimney, dome and safety velvae. These are in Brass.

 

ArthurK

[ArthurK]

CHECK BUILD OF THE Q5/2

 

Another day and a few nore bits added. Cleading bands also the smokebox/boiler joint. Now beginning to look semi-complete.

 

 

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A bit of excess solder to remove. Next job is the boiler fittings, chimney dome etc. and of course the handrails then we can connect the boiler and running plate permanently. No worries about keeping them seaparate for ease of painting. Unlined black is the order of the day for this one.

 

Once you have posted and studied the result you can see the problems . The last photo shows the need for corrective work on the front sandbox splasher. It is not seating properly at the rear. Why did I not see that before. But then my eyes are not as good as they once were!

_________________

NORTHEASTERN KITS q5-etched-kit-t4558.html

arthurs-workshop-t4631.html

 

[alancaster149]

The images make me wish I had the time to tackle one of these kits right now. The Q7 is an interesting project, having seen the Q7 steam up for the first time in ages a few years back and then trundle up and down over the bridge into Grosmont. The kits look good, but apart from the Q5 (only just) and the Q7 they didn't last into BR ownership. The carriage looks good in close up. I think your etches look quality, bonny lad!

[ArthurK]

CHECK BUILD OF THE Q5/2

 

 

Just to round off the Q5/2 build (it is still not complete) here are photos of my own build. Still needs sandboxes and other details but I got diverted by other test builds.

 

 

 

 

I have (too many) brass castings for the chimney, LNER style dome and safety valves (with and without base casing. The chimney is B16 style. Anyone need these get in touch.

 

 ArthurK

 

 

[ArthurK]

Now let's build the N10

 

As you will know by now one of my newest kits is the N10 and scheduled for release this Autumn. Mike Meggison and myself are doing parallel builds of this.

 

First the etches as received.

 

 

Folding up the footplate is straightforward the upper and lower layers are united with 8BA bolts. Once the two are accurately aligned via the lamp irons and/or the tanks this is the best way to fix the two. Just avoid the bolts when soldering the two together. I have added holes in the lower layer to avoid the need to pre-tin the two. just add flux and solder through the holes.

 

 

 

The side tanks are my usual fold-ups as are the front sadbox/splashers

 

 

 

 

More to follow.

 

ArthurK

[ArthurK]

Now let's build the N10

 

 

Time to see if every thing fits before we start soldering it together.

 

 

For some reason I chose not to use "bendy tags" for this but I will add these to the production etches. A bendy tag is one part of which can be bent sideways to lock it in position. It also locks the two layers of the footplate tightly together for soldering. However in the photos below there is nothing to hold all together. Only the cab front which tags into the tops of the tanks pulls the two tanks (near) vertical.

 

At this stage everything looks pristine - pity to have to mess it up with solder!

 

 

 

ArthurK

[ArthurK]

Now let's build the N10

 

This next part was built in a rush as I wanted it to show at Scaleforum North. As a result there aren't as many photos taken during the build as I would have liked. These are what I have.

 

The first two show the tanks cab etc. soldered up. The cab roof is removable by sliding it to one side, lifting the edge and sliding in the other direction to free it. I haven't any cab interior details in this one so there was little point in removing it.

 

 

 

The boiler and smoke box are a separate unit held by the chassis fixing bolt. Eventually the boiler will be soldered to the cab front. Since all the N10s were black, painting the assembly shouldn't be a problem. I haven't remove the casting part lines as yet but that will be straightforward. The chimney And dome could have their seating improved.

 

 

 

ArthurK

[ArthurK]

Now let's build the N10

 

The chassis was also built in a in a hurry for Scaleforum North. I was only able to complete the basic chassis in time. For this reason I chose to build the P4 chassis as a rigid unit apart fro the trailing truck which is sprung (sideways and up and down).  My intention is to add independent compensation beams on the rear axles with a rocking axle at the front. I will strip the wheels from the current build and add Gibbon Hornblocks and the compensation. That will be a story for tomorrow.

 

On this chassis I have chosen to make the springs integral with the frames. With a few exceptions this will be my standard policy.

 

Again the only photos that I have are the completed unit. No brakes yet!

 

There is provision for the slidebars but I have not added these yet. The motion plate has holes for the connecting rods and valve rods if anyone wishes to add these details. The Weigh-shaft with its balance weights and lifting links are not yet on the etch. I will have to add those as they are just visible at the lower front of the tanks. 

 

The trailing wheels are undersize (3' 6") as that was all that I had to hand but they will be replaced by wheels as near to the correct size of 3'9" as I can find. I suspect that the Gibson 3' 8" will be the closest. 

 

 

 

Just visible in the next photograph are the twin wires providing the springing. At the moment these are 33swg steel wire but will be replaced by 30swg if that is insufficient.

 

 

The next step is to put the bits together and take stock of what we have.

 

ArthurK

[ArthurK]

Now let's build the N10

 

Time to put the top on and see what we have.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Originally  the NER fitted Westinghouse brakes to all twenty and the LNER added vacuum brakes but retained the Westinghouse for the Engine. 

 

Not sure yet how to complete detailing this one. I knew most of them as unfitted engines (late LNER/BR days). I know that one of the Bowes Bridge engines still had the Ramsbottom valves in 1948. It lost both Westinghouse and Vacuum brakes in 1950 only to have the latter replaced in 1954. Why that was done is surprising as it spent its entire life at Bowes Bridge. The wasn't much need for train brakes there. I would prefer it in late LNER days but before the 1946 renumbering so it looks like it will have to have dual brakes.

 

Now the strip it down to fit the compensation and add the brake detail, motor and pickups then add the body detail.

 

ArthurK

 

 

 

[ArthurK]

ADVENTURES INTO '0' GAUGE

 

As is well known in these pages my normal modelling is in 'OO' gauge an in my later years this has been to Scalefour standards. However I have over my fifty years of modelling sometime been cajoled into building building O gauge models by a friend (?).  He wanted models of BR(M) locos in coarse scale O. To this end he had purchased a number of 'Dawson' kits which he asked me to build. These kits are pretty basic by today's standard and are best compared with 'Jameson' kits in 00. The parts are precut and formed. Castings are in white metal with some brass fittings.

 

Suffice to say I fell for his pleadings and built LMS 2-6-4T (cannot remember which version except to say that it was a Stanier). That was followed by an 8F and Class 5. Unfortunately I did not photograph these build so I have no record  of these. All I can say he had them painted bt Brackenbrough (spelling? and he was very pleased with the results. He passed away a few years ago and I have no knowledge of there present whereabouts.

 

Those  three were followed be an LMS Jubilee, again from Dawson. By this time I was getting into the rhythm of building these kits so I decided to build two. I used the original parts to make card templates and from those I was able to cut a second set from sheet brass. The builds were completed without too much difficulty. A duplicate set of fittings and motor purchased from 'Bonds of Euston Road' (remember them?). I might add that those motor/gearboxes were a piece of heavy engineering quite unlike those used today.

 

By this time I had started photographing my efforts and the first build is in the photos below. Sorry about the photo quality but shiny brass and nickel does give a lot of reflections.

 

 

 

[ArthurK]

ADVENTURES INTO '0' GAUGE Part 2

 

 

The first Jubilee was built to coarse gauge with cast-iron wheels. For the second I opted for readily available wheels from Slaters. These have a finer profile but as this was for a different customer that wasn't a problem. I must add that both of these builds lacked detail which I would never have left off my OO gauge models. These omissions included all brake detail but these were built using the kit parts as supplied. However superficially without close inspection they looked every bit like what they were intended to be.

 

The first was to painted professionally so I left that in virgin brass. I gave the second one a coat of grey primer and painted the wheels and underframe black. If nothing else this made for much better photos as it eliminated the flash that you can get from shiny brass and nickel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With my eyes feeling their 80+ years of age modelling in 7mm becomes more attractive although these two were built when my sight wasn't a problem.

 

 

ArthurK

[ArthurK]

ADVENTURES INTO '0' GAUGE Part 3

 

After finishing the two Jubilees I chanced to talk to the proprietor of Chowbent kits and after some discussion decided to buy the L&Y 0-6-0. I had no intention of building this for myself and did not have a customer lined up so it was built with the intention of selling it immediately it was completed. My knowledge of L&Y locos was (and is) very limited although I had settled in Lancashire to work at Warton for English Electric. After numerous name changes and amalgamations it became BAE Systems. I worked there until retirement in 1991.

 

Enough of the intro. I chose this kit because it was a straightforward build and shouldn't cause any major difficulties and indeed that was the case. The main thing that I had cause to complain about was tender flares. If I recall correctly these were half etched on the outside. Photos clearly show this as a separate plate on the outside of the tank. I made new flares. and soldered these in place. The other problem was both the loco and tender brake hangers appeared to be the same although the wheel diameters were quite different. I cannot recall what I did about that (if anything). The only other comment is that the etches came with lots of unused brass. Not a thing that I would contemplate with my own kits. The build was otherwise uneventful.

 

The problem came when I attempted to sell it. I offered this to Norman Wisenden who was a friend though his attendance at a number of Lytham exhibitions. His price (including his mark-up) put it beyond what buyers were willing to pay so it languished in his sales-room for a long time. I eventually took it back and it then remained in my care ,again, for a long time. Eventually I was made an offer for it which I accepted. It now has a good home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ArthurK

[ArthurK]

ADVENTURES INTO '0' GAUGE Part 4

 

My last adventure into 'O' gauge was purely a bit of self indulgence. It was the purchase of the DJH Peppercorn A1. This was purely intended a a showcase model with no intention of running it on a layout and as such it lacks  motor and pick-ups. Knowing the reputation of the later DIH models I expected this to be a straightforward build, How wrong I was ! The castings were all crisp and the etchings fine with the exception of the cab sides. These latter were quarter etched. That is etch to quarter depth the a second etch to achieve the full depth cutout. This can provide etched detail on the front with etched bend lines on the rear as normal. Unfortunately the bend lines on my sample were  partially full depth and required careful handling. Other problems were where tags had been used to  locate two pieces (e.g. the valve covers on the front upper footplate. The slots to locate this were much too wide (by a factor of three) making the joint difficult to fill with solder.

 

The biggest problems were the smokebox, the mating of the cab and firebox and the valve guides. 

 

I think that I have described the problems of the former elsewhere in these pages but I will reiterate then here. The smokebiox diameter was noticeably smaller than that of the boiler. I complained about this and received a replacement. Lo and behold it was the same as the original. Drastic measures were called for. Out came the hacksaw and a cut was made along the bottom centreline of the smokebox. It was then subjected to brute force to increase its diameter. A bit of fettling and it was attached to the the boiler and the gap at the bottom filled with lo-melt solder. Job done!

 

The problem at the cab end was that there was no room to fit the whistle. I don't know if the cab or the firebox is in error. I did a little judicious filing of the firebox base and a little squashing of its height until there was room for that whistle.

 

The next, and again major, problem was the valve guides. I do not know where the drawing for those came from. Perhaps they were a generic set already available but they bore no resemblance to the real thing. I set about turning  up new ones in brass with the slides and their bolts added separately.  That was a lot of hard work which should not have been necessary in a kit of this price.

 

After satisfying myself that I had done all that I could I gave the whole a coat of primer for its photographic début. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited to add photos. 

 

'North Eastern' is now fully painted and lined but I don't appear to have any photos of it, I must rectify that.

 

ArthurK