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DLT's SR Locos - Lord Nelson Craftsman Kit


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On 06/09/2020 at 20:46, DLT said:

Starting with the centre points aligned at the top ensures that you end up with the handrail bosses equally spaced in the opening.  In theory!

Hmm... yes, I hit on this idea of aligning the centre points a few months ago - and got the same result as you! I suppose tiny differences in the radii of the curves adds up to a misalignment at the end. However, on the loco I was building at least, the misaligned end "rings" didn't matter as they are overscale anyway; all that is needed is a rounded end on the beading. I don't know your prototype and I can't see from internet photos very clearly, but suspect that the rings at the end are also overscale? - meaning that the handrails can be positioned where they should be (spaced off the door aperture with some 15 thou, say), not where the rings want them to be, and then the rings filed off. Am I right in thinking that the beading curves outwards at the end, as the handrails are slightly outboard of the cab sides? I'm quite possibly wrong - I know nothing about these engines. 

Capture.PNG.24e534f460960faac747890b698577c8.PNG

Another useful trick when doing the cab beading is to have a plate of 15 thou (or even thin pcb) the same size as the aperture (minus the beading), with the radii filed on each corner. This helps to really push the beading into the corners. 

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Thanks Daddyman, I like your ideas. 

I used a piece of appropriate diameter rod to push into the corners (actually the handle of a needle-file).  The most awkward bit was the vertical curve and its apparent I didn't get this quite right.

I haven't done the handrails yet, that's the next bit.

Cheers, Dave.

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57 minutes ago, DLT said:

The most awkward bit was the vertical curve and its apparent I didn't get this quite right.

You can always file any bits that are raised too much, and add bits of wire of the appropriate diameter to any "dips" in the beading. But it looks a good job - and your build as a whole is beautiful. 

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I've started on the smokebox saddle, trying to scale it from photographs.  The supplied etch does not capture it's very distinctive shape, and most of the published drawing don't either.

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I worked out some approximate dimensions from this photo of 30950 at Eastleigh works.  It is a crop from a picture in the Bradford Barton album "Southern Locomotive Survey, The Early Maunsell Classes".

 

578282340_950worksBBalbumCROPSmall.jpg.06f3615fbb9349175c3b006a2a7a3864.jpg

 

Using known dimensions, like the smokebox diameter and the distance between the frames, I produced this sketch:

 

2097703845_ZSmokeboxSaddleSketchSmall.jpg.9034d5274bb49bc689efe3be274c1829.jpg

 

With two pieces of spare etch soldered together I marked and filed the front and rear of the new saddle.

Comparison with the supplied etch shows the difference in the inward slope of the saddle.

 

1170889871_IMG_6319small.jpg.f4f8ad09d1259df735bfc4704a4b0fe0.jpg

 

I spoke to a friend who has built the 0-gauge version (which come with a cast saddle) and he reckoned it was another case of an inaccurate drawing published many years ago, and the mistakes subsequently copied and perpetuated over the years, even into kit design.  

 

 

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The saddle front and rear had to be filed back sufficiently to allow for the thickness of the side peices before soldering to the footplate.

98599134_IMG_6338small.jpg.92ccbc0293032f56db7a664a790ada5a.jpg

 

The sides themselves were made form a thinner gauge brass, simply bent and filed until they fitted.  I left the extra height to aid handling.

785722900_IMG_6331small.jpg.8fa191f88f698e90b9c71fdf69f031af.jpg

 

This photo shows how they slide into place between the frame tops and the saddle front/back.

953320284_IMG_6337small.jpg.f0c7427c6359e55bb2e249a99fe7bfca.jpg

 

When all fitted, I cut down the height a bit, soldered them in and then filed the height down until the smokebox fitted, and the boiler was horizontal

1135238536_IMG_6346small.jpg.36c99f5c24037536cbbd2c42adbf4140.jpg

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No updates lately, as doing all the detailing and there's nothing much to see until its done.

There are a very nice turned safety valves and whistle in the kit, but Maunsell locos have a much more complex  assembly there, I presume the steam turret, with the various take-off valves for the injectors etc.

PDK now provide this in their W kit and I've approached them to see if its available as a spare part.  Does anyone know of another source for it?

Many thanks, Dave.

243528406_SafetyValvesetcCROP3.jpg.5afc1d9c21dc27126d4c1f06436a151d.jpg

 

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12 minutes ago, DLT said:

No updates lately, as doing all the detailing and there's nothing much to see until its done.

There are a very nice turned safety valves and whistle in the kit, but Maunsell locos have a much more complex  assembly there, I presume the steam turret, with the various take-off valves for the injectors etc.

PDK now provide this in their W kit and I've approached them to see if its available as a spare part.  Does anyone know of another source for it?

Many thanks, Dave.

 

Dave, 

 

If that turret is a Maunsell fitting, then possibly SEF would do it as a spare for their Schools/U/N/W kit too?

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Dave?Jack,

 

Or perhaps the SEF "W" 2-6-4T kit ? I'm fairly certain that when Iast looked at my example of the kit, the steam manifold casting was included (another build for the future). I'm sure Dave at SEF will be able to help.

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

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The Z is now heading for the Paintshop, but an interesting situation has arisen.  I'm blackening the various bits, but when it came to the driving wheels, nothing was happening.  Closer examination and a conversation with Mark at Markits revealed that the tyres are now made of stainless-steel rather than nickel-silver.

A while ago there was an extensive discussion topic on metal blackening here on RMweb, but I can't find it now.  Please can anyone point me towards it? 

I would rather discuss it there than on this topic, but does anyone know if its possible to chemically blacken stainless-steel?  and if so, is there an "off the shelf" solution for it?   

Many thanks, Dave.

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