DLT's SR Locos - Lord Nelson Craftsman Kit

[Steph Dale]

Al, Dave,

 

The sidecontrol effect of the springs is the same in either case shown in the diagram - both result in the same rotational forces around the pivot. In the diagram it's anticlockwise around the pivot in both cases.

 

But - I don't think you need the second lot of springs at the bogie end of the pivot arm - I usually allow the bogie full freedom to rotate, but with side control to make it self-centre from translational forces.

 

It is, afterall, the way the prototype does it...!

 

Steph

[DLT]

Fair enough about the weight thing, makes sense if the loco isn't sprung.

 

Just looking at your side control though, surely that's the wrong way round from the pivot to guide a loco into curves, at the moment as the front turns, it pushes the frames in the opposite direction. See a} below.

 

I think, (and am willing to be proved wrong ), what you need is b}

 

Hi Mouse,

 

I can see where you are coming from, but remember, any movement is rotational around the pivot, and my diagram additions in red should show the effect of the side forces on the frames. The bogie always swings back to the central straight position.

 

Steph is quite right, both setups will work correctly.

 

Cheers, Dave.

 

[Pinkmouse]

Point taken about the rotational axis chaps, but I have to say, for some reason that I can't elucidate, it still feels wrong. But I'll shut up now!

[Horsetan]

....the U is not a loco that I've studied. Yet!....

 

I dug into my papers at the weekend, and discovered that I do have the Skinley drawing for what is supposed to be the new-build "U". Unfortunately that repeats the errors seen on the Roche and Beattie drawings, so I can't recommend relying on it either.....

 

May mean asking the Search Engine at NRM and ordering copies of official GAs.

[DLT]

Well I've been a bit quiet lately, but not idle. Progress has been slow but steady and its time for an update.

 

The kit makes no provision for brakegear whatsoever, but Mainly Trains supply an etch of SR loco brakehangers to fill the gap.

 

 

Brake rodding was fabricated from .7mm brass wire; a bit on the heavy side perhaps, but it makes for a robust assembly, and you can hardly see it once installed.

 

 

The underside view shows its mounting; the front end is screwed to an extra frame-spacer between the front drivers. The pull rods touch the inside of the frames, providing sideways alignment, and the rear and centre hangers have a rod passing right through them and the frames. This will need securing , preferably not permanently. The front hangers have no rod through the frames, I thought the proximity of the Romford flanges was asking for trouble. So they float in free space.

 

 

The photo below shows that the brakes still need a little filing and tweaking. Once blackened I will smear a bit of araldite on the faces, to provide insulation incase they touch the wheels

 

 

Valvegear all went together without any real problems, (once I had filed it all down a bit) by the solder/paper spacer method using the supplied rivits. One thing I didnt like was the expansion link and radius rod mounted on the free end of a 14ba screw held by one nut. I added a second bracket with a captive nut so that the rods sat between the supports.

 

Unlike many kits, ths one has a working valve-rod sliding in and out of the cylinders, although you can hardly see it. Not only is this more authentic, it supports the combining lever and radius rod, so no need for an extra supporting bracket from the frame.

 

 

 

Next job is the tender.

 

Cheers,

Dave.T

Edited September 4, 2022 by DLT

[Rob Pulham]

It's looking superb Dave, definitely silk purse!

[DLT]

On 09/10/2010 at 19:17, Rob Pulham said:

It's looking superb Dave, definitely silk purse!

 

Thanks very much Rob; but to be fair to the kit, it wasnt exactly a Sow's Ear to begin with!

 

Sorry this thread has been a bit quiet lately, but I've not been idle so its high time I kicked it into action again.

Following the discussion on the front bogie, I've added some guardirons to the front end.

 

Edited September 4, 2022 by DLT

[DLT]

The castings for the tender are very good. Apart from straightening out the slab sides and the cleaning up and squaring of some of the edges, they fitted together witha minimum of fuss and soldered beautifully.

 

Once again I made a plywood cradle to support the body and make handling easier.

 

 

 

 

Tim supplied a pair of Bachman bogies to use instead of the whitemetal items in the kit, mainly I think due to their having an integral coupling. The only modification required was to add two new mountings to the tender, turned from 9mm brass rod.

 

 

 

One particular requirement is for tender pickups, so I'm experimenting; starting with some small circuitboard plates.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 4, 2022 by DLT

[DLT]

First try at fitting pickups to the tender bogies involves bent and twisted phosphor-bronze strip, acting against the backs of the flanges. So far so good; pickup is ok, and the pressure is light enough not to cause braking. (The wipers still need final trimming to length) The weight of the whitemetal tender ensures good rail contact as well.

 

I now need to work out how to get power to the loco without having wires connected between the loco and tender. Current plan is a drawbar made of curcuitboard, and more wiper contacts.

 

Dave.

 

 

 

Edited September 4, 2022 by DLT

[GC Jack]

I don't know if this is helpful. I have a number of DJH kits and those with front bogies always give problems.

 

Comet have just produced a new sprung front bogie pivot etch. I have just fitted on to a standard 5 and it has transformed it.

 

Jack

[DLT]

I don't know if this is helpful. I have a number of DJH kits and those with front bogies always give problems.

 

Comet have just produced a new sprung front bogie pivot etch. I have just fitted on to a standard 5 and it has transformed it.

 

Jack

 

Thanks for that Jack, I'll bear it in mind.

 

So far the loco has been tested by shunting around on a small terminus layout and hasnt shown any problems. Its real test will be when it comes to haul heavy trains on the mainline layout its destined for.

 

What problems did you encounter? Derailments?

 

Many thanks,

Dave.

[GC Jack]

Thanks for that Jack, I'll bear it in mind.

 

So far the loco has been tested by shunting around on a small terminus layout and hasnt shown any problems. Its real test will be when it comes to haul heavy trains on the mainline layout its destined for.

 

What problems did you encounter? Derailments?

 

Many thanks,

Dave.

 

Two problems, one perhaps of my own making. I use the American system of a live tender and live chassis with an insulated tender coupling as I hate making pick ups. The problem of the bogie wheel shorting out is always there. The other is with the bogie catching the front wheel brakes and this is thinking behind the Comet product. This has caused derailments on my stock. Comet also point out that side swing is a problem - my engineering knowledge is limited here - with a conventionally mounted front bogie.

 

All I can say is that it has solved both problems so I will retro fit the etch and spring to all my front bogie locos.

 

Jack

[DLT]

The tender all fitted together very nicely, with no modifications needed. I've added some extra detail of the securing strap and pipework around the vac tanks, they really were just a lump of whitemetal.

 

 

 

The above photo shows the drawbar with its wiper contacts to feed power to the loco. Made from doublesided circuitboard, both sides of the drawbar carry current.

Wipers at the sides make contact with the loco frame, and the one at the end contacts another piece of copperclad, wired to the pickup plate.

 

 

Does anyone else have particular methods for tender pickup? I might start a separate thread for the subject.

 

Dave.

 

Edited September 4, 2022 by DLT

[GC Jack]

Congratulations on this one ... How difficult was this one to build?

 

I have built about 15 DJH kits over the years, the later ones go together very well but I recently had a real fight with a 7f .. I can never get the tender to ine up with the wheels holes so always build a separate chassis.

 

I also have fought with a very old Caledonian class 55 DJH.

 

I always cheat with tender locos using a live chassis on both with a insulated drawbar.

 

But once again I have enjoyed watching progress and look forward to finished job, thanks for posting.

 

Jack

[DLT]

Congratulations on this one ... How difficult was this one to build?

I have built about 15 DJH kits over the years, the later ones go together very well but I recently had a real fight with a 7f .. I can never get the tender to ine up with the wheels holes so always build a separate chassis.

I always cheat with tender locos using a live chassis on both with a insulated drawbar.

Jack

Thanks Jack, its not particularly difficult at all, most of the difficult bits or modifications have been described.

I have to bow to your experience with DJH kits, this is my first. I recall reading Iain Rice's struggles with the 7F, his ended up mostly scratchbuilt, using some bits from the kit.

 

I would be interested to see some illustrations of your tender pickup methods

 

Many thanks,

Dave.

[GC Jack]

Hi Dave,

 

I will be posting up in the next few weeks some pics of a DJH standard 3 I am slowly building and there will be shots of my tender pick up method.

 

It's based on the American kit builders system of making tender wheels live like Romford non insulated ones. I use Southern Pride shorting out bushes which replace the plastic bush in Jackson tender wheels.

 

This in effect makes the tender live and if you use the standard Romford system - the loco live, but obviously not both on the same polarity. You have to make an insulated connector and make sure that the tender never touches the loco on curves.

 

It completely does away with pick ups on tender locos. I don't have problems with this at all and as I hate making pick ups its great for me.

 

Will post up fairly soon it might be later in the week.

 

Many thanks,

 

Jack

[mudmagnet]

Hi Dave,

 

Will you be bringing this (and any others) to Warley? Would be good to see this running (albeit completely wrong scale etc) - Darren would probably be keen as well!

 

I can vouch for Dave's loco building - everyone that I have seen runs like a dream.

[darren01]

HI Dave

Please bring it to warley i would love to see it ,always had a soft spot for this loco, would love to see one running in to Torrington

All the best

Darren01

[DLT]

HI Dave

Please bring it to warley i would love to see it ,always had a soft spot for this loco, would love to see one running in to Torrington

All the best

Darren01

Hi Guys,

 

Thanks very much for the comments. I hadnt planned to bring the S15 to Warley, as its partly dismantled at the moment, Chassis and valve-gear etc are awaiting chemical blackening and a waft of paint. I havent done anything to it for a couple of weeks as I've been concentrating on getting the new coaches ready in time for Warley.

 

However, once its in one piece again, I'm sure we could arrange for it to haul a "special" up to Torrington???

 

All the best,

Dave.

[DLT]

Its about time this thread saw some action again. After several diversions I've got back to work on the S15.

Its painted and numbreed, and now only needs a touch of weathering and the remaining details parts (clack valves, front vac hose, balance weights) adding.

 

Cheers,

Dave.

Some photos to show progress to date:

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 4, 2022 by DLT

[Bulleidboy]

Its about time this thread saw some action again. After several diversions I've got back to work on the S15.

Its painted and numbreed, and now only needs a touch of weathering and the remaining details parts (clack valves, front vac hose, balance weights) adding.

 

Cheers,

Dave.

 

 

Hi Dave

 

Have followed this thread with interest and the latest photos were worth waiting for!

 

I'm currently looking to refurbish my DJH S15 (built about 25 years ago) and particularly to replace the old open frame motor with a Mashima can. I can see in the thread which motor you've used but what is the ratio of the gearbox?

 

Regards

 

Mike

[DLT]

Hi Dave

Have followed this thread with interest and the latest photos were worth waiting for!

I'm currently looking to refurbish my DJH S15 (built about 25 years ago) and particularly to replace the old open frame motor with a Mashima can. I can see in the thread which motor you've used but what is the ratio of the gearbox?

Regards Mike

Hi Mike,

 

I'm afraid I can't remember the ratio exactly, its a High-Level Kits Loadhauler-Plus, they come in 60, 80, and 108:1.

I THINK its the 80:1, It was supplied by my friend, whose layout its destined for. I will ask him.

 

Thanks for the comments, I should have some more photos over the hols.

 

All the best,

Dave.

[DLT]

Hi Mike,

 

Just had it confirmed, it is the 80:1 gearbox.

 

Cheers,

Dave.

[DLT]

Well I think its finished at last.

Had a problem with the bogie derailing on turnouts. After quite a time fiddling with clearances and the lateral springing, I removed it all. So of course the bogie no longer provides any guidance, but it does stay on the track!

Apart from that, everything seems to be fine.

 

Cheers,

Dave.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 4, 2022 by DLT

[nberrington]

What a gorgeous beast.

Fantastic job Dave. Well done.

Neil B

Canada