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Lancaster Green Ayre - The Barn Owls have returned.


jamie92208
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For what it's worth Jamie, I follow Mr. Wolf's method for tapping exactly and apart from the odd slip up (like recently :() it works well. When making crank axles I use mild steel for the eccentric straps and make them as per prototype, i.e., in two pieces joined by 16BA nuts and bolts so that there is no problem caused by them having to be in place when soldering up the cranks. A bit fiddly admittedly but also makes it easier to dismantle the gear should it be necessary. I have once used a valve gear kit when making a loco for a friend and did the same thing successfully with the cast components.

 

Dave

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Another day, another dollar they say but some more shed time was achieved this afternoon.   I had had a look at how I was going to make the dummy cylinder block yesterday and even got a strip of brass out of a box.  At some point in the night I was thinking about exactly how to make it.  This afternoon it all fell into place and this is the result.

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I was quite pleased with that.  I then took the front frame stretcher out and had a trial fit.

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You can see the mark that shows where the front is to be. I'm going to have to either shave some bits of the hornblocks or take the Dremel to the lower corners.  The plan is to bolt the unit into the frames with a couple of 8 or 10BA bolts with nuts soldered on the inside.  The idea of notching the block appeals as it will give a positive location and saves disturbing the hornblocks.

I then drilled the cylinder covers out to 3mm and trial fitted a set of slidebars.   

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I now need to find the motion bracket that has gone walkabout somewhere. The upper part of the block has been left oversize deliberately as I am going to have to do some surgery to the smokebox saddle to get everything to fit and aren't quite sure how I'm going to secure everything.  If all else fails I can go back to old Triang days and fit a long bolt through the chimney.

 

Jamie

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Anotjher day when I got some shed time.  The first job was to spend some time on the CAD drawing and work out what size and shape the notches needed to be in the cylinder block.   Then in the afternoon I set off to do the job with files and Dremel slitting disk.   I got it fitted fairly easily then spent time drilling out castings.  The slide bars were then soldered onto the cylinder block and the assembly trial fitted.

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It went in fairly easily but is a tight fit between the hornblocks.

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I will probably file down the slidebars a bit to straighten it up.  I need to drill for the bolts that will secure the assembly and fit securing nuts.  The other frame stretcher will then come out. I still can't find the motion plate and will try and order a replacement from Laurie Griffin tomorrow.  

 

Jamie

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Nothing much got done yesterday but the kitchen got decorated and brownie points were earned.  However I did bow to the inevitable and ordered a new motion plate from Laurie Griffin, along with a reverser.   Today was different though.  As lockdown has been relaxed over here and our department is almost free of the dreaded lurgi I was able to call and see a friend who builds his own live steam locos and has a very well equipped workshop.  Apart from both of us agreeing that indoor construction hobbies have made the lockdown pass relatively easily Richard reamed the cranks for me and they now fit nicely on the crank axle.  He also put a slight countersink on the outside of the webs and a small saw cut in the bore to provide channels for the silver solder to flow.   Tomorrow I may even get the blow torch out.   

 

Jamie

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It seems like an age since I last posted about progress and it's over a month.   However things have not totally stagnated.   Whilst I haven't yet plucked up courage to take a blowlamp to the crank axle on the 4F I have been doing other things.   I did some research for someone else that involved looking at some copies of Midland record.  By chance one of them had a drawing for an open carriage truck, I mentioned back in January that I needed one of these for my Heysham Boat Express.  Yes there was a drawing for a D409 carriage truck that looks fine for what I need.   I have now started doing a CAD drawing of it  and have got this far.

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The plan at the moment is to make a one piece fold up etch for the chassis including the W irons. This will be designed to take wooden solebars, headstocks and the body and floor.   I'll also do the strapping that is needed on the bodywork.  All in all I think it will make up into quite a nice vehicle.   

 

The other thing is that a group of French and English Gauge 1 enthusiasts are coming to visit the layout on Friday so this morning, Richard, whose garden layout is the reason they are coming to this area, came over and we had several hours fettling.  By lunchtime, trains were circling the outer track continuously without derailments. This afternoon I managed the same on the inner track.   There are several more jobs to be done to get things ready for Friday afternoon but it was great to be able to have a cuppa whilst watching 996 going round and round with the three L & Y coaches.

 

Jamie

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I must be crackers.  The visitors are coming tomorrow afternoon.  Both circuits are running well but some of the locos are stuttering and stopping. I've just had half an hour in the shed running lovos in the dark to look for obvious shorts. I found one on 3581 and also gave the wheels a good clean. Same with the red kirtley. The new 2F will gave it's tender pick ups connected in the morning and 2215, the Baldwin will be loomed at as it shows no sign of life.  A useful bit of time spent but it has confirmed to Beth tgat I have at least one and possibly several loose screws.

 

Jamie

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A good day has been had.   More locos were fettled this morning and then some stock was added to the layout. The visitors, 3 Brits and a French couple arrived after lunch and stayed for a couple of hours.   A good time was had and as well as tea, coffee and biscuits being consumed many trains were run.   In general the layout behaved itself and so did the locos that had been fettled.  

Here's a line up of trains in the down yard.

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From right to left, 1004 on the down express, 2215, ray's Baldwin on the cattle train, 3182, the new 2F on a loaded coal train and 996 on the L & Y excursion.   Here's a view of the yard as a whole.

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673 performed well on the Up express and 3581, my somewhat temperamental 3F did well on the empty coal train. That was the one that was fettled last night in the darkness.

However for me the star of the show was a lovely scratchbuilt Manson G & S W 4-6-0 that one of the visitors scratchbuilt about 15 years ago.   It's got working valve gear but he has now gone into Gauge 1.

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All in all a good afternoon. I even produced a guide to the layout in French for our visitors, one of them was a retired surgeon and admired John Patrick's work.

 

Jamie

 

 

Edited by jamie92208
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Always a pleasure catching up with this Jamie. As for the G&SW loco at Green Ayre, Rule 1 applies. As a matter of interest do you know why some locos had the smokebox hinges and outer ring polished? Was it a detail added by the enginemen themselves? Apparently some didn't mind the extra work whilst others avoided it.

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3 hours ago, Ohmisterporter said:

Always a pleasure catching up with this Jamie. As for the G&SW loco at Green Ayre, Rule 1 applies. As a matter of interest do you know why some locos had the smokebox hinges and outer ring polished? Was it a detail added by the enginemen themselves? Apparently some didn't mind the extra work whilst others avoided it.

Yes tule 1 definitely applies. I saw Eddie who built it today. Apparently he was in with the Scale7 mob and knows Dave Hunt. If you are reading Dave, Eddie Castellan sends his regards. 

 

As to the smokebox door I have no idea but have seen photos of both.

 

Jamie

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Jamie

 

With my upbringing, you might imagine that the Manson was of great interest to me, as "Tales Of The Glasgow And South Western" by the late David L Smith, is one book which I have worn out with reading, and I'm on my third copy of it, since I first acquired it at my dad's cousin's suggestion more years ago than I care to remember.  That is one fine piece of modelling.

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45 minutes ago, 45156 said:

Jamie

 

With my upbringing, you might imagine that the Manson was of great interest to me, as "Tales Of The Glasgow And South Western" by the late David L Smith, is one book which I have worn out with reading, and I'm on my third copy of it, since I first acquired it at my dad's cousin's suggestion more years ago than I care to remember.  That is one fine piece of modelling.

Thanks Stewart, I'll pass those comments on to Eddie when I send him the photos.

 

Jamie

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I remember Eddie Castellan well. As well as being a very fine modeller he worked on the Ffestiniog and got me a footplate ride once not long before he left. A great bloke. I remember him building that Manson 4-6-0. I also knew his uncle Bill but have lost touch with him. When you next see or correspond with him, please pass on my and Pete Kibble's regards.

 

Dave

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Good afternoon all from a rather cloudy Charente.   Not much modelling has been done over the past few weeks for various reasons.  One of which was the need for a 14BA tap for the 4F valve gear.  However Squires have now managed to get some in stock and a couple are winging their way across La Manche subject only to the vagaries and machinations of the Royal mail and La Poste.  Once that arrives I can progress with the valve gear, hopefully.  

 

Anyway this morning would have brightened any day.   One of the couples who we quiz with are hosting their granddaughters, Edith, 6 and Tilly 7.   I mentioned my layout and they asked to bring them across.   They arrived this morning and we had a great two hours with them learning to drive the trains.  The smiles on their faces were lovely to see and they want to come back and drive some more.  Many trains were run in both directions and generally behaved themselves.  Edith decided that she preferred coal trains to passenger ones.  Unfortunately 3182 disgraced itself and it's train had to be reversed into the fiddle yard. The loco is now awaiting fitters attention.  3581 came to the rescue and Tilly brought it out of the bay platform round the the fiddle yard.   It performed well and Edith got to drive the coal train round.

Cake and fresh scones plus coffee were provided by Beth and a good time was had by all.

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The girls then decided that they wanted to have two passenger trains pass in the station so that was set up and 1004 and 673 did the honours.

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To me this is what model railways is all about. Kids having fun playing trains.   By the end of the session they knew that passenger engines should be red.

 

I did realise that 996's tender still needs lining and doesn't have any coal in it, that will have to be attended to.

 

 

Jamie

 

 

Edited by jamie92208
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On 10/07/2020 at 17:05, jamie92208 said:

 

To me this is what model railways is all about. Kids having fun playing trains.   By the end of the session they knew that passenger engines should be red.

 

 

Jamie

 

 

 

Bravo for the rest, but this is totally wrong. All passenger locos should be blue - everyone kno that!

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Just now, Dave Hunt said:

The operating staff on LGA have taken a turn for the better Jamie.

 

Dave

I quite agree David. There is a photo with me in the background but it's before the watershed.

 

Jamie

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I actually tried to do a bit of work on the 4F today now that the 14BA tap has arrived.  In between batches of slide scans I finally plucked up courage to have a go at the crank axle.  Got everything together and the flux/paste mixture applied with the hypodermic, then applied heat.  The blowtorch wouldn't work properly at first but then kicked in and red heat was achieved. However when it all cooled down the cranks were not fixed to the axle.

Drat it I thought, had a break and changed the next batch of slides on the scanner.  I then decided to use a it of heat to separate  it into it's component parts and also realised that the eccentrics had to be kept in order.  As they were quite hot I used  a bit of tile and a felt tip pen.

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This was the final result, quite neat for me.   Now I need to clean everything up, straighten the pin which is between E1 and C1, and then get it all back together again.   However this time I think that I'm going to solder one crank on first then build the eccentrics.   At least there is a bit of progress.

 

Jamie

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Doesn't time fly when you're procrastinating.  I finally plucked up the courage to have another go at the crankshaft today.  Whilst batch scanning photos I cleaned everything up and got the eccentric straps to rotate on the eccentrics.  Then I silver soldered one crank onto the axle. This time I actually saw the solder wick round as it got hot enough.  Then when it was cool I cleaned it up again and assembled the eccentrics and straps.  About 4 batches of negs later I got it all assembled and solder and flux applied before applying more heat, though I had to take the crank off as I'd forgotten one eccentric strap.   More heat was then applied and once again I saw it wick round.  Then the awkward bit sawing through the axle.  It all seemed to go well and this was the final result.

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I'm quite pleased with that.  It even fits nicely into the frames.   Then it was time to look at the motion bracket. I marked out the areas to be cut our to allow the con rod to go through. Cutting those holes is tomorrows job.

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It's nice to get a bit of modelling done.

 

Jamie

 

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