Steve's Caledonian loco work bench

[Londontram]

Not much done today as I had to many other jobs round the house to do plus the Granddaughter finished school early because of half term but I did make a start on the Westinghouse air pump made in the same way as before using a mixture of BA washers, round brass tube and square section brass tube all sweat soldered together, it just needs drilling with the holes and fitting with air pipes as you can see on one I made for one of the other locos next to it though the air pipes will reflect the fact that the air pump is on the front of the tank on this loco.

 

Here's the new air pump on the left with one made previously

 

                  Steve

[BlueLightning]

Those look excellent Steve. I wish I could build small parts like that.

 

Gary

[Londontram]

Those look excellent Steve. I wish I could build small parts like that.

 

Gary

Patience, trial and error and lots of burnt fingers but most of all the foresight to picture the end result.

 

A lot have gone by the way side but I think I've found a formula that works and means I can turn out air pumps to a consistent standard again and again (Which is a good job when you model the Caledonian) That doesn't mean there any good mind you but at least there of a consistent standard.

[BlueLightning]

They look great to me.

 

I agree that consistency is more important than absolute perfection though. That's my excuse for the consistent unfinished look to all my projects anyway

 

Gary

[Londontram]

Well the sun was out and it felt dry so I took a chance to blow a coat of gray rattle can primer over the 104 tank and I couldnt resist taking a few pics to share on here. Although it will need a lot of work yet and tomorrow when the paints had time to harden off I'll go over the body in fine detail and see what needs filler and sorting out but for now I'm just going to sit back and admire her which from that you can tell I'm quite pleased with her so far.

 

Three views of the loco from different angles the first from the left front

Now the right rear

finally the right front, the air pump will sit on the front of this side tank

The roof is only sat on at this stage hence it being a bit crooked in the last picture

Thanks for looking

                       Steve

 

Edit - Wow those hand rail knob holes look huge when the picture is blown up like this

Edited March 26, 2016 by Londontram

[Londontram]

I've been going round the loco adding little bits of filler and sanding here and there to correct the little blemishes that the gray primer showed up. I also drilled out the air pump and fitted the pipe work, this one differed from the others as the air pump was more remote and out of sight on this loco the other Caledonian ones having their pumps either on the side of the cabs or insight on the side of the boiler so the pumps on the 104 class were fitted with a governor so the exit pipe turns over the top of the pump through the governor and then turns to run under the sheeting between the tank and boiler.

now back to the sanding. I think the air pipes on the buffer beam are the next job.

                                                                                                                      Steve

[Horsetan]

There are some really weird shadows being cast by the smokebox door.

[Londontram]

There are some really weird shadows being cast by the smokebox door.

Thanks Horse I think your right, I thought at first it was just the shadow of using a hand lamp to illuminate the loco from a low angle but a closer inspection showed the smokebox door wasn't sitting flat.

    I eased it off with a craft knife and had a go at sanding the back of the door to make sure it was flat but found it sat no better on the front of the smoke box then using a straight edge I found the fault, the front plate was slightly convex which I think goes right back to when I filed the old smokebox door off I think I filed the smoke box into the convex shape with the heavy duty file I used and just compounded the problem when I fitted the new winged front plate which being only 5 thou plasticard followed the shape of the front of the smokebox. So now I used a finer file then some wet and dry on a flat sanding block (The handle of my set square) to get it completely flat, I then glued it back on and after a quick spray with some more gray primer the end result looks a lot better I think.

     Well at least its flat and any good engine man would have told you with the door not flat upon the face it would have played havoc with the steaming qualities of the loco so it might even run better now (No I don't really think that before you wonder)

 

Here's a picture of the refitted smoke box door

That's the good thing about this site some times I think your to close to the subject to see some of the faults so to have several more pairs of eyes helps you spot things like this that I might miss. In this picture you can see I'm working on some of the other blemishes that the coat of primer showed up.

                                                                                                                Steve

Edited March 26, 2016 by Londontram

[Horsetan]

That looks a hell of a lot better now.

[58herbie]

Very nice work Steve

[Londontram]

I've just spent the last few days moping up some of the small jobs on the 104 tank some of which wont be fitted until after its painted so didnt seem worth taking photos at this stage.

 

The jobs consisted of making and fitting the front and rear guard irons, making the wheel and handle for the smokebox the wheel coming from a fret of cab fittings. fit the main hand rails and make the front and rear Air pipe.

 

I'm fast running out of jobs to do the only last big one is to make the bogie pick ups which to do this I need some really soft but very thin wire of the type you get on ear phones etc so it doesn't restrict the movement of the bogie so if any one has any ideas.......

 

Jason a couple of weeks ago you asked if I could put some photos up in a sort of parade to show how the fleet looked at the moment so here goes for better or for worse. Some of them still need a bit of body prep and one the Dunalastair 3 is the only one left that's not had handrails yet but I'm getting there.

 

So starting with the smallest first we have a 611 class 0-4-0 better known as the Caley pug. yes I know its the Hornby one but its undergoing some major detailing work like converting to dumb buffers and fitting hand rails, slide bar  etc. Yes I know its an awful model but its cheap and easy to pick up and with a bit of work can be made to look half decent as long as you overlook the fact its wheel base and in fact the loco its self is 4mm or a foot to long.

Next up in size is the 782 class 0-6-0 the Caley equivalent of the Jinty or Pannier tank type of loco.

The 104 class now fitted with hand rails and guard irons the rest of the fittings will go on when its been painted.

Now the big beast and where it all started the 492 class 0-8-0 tank now fitted with its 247 development number plates on the bunker side.

 

That's the Tank locos so far I do have a Hornby M7 that's although in bits will one day become a 439 class 4-4-0 but that's not together enough to show here

 

So to the tender locos first here is the 294 class 0-6-0 otherwise known as the jumbo. Don't you just love Victorian 0-6-0 locos they have a quaintness about them that's all there own

This is the first of two and I'm very advanced in getting the parts together for the second so watch this space, the aim is to have one blue and one black.

Now for the express locos and the first a 721 class better known as the Dunalastair 1

McIntosh's new bread of express 4-4-0 and I think this class epitomises the noble high stepping 4-4-0s of this period with its sandbox's on the splashers and winged front plate. Looking at this picture this loco still needs a few body issues sorting before any more paint goes on it I mean look at those paint runs on its dome for starters - yuk.

Followed closely by her bigger but younger sister the 900 class or Dunalastair III looking more modern with its wider splashers and sandbox's now below the running plate. In this picture compared with the previous one you can really see to good effect the extra foot (4mm) of the later loco and even though both designs were less that ten years apart how much cleaner the lines of the Dunalastair III are.

          This has to be my favoret she's such a graceful lady and the 900 class were seen in the day as the height of the Caledonian's 4-4-0 designed I know Pickersgill brought out his later 113 and 72 class but somehow the Zenith of design had passed and although good locos the Pickersgill locos lacked the grace of the Drummond and McIntosh lococs

Last on the list is my nemesis the 903 class again better known as the Cardean class the Caledonian's big 4-6-0 which with its big 8 wheel tender was almost as long as an LMS Princess I will come back to this one when I've  dealt with a few issues I had with it.

So that's it, I'm hoping for a nice warn dry spring so I can start getting some paint on these but for now it remains the gray fleet.

       As to the future who knows I have a few on the wish lists and due to buying up the GBL T9 and the generosity of fellow members like Richard "Ben Alder" and Andy "uax6" I have a healthy stock of Hornby T9 body's as well as a couple of spare B12 chassis so there might be some more 4-4-0 locos in the future maybe a Drummond class 66 rebuild and then we'll see (For a class 66 rebuild think Dunalastair I but without the sand boxes) I think you can never have to many 4-4-0 can you Richard.

seriously though there's not much more as there's a healthy selection there already and its going to take a month of Sundays to paint this lot

Thanks for looking.

                     Steve

Edited March 29, 2016 by Londontram

[James Harrison]

It's nice to see your loco stud all together; I had started to lose track of what you had built!  You've got a nice balanced roster- I'm looking forward to seeing some Caley blue on the Dunalistairs in particular. 

[JCL]

Hi Steve, you and me both James. That's a cracking stud you have there. I don't think I've ever seen so many Scottish locos together in one place before. Thanks for putting them up

 

btw, can you remind us of the problems you have been having with the Cardean class loco?

[Londontram]

Quote "I'm looking forward to seeing some Caley blue on the Dunalistair's in particular."

 

Thank you James I'm sort of looking forward to painting but that means I'll have to do the lining as well which I'm dreading but at this stage I'm not sure as to the best way to go about the painting, at first thinking of the brush free finish I was going down the spraying route the complications of which would be the divide between the blue and black sections. But after visiting a friend who also does the Caledonian in the same period and seeing the results he gets with a brush I'm thinking again.

        I've set a date of 1906 (But with a bit of license) which is right in the middle of the period where you are likely to see both shades of blue for example Cardean and most likely the Dunalastair III would have been out shopped from new in the later light blue but the Dunalastair I and say the jumbo would both have been painted from new in the old darker blue and in 1906 would still have been seen in this shade as might have been the 104 tank too so I'm going for a mix of both the light and dark on to give a bit of variety across the fleet.

 

Quote "btw, can you remind us of the problems you have been having with the Cardean class loco?"

 

No big deal with the loco its self Jason so to blame the loco is a bit unfair really its more my own personal issues where I seldom feel up to the standard required to do these builds and it usually hits me hardest half way through the build when for some reason the self doubt creeps in and my confidence nose dives.

     For those that have been following this thread from the start may recall the 9 month brake where I didn't touch the Dunalastair's but built the 492 tank instead.

      It seems strange as I'm OK with small tank locos maybe as there smaller I can get most of the loco done and work through the low points before it brings me to a stop.

      I will take Cardean up again it would be a shame not to as its such an imposing beast but just not for a bit so don't worry its a me thing.

 

As to the future James, Jason there's not to much on the wish list as the selection here covers most train types I'll need but there's a few that interest me that I would like to look at, as previously stated another Jumbo is definitely on the cards as any railway would need at least two 0-6-0 humble freight locos. The rebuilt class 66 would bring the 4-4-0 fleet up to a useful number with a nice bit of variety of types.

        A 323 class saddle tank which was the for-runner of the 782 0-6-0 tank loco, lots of nice curves with a Stirling style cab on this one.Also one of the number 1 class 4-4-0 tanks would be an interesting variation to the usual Caley 0-4-4 layout, and to finish off the 493 0-4-4 tank would be nice and should give a very broad selection of locomotives.

   PS Don't even ask about the Caledonian steam rail motor project!

                                                                                                                    Steve

Edited March 29, 2016 by Londontram

[agt613]

Hi Steve, The lining certainly is a challenge. On a blue loco, I have found the HMRS pressfix LNER set very helpful as a basis for my 55 class lining. They are over-scale (like most lining, which should only be half a millimetre wide) but look OK in most settings. The curves are the real bummer. The splasher transfers were exactly the right size for the 55 class but only white-black. I think they look OK and I have used the white-black ones (the narrower black lines loooking from the paper side) for all the frame and underframe lining. There are still gaps, especially around the steps and on the tender underframe. It is a mammoth job and I have had to start a second sheet for the one loco so it doesn't come cheap. I find that you have to fiercely protect the sticky side of the sheet with its cover sheet or you lose the tackiness which helps keep the transfer in place until you wet the paper covering. Once it's gone, they have to be treated more like ordinary transfers - not fixed down until the paper has gone. I'm now using the red lining on the same sheet for the black locos along with a white lining from Fox, leaving a narrow (black) line between.

 

I have the Precision paint CR dark blue but it looks too green. Has anyone any experience of it as I'd like to paint the 179 Oban bogie with it when it's done.

 

Well done with the stud. Very impressive work. Graham

[Londontram]

A lot of people say the lining is a compromise but the over all effect is so good that you tend not to notice the things like line thickness and such like. I think the mind adjusts to what it sees and excepts it as right any way I think you've got the balance just right and it looks pretty good to me. 

I've just made the major investment (Well it is for me) of a Silhouette portrait cutter so I can start to expand my carriage and van fleet but It opens up the possibilities for projects like the splasher and side frames on something like this.

I certainly wouldn't like to have done those splasher cutouts by hand but the cutter does open up possibilities for other projects like this.

[Horsetan]

...

Brittains Dundee bogie No 128.jpg

I certainly wouldn't like to have done those splasher cutouts by hand but the cutter does open up possibilities for other projects like this.

I'm not sure how you would do the cylinder wrapper breaking through the footplate level as well!

[Londontram]

I'm not sure how you would do the cylinder wrapper breaking through the footplate level as well!

Hm your right much head scratching with that one I'll know more when I see some drawings, A friend of mine whom I'm due to visit soon has a set of drawings for this and the tender. Oh the loco is a George Brittain's 128 class (sic) Dundee bogie built in 1878 so called from the duties the class spent a great part of there life on

Edited March 29, 2016 by Londontram

[simonfish45]

Hm your right much head scratching with that one I'll know more when I see some drawings, A friend of mine whom I'm due to visit soon has a set of drawings for this and the tender. Oh the loco is a George Brittain's 128 class (sic) Dundee bogie built in 1878 so called from the duties the class spent a great part of there life on

Divide the top and bottom as per usual for OO locomotives. For the crosshead

I would use a squat T with the top against the underside of the running board, the the nearest edge of the T against the inside of the valance and a strip glued to the underside of the running board to guide the other side of the T. The top of the T wil stop it twisting.

[Londontram]

Yes Simon I can see what you mean and its a damn good idea thanks.

      If I even end up doing something like this its going to be a long way off as the to do list is far to long as it is and I've got a stack of Inkscape drawings I will want to wade through when my Silhouette cutter gets here. So much to do and so little time oh why did I pick model railways as a hobby 

[Sandy Harper]

Hi Steve

If you are concerned about the thickness of the HMRS lining transfers you could consider Fox's 2mm scale lining instead. I find the waterslide lining is easier to apply than the HMRS version, even although it is more expensive but, after the amount of time invested in the building, what's a few extra quid?

My painting method is to spray the base colour all over and then add the black with a fine, good quality brush (Windsor and Newton series 7). If you find them a bit expensive then the 'Games Workshop' series of brushes are a good second string. To help brushed paint flow easily I use a drop of lighter fluid, in a 'Humbrol tinlet', to thin it, but it soon evaporates, so may need doing frequently when you start to see brush strokes appearing in the paint or it feels thick.

'Haff' a German company that supplies bow pens sell a very nice pen that works 'straight out of the box'. Their website is in German and can be easily read and they take payment by Paypal converted to GBP. Delivery is a couple of days.

 

Regards

Sandy

 

Sorry about the crappy picture!

 

[Londontram]

That's a rather fine looking Oban bogie Sandy was it a kit or scratch build? I'm also rather intrigued by the Drummond style cab just peeking in on the right.

[Sandy Harper]

That's a rather fine looking Oban bogie Sandy was it a kit or scratch build? I'm also rather intrigued by the Drummond style cab just peeking in on the right.

Hi Steve

The Oban Bogie was scratch built by a friend of mine. I get them in a bit of a sorry state but after a few months work this was the result. The other engine was again a scratch build of, I think, a class 66? Again after a few months of TLC this turned out ok.

 

The tank was a ex Meteor kit, now with ALBA Models, and the Pickersgill was also a kit. Both were wrecks when I got them but again a bit of TLC and they come out ok.

 

Regards

Sandy

 

 

 

 

Here are some of the 'Before' photos!

 

 

 

[agt613]

Hi Steve

If you are concerned about the thickness of the HMRS lining transfers you could consider Fox's 2mm scale lining instead. I find the waterslide lining is easier to apply than the HMRS version, even although it is more expensive but, after the amount of time invested in the building, what's a few extra quid?

My painting method is to spray the base colour all over and then add the black with a fine, good quality brush (Windsor and Newton series 7). If you find them a bit expensive then the 'Games Workshop' series of brushes are a good second string. To help brushed paint flow easily I use a drop of lighter fluid, in a 'Humbrol tinlet', to thin it, but it soon evaporates, so may need doing frequently when you start to see brush strokes appearing in the paint or it feels thick.

'Haff' a German company that supplies bow pens sell a very nice pen that works 'straight out of the box'. Their website is in German and can be easily read and they take payment by Paypal converted to GBP. Delivery is a couple of days.

 

Regards

Sandy

 

Sorry about the crappy picture!

 

P1080962.JPG

Hi Sandy, That's a lovely Oban bogie. I' m just starting to scratchbuild one in 00. I have made the cylinder ends as per normal and will make a top wrapper fastened to the footplate and a bottom one fastened to the ends. The 1mm solebar will cover any imperfections at the top of the lower wrapper. I've used a piston and slidebar from markits which has gone on without too much pain for a first etch assembly. I'm building the rebuilt version with a 4foot 6inch boiler, which I hope is right. Is yours that one?

[Londontram]

That's a lovely selection Sandy and the black tank for non Caledonian savvy followers is the Lambie No 1 class 4-4-0 and one I'd like to build in the future if I can find a suitable chassis I'm thinking at this stage of may be a Hornby 0-6-0 with the front axle removed and the chassis cut away enough to fit a T9 front bogie and fitted with 20mm Markit's driving wheels.

     The only down side of this choice is the wheel base will be about 2mm to short but as the wheels are below the tanks and not splashers this might not be so noticeable espesally if there brought in 1mm at each side, the bodger I am can live with that and goodness knows some of the Big RTR boys have done far worse in the past and in a few cases still are.

   The rest of the body will follow the practice with previous builds like the 104 tank.

  Oh dear here I go again I'll have the thing built in my head before I even get any of the parts for it.

 

agt613 (What is your name by the way) I hope your going to let us see the progress on the Oban bogie build, I for one are always after hints and tips about how other people get round problems with there builds.

                                                                                                                         Steve