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Steve's Caledonian loco work bench


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Well the suns out here and its cold but it is dry so I found a place in the sun and risked putting a coat of gray primer on the 782 tank and its not come out to bad. I'm going to leave it to dry for the rest of the day but the idea was to get a uniform colour on it so I could see if any areas needed sorting out and so far I've found three. One of the points where the boiler was joined has a slight line there so a dab of filler will go on that, also a mis drilled hand rail hole has left a mark on the tank top which will need a bit of bodge spreading in it and the only other thing is what looks like a glue shadow on the left hand tank that will need sanding out but that seems about it. I'll have a better look when its dry and I can turn it over in my hands.

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The 782 tank is now dry enough to work on again and the issues with the body have been delt with with some filler on the top of the boiler and tank and the tank side rubbed down to remove the glue mark. Mounted back on the chassis here's a photo with the jumbo.

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On Cardean I cut out more of the splashers from the T9 chassis ready to mount on the Cardean running plate when doing this I found my first cock up which was the inner cut out for the motor and wheels was cut 3mm to long leaving a gap between the running plate and the first splasher so I've had to splice in a couple of little fillits of plasticard which will be filled and sanded off so wont be seen when done. As I say the first cock up - there will be more with out a doubt.

 

Here's the fillits clamped in place on the running plate

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I also chased up my order of hand rail knobs and hand rail wire today from a well known supplier and he promised to get them off this week so I'll be able to have a mass hand rail session and get all the locos done ready for the top coats

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I see ..a b12 chassis....? That if I recall was the preferred chassis for the GEM version.....the photos of which used to feature in the Railway modeller .....a beastifull and powerful looking engine......looking forward to seeing your model take shape....really enjoy your models...

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Sorry beastifull....predictive text and failure to preview....I think you know what I meant.....I still can't work out how this otherwise wonderful machine can turn beautiful into that word.....as ever human error...

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Sorry beastifull....predictive text and failure to preview....I think you know what I meant.....I still can't work out how this otherwise wonderful machine can turn beautiful into that word.....as ever human error...

Dont worry there are times when that fits LOL

 

Seriously though if you go back a page to post 220 you can see as a RTR chassis its the obvious choice as the wheel size and wheel spacing are exactly the same the only thing I've done to the chassis is move the front bogie forward 2mm and I guess you could even get away with not doing that if you wanted too as 2mm is only 6in in real money.

 

  I prefer the later chassis with the newer smaller motor for no other reason than it gives scope to cut away the rear mounting to get the height down by 2 to 3mm which looking at the plans I think this will need, even though its still Hornby the later chassis have a finer wheel as well which is about two thirds the thickness of the older one

Edited by Londontram
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I've been trimming off the splashers from the GBL T9 running plates including the extra ones Andy uax6 kindly let me have, it arrived today in the post thanks mate. The only real problems I've found is that coming off what was a static model they were never designed to have wheels and rods moving around inside them so have needed a lot of trimming and shaving with a scalpel to get enough clearance.

 

   Before I could start to mount them though I had to make the mountings for the running plate to the chassis, the front was easy as it was just a small nut and bolt through an existing hole in the old B12 mounting which has been trimmed back a bit.

 

  The rear was a bit more complex as there was a void between the end of the chassis and the drag box back plate in which I had to make the mounting point and have a fixing point for the tender draw bar. This void was filled in by a small brass frame soldered to the brass drag box rear plate. A bolt was soldered to this for both the tender draw bar and the rear mounting, a thick brass bar was fixed to an existing screw on the under side of the chassis the other end going over the bolt. Its all hard to explain but the end result is a strong rear mount and draw bar for the tender, here's a picture.

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Also here's the front mount too.

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Once this had been done and I knew the running plate height was right I could look at fitting the splashers and these were fitted one at a time starting from the front until I had this.

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All the splashers line up with the wheels if they look out its just the camera angle, heres a second view this time against the plans.

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Looking at this view you can see that the motor should just fit nicely inside the boiler and shouldn't intrude into the cab either. I'm quite happy with the splashers and with a bit of filler and when painted they should look OK.

 

   While on the splashers remember the cock up the other day and how I had to fit some small fillits of plasticard have a look at this picture and you can see the fillit at the front of the splasher and how if I hadn't fitted it that there would be a gap.

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Now they've been sanded down they blend in as you can see from the other side and I had to move the desk lamp around to get the shadow effect so you could see this side

 

I would say that the other big draw back of using the GBL T9 splashers is the plastic there made of which is a sort of polyurethane which although cuts well does not glue very well and is a swine to sand a good finish on. Thanks for looking again Steve

Edited by Londontram
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I've run out of spare T9 buffers so just went on Flea bay to have a look, blimey they seemed to have doubled in price with the cheapest at £5 and the next at £6.89p both plus £2 post and packing which is almost £16 for the two sets. The last set I brought was £2.50 at the start of the year and the most expensive then was only £2.95 So I think I'll make my own like I did on the 492 tank.

 

    Now there's going to be some of you out there who are thinking tight sod and will say whats £16 well as most of you know I cant work due to health reasons so £16 to me is four sets of etched number plates from 247 developments for the locos after they have been painted.

     You see it would be to easy to fall into a trap by thinking oh its only a couple of quid for this and a couple more for that but when you add it all up you can soon end up spending £20 to £30 plus on small parts for one scratch build and then all of a sudden its no cheaper than buying a kit. One length of brass tube from my local model shop costing £1.99  will make enough buffer shanks for maybe up to twenty scratch built locos.

 

So I shall continue with my ethos of making as much as possible and only buying bits that are beyond me like etched number plates or hand rail knobs (Never been a split pin fan)

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When I see photographs of Cardean I get the impression its a very large loco but as you are using a B12 as the basis for your scratch build its not really that big? I do enjoy your builds and you bring a different dimension back to the hobby. If you can work or not is not the point, I am 68 but can work part time and still do modelling, you choose to go a different path and turn out excellent models but where do you go when the whole Caledonian fleet is built  :locomotive: .

   Best wishes Mick

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Thanks Mick. "Where do I go" that's a good question, I have a finite list in my head and I think I'm half to two thirds of the way into it then I must turn my attention back to coaches and wagons as there all on hold at the moment but I've never intended to build just for builds sake so I will reach a stopping point. There are a few other company's locos I would like to look at like a Highland Jones goods for example but its only a dream list so may never come to pass.

 

I warn you discussing wish lists is one of my most favoret pass times I could/do waffle on for hours sometimes.

 

   I would like to do the second jumbo and both the 104 and No. 1 class tanks (I think the 104 will be next after Cardean as I've already done the chassis) I've also got a 439 tank that I started cocked up and gave up on but will have to look at that at some point. Thinking about it there's not much else oh maybe a 323 class 0-6-0 saddle tank mainly because I love the Stirling style cabs on them. A little Drummond 171 class 0-4-4 tank would have been nice but I'm struggling to think of a suitable chassis to base it round.

 

Your right about Cardean it always gives the impression of being bigger than it is I guess it must be the low running plate and the big splashers and boiler but as you say its no bigger than a B12

 

I've been working on the other splashers today but seemed to have come down with a tummy bug so at the moment I'm on the sofa feeling sorry for my self wondering if I have to visit the toilet once again so don't feel like doing any more modeling today.

                                                             Steve

Edited by Londontram
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I hate polyurethane type plastic, it seems that the GBL locomotives are made from the stuff and although it cuts and saws OK when you sand it and file it it produces a fine and in the case of the GBL T9 splashers black powder that seems to static cling to every thing. I'm covered in it, my work bench is covered in it and the model is covered in it. Every time you touch something you end up putting black finger prints all over every thing. I hate the stuff.

 

 To top it all after sanding down and fitting the splashers the next job I did was cut a piece of tube for the boiler from a length of electrical conduit made from ... Yep polyurethane plastic so now mixed with the black powder is a clingy white powder, I hate the stuff.

 

Anyway as you can see I've cut and fitted the other side splashers and when the glues set I'll add some filler. After that I started to plan the boiler and to make sure there was enough room I cut down the rear motor mount by a couple of mm as you can see in this picture of the newly fitted splashers and motor mount.

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As I mentioned above I've turned my thoughts to the boiler and cut a length of electrical conduit tube and after marking out cut a slot to sit over the motor. This is the full length of the boiler and smoke box and like the jumbo boiler this is only a former and will be wrapped with plasticard "skins" to bring the boiler and smoke box out to the correct width at the moment the tube is 20mm and the Cardean boiler needs to be about 21mm to 22mm so this gives some scope to work with. In the next two pictures the boiler is just sat in roughly the right position the bold line on the running plate being the position of the smoke box front plate. you can also see the first set of splashers have started to be filled.

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The keen eyed will notice I've also soldered the front fixing bolt and filed it down a bit as when the boiler and chassis side sections are in place it will be near impossible to get to

So that's the state of play for now. Thanks for looking Steve

 

PS did I mention I hate polyurethane plastic?

Edited by Londontram
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Steve, I wonder if you earth your desk to something like the radiator (needs to be metal to metal, not paint) if the static issue would fall away?

 

Those splashers are looking good, and the boiler is coming on too. It's very high pitched isn't it?

 

Andy G

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Fascinated by extreme Cut-And-Shuts.  Well done-keep it up!  

This brings back memories of George Mellor and GEM kits-dubbed the Alfred Krupps of Rhos-on-Sea, his products were ahead of their time, and were quite an eclectic mix.  Cardean could be made up into a good model, and his LNWR kits gave me an interest in the Premier line.

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Steve, I wonder if you earth your desk to something like the radiator (needs to be metal to metal, not paint) if the static issue would fall away?

 

Those splashers are looking good, and the boiler is coming on too. It's very high pitched isn't it?

 

Andy G

Thanks Andy I think I've about done with cutting the polyurethane type plastic for a bit and I'll have a good hoover tomorrow as to the boiler its only perched on there with a bit of blue tack at the moment just to show its relative position I wont be able to get the height until I do the front smoke box and cab front plates, In a worse case scenario I can get the dremmil in there and thin the walls where the motor is, often its not the height its the width of the motor that can cause problems. Still there's lots to do before I have to worry about that

Edited by Londontram
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G'day Gents

 

Try using a Bicycle pump for the boiler, they're usually 21-22mm in diameter, and thin walled, Cardean's looking good.

 

manna

That's a good idea I'll keep a look out for one for the future but this will do fine for this one.

 

I think the trick with scratch building is to have vision. I know what I want to do in my minds eye and this what to other people looks a total mess is just part of the process to me.

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That's a good idea I'll keep a look out for one for the future but this will do fine for this one.

 

I think the trick with scratch building is to have vision. I know what I want to do in my minds eye and this what to other people looks a total mess is just part of the process to me.

I totally agree, the ability to see a finished item before you start is probably the most important tool in the box. Hind sight is the next best for the next build.

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the ability to see a finished item before you start is probably the most important tool in the box

 

I couldn't agree more Peter. I  even try to work out the finished painting and lining sequence and procedure at the very beginning. If you know your going to have a problem putting on some lining then best not to add those intricate little details that are going to get in the way!

 

Sandy

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Not having a good day it seems with the granddaughter here for the weekend and me and the wife going out for a birthday meal with the daughter there's to many distractions in the house (Why do women have to start getting ready to go out 8 hours before the time) On top of that I t seems the Cardean is fighting me at every turn and I must have broken all records for dropping every thing today. I think its him up above sending me subtle messages saying don't model today so I've heeded his warnings and given up until tomorrow.

 

   So the only jobs today was to look at fitting the boiler which involved sanding the inside edge of the splashers and looking at getting the boiler height right and it soon became clear its not the height of the motor but the width. Not that's its a wide motor but the inside curve of the boiler tube meant the sides of the motor and mount were holding the tube above where it should be so knowing it was going to be clad with at least a 10 thou wrap and rather than buggor around grinding away the inside of the tube I took a drastic measure and cut a section out above the motor. Not nice to look at but when wrapped it should look OK trust me I have the vision (He say with little conviction)

Any way have a look at this first picture and you will see what I mean.

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   Having had enough of cutting and grinding polyurethane as a distraction I thought I would start to make the buffers now on most of the builds I've used T9 buffers but have ran out but way back on the 492 tank I did part make them just using some old Hornby heads I had in the spares box. So today's task was to make them completely in house, the parts used were two BA washers and two sections of brass tube one that telescopes inside the other. Construction was very much like the air pump first one of the washers was dressed with a round needle file until the smaller of the two tubes was a tight interference fit. A good blob of solder was put on the end fixing the two together and when cool the solder was filed into a slightly domed buffer head shape.

 

A short section of the larger tube was cut and cleaned up and the second washer was also dressed with the file until it pushed over the inner tube.

 

Still with me? Now using the same method as building the air pump coffee stirrers with holes drilled into them were used to get the right gap between the head and the body and at the base to hold the whole lot together a bull dog clip helping to hold it all tight while it was soldered as can be seen in this picture

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When done you end up with this test built one which if I make a guide to make sure that the shanks are a constant size I should be able to turn out as many as I'll need

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So perhaps it wasn't a total loss, anyway let me know what you think. Steve

Edited by Londontram
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I love your improvisation in making various detailing objects. This series reminds me of a set of articles in the Railway Modeller in the dim and distant past. That modeller also used plastic card and tube to produce Robinson locos in all their beauty from the Great central Railway. In the many years since, I have never been able to produce similiar models using this material with the same apparent ease both you and he did (do) so...best wishes really enjoy your modelling....

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It's fascinating to see the improvisation on these models and to see plasticard used so extensively. Some years ago, as an experiment, I scratch built an LNER T1 tank and an LNER A6 tank using plasticard as the principal medium for the loco superstructure. However in order to model the locomotive platework as near scale thickness as possible, I used .010" plasticard for all of the visible platework (footplate, tank sides, etc) and laminated it onto 'hidden' .030" plasticard to provide strength.

 

The footplate is 10 thou, feathered down at the edges to around 5 thou (locomotive footplates were typically 1/4" or 3/8" plate) and then laminated onto a piece of .030" p/card which is hidden behind the valances; the cab cut out beading is .015" cut to a strip .75 mm wide and then fitted to the cab cut outs. The footplate steps were made from .015" and .010" plasticard; even the sandboxes were made by making blocks from multiple layers of .030" p/card and then filed flush. The boiler and smokebox were made from multiple layers of .010" p/card, rolled and fixed around a suitable diameter former and then warmed in almost boiling water to 'fix' the shape. These layers were then again laminated together prior to fitting the boiler bands which are .005" microstrip, taken down to around .003".

 

When the tanks had been laminated and assembled a sheet of 1/16" lead was glued into each tank both to provide additional strength and adhesive weight.

 

This loco weighs in at around 10 oz and will easily handle eight Gresley bogies.

 

Regards

 

Mike

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Edited by mikemeg
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I've not done anything to the loco this morning - well not directly but what I did was make a simple gauge an investment for the future so I could turn out short sections of brass tubes for the buffer shanks and air pumps which both by chance happen to be the same size (Well they will be from now on) You see although there fiddly there not hard to make as you've seen with my coffee stirrers used as spacers.

 

     The problem is turning out a quantity all the same size and squared off at the ends so using some old brass off an old loco chassis I made this simple tool. The larger of the slots on the top edge is the exact length of the buffer shanks and air pump body sections so the cut sections can be checked for consistency by slotting them in but by doubling up the thickness of the tool body the hole is now also the same thickness as the sections required so by holding a length of tube in a modeling vice the gauge can be used to adjust the length of tube that extends beyond the vice jaws when set to the same thickness as this tool the tube is cut with a fine saw running against the jaws edge. The cut section of tube is the right length and just need a couple of rubs with a needle file to clean off any bur on the metal.

 

  This picture shows the tool with a buffer and air pump and two bits of brass tube to the correct length. using this tool it takes a matter of seconds to produce a section which I know will be to the exact length required and should improve the quality of the finished parts. Of note the buffer was a hand made test one to test a build method and the shank is slightly to long and this one wont be used on any models I hope that all made sense?

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     Steve

Edited by Londontram
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The hand rail knobs and wire arrived today (Woo who) so I added the knobs to one of the locos in waiting and the first one that came to hand was the 782 tank so its now ready for its top coat of paint which looking out the window most likely wont be to next spring at this rate.

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I'll call it a day today as I'm going square eyed chasing hand rail knobs round a dish with the tweezers.

Thanks for looking Steve

 

Edit add - I hate cameras, I've just noticed the wonky lamp bracket on the side of the cab. By the way the roof is not fixed on yet which is why it looks a little twisted

Edited by Londontram
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That's what the digital camera is for - to point out our failings... :O  It actually is a very useful tool  for checking WIP as it shows up anything the eye can filter out. Some very impressive work being done here, BTW, - I just wish more would take the plunge and do some real old fashioned modelling like you are doing. Its almost like reading the RM in the sixties again!

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