Steve's Caledonian loco work bench

[Sandy Harper]

I'm building the rebuilt version with a 4foot 6inch boiler, which I hope is right. Is yours that one?

Hi agt613, Sorry Steve for the hijack!

You have found me out. I am no expert on the Caley or their engines. Those in the photos come from a dear friend of mine who is unable to continue with the scratch building of Caley engines which he enjoys. All I do is add the missing detail, sort out the driving mechs. paint them and sell them on. The best I can do is leaf through my books and try to identify what they are, but not specifically.

You will see from my forum "Sandy's 7mm workbench" that I will have a go at building just about anything and I also seem to do my fair share of refurbishments as well!

 

Kind regards

Sandy

[Londontram]

Please Sandy hijack away its all relevant after all and I love the interaction. It proves that people are finding this thread interesting and I'm not boring the pants off them with my hamfisted bodging that masquerades as modeling.

[Londontram]

I had various bits of paint and glue drying so thought I would fit the hand rails to the last remain loco that needed them the Dunalastair III so had a look at the loco first to see how many I would need three short for the smoke box and six medium for the boiler barrel. I keep all bits like this in small glass jars, first the three short ones for the smoke box then the medium ones 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5, 5, 5, shite why does this always happen to me so now I;ll have to order some more so that jobs on hold for a while.

 

      The other job was to make the bogie pick ups for the 104 class tank and for this I'd already filed a recess in the bottom of the bogie and after soldering some fine wire to some copper clad board and bending until they gently touched the back of the wheels on one side some soft thin coated wire was used to connect the pick ups to the motor. This soft thin wiry came from a pound store set of ear phones which gave its life for the greater good, the wires soft enough so as not to restrict the bogies movement.

 

     I fitted the pick ups to one side only so as not to cause to much drag for the other side I took the wheels off the bogie and using some very thin brass wire made a U shape and wrapped it round the axle and solder tacked it to the inside of the wheel rim filled flat it seems to clear all the check rails OK and as the wire wraps round the axle it effectively shorts them out so the power on that side goes through the bogie into the chassis. On the test run it all seems to work rather well and up turning the chassis and testing each wheel in turn with some wires from the controller shows that it now picks up from all eight driving and bogie wheels.

     The only down side to all this was I originally used Araldite glue to fix the copper clad board in place but even though it was a fairly fresh tube which I only used without trouble last week this time even though I mixed it 50/50 after about eight hours it hadn't even started to set so it was cleaned off as much as possible and the whole lot was super glued instead leaving it looking a bit of a sticky mess.

[uax6]

A way I have shorted wheels is to use wire of the just the next size up than the insulation. Drill a hole in the insulation and force the wire in. Much easier than soldering...

 

Andy g

[Londontram]

These are the Hornby wheels though Andy and only the rims are metal so its too big an area to short out that way. I used that roll of thin wire you gave me and when sweat soldered on the inner edge of the inside of the rim and filed flat there's hardly a lump there and as its not near the outer edge of the rim it doesn't appear to catch on any check rails.

       I routinely fit washers on the inside of the bogie truck wheels anyway to cut down axle float so these stop the wire that wraps round the axle from snagging on the bogie. It all actually works very well and nothing can be seen from the front. If I change the bogie wheels in the future for something finer I can use the drill and wire method but this works fine at the moment. my biggest fear was that the insulated wheels with the wire wiper would cause drag but the test runs seem to show this isn't the case so well happy.

       I'm glad because I've got this same method to use on the Dunalastair III with the front bogie but went for a split axle system on the tender of the other Dunalastair

[Londontram]

lots of test running today with a broken wire and a poor solder joint all contributing to a bit of sticky running. I had to swap out the worm and gear as it started to slip as well I knew this as someone had but a slither of plasticard above the motor to try and force the worm down onto the gear wheel so I knew its days were numbered. I tell you what I've got Pete's spares on speed dial on my phone for these Hornby worm and gears what happened to the good old days when these were made of brass. I got the chassis running like a sewing machine then put the body on and found the crank rods were catching on the underside of the front splashers so off the body came again and the plasticard was shaved away so that's OK now.

 

   Well I'm glad its got its duties mapped out and its destined to only pull a few 6 wheel carriages - How do the words of that song by Paul Simon go again "Slip sliding away" now where did I put those traction tyres?

[uax6]

Can you get anymore lead into it Steve? I try and get as much lead in to locos as possible, the only good thing about playing around with old cast kits.....

 

Andy g

[Londontram]

I'm afraid not Andy if you recall I had to shave away some of the lead to clear the crank rods so it full and all up front over the driving wheels, we'll have to see what she's like with a few carriages behind her but like any Hornby RTR there always 0 to 20mph in one slight turn of the controller so I'll just have to be careful. But for all intense and purposes this loco apart from painting is all about done and here are a few shots to wrap up the build.

 

      The first the underside of the bogie now all stuck solid after yesterdays glue catastrophe, the two wheels nearest the camera are the insulated ones where the pick up is by the sprung wire wipers and the two wheels furthest away are the ones that have been shorted out and if you look at the inner part of the inside edge on the rim you can just see one of the soldered wires that go from here round the axle and solder to the other side of the wheel. A you can see it only just touches the inner edge of the rim so wont catch any points of check rails, between that and the bogie is one of the washers I fit to take out some of the axle float. The plasticard on the bottom of the bogie is to both stop the wiper pick ups from shorting out pn the metal frame and to stop the wire dropping and snagging on anything on the track, a bit messy but does the job

In this next picture are some of the bits that will only be fixed in place when its been painted as well as the number plates showing that when painted it will become No.109 you can see the air brake pipes, the smoke box handle, whistle, the air pump its self and the valve chest lubricators.

Here are a couple of crew from the Andrew Stadden range of Edwardian railway workers that will need painting also Angus has popped in for a look and to give his approval. PS bit of filler needed on the boiler to tank join by the looks of it (Now filled)

 

I also thought I would give brush painting a go and going through my brush collection found a couple of fine German made artiest grade brushes and thinning the paint have put one coat on the Jumbo and two on the tender body of the Prussian blue. It looks patchy here as its still wet but the tender came up well on its first coat and looks even better with its second so if it works out ok I might think of doing some of the others instead of waiting for the fine weather to come and spraying them with rattle cans.

  Any way here's a picture

 

With the building of the 104 class all but over I'm thinking of shutting down the loco work bench and turning to some coach building especially as I've got a new Silhouette portrait cutter to play with but then I'm watching some loco chassis on ebay so who knows.

                                                   Steve

Edited April 2, 2016 by Londontram

[Londontram]

Here's a close up of the Jumbo tender with its second thinned coat of Prussian blue (The pre 1905 dark Caledonian blue) not looking to bad at this stage me thinks by the time its had another coat or two then lining and a coat varnish it should look OK

 

         Thanks for looking Steve

Edited April 1, 2016 by Londontram

[JCL]

Hi Steve, where did you get your cow? I'm not after the highland variety, but I'm looking for something similar to the Lincoln Red, and most cows I've seen are more Freisian looking (which auto-correct is determined to change to Streisand).

 

edit: looking for Feisian cows I found photos of their horses - I'm not a horse person as such, but they are absolutely beautiful.

Edited April 1, 2016 by JCL

[Londontram]

Andy asked me that a while ago and to be honest I cant remember I think it was in a bag of bits I picked up that was full of barrels packing cases and other odds and sods of detailing stuff which I brought for wagon loads. Sorry Jason I cant help any more than that. Steve

[JCL]

No problem.

[Northroader]

Nice to see the blue paint pot out, the Caley locos did look really nice.

[Londontram]

Its very much a voyage of discovery at the moment to see if I can get a good enough finish so far I've only put two coats on using Precision paints Which I've thinned slightly and I've also flatted with very fine wet and dry between each coat so we'll have to see how this turns out before I commit my self to brush painting the others.

[Sandy Harper]

AS were talking about painting, I know this looks a bit like a scrap yard but it is in fact the paint shop with the Class 49 in etched primer. It might get a coat of Sky Blue later today.

Sandy

 

[Londontram]

What paint are you using can or air brush, if its a can what colour?

[Sandy Harper]

Hi Steve, it will be Precision Sky Blue gloss for the main colour, Precision Chocolate brown for the secondary and Humbrol Satin black.

Sandy

[Londontram]

Damn I've just won a couple of Hornby chassis on that infernal auction site. Why oh why does it keep tempting me.

   So one will go to a second jumbo and for that I've already got from the Triang single a spare tender, cab and running plate as well as cast chimney and dome so well on the way with that already. The second will most likely go to a No.1 class tank one of the few 4-4-0 tanks that the Caley built, most were 0-4-4 so it should look a bit different. The front axle will have to go and a Hornby T9 bogie grafted on and the Hornby driving wheels changing for Markits 20mm ones.

 

Oh dear here I go again

 

Anyway just to wet your appetite here's a look at one of the No. 1 class tank locos.

 

    Thanks Steve

[Londontram]

Well I was always going to do a mix of colours on the locos which is part of the reason I picked 1906 as a general date for my Caledonian layout (When I get round to building it) as this was the period when the two colours the old dark blue and the newer light "Sky" blue could be seen along side each other. I've started brush painting the Jumbo in the dark blue and was going to paint the 104 class tank dark blue but I've been seduced by the dark side or in this case the light shade and have given the tank a coat of the light blue. Its only its first coat which I will flat down when dry and give it a second coat which is what the jumbo has had in the darker blue.

           I tell you boy that's one heck of a contrast, it must have been quite a shock back in the day when they started rolling up in the light blue. Here's a picture for you all to see what you think.

 

    Thanks for looking Steve

Edited April 4, 2016 by Londontram

[Londontram]

Now the jumbo has had two coats of the dark blue I started on the underframes which contrast quite nicely in there crimson/brown colour.  

       I'm a little worried with the dark blue as its a lot darker than I thought it would be, its said to be about the same as the S&D blue so I guess it should be OK I'm using Precision paints Caledonian loco Prussian blue so its a good quality make. The trouble is the light in my modeling room is shite.

     I tell you what the person who invented these energy saver bulbs has a lot to answer for anyway here's a picture of the tender from the jumbo.

                                    Steve

 

[Mad McCann]

Now the jumbo has had two coats of the dark blue I started on the underframes which contrast quite nicely in there crimson/brown colour.  

       I'm a little worried with the dark blue as its a lot darker than I thought it would be, its said to be about the same as the S&D blue so I guess it should be OK I'm using Precision paints Caledonian loco Prussian blue so its a good quality make. The trouble is the light in my modeling room is shite.

     I tell you what the person who invented these energy saver bulbs has a lot to answer for anyway here's a picture of the tender from the jumbo.

Jumbo tender frame paint.jpg

                                    Steve

Get yerself some LED bulbs when you havesome spare cash, Steve. Dearer to purchase, but much better quality light and buttons to run.

 

Dave.

[Mad McCann]

AS were talking about painting, I know this looks a bit like a scrap yard but it is in fact the paint shop with the Class 49 in etched primer. It might get a coat of Sky Blue later today.

Sandy

 

P1090211.JPG

That, mon brave, is gorgeous. Tell us more about it, please!

 

Dave.

[Sandy Harper]

Steve

I used the precision dark blue with a little white in it to produce the colour that you see my Oban bogie and Coast bogie in. Small models can enhance the real colour as there is not enough reflected daylight bouncing off them so need to be a shade lighter to look right.

 

Sandy

[Londontram]

Thanks guys I've held back with a third coat until I sounded you chaps out. Its already been flatted down with wet and dry so I'll have a go later with a drop of white in the dark blue and if I like the results I might go over the 104 class tank loco with the darker blue as well, that's only had one coat so far and that's been flatted right down ready for a second coat as well.

 

Both the blues were Precision matt's but the underframe paint was a Humbrol gloss crimson that I found in stock and even though it was thinned right down covered very nicely first time and I'll leave it at that so as not to loose any detail.

[Londontram]

Sandy your a hero, I tipped the dark blue paint into a jar and started adding white until I got a shade I thought looked right, the paint was also thinned and given a good stir and after giving the jumbo another check over and rub down with the wet and dry I gave it another coat with the new lighter blue and the results are much better so much so that I gave the 104 class tank a coat with the new lightened dark blue as well so order has been restored.

 

      The jumbo should be OK with the third coat as the older dark blue acts as an ideal undercoat but the 104 tank will need a third coat after the second one has dried and is flattened down as the new darker blue has gone over the light blue first coat.

 

    Here's the jumbo with the new lighter dark blue (Does that make sense?)

 

 

                                   Steve

Edited April 5, 2016 by Londontram