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Kirley's Workbench


kirley
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As stated, only one was used by CIE but for such a short time (as they were busy turning out "tin vans") that it was never painted in CIE livery. Only a couple became UTA green - I have the details somewhere. The ones in UTA ownership were little used after the Warrenpoint & Derry Road lines closed. Those that made it to NIR ownership may well have been on the books still, but rarely if ever used; certainly, none gained NIR maroon like NCC "brown vans" did.

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GNRI S Class 4-4-0 Locomotive.

Although I had decided not to build any more brass kits I was given one and I could not just let it lie in its box.

It’s a TMD bass kit dating back to the mid 80’s with typewritten instructions and most of the parts are included.

I got spacers and wheels from Markits and built the loco chassis.

 

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One thing that really annoys me with some kits is instructions like,

“using scrap N/S fit sub-splasher tops and file these flush inside”

 

This means cutting pieces off the Nickel Silver fret and fitting them between the main and sub-splashers.  For me that was a couple of hours work.

 

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Luckily it seems to have worked out for me.

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Kieran.

 

I hope this is of help in avoiding some of the pitfalls having attempted to build two of these locos.

 

Both are in need of some TLC and a repaint.

 

Personally I usually form splasher tops from kit sprue as its less fiddly, there is more metal to work with than an etched part.  

 

Its probably easier to either use an over width piece of sprue and file away the excess inside the splasher, than try and cut the part to the exact width with a piercing saw or tin snips.

 

I generally use the piercing saw for cutting out intricate parts and use a tin snips & files for straight cuts.

 

If you have not already I would check bogie swing/wheel clearance on curves, its extremely difficult to design a 4-4-0 chassis that suitable for both universal OO and  S4 standards. 

 

I tapered the frames at the front end on one of my locos to avoid wheels shorting on the frames on 3' radius curves.

 

I fabricated the frame spacers and bogie pivot on this loco from brass

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132 retains the original machined brass spacers. This loco was assembled as a Q so I fitted a dummy motion bracket not sure where it came from

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I modified the loco and bogie pivot plates into a swing link that pivots from the frame spacer just ahead of the leading driver. There may be adequate swing/sideplay to fix the pivot plate to the bogie which would improve tracking, 

 

I am not sure if shorting between the bogie wheels and main frames is an issue on this loco as it only has run on a short test track.

 

132s bogie wheels are secured in position with a U shaped strip of 0.45 handrail wire, that loops over the bogie frame spacer.

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I replaced the engine-tender coupler with a piece of plasticard that bolts to the rear frame spacer. The tender is set up with the leading axles floating which transfers weight from the tender to the drawbar to improve traction

 

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174 is well run in and a smooth runner, 132 needs work to iron out some bugs, neither loco has run in over 10 years.

 

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  • 3 months later...
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S2 Class No.191 

 

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Decoder fitted but the test runs showed the front bogie was too light and kept derailing so some lead was added.

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The old 4-4-0 problem of lack of weight over the driving wheels arose so lots of lead added to the chassis and body which made a difference.

Crew added and testing carried out. 

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A video of 191 in action is on my Kirley Junction thread.

 

 

 

 

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Provincial Wagons - CIE 1950 Class Cattle Wagons

 

These are Leslies new kits and I got 10 to run behind my J15's.

 

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I also took pictures of my build and put them together in video format.  Not necessarily the right way but my way to build these kits.

 

 

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Kieran

 

Wow, great work in two weeks - I admire your dedication to the job!

 

Thanks for sharing this, which will help the other 10/20 people who have 5/10 each to build!

 

Leslie

PS Loved the S Class - I have one in action upstairs and another two getting the specialist treatment to get twenty year old engines to run well. That said, God bless Daniel Wu of Hong Kong who did a super job building them in the first place. And Eamonn / Terry for the brilliant  kit in the first place!

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Absolutely magical stuff, Kieran, brings back memories of the 1960s!

 

A world where AEC sets filled the passenger train timetables, with an occasional steam special (on a rainy day, of course). Old 47 pottering about at Adelaide or Lisburn, shuffling tattered wagons through grassy sidings..... and of course, the pristine "Enterprise" flying through with its new black'n'tan diesel......

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Last project of 2019.  I was given two Jeremy Suter Irish kits.  I had read about them but never came across then before.

A hark back to the time when white-metal was king.

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With thanks to David Jackson for his advice on the under chassis work.  Time to prime before the old year disappears.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Alphagraphix Card Kit – Blacksmith’s Forge & Cottage.

I was attracted to this kit as it reminded me of a similar building on Dublin Road, Antrim which had been converted to a shop and I'm told is still there.

The walls of the building had to be reinforced using heavier card.

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Now where to place it on the layout.

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