RMweb Premium ArthurK Posted September 9, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 9, 2015 Just for comparison, this is a photo of the model of 69796, which was the very last A6 to survive, being withdrawn in 1953. This one looked, perhaps, the most modern of them all with the later smokebox door and the replacement of many of the original North Eastern features by later LNER and BR additions. So I think that's perhaps enough on the A6's, at least for now. Cheers Mike My stocks of the A6s are now exhausted. If there is still a demand for more of these I can reorder. Minimum reorder batch size is four. Please contact me if you would like one. Delivery time approx eight weeks. ArthurK Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemeg Posted September 9, 2015 Author Share Posted September 9, 2015 (edited) My stocks of the A6s are now exhausted. If there is still a demand for more of these I can reorder. Minimum reorder batch size is four. Please contact me if you would like one. Delivery time approx eight weeks. ArthurK I know this is not a 'marketing channel' for this or any other model railway product but this is a very good kit of a quite remarkable class of ten locomotives. All I've tried to do is show some of the variations of the class and the kit, simply because I rather like these locomotives - I suppose, for me, big passenger tank locos didn't get much better than these - and I love building these kits. And if anyone is interested then I'll continue to post the progress of 69791 and 69798. 69793 will have to rely on a new batch of kits being produced by Arthur!! Cheers Mike Edited September 9, 2015 by mikemeg 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemeg Posted September 9, 2015 Author Share Posted September 9, 2015 (edited) LNER A6's Caught on camera, an evening excursion from Hull to Goole; a double heading pair of A6's emerge from under the shipyard bridge at Hessle Haven. The reason for running this special working, from Hull to Goole, remains shrouded in mystery. And, of course, it'll be stopped at the next signal box for failing to display any lamps!! I 'bit the weathering bullet' on the second A6, though I haven't yet bitten it too hard!! Note to self. I must continue that bridge incline down to the level, and etc. Cheers Mike Edited January 11, 2018 by mikemeg 14 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemeg Posted September 11, 2015 Author Share Posted September 11, 2015 (edited) NORTH EASTERN KITS LNER A6 So how far to weather this A6, to represent its mid 1950 state? Anyway here's a photo of it dirtied up a little. One of the advantages of modelling the railway scene in mid 1950 is that there were still a large number of 'relics' around at that time; a year or two later they would mostly be gone. The disadvantage of this time is that those relics, and many of the much more modern locomotives, were in an appalling external condition except for the few weeks immediately after a heavy overhaul which involved a repaint. That said, there probably wasn't a period, post war, when the locomotive stock was in any much better state. Cheers Mike Edited January 11, 2018 by mikemeg 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemeg Posted September 18, 2015 Author Share Posted September 18, 2015 (edited) NORTH EASTERN KITS LNER A6 The next of the A6's - to be 69798 - has begun its journey down the 'production line'. On this one I have done the chassis before the locomotive superstructure, though I still have the brake gear to finish off. This will be finished once the locomotive has done its running trials. Though the etch for the front frames, above the footplate, has half etched marks to allow pressing out, I normally drill these through and use tiny pieces of .5 mm (.020") wire to represent the bolts which secured the smokebox to the front upper frames. These wires are inserted and soldered from the back of the frame into a slightly countersunk hole, after which they're filed flush at the rear and left protruding by .5 mm at the front of the frame. The mainframes, between the bogie cutouts, have been done in exactly the same way, to represent rows of bolts. Cheers Mike Edited January 11, 2018 by mikemeg 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemeg Posted September 20, 2015 Author Share Posted September 20, 2015 (edited) NORTH EASTERN KITS LNER A6 Having cut out and dressed off the tabs from the first of the cab/tank side etches, then comes the task of forming the cab cutout beading. I've tried a few ways of doing this but the way that I've found to be most successful, is to form the beading into its required shape before soldering it into the cab cutout. To do this I use a former, to form the corners, of around 5 mm diameter. By laying the beading piece against the cab cutout, and then forming each successive corner, the beading can be formed with a pretty well identical configuration to the cutout, leaving the soldering operation to merely fix it into place rather than form and fix it. I hope that makes sense!! The final dressing of the overhang of the beading into the cab entrance will be done after all soldering is completed. Cheers Mike Edited January 11, 2018 by mikemeg 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium ArthurK Posted September 20, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 20, 2015 The standard radius of all NER cab cut-outs was 9 inches (3mm). This radius also applied to the radius of the side sheets to cab and bunker. ArthurK Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemeg Posted September 21, 2015 Author Share Posted September 21, 2015 (edited) NORTH EASTERN KITS LNER A6 The cab cutout beading has been soldered into both cab/tank etches, which have then been folded up and soldered. Both side tanks have then been filled with two layers of 1/16" sheet lead to provide adhesive weight; about three ounces is gained from filling the side tanks. The part completed side tanks are simply sat in the footplate slots with nothing yet having been soldered to the footplate. Cheers Mike Edited January 11, 2018 by mikemeg 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemeg Posted September 28, 2015 Author Share Posted September 28, 2015 (edited) NORTH EASTERN KITS LNER A6 Caught in the patchy sunlight of evening, A6 No 69795 hurries back home to Hull, on the down fast through Hessle Haven. Dirty, weather worn and only a few weeks before its withdrawal in July of 1950. Cheers Mike Edited January 11, 2018 by mikemeg 14 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemeg Posted September 28, 2015 Author Share Posted September 28, 2015 (edited) NORTH EASTERN KITS LNER A6 The next A6 is progressing, with the completion of the cab interior - bunker front plate, sandboxes, etc. - and the start of the assembly of the smokebox and boiler. Like 69795, this one (69798) will be saturated, with the shorter smokebox and the dome in its original position. Cheers Mike Edited January 11, 2018 by mikemeg 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemeg Posted September 29, 2015 Author Share Posted September 29, 2015 (edited) NORTH EASTERN KITS LNER A6 And now about ready for a trip to the paint shop A6 No 69791. This one was superheated and retained its Westinghouse pump right up until its withdrawal in August 1951. This loco carried the BR mixed traffic lined black livery with the early crest so it'll be left reasonably clean and 'muck free'. Perhaps I need to rename this thread - Building A6's of he North Eastern, though I think I'll now have enough of these for the layout!! The primer ran out on me as I was doing this one, so probably needs another quick flash over with a new can! Cheers Mike Edited January 11, 2018 by mikemeg 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 That little knob on the smokebox door reminds me of an 18th century facial beauty wart / cosmetic veruca Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemeg Posted September 29, 2015 Author Share Posted September 29, 2015 That little knob on the smokebox door reminds me of an 18th century facial beauty wart / cosmetic veruca Now there's a comparison to savour! Looking at the photograph, that little knob is a tad too big, so a few tickles with the needle file are in order. I have to confess that the notion of a 'cosmetic veruca' seems a very odd idea. Regards Mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
iak Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 That little knob on the smokebox door reminds me of an 18th century facial beauty wart / cosmetic veruca Really? This is an interesting term of reference... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 Really? This is an interesting term of reference... ....sometimes seen on the face of an appropriately "buxom wench", etc. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
iak Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 I don't wish to know that... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemeg Posted September 30, 2015 Author Share Posted September 30, 2015 (edited) HIGH LEVEL MODELS J72 CHASSIS KIT As this thread has now ascended to discussions on 'buxom wenches', almost seems a shame to revert to talking about 'ingins'. Anyway, the two J72's are now just in need of their footplate steps front and rear, sand pipes, a front numberplate and a bit more weathering under the footplates (wheels, motion, etc.) and they'll be complete. There are quite a few of Arthur's castings on these - tank fillers, safety valve cover, backhead fittings, brake standards, brass buffers, etc. - many of which are, unfortunately, invisible from this angle. I also used some etches from the various 'spares' which I've accumulated from the test builds of Arthur's kits - bolted buffer beams, bunker top and smokebox top lamp irons, etc. Even getting the two bodies for 'nowt' and 'next to nowt', these conversions aren't particularly cheap, when the costs of the chassis kit, wheels, motor and castings are all added up but I think the resulting models are worth it. I'd be interested in what others think, though. At last a loco which isn't in the 69xxx range; a 68xxx. Ok guys, diversion over, back to the 'wenches'? Cheers Mike Edited January 11, 2018 by mikemeg 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
iak Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 No I think we're going to have to suspend that diversion. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemeg Posted October 7, 2015 Author Share Posted October 7, 2015 (edited) HIGH LEVEL MODELS J72 CHASSIS KIT Now complete, with new footplate steps and sand pipes, 69003 runs through Hessle Haven, along the up fast, with a single brake van. The brake van is the old Dapol (Airfix) kit much modified to represent the LNER version. When I did the initial J72 conversion, using the Mainly Trains chassis, I was not inclined to add any further details to this model. With the much greater detail on the High Level chassis kit, then it seems natural to add the cab detailing and new footplate steps plus some additional external details - new tank fillers, tank breather pipes, new lamp irons, etc. Saying that, I see that I still need to add the footplate lamp irons at the rear of the loco - so t'aint quite complete, yet!! Cheers Mike Edited January 11, 2018 by mikemeg 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemeg Posted October 8, 2015 Author Share Posted October 8, 2015 (edited) Bachmann J72 The footsteps are made for the next of the J72's - 68724. Whenever I make a 'batch' of components, I normally add one set as spares or in case of damage; saves having to come back to redo them, later on. The tiny rivetted strips, between the step and the upstand, are from spares collected while building Arthur's kits. Arthur normally provides spares on many of the tiny etched parts, both on the brass and nickel silver components, which are saved and stored in the trusty plastic tubs. Cheers Mike Edited January 11, 2018 by mikemeg 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemeg Posted October 9, 2015 Author Share Posted October 9, 2015 (edited) NORTH EASTERN KITS LNER J71 Another of this 'plethora' of 0-6-0 tanks makes its first appearance at Hessle Haven, with the brake van working to somewhere down the line. This still has to be weathered though I think this one will have only a light touch, representing the loco only a few months after its repaint, though still a little weather worn. This is the test build of Arthur's J71 kit, which will be available in the near future. Cheers Mike Edited January 11, 2018 by mikemeg 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemeg Posted October 18, 2015 Author Share Posted October 18, 2015 (edited) NORTH EASTERN KITS LNER A6 After spending a couple of weeks completing and painting the J71 and two J72's now time to return to the A6, while the N10 and D20 enter the paintshop. The last major superstructural item to be done is the rolling of the boiler which was done, as always, using the G W Models Mini Roller. This piece of kit has made the rolling and assembly of boilers very much easier - this one took less than an hour and a half, from cutting out and fettling the boiler wrapper to checking the fit of the rolled and assembled boiler against the smokebox and chassis. So now to form and add the smokebox wrapper and then detail the boiler. On this one I've managed to keep the brass quite burnished; it hasn't really had time to tarnish! Cheers Mike Edited January 11, 2018 by mikemeg 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemeg Posted October 18, 2015 Author Share Posted October 18, 2015 (edited) NORTH EASTERN KITS LNER A6 In between the two Rugby World Cup quarter finals, the smokebox has now been completed and the chimney attached. Once the glue (Araldite) is dry on the chimney then the seating can be feathered a litte more into the smokebox wrapper. The cab roof has also been rolled, again using the Mini Roller. Now starting to look like a locomotive!! Cheers Mike Edited January 11, 2018 by mikemeg 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PenrithBeacon Posted October 18, 2015 Share Posted October 18, 2015 So you watched two rugby matches and worked on the loco in between Don't know what to make of this I think I'd be making an appointment with my GP! The engine looks wonderful Regards Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemeg Posted October 19, 2015 Author Share Posted October 19, 2015 (edited) So you watched two rugby matches and worked on the loco in between Don't know what to make of this I think I'd be making an appointment with my GP! The engine looks wonderful Regards Firstly, many thanks for the kind words. My post isn't quite the lesson in dedication which it might suggest. I have a room in my house which is a library and also houses the workbench (just a large table). But it also houses a large flat screen tele, a wine rack and a very comfortable arm chair. So, with the exception of food and the means to cook it, which is located in the kitchen, this room has all of the ingredients necessary for indulging in lengthy sessions of a number of hobbies, either actively, passively or that state of slightly inebriated wishful thinking which the armchair so effectively engenders. Mind you the Rugby World Cup Quarter Finals were some of the best matches I've seen for a long time and they were watched from the armchair with the additional benefit of a good bottle of red and without any attendant participation by the soldering iron. Regards Mike Edited October 19, 2015 by mikemeg 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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