Mikemeg's Workbench - Building locos of the North Eastern & LNER

[Jol Wilkinson]

23 hours ago, Dylan Sanderson said:

Hi Mike,

 

Just discovered your thread by chance after buying a High Levels J72 chassis for my first attempt at modelling P4! Looks like a really impressive kit, one I'm looking forward to getting stuck in with over Christmas.

 

Don't suppose you know if the chassis fits the latest Bachmann offering?

 

Dylan,

 

perhaps worth asking on the S4 Society Forum, as you have previously posted there.

 

Jol

[mikemeg]

LRM LNER B16/1

 

The second of the two test builds of this kit, representing one of the last twenty to be built and carrying an LNER designed boiler, has now been brought up to the same level of detailing as build 1. So now just the steam reverser piping, some additional lubricators and then sand pipes and the final brake linkage for them both and they're ready for painting.

 

Cheers

 

Mike

 

 

[mikemeg]

Just to illustrate how 'revealing' these digital photos can be, on the photo, above, I noticed that the tender is around 1 mm low at the front end; this by the relationship between the tender and loco running plate. Checking the fitting of the continuous springy beams, which provide the springing of the tender, I found that the spring wire was 'threaded' through the wrong one of four slots on the spring holders, on one side of the leading wheelset, causing a 1 mm difference. Easily fixed so the tender is now level.

 

I would like to thank my reader(s) for their comments and support through many years and may I wish my reader(s) a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and prosperous New Year.

 

Cheers

 

Mike

 

Edited December 25, 2023 by mikemeg

[mikemeg]

LRM LNER B16/1

 

The last real challenge on these two B16/1 builds is the piping for the steam reverser, from the cab to just forward of the centre splasher. I've used 0.5 mm wire for the piping and a tiny piece  (only 1.5 mm long) of 1/16th brass tube for the union, with 1.0 mm outside diameter brass washers to represent the bolts on piping where it joins the union.

 

All of this was drilled and assembled under a magnifying glass and very strong light.

 

The piping is not yet fixed but it looks ok and it fits, so all is well. The firebox support, for the piping, is a short handrail knob, with the hole broached out to 0.55 mm to allow the piping to pass through it. Again done under the magnifying glass!

 

Because I intend to finish both of my B16/1's in British Railways lined black then the various pipes along the boiler - steam reverser pipes, vacuum pipe - will not be fixed until painting and lining is completed. Trying to 'thread' boiler band lining in and around all of that pipework would be a nightmare.

 

As I've said, more than once, these two test builds have incorporated a lot of changes from the kit, as supplied, and there is quite a lot of scratch building  on both models. Once the challenge of actually building the kit was achieved then it became a question of how much further could these test builds be taken. Hopefully, this model and its similar 'twin' do now convey the look and feel of the LNER B16/1's.

 

As an aside, one of my first loco spotting trips was a Spring Saturday at York in 1958. That day we saw thirty B16's of all three variants; almost half of the class. But then we saw almost two hundred more locos as well including eight 'streaks'.

 

Cheers

 

Mike

 

 

 

Edited December 29, 2023 by mikemeg

[mikemeg]

LRM LNER B16/1

 

More detail added to both B16/1 builds in the form of the cylinder drain cock apparatus. This is all scratch built and is a mixture of brass and .020" plasticard microstrip. Again, this lot was assembled under a magnifying glass; an aid which I now resort to using more and more.

 

Cheers

 

Mike

 

Edited January 4 by mikemeg

[MacDuff999]

Mike don't know if you can help me. Some time ago, I found and followed the thread of someone called Loch Rannoch (I think), whose thread about building  a LRM K2 kit I thought was very useful. I would like to access it again, as I now feel I may be ready to attempt the kit. Grateful for any help you could give. You, or anyone else can contact me on e-mail at i.ogden88@btinternet.com. Thanks. 

[30368]

25 minutes ago, MacDuff999 said:

whose thread about building  a LRM K2 kit I thought was very useful.

 

I am not Loch Rannoch but I have built a London Road K2 kit. I did post the build on this website but I think it fell foul of the outage a few years ago.

 

Some pics:

 

 

If I can help please PM me and I will do a little more research.

 

Kind regards,

 

30368

 

 

[mikemeg]

LRM LNER B16/1's

 

So, finally, on to the backheads for these two models. When I received these kits to test build neither of them had a backhead casting with them. Anyway as I now need to fit the backheads prior to fixing the cab roof, etc. then I decided to scratch build the backheads and to fit them with castings from Arthur Kimber's (North Eastern Kits) range of brass castings for the various piped fittings on the backhead.

 

Firstly, I should say that I do have a detailed drawing of the B16/1 backhead, from the North Eastern Society, which I am using to build these. Each backhead is made from two layers of .030" plasticard, stuck together after cutting and shaping. Once set, then the whole of the edge, except the very bottom, is rounded as per the prototype.

 

Holes are then drilled for the various fittings which are then inserted into the appropriate holes. None of the fittings in the photograph are yet fixed, I did also build up the firebox doors and slightly weathered one simply so it would show up better on the photograph.

 

I am still experimenting with this scratch building of the backheads and they are work in progress so things could change!

 

Cheers

 

Mike

 

 

 

 

Edited January 26 by mikemeg

[mikemeg]

LRM LNER B16/1's

 

So after a little more scratch building then before this backhead is attached to the back of the firebox, a check to see if all is well and if it looks the part.  The weathered look of the backhead is accidental in that the basic structure needed to be painted, before anything was attached. Attaching the various fittings involved quite a lot of handling which has resulted in a well worn look. Later, all of that shiny brass will need to become a grimy copper colour.

 

Seems ok so now they can be finally assembled and then the loco superstructure primed ready for painting.

 

Cheers

 

Mike

 

 

Edited January 30 by mikemeg

[mikemeg]

Someone asked me, via a PM, how the pressure gauge above the backhead was made. The simple answer is that it wasn't actually made. Many white metal casting sprues are linked by a 1/8" diameter whitemetal cast 'rod', which is normally chucked away.

 

Being an inveterate hoarder and a founder member of the 'Perhaps I'll keep that bit of scrap as it might just come in useful.' club, I cut a 1.5 mm thick piece of this 1/8"  circular section 'scrap' rod for the pressure gauge. Painted white it fits the bill, though painting the graduated pressures and pointer(s) on the face of the gauge; fraid not!!

 

Cheers

 

Mike

 

Edited February 9 by mikemeg

[18131r]

On 13/07/2021 at 10:08, mikemeg said:

NORTH EASTERN KITS LNER F8

 

The second side has now been assembled and fitted to the footplate. The screw reverser housing, visible on the tank section within the cab, is an etching contained on this new fret.

 

The fit of the tank/bunker sides on the footplate is very good indeed and is testament to the relative width of the tabs on the tank/bunker sides and the slots in the footplate.

 

Cheers

 

Mike

 

 

Hello Mike

 

I am building this kit from Arthur and I am up to this point in the build of the body work.

 

Please a question if I may, if you can cast your mind back to when you built this.

 

In the view above there is a small bracket located on the cab side sheet which has 2 holes in it and below it in the tank top there are 2 corresponding holes and on the opposite tank top there are 2 other holes do you know what these are for?

 

Thank you

 

Richard

Edited February 15 by 18131r
to add something

[mikemeg]

Richard,

 

The two larger holes, in the tank tops, are to accommodate the tank filler castings. The small holes at the tops of the sides of the tank are to accept the front handrail support brackets which are bent up and then fitted into these holes.

 

The bracket inside the cab is there to accommodate the screw reverser, which fits inside that curved attachment.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Cheers

 

Mike

 

[18131r]

6 hours ago, mikemeg said:

Richard,

 

The two larger holes, in the tank tops, are to accommodate the tank filler castings. The small holes at the tops of the sides of the tank are to accept the front handrail support brackets which are bent up and then fitted into these holes.

 

The bracket inside the cab is there to accommodate the screw reverser, which fits inside that curved attachment.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Cheers

 

Mike

 

Mike

 

Thank you for the information, it is greatly appreciated

 

Cheers

 

Richard

 

 

[mikemeg]

Over the last few months, as well as completing a number of models, I have also been trying to catch up on a few repair or rebuilding jobs. Now anyone who has followed this thread will know that I have a very great affection for the large tank locomotives of the old North Eastern, none more so than the rebuilt class W tanks which became the LNER and BR Class A6.

 

The ten members of this class were originally built as 4-6-0's, specifically for the Scarborough to Whitby line. After rebuilding to 4-6-2's to accommodate an enlarged bunker, they were largely superceded by the more powerful A8's, during LNER days, causing most of the A6's to be dispersed to Starbeck and Hull Botanic Gardens sheds.

 

By the last days of the LNER - Dec. 1947 - the nine surviving members of this class were almost all different with some retaining their Westinghouse pumps, some having different pattern boilers, some were superheated, others saturated, differently profiled smokebox doors, etc.

 

So after a little rectification work and before the final parts are replaced, here's one in near pristine condition after what would have been its final general overhaul and repaint. This is the third of the four A6's which I have built and is modelled on 69791, allocated to Hull Botanic Gardens shed c mid 1950.

 

For me, tank locomotives didn't get much better than these.

 

Cheers

 

Mike

 

 

Edited March 12 by mikemeg

[CJW]

Lovley model Mike, they are certainly a very well proportioned machine. Sadly i missed out on Arthurs kit for the A6 but am hopeful of picking up a little engines version one day.

Keep up the great work.

 

Regards

 

Chris

[mikemeg]

As many of my earlier photos have been lost from within the thread, a couple more pictures of two more of my A6's. 69796 started life as a Little Engines kit, however I eventually used only the boiler/smokebox casting and some of the  smaller castings. The rest of the body was scratch built. The chassis is one of Arthur's A6 kit chassis.

 

This loco was the last survivor of the class, being withdrawn in1953.

 

69795 was the original test build of Arthur's A6 kit and was built as it appeared in mid 1950 with a saturated boiler and still carrying the original blowdown valve and valve linkage. I took this photo using only natural light, so the sunlight and shadows are real. So the photo of a model of a loco, in the very late evening of its life, somehow gives it a very nostalgic feel!

 

Cheers

 

Mike

 

 

 

Edited March 13 by mikemeg

[mikemeg]

On some of my photos I have tried to recapture the feel of the steam railway as we knew it when we were kids. This one reminds me of those 'steam shed Sundays' when the long lines of locos were mostly cold and at rest.

 

So this photo is simply entitled 'over the fence' and features another of those ex North Eastern large tank locomotives as well as some A6's.

 

Cheers

 

Mike

 

 

Edited March 12 by mikemeg

[30368]

27 minutes ago, mikemeg said:

On some of my photos I have tried to recapture the feel of the steam railway as we knew it when we were kids. This one reminds me of those 'steam shed Sundays' when the locos were mostly cold and at rest.

 

I know exactly what you mean Mike, all those lovely potential "cops"... Lovely picture thanks.

 

You do seem to have an ex NER Tank habit that rivals my ex LSWR H15 4-6-0 habit. Wonderful!

 

Kind regards,

 

30368

 

 

[mikemeg]

2 hours ago, 30368 said:

 

I know exactly what you mean Mike, all those lovely potential "cops"... Lovely picture thanks.

 

You do seem to have an ex NER Tank habit that rivals my ex LSWR H15 4-6-0 habit. Wonderful!

 

Kind regards,

 

30368

 

 

 

Thanks Richard,

 

I spent very little time on the Southern as a train spotting lad but two days in 1960 stand out. The first spent on Clapham Junction station seeing not only southern region steam but also the electric multiple units. The second day was a summer Sunday 'bunk' around Nine Elms shed seeing not only the Southern Bulleid Pacifics but also some of the last King Arthurs and many other southern 4-6-0's as well as a host of other classes.

 

Days long lost in the mists of time but which are still vivid in the memory.

 

Regards

 

Mike

 

 

Edited March 12 by mikemeg

[30368]

22 hours ago, mikemeg said:

Days long lost in the mists of time but which are still vivid in the memory.

 

My first trip to the NE was back in December 1963 on my first railway staff free pass. I had already written to the appropriate authorities for access to Darlington North Road Works but also Darlington shed, Gateshead, Tyne Dock, North/South Blyth and Sunderland. I was able to see those exNER Q6 and J27s in abundance as well as a few Q7s (9Fs all over the place) as well as the odd J72. On a later visit I toured York shed on a Sunday and it had over 100 locomotives present. Found memories of the NE and its locos.

 

Kind regards,

 

30368

[Nick Lawson]

On 25/10/2017 at 17:59, mikemeg said:

NORTH EASTERN KITS LNER J25

 

A photo of the completed cab interior sub-assembly. This was primed to show up the detail, though without the backhead being present. Now just a little trimming on some of the lever pivots and then to push the whole lot into the cab!!

 

This photo is around six times actual size, so please excuse any errors in the workmanship!!

 

I believe that Arthur has re-designed (and simplified) this part of the kit!! But that is a cab interior; and I still haven't fitted the etched rashers of bacon and fried eggs!!

 

I have a rule with these test builds. Whatever Arthur etches, I will build. My therapist was really impressed!!

 

Cheers

 

Mike

Hello Mike, would you be able to add this picture back please?

 

And if anyone knows where else  I can see the J21 prototype pictures contributed at the time by Arthur that would also be great.

 

Thanks,

Nick

[mikemeg]

Hi Nick,

 

I do still have all of the photos from the J25 build (and all of the other test builds) so here goes. I often take these shots to check on straightness, curve and fit of the cab roof, etc; in this case the footplate and the cab roof profile. Even though the prototypes were often slightly 'out of true' - see the  running plate on photograph 4 of  the J21, below - especially in their later years, somehow any lack of straightness doesn't always (ever?) look convincing on the models. 

 

I built the cab interior as a complete sub-assembly and then just 'pushed' the whole thing into the cab. Far easier than trying to build it into the fully assembled cab.

 

Hope these help.

 

Regards

 

Mike

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 30 by mikemeg

[Nick Lawson]

Brilliant, thanks Mike.

[mikemeg]

21 hours ago, Nick Lawson said:

Hello Mike, would you be able to add this picture back please?

 

And if anyone knows where else  I can see the J21 prototype pictures contributed at the time by Arthur that would also be great.

 

Thanks,

Nick

 

Nick,

 

I also have a collection of J21 prototype pictures (about fifteen in all) covering their NER, LNER and BR days. What period are you modelling and I will try and post one or two appropriate photos.

 

Some of these locos were superheated, some not. Also some were vacuum fitted, some were not, throughout their lives. This was a very long lived class so there were lots of variations as they went through their lives.

 

The appropriate Yeadon's Register is the 'bible' on this class (and every other LNER class) but I do have the 'Last Day of the LNER' which lists every extant LNER locomotive and its shed allocation as at December 31st, 1947 and The Ian Alan Combined Volume for mid 1950, which lists every BR locomotive and its shed allocation at August 1950.  

 

Cheers

 

Mike

 

Edited March 30 by mikemeg

[Nick Lawson]

Mike, thanks.

I am slowly building a pair of LRM kits; a J21 and a J25. I have metaphorically checked the box that says "these are old kits and they are what they are." However I'm prepared to indulge in a kit of kit bashing here and there.

 

I'm expecting that the provided cab wheel boxes are overscale to allow for OO gauge wheels with deep flanges. If this is the case my EM build might allow these to be cut back a bit. Looking at your J25 cab layout suggests this may be the case, but I'd really like to see the prototype layout if possible. While searching for pictures I came across this alternative model http://victoryworksts.blogspot.com/2019/03/lner-j21-ner-class-c-cab-wip.html

which shows an asymmetrical layout of wheel boxes and steps, which confused me further! If you have any pictures of the prototypical cab interior that would be great.

 

More generally, I am building a pair of saturated locos for 1923. I have the relevant Yeadon volumes and am working to identify suitable examples for my purposes.