Horsetan Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 At last, a reverser that works. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.hill64 Posted February 8, 2016 Author Share Posted February 8, 2016 As promised a change of scenery today as I have made a start on the tender. First up is bending down the drag beam and adding valences and buffer beam. I then embossed most of the rivets on the frames. the exceptions were those for the stretchers where I drilled out the rivet holes. I am going to use brass rivets later to hold the stretchers in place so that they can be removed should it be necessary to dismantle the tender. The instructions suggest adding the whitemetal axle box castings comprising axle box and spring, two hangers and a keep plate but I was worried about heat getting into them so I embossed the rivets on the step plates and fitted them. With that done I fitted the axle boxes. I recall that clearances are tight inside do I cut back and filed off any white metal spigots on the inside of the frames (one side done here). I then fitted the frames to the floor. Not the best bit of soldering but I was worried - correctly as it turns out - that the heat might upset the soldering of the whitemetal. it did and I have some repair work to do tomorrow. But an OK evening on the bench. 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkallan Posted February 8, 2016 Share Posted February 8, 2016 Good to see you back at the real job, David! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.hill64 Posted February 9, 2016 Author Share Posted February 9, 2016 Good to see you back at the real job, David! Thanks! Mind you most things in life are better than a week in Delhi............................. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.hill64 Posted February 9, 2016 Author Share Posted February 9, 2016 More work on the tender this evening. First I assembled the working drag beam buffers and fitted these and the whitemetal drag beam casting in place. Then it was time to work on the tender body. This was folded up and the joints between the sides and the rear made one at a time. With both sides done, the rear furniture was added before the top was located. the front handrail knobs have to be cleaned flush on the inside of the side sheets. I didn't bother cleaning the rear as it will not be visible. Then I formed the tender front plate tender top etc and added them. I forgot to fill the half etch line for the division plate location: this is useful only for the earlier type. I managed to do it in situ. Needs cleaning up of course. The next job will be to fit the division plate and supports and then the beading all round. 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 Marvellous. Engine-building is like a spectator sport. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffP Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 It is. Most enjoyable. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.hill64 Posted February 14, 2016 Author Share Posted February 14, 2016 Apologies to the spectators about the lack of updates! Fitting the beading was quite a lengthy job, but it has been done together with the addition of the white metal coal space sides and fire iron tunnel. Interesting that the irons are on the driver's side. I wonder how often he got bashed in the head when the fireman got something out? Only once I suspect! Some filling was required after this so while the epoxy putty was setting I got on with the tender bogie, seen here ready for painting. I have added some copper clad to take the pick up leads form the plungers on leading and trailing wheels. At this stage the leads for the rear wheel are secured within the belly tank. There is an access hole for fitting the plungers and making the connections. So I confidently expect to finish the tender today (famous last words). 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.hill64 Posted February 15, 2016 Author Share Posted February 15, 2016 Famous last words indeed........... The tender doors were modified in the same way as the loco doors: file away the edge so that the entire length is half etch to take the tube that will form the hinge. Here seen before and after but prior to soldering the tube in place. Then is was on to the coal hole doors. There are options here: either have them fixed with a dummy etched latch, or have them opening, using a whitemetal latch. I chose the latter, and it cost a lot of time! First the grab handles were added to both doors. A hole was drilled for the latch pivot and then the positions of the latch catches marked out and the catches formed from thin strip. One catch was added on the pivot side and a small brass rivet passed through the catch and soldered to the door so the latch can rotate and be stopped by the catches. The doors were then fitted to the body. Looks like some filler is required under the left hand toolbox. With that job I glued the various white metal fittings in place then moved back to the frames. The vacuum and steam bags were added together with the piping that runs to the front of the tender. The vac pipe (far side) runs inside the frames, the steam pipe (nearside) outside. The tender bogie was removed from the paint shop. I still need to clean the outer axle bearings and fit pick ups, centre bearings and wheels. The other fittings were then added. The handbrake handle (seen at a drunken angle) has been removed and will be re-fitted. The water indicator is described as being a close fit behind the tender door. A more accurate description would be 'is an impossible fit' so I substituted the lower half of the casting with some 0.7mm wire and fitted the top half to that. Then I realised that I have yet to fit the tank side stays............no harm done but confirmation that I failed to complete as planned. Also required is a good clean up and check for any filling that is required. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.hill64 Posted February 15, 2016 Author Share Posted February 15, 2016 Just one more hint for those who have one of these to build. The tender instructions suggest that the tank top should be located in the etched rebate in the sides and held with superglue to avoid the heat from soldering creasing the side. I followed that advice but have regretted it. A better option would have been to solder a support under the half etched line and then glue in place. In my ham fisted fitting of the bits on the tank top, the top to side joint gave way and recovering it was very difficult. An alternative would be to make some inverted U shaped sections and solder then to the tank sides to support the top. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deano747 Posted February 15, 2016 Share Posted February 15, 2016 It's coming along really nicely, David. The coal hole doors look the part and although it's small detail it adds to the personal satisfaction! ...and the working reverser...!! Regards, Deano Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
N15class Posted February 15, 2016 Share Posted February 15, 2016 Looking good, as above about the doors. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkallan Posted February 15, 2016 Share Posted February 15, 2016 Looking great, David! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.hill64 Posted February 21, 2016 Author Share Posted February 21, 2016 It has been a few days since I posted but progress has been made. I fixed the wonky handbrake handle and can now see that I need to do the same to the water scoop! The tender bogie is complete with pick ups on front and rear axle. It's a tight fit by the vac pipe. Moving back to the engine I spent a couple of evenings cleaning up castings for the final assembly. The last of the big parts was the smokebox door ring assembly. I spent time making sure that the hinges were in the correct position. The dart was drilled 0.7mm and a small piece of N/S wire used to form the catch. It doesn't show well in these photos but is there. I added a small washer inside to stop the dart falling out the front. Once complete the ring was glued to the smokebox. Sandbox fillers and other small details have been added. I have started piping the backhead. I am going to have to ask the painter to fit the cab seats. The way they fit means that they stop the cab sliding windows falling out, or to put it another way, stop them being inserted! The jobs left now are: Fitting the drain cock levers and their brackets on the underside of the running plate. Handrails and ejector pipe lamp irons lubricators, oil boxes and associated pipe work lubricator drive loco-tender mechanical and electrical couplings tender side and frame stays Will keep me busy this week I think. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.hill64 Posted February 21, 2016 Author Share Posted February 21, 2016 Something strange with the website at present: I was in the middle of posting this when everything was lost. Oh hum start again! I decided it was time to finish the tender so I fitted the frame spacers. These have to be removable otherwise it will be impossible to get the bogie out later. So I hold them in place with rivets: just like the real thing! I had previously drilled out teh rivet holes in the frames. I shall only use two on each side so rivets were soldered in the unused holes and cut back on the inside. The frame spacers are then help in place with rivets. These are loose: paint will hold them in place later. Getting at the fixing nuts is not easy. I then superglued the tank side supports in place. At this point I thought the tender was complete apart from cleaning up but I have just realised I haven't fitted the door locking loops yet. The nuts holding it all in place haven't been tightened so there is a small gap between the tank assembly and the frames. This closes up. The loco has had the ejector pipe, handrails and lamp irons fitted. Out of sight I returned to my least favourite part of this kit - the saddle - and filled the gaps under the smokebox. Now recognisably a B1 I think! 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
N15class Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 Not long until the next project. Looks very good. What livery will it be in? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.hill64 Posted February 21, 2016 Author Share Posted February 21, 2016 Not long until the next project. Looks very good. What livery will it be in? BR Lined black: painted by Warren Haywood. I suspect it's going to look OK! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.hill64 Posted February 22, 2016 Author Share Posted February 22, 2016 (edited) Well it's not time yet to start the David Andrews A3 as I still have a couple more days of work left to finish Dibatag. What I now believe really to have been the last jobs (bar cleaning up) on the tender have been done. The door catches have been added to the tender doors. And the coupling added to the rear. The Slaters couplings are nice, but a bit of a pfaff to assemble as the parts are a mixture of left and right hand threads. A statistician will tell you how many combinations you have to try before getting the correct one, however, I can assure you that the answer is 42, so that perhaps solves another riddle. Then back to the loco. Drain cock levers and drain pipes have been added to the cylinders. I have yet to add the interface parts to the running plate. The oil piping has commenced! The four oil boxes are in place as are the lubricators, but no pictures of those yet. My local £3 variable temperature soldering iron bit the dust today so that resulted in lost time. Still it has lasted for 2 years in almost daily use so cannot complain. Edited February 22, 2016 by david.hill64 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Argos Posted February 22, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 22, 2016 "The Slaters couplings are nice, but a bit of a pfaff to assemble as the parts are a mixture of left and right hand threads. A statistician will tell you how many combinations you have to try before getting the correct one, however, I can assure you that the answer is 42" Good to know it's not just me then..............! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.hill64 Posted February 23, 2016 Author Share Posted February 23, 2016 Now we get to the fiddly bits. There is a small lever at the top of the draincock lever leading to the operating axle that isn't included in the etches but looks better for fitting. It also acts as a convenient junction between body and chassis. If it is supllied we make one! First drill some 0.5mm holes in some scrap etch and solder in place 4 0.5mm brass rivets. Then cut them out and clean up. Locate in place at the top of the draincock lever and secure with solder. The next fiddly job is the lubricator drive. I made a mistake in using a 0.7mm drive from the eccentric so I need to convert it into a 0.5mm drive. For this I will use a 14BA nut drilled out for a 0.5mm wire and then drilled 0.75mm through the thread so that it is a sliding fit on the drive wire. the idea is that I will be able to set this at the correct height when the horizontal drive lever is in place. But it's tea time now! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted February 23, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 23, 2016 Thanks! Mind you most things in life are better than a week in Delhi............................. You've never been to Immingham then? Mike. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.hill64 Posted February 23, 2016 Author Share Posted February 23, 2016 So with my pan fried salmon nicely settled I returned to he lubricator drive. The fish was obviously good for my brain as i realised I could use a small length of brass tube to keep the drive lever in place. This was then checked on the eccentric drive. It seemed like a good idea to finish the body before completing this. Once the drive is connected to the lubricator arms they will be fixed for good, but a bit vulnerable while the body is being handled, so they will be the last things fitted. Next up the oil pipes. From the photo it looks like one needs reconnecting to the anti carboniser valve. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.hill64 Posted February 23, 2016 Author Share Posted February 23, 2016 You've never been to Immingham then? Mike. One of the few places I have never been to. Immingham 08's were a rarity in my spotters book............... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffP Posted February 24, 2016 Share Posted February 24, 2016 Wasn't the easiest shed to get round, being, like Goole in steam days, in the middle of security-conscious dockland. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.hill64 Posted February 25, 2016 Author Share Posted February 25, 2016 I have been working on detailing the cab. nearly there but a lot of cleaning up to do. At this stage the backhead isn't fixed. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now