Focalplane's Workbench (mostly 7mm)

[coachmann]

I have noted how you spring your 0 gauge buffers in the unlikely event I build another 0 gauge coach. 

[Focalplane]

Today is a sad day but Chuck Berry lived all of 90 years - good for him!  I've been playing his Chuck Berry Blues album much of the day and reminiscing of when I bought several LPs in the early sixties (on the Pye label if my memory serves me well).  I also saw him perform at the then Gaumont Theatre in Southampton in 1964.  He topped the bill with the Moody Blues as the second act.  Despite their first hit "Go Now" being top of the hit parade, they were hurried off the stage to make way for the maestro.

 

Yes, I saw the famous "Duck Walk" and enjoyed every minute of his performance.  Truly the father of Rock n Roll and mentor to many famous names on this side of the Atlantic.  R.I.P. Chuck Berry.

[coachmann]

American Rock 'n Roll was hard to come by on records in the late 1950's and so amateur rock groups sprang up and filled the pubs with teenagers across the North West of England at weekends. Songs by Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis songs were a major part of the itinerary, but never Elvis's. I got the keyboard out this morning after hearing the News of Chuck's demise, set it up for guitar and played as many of his songs as I could remember. R.I.P. Mr.Berry.

 

Parcel going off tomorrow Paul.

 

Larry

Edited March 19, 2017 by coachmann

[Focalplane]

American Rock 'n Roll was hard to come by on records in the late 1950's and so amateur rock groups sprang up and filled the pubs with teenagers across the North West of England at weekends. Songs by Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis songs were a major part of the itinerary, but never Elvis's. I got the keyboard out this morning after hearing the News of Chuck's demise, set it up for guitar and played as many of his songs as I could remember. R.I.P. Mr.Berry.

 

Larry

 

At least one of Chuck Berry's songs had a train motif - All Aboard.  He referenced the M-K-T (Missouri Kansas Texas) at St. Louis.  The "Katy" is now part of Union Pacific, as is just about everything else west of the Mississippi (apart from Burlington Santa Fe!).  This song set a trend for song writers to write lyrics naming lists of places or countries, but the most famous of them would have to be Route 66.  As someone who loves "road songs" when driving any distance, these are bound to be on my playlists.

 

Need to "crack on" with the Open Third. . . .

[Focalplane]

A good day, weather was perfect for painting, but so good I took part of the afternoon off to do my daily 5 kilometer walk.  Even so, the Open Third now only needs the tables to be fitted before it goes into the stack awaiting final painting, windows, et.  A rewarding day to say the least.  The 14XX is also progressing nicely, if only I could find my BR logo transfers it would be "complete".

 

I put complete in quotation marks because there still won't be a crew, no running lights, and no tools.  And, come to think of it, the bunker is empty!

[Focalplane]

While waiting for paint to dry I looked up the website of the US company that made the two pin connectors I bought last week from FB Systems in Bessan.  The web address is modeltrainsoftware.com but the company name is Evan Designs.  Lots of LEDS for sale and also some neat solutions for lighting coaches, a 9v connector wired to an on-off switch which would be perfect for my Sidelines Coaches.  The battery would fit in a toilet, the switch underneath the floor.  This is not something I was planning to do, but it does offer that possibility with the minimum of fuss down the road.  As with home lighting, LEDs are revolutionizing model lighting as well - low heat, long life, low consumption.  And with warm, cold, bright, glow options, there is something for every situation.

[Focalplane]

A quick "snap" of 1459 on the turntable bridge.  I finally found the transfers and had just two left of the medium size.  There are still a few items left to add but the loco is now a runner.  I will take a short video which I will load up to vimeo.com.

 

 

Taken with my iPhone, but I really need to get out the Micro Nikkor and do some decent lighting, etc.  Truth is, I want to finish building the Open Third first.

[Focalplane]

Here is a short video of the 14XX with sound from southwestern digital.

 

 

I am still learning to to best control this chip, at the moment it is on high speed steps and a lot of momentum.  To get a good start you have to set the drain cocks on before starting the speed control.  Interesting!

 

By the way, there was a road roller working outside, just to confuse things.

Edited March 21, 2017 by Focalplane

[coachmann]

Thanks for the heads up on this video. Can you start the loco off gradually? (As someone said on another thread, their loco sets off at 15mph). Your 4F with a Zimo 645 chip was able to start moving gradually. I had a South West Digital sound but I couldn't get the Loksound decoder to start the loco moving gradually. The chuff sounds okay; certainly a lot better than the lightweight chaff-chaff on some soundfiles. 

Edited March 21, 2017 by coachmann

[Focalplane]

Thanks for the heads up on this video. Can you start the loco off gradually? (As someone said on another thread, their loco sets off at 15mph). Your 4F with a Zimo 645 chip was able to start moving gradually. I had a South West Digital sound but I couldn't get the Loksound decoder to start the loco realistically from a standing start like the Zimo's. The chuff sounds okay; certainly a lot better than the lightweight chaff-chaff on some soundfiles. 

 

Larry, I used the 10 steps fast speed control on my NCE for the video.  I have tested it on 1 step at a time and it is OK but not as gradual as my Zimos, though they are on locos with smaller drivers.  Certainly less than 15 scale mph though.  The chuff sounds vary according to perceived load which is very good.  I think with practice I can make this work to my liking.  Which is probably a good thing as I will no doubt get their Large Prairie sounds in July.

 

BTW I also took delivery of four BR suburban coaches today from Tower Models - the Birmingham Division rake that I grew up on, from Dapol/Lionheart.  A bit of a surprise as they arrived a month early.  They will be paired with the Prairie, which will be 4175, 84E shed (of course!)

[Focalplane]

Sidelines' Open Third interior:

 

 

Malcolm's kits usually need a bit of scratch building.  In this case the tables.

 

The coach can now be set aside for painting, glazing and door handles, the third of five.

[Focalplane]

Meanwhile, some slightly better photos of 1459:

 

 

 

I may have said this before but I really enjoyed building this kit and it has behaved itself on the test track as well.  It now awaits the Dapol autocoach.

 

Next loco is a big brother, 5070, Castle Class Sir Daniel Gooch.  I need to start thinking about coaches for the Cornishman!

[steve fay]

Looking forward to the Castle build, I'm getting myself another castle kit shortly! They are my favourite after all

[Focalplane]

Another short movie of 1459, this time starting on speed step 1 of 128 and then coasting at that speed up to the turntable bridge.  Then the loco was accelerated to 10 of 128 before gradually slowing to a stop over the inspection pit.

 

Slower running still can be achieved by selecting F18, the so-called Shunt mode.

 

 

I am of the opinion that the gearing on this locomotive could be higher than 30:1.  I seriously doubt this set up will ever be run at full speed, despite the alleged 70mph top speed of the real thing.

 

 

[Focalplane]

I am off to England and Wales next week and will be taking my "workbench" with me as I am driving.  The actual table isn't going, just the tools, kits, parts box and a few other things.

 

The David Andrews Castle kit is going, as is the Connoisseur Brake Van kit I bought at Bristol in February.  Jim McGeown says this is a good weekend project.  Also, in case I run out of things to do, four Sidelines coach bogies for the remaining two Midlander coaches, the Portholes.

 

My aim for the Castle is to put together the loco chassis with sprung hornblocks and the motor gearbox.  So I will need to take my Poppy's jig and the rolling road.  As I have both Castle and King wheels this will be a bit of an experiment so I will be documenting it here (the King wheels were recommended by David Andrews but others have successfully fitted the larger Castle wheels).  If the Castle wheels do indeed fit, my first choice, then I will have to order the King kit later in the year. . . . .

 

Looking farther ahead, when I return to France I think the two Portholes need to be built so that all five primed coaches can be painted while the weather is warm and the humidity is low.  That will complete the Midlander rake of six (including the Open First I bought ready built and painted from Malcolm Binns).  Having this coach as a "go by" has really helped in my approach to building the five kits.

 

Then it will be back to the Castle.

 

I also feel the need to do something about the buildings and scenery for Legge Lane.  It remains a test track with working turntable which really does need some more work if I am to thought of as a well rounded railway modeller.

[daifly]

I am off to England and Wales next week and will be taking my "workbench" with me as I am driving.  

Can't you just wait until you arrive?

Dave

[Focalplane]

I have not even left France yet, but an evening has been spent fettling the Castle's frames. Two lovely chunks of sheet nickel silver, I had already pressed out the rivets but major surgery was called upon to prepare for the front bogie wheel, the hornblocks and the plunger pickups. The photo shows the first side done, the second as it came out of the fret. By 10:30 I had drilled out and reamed the three holes for the plunger pickups on the second side. More tomorrow morning.

 

 

Soldering the brass hornblock frames is going to be tricky - everything has to be aligned and spaced correctly. This means the connecting rods need to be fabricated and so on. I am not sure how useful the Poppy's jig is going to be with sprung hornblocks but I can't see how it could be worse than not using it. Some thought needs to be given as to where the bearings are in relation to the hornblocks when everything is lined up. Put another way, what should be the position of the three axles' springs - no compression, half compression or, (presumably not) full compression?

Edited March 24, 2017 by Focalplane

[3 link]

I would of lightly scribed a datum line right across the frames exactly half way up the axle holes, then you would still have a marking to go by after cutting out for the horn guides, if you get my drift.

 

Regards,

 

Martyn.

[Focalplane]

Thanks, Martyn, you are right. Lines are in fact etched on the other side of the frames. And there is also a corresponding mark on the brass hornblock castings. Slaters also suggest the correct position can be measured down from the top of the cut out. All that help should help to get the position right, but I will go one further and make up the connecting rods and use the chassis jig.

[Focalplane]

Over lunch today I did some internet research on hornblocks, etc. and found this page:

 

http://www.euram-online.co.uk/railways/0gauge/e4/e4.htm

 

The relevant part of this build is the sequence of fixing the 6 hornblocks on a three axle locomotive (forgetting leading and trailing axles).  I had already worked out that the logical approach would be to fix the centre axle first and this was confirmed, even though slightly different methods and tools were employed compared to mine.

 

I also gave some serious thought to the "resting" position of the axle using sprung hornblocks (as against beam compensation as employed on the 14XX).  Essentially, an individual hornblock needs to be allowed to drop into an uneven depression.  This means that under stable conditions the springs will be compressed to the stop inside the hornblock casing.  When a wheel drops, the spring will let the wheel maintain contact with the rail, good for traction but more important for electrical continuity.

 

When I constructed the Midland Railway Centre (ex-Metalsmiths) turntable I thought some irregularities would be not only acceptable but also prototypical.  This may have been a mistake but compensation does work to improve the ride quality of those locos so fitted.  Next time (!) I build a turntable I will endeavour not to introduce such prototypical errors.

 

Back to the Castle.  Here is a dry assembly of the first hornblock:

 

 

No solder applied as yet, the retaining bar simply held by bent wire.

 

Next, the first hornblock in position on the centre axle.  The view is on the inside of the frame.

 

 

This hornblock has now been soldered up and tack soldered to the frame.  The other five will have to wait until the connecting rods have been made up and everything put together on the Poppy's jig.  That's going to take a while.

[Focalplane]

Good progress today, partly because the weather is horrible and it really has been a modelling day.  The previous post said that it would be a while before the Poppy's chassis jig would be used to square up everything yet here is a loose mock up of what will continue to move forward tomorrow:

 

 

Each hornblock has been soldered up but not fixed to the frames, hence the crocodile clips.  Meanwhile the connecting coupling rods were soldered up in situ and only need to be filed, sanded and polished.  Rivets will join the two halves of the connecting coupling rods eventually but for the purpose of placing the hornblocks I will use temporary wire.  Before going any further I plan to tack solder the principal frame spacers and insure that the hornblocks are "loaded down" before soldering them in place.  As I understand it, the theory of sprung hornblocks follows the real thing in that any one wheel will be able to drop into a "hole".  If one wheel runs over a local high, which in theory is much less likely, the other five will compensate.

 

I am not sure how much work can be achieved tomorrow but the weather forecast suggests I should be able to make good progress.

 

(There is a good reason why I am not soldering up the chassis at this stage.  A lot of additional work needs to be done on the two frames and it will be easier to achieve if everything can come apart.  As far as the instructions go, I have barely started.)

Edited March 25, 2017 by Focalplane

[Jon Fitness]

Good progress today, partly because the weather is horrible and it really has been a modelling day.  The previous post said that it would be a while before the Poppy's chassis jig would be used to square up everything yet here is a loose mock up of what will continue to move forward tomorrow:

 

DSC_5098.jpg

 

Each hornblock has been soldered up but not fixed to the frames, hence the crocodile clips.  Meanwhile the connecting rods were soldered up in situ and only need to be filed, sanded and polished.  Rivets will join the two halves of the connecting rods eventually but for the purpose of placing the hornblocks I will use temporary wire.  Before going any further I plan to tack solder the principal frame spacers and insure that the hornblocks are "loaded down" before soldering them in place.  As I understand it, the theory of sprung hornblocks follows the real thing in that any one wheel will be able to drop into a "hole".  If one wheel runs over a local high, which in theory is much less likely, the other five will compensate.

 

I am not sure how much work can be achieved tomorrow but the weather forecast suggests I should be able to make good progress.

 

(There is a good reason why I am not soldering up the chassis at this stage.  A lot of additional work needs to be done on the two frames and it will be easier to achieve if everything can come apart.  As far as the instructions go, I have barely started.)

Looking good so far Paul. Those alterations to the front framing look ever so delicate though!

 

One more teensy little point.....please don't shout at me...it's coupling rods not connecting rods...

 

ATB

Jon F.

[Focalplane]

Jon

 

Please shout away!  My mistake on the rods, it was getting late.

 

As to the front framing, David Andrews notes this but I think that later on the frames are strengthened.  It all depends on whether the model is a converted Star or an original Castle.  Etches are included for both types.

 

Reading the instructions over breakfast I think tack soldering the spacers is probably a good idea because so many additional parts need to be added, including the said front bogie arch which needs a lot of soldering and filing back.  These are tasks better done separately on each side.

 

Paul

 

On another subject, I know I live in France most of the time but I only just found out that Hattons/Heljan are releasing A3s and A4s in Gauge O.  The prices seem very good at £750 each but I will stick with my Large Prairie, thank you all the same.  I rarely visited the Eastern Region in the 1950s and they don't hold much nostalgia for me.  I did do the Plant at Doncaster, though, which was interesting but actually I had already been round Crewe three days before which was much more my scene.

 

How did we get around the various Works as under aged urchins?  We wrote off for a permit which required at least one adult.  With Permit in hand we would go to the favourite trainspotting location (e.g. footbridge over the smoke hole at Crewe) and collar an adult to be our leader.  Sheds were another story, we simply trespassed the notorious ones.

[Simond]

An aide-memoire to make it easy to remember, you might well talk of a "four-coupled", or "six- coupled" loco (or more...)

 

And cars (and everything else with an internal combustion piston engine) has one or more con-rods, but I'm not aware of any with coupling rods! (Go on, prove me wrong!!!)

 

Best

Simon

[Jintyman]

I'd always understood it as the coupling rods were what connected the wheels together from the crank pins (coupling them all together), and the connecting rod was the rod that drove from the piston to the crank axle (connecting the power source to the coupled wheels).

 

Nice kit Paul, I am watching with interest as they are a superb engine, although somewhat big for Talyllyn!!!

 

Jinty

Edited March 25, 2017 by Jintyman