NeilHB's 7mm Narrow Gauge Workbench

[NeilHB]

i decided that as the Trent Valley Area Groups (7mmNGA) successor to Henmore is due to make its (non-operational) debut at our annual Mickleover open day in January (http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/116620-mickleover-derby-7mm-narrow-gauge-21st-january-2017/) I really ought to get my finger out and actually build some stock to run on the layout!

 

Two years ago I'd have said my ideal narrow gauge stock was Talyllyn sized, but them I became part of the Trent Valley group, and had my eyes opened to the joys of larger narrow gauge locos...I've still got my stash of Talyllyn kits in a box to build one day, but after much discussions with Mr Young, some silly ideas have been had, and a cunning plan formulated involving an Adams Radial and Hunslets proposed 4-4-0T for the Lynton and Barnstaple, as so beautifully built by David Taylor of Charmouth and Bridport fame...Andy and I womdered what the two mashed together would look like...

 

 

Voila! A Hunslet Atlantic tank.

 

 

Some slight alterations were needed to the drawings, slightly longer tanks to hide the motor mounting, and a rearward extension of the bunker to fit over the Radial truck.

 

With footlplate...

 

And with the start of the sidetanks, these are just temporary to test clearances and to see what it looks like. Must admit the way that Hornby has designed the fixing on the Radial tank is a bit awkward, and I think I will need to find a way to secure the chassis through the footplate into the sidetanks, which will need to be made wider to hide them.

 

Boiler fittings are on order from Slimrails, in the shape of boiler fittings from their WHR Russell kit. I've ordered enough for a couple of locos...

 

Livery wise will be standard Henmore Dale Crimson Lake, must get on and order the nameplates from Narrow Planet. "Minerva" or "Persephone" - currently undecided though I suspect a second example may follow at some point, so it's really a case of which name to use first!

 

 

I've also been busy building up my stash of Slimrails kits, with 3 4-plank opens and 2 2-plank opens completed, I also have another 3 chassis' awaiting ideas for bodies to go on them, and a Slimrails brakevan needing a coat of paint.

 

Coaching stock wise I have a couple of Port Wynnstays Henmore Dale 4-wheel coaches to build up, and then have my eye on me or two of the new Slaters kits for L&B no.16 - having seen and handled the prototype kit at Warley, I can tell you it's going to be a lovely model!

 

Enough for now - more progress in my usual as and when format :-)

 

TTFN, and a Happy New Year to you all!

Edited December 31, 2016 by NeilHB

[Giles]

That makes for a very pretty loco...... Not one I had come across! Looking forward to seeing this....

[Andrew Young]

Glad to see the silly idea turning into styrene :-)

 

For mounting points, have either usually tried to use the ones the donor chassis uses or see if there are any suitable holes to put bolts through fixing into nuts secured to the body.

 

Cheers,

Andrew

[DLT]

I like it Neil, should be an attractive loco.  Will look nice in crimson as well, sometimes wish I had done my locos that colour.

And thanks very much for the reference.

All the best,

Dave.

[NeilHB]

I like it Neil, should be an attractive loco. Will look nice in crimson as well, sometimes wish I had done my locos that colour.

And thanks very much for the reference.

All the best,

Dave.

Thanks Dave, much appreciated :-)

[steve howe]

Very nice Neil, can I ask if the drawing is your own or an actual prototype?  I wonder if Hornby will make the Radial chassis available as a spare....

 

Steve

[NeilHB]

Very nice Neil, can I ask if the drawing is your own or an actual prototype?  I wonder if Hornby will make the Radial chassis available as a spare....

 

Steve

Thanks Steve - I can't take credit for the drawing - it's an Andrew Young original - although we'd both had a similar idea! Body is from the Hunslet 4-4-0T that was proposed for the Lynton & Barnstaple, and rendered so beautifully in 7mm scale by David Taylor for Charmouth and Bridport Town. Bottom half is pure Adams Radial...

 

The drawings for the L&B Hunslet are in Model Railway Comstructor, September 1985.

[Andrew Young]

Steve,

 

The drawing was a copy and paste job on the computer. Taking a 4mm drawing of the bottom half of the Adams Radial and another in 7mm scale of Hunslet's proposal for the L&B and seeing whether they'd work together.

 

Cheers,

Andrew

[NeilHB]

Oops, nearly 8 months on from starting this project, and I'd barely made any progress on this project until the last couple of days.

 

Now it's starting to look much more like a locomotive, and a nice chunky one too!

 

 

Boiler, smokebox and boiler fittings are from the Slimrails Russell kit, many thanks to Simon at Slimrails for selling me the parts :-)

 

The parts have had various modifications to them. Smokebox has been shortened by approx 5mm, and the dome has been moved forward so that it's roughly half way between its original locating hole, and the hole for the boiler mounted sandpot. The smokebox has then had two wrappers of 10thou plastic added to beef it up slightly, and to cover up the gab between the front plate and the smokebox itself.

 

Cab, sidetanks and bunker and just loosely in place at the moment whilst I sort out the rear of the bodywork. All cut from 30thou plastic sheet, the side tanks have spacers cut from rectangular evergreen tube at the rear - just the right width to make the tanks when two layers of 30thou are added!

 

The Atlantic tank has also gained a new shedmate, in the shape of a Bachmann Davenport shunter, thank you eBay for a nice little bargain! This will gain a new, taller cab, and a couple of other modifications to make it look more British in outline.

 

 

Cheers,

 

Neil

[NeilHB]

And the state of play this evening:

 

 

Sidetanks built and fitted, and spectacle plate mocked up.

 

Getting somewhere at last with it!

[NeilHB]

Progress on the Hunslet Atlantic over the last few days:

 

 

Really pleased with how this looks now - it has a nice chunky feel to it, and actually looks somewhat like the concept and the drawing...I think that counts as a success?! Still more work to do, but am waiting for a few parts to arrive before I do any more work on it.

 

Whilst waiting for the parts to arrive, I made a start on the Gas Mechanical.

 

 

As you can see, new cab from plasticard, and a new radiator surround (wasn't keen on the way the radiator stood proud of the bonnet front). Plus I've shortened one of the bonnet doors and added a small box at the base - maybe it's a tool box? Just got to sort out a cab interior and exhaust for it, then it can have a visit to the paint shop! Must sort out some nameplates too.