GWR & LNWR Pre-grouping 4mm locos workbench

[Brassey]

3 hours ago, Asterix2012 said:

Was this one of the ones with only half the chassis etches?

 

Yes and no.  It had only one side of the body etches.  I used a Perseverance chassis so left the Falcon one.  I think most of the chassis was there including a tender chassis.  But there was no tender body at all!  I have used Branchlines outside frames for the Bird class and their splashers too.

 

I scrapped the firebox as it was woefully short and had to lengthen the coned section of the boiler too as that was too short.  

 

 

Edited June 25, 2022 by Brassey
Added pic

[Brassey]

After an interlude when other things have taken over, I'm now back on the workbench.  Currently starting an LNWR C Class from the London Road kit.  This is partly to see if I can get an 0-8-0 around the tight curves in the planned extended layout.  This is going to be a multi=beam compensation affair so I cut the 4 beams out of the etch first (some time ago).

 

 

As is my practice, I pre-cutout the slots for the hornguides but left the outer two intact so that I could insert top hat bushes in order to assemble the frames square with the aid of a jig. 

 

Before assembling, I created slots in the centre (firebox) spacer to allow the two side beams to pass through.  This part is half etched to allow for riveting on the firebox which adds a nice touch.  I assembled this slightly differently to the instructions to maintain some squareness after I'd removed a large part of the etch.  Here's the assembled frame showing the spacer.

 

 

The P4 AGW H spoke wheels do not have the holes for the crankpins drilled so these have to be drilled and counter sunk from behind.  A job I approach with some trepidation however having built 3 coal tanks and a coal engine, none of which are finished, I have had some practice at this task that does need precision.  I used my mini-drill in a press.  Here are all 8 wheels complete with AGW crankpins inserted.  One set is flangeless:

 

 

Next up is to fit the High Level Hornguides in the slots that are already cut out.

 

 

[garethashenden]

I'm not familiar with this kit, and as you've removed the compensation beams from the etch I can't be sure of their design. But, if they are designed to take top hat bushes, then you don't also want hornblocks. If the beams hold the axle in a bushing, it will move through an arc. Hornblocks only move vertically. Either system will work fine, but both systems together will not work. If the beams just rest on top of the axles, then hornblocks are fine. But from the outline left in the fret I suspect not. 

[Brassey]

LNWR DX Goods nearing completion.  Finally got the blower valve fitted to the left hand side.  A bit more to do including the backhead and a lot of cleaning up...

 

[Jol Wilkinson]

On 17/05/2023 at 08:13, Brassey said:

After an interlude when other things have taken over, I'm now back on the workbench.  Currently starting an LNWR C Class from the London Road kit.  This is partly to see if I can get an 0-8-0 around the tight curves in the planned extended layout.  This is going to be a multi=beam compensation affair so I cut the 4 beams out of the etch first (some time ago).

 

 

As is my practice, I pre-cutout the slots for the hornguides but left the outer two intact so that I could insert top hat bushes in order to assemble the frames square with the aid of a jig. 

 

Before assembling, I created slots in the centre (firebox) spacer to allow the two side beams to pass through.  This part is half etched to allow for riveting on the firebox which adds a nice touch.  I assembled this slightly differently to the instructions to maintain some squareness after I'd removed a large part of the etch.  Here's the assembled frame showing the spacer.

 

 

The P4 AGW H spoke wheels do not have the holes for the crankpins drilled so these have to be drilled and counter sunk from behind.  A job I approach with some trepidation however having built 3 coal tanks and a coal engine, none of which are finished, I have had some practice at this task that does need precision.  I used my mini-drill in a press.  Here are all 8 wheels complete with AGW crankpins inserted.  One set is flangeless:

 

 

Next up is to fit the High Level Hornguides in the slots that are already cut out.

 

 

I built mine with a fixed driven rear axle, sprung the flangeless wheel (third) axle and used a single central beam on the front two axles. using LRM hornblocks.  It works well on London Road but the minimum radius is about 4' 6". Unfortunately I can't remember how much side play I built in and the loco is currently packed away.

[Brassey]

2 minutes ago, Jol Wilkinson said:

I built mine with a fixed driven rear axle, sprung the flangeless wheel (third) axle and used a single central beam on the front two axles. using LRM hornblocks.  It works well on London Road but the minimum radius is about 4' 6". Unfortunately I can't remember how much side play I built in and the loco is currently packed away.

 

Thanks Jol.  The C class has moved on in that it is now up on its wheels and the superstructure is underway.  However it has gone onto the back burner whilst I get my Coal Tanks around my 3 foot curves!  Yesterday I managed to get 2 of the three running but one with a K's body (all on LRM chassis) will only run backwards as seen in the video I posted on my layout thread.  I don't think it's a sideplay issue because I resolved that...

[Brassey]

On 20/05/2023 at 01:20, garethashenden said:

I'm not familiar with this kit, and as you've removed the compensation beams from the etch I can't be sure of their design. But, if they are designed to take top hat bushes, then you don't also want hornblocks. If the beams hold the axle in a bushing, it will move through an arc. Hornblocks only move vertically. Either system will work fine, but both systems together will not work. If the beams just rest on top of the axles, then hornblocks are fine. But from the outline left in the fret I suspect not. 

 

Thanks Gareth and sorry for the late reply!  Although etched compensation beams appear to be designed to take tophat bushes, I've never seem them used that way.  Some may have a different experience though and it would be interesting to here how they have been used. 

 

To reassure you, what I do is to remove the lower half and allow the beam to rest on the axle bushes.  The also allows the wheel sets to be removable.  Here is the C Class chassis in that fashion.  I have bushed the central beam in an attempt to get a consistent ride height.

 

The motor/gearbox assembly here has been leaned out of the way for the photo.  There is also a tube and washer arrangement on the 3rd axle that is designed to stop the beam slipping off the axle bush; the gearbox does the same job on the driven axle.

 

I think this build has stalled at the point of dummy motion...

 

[garethashenden]

This is a Peter K kit for a North London class 109 4-4-0T. It has compensation beams fitted with top hat bushings and they do work.