East Barnet Joint Stock - a workbench

[Chas Levin]

The cab roof is now glazed and ready to be fixed onto the loco superstructure:

 

 

Deluxe Materials Glue'n'Glaze was applied (in tiny amounts, on the end of a map pin) around the inside protruding rim of the glazing and in this first photo, the right-hand one had been done a day previously, the left has just been done and you can see how much more bulk of white glue there is when it's first applied and how much it shrinks, as it cures and goes clear:

 

 

In this next photo both lenses' Glue'n'Glaze glue has cured and effectively sealed the join between the lenses' copper rims and the spectacle plate openings:

 

 

And here's a photo after a very light ring of araldite has been applied around each rim too, as an extra bond, as well as the remaining bare copper edges being given a couple of coats of satin varnish, both inside and outside the cab:

 

 

I realise the glueing is a little more than is probably really necessary but I always want to guard against future problems. The cab roof will in theory be detachable should it be necessary, but not easily (especially after the last little pieces of beading are on) so I thought I might as well err on the side of over-fixing.

I'm quite pleased with the end result; next time, for something like this where the glazing needs working on for some time before fixing, I think I'd use clear plastic material a little less prone to marking (in spite of some careful polishing the 'glass' surfaces remain a little marked) and while the copper rims do a good job of suggesting varnished wood rims or frames, if I do another like this, I'd try to find a way of fixing the plastic glazing inside the copper with even less visible glue, but at normal viewing distance it looks quite good and in the context of the whole loco these things it recede into the background detail:

 

[Chas Levin]

So to the final fixing of the cab roof:

 

 

As I commented earlier, fixing it after assembly with bolts rather than as part of the soldered construction was essential for painting and detailing the interior, but one of the bolts - the one running horizontally through the footing of the spectacle plate - was an absolute pain to get in place, because there isn't enough space to get a screwdriver to engage properly:

 

 

I got it there in the end though and while working on it I noticed that the lower edge of the black Milliput base of the coal load I made was just visible through the gap between the lowest coal rail and the beading along the bunker edge, so some time was spent placing tiny droplets of PVA onto that Milliput line, through the gap 'twixt rail and beading, then dropping miniscule pieces of crushed coal through the gap and onto the glue - a tedious business, but I think it now looks as if the coal goes right down below the lowest coal rail:

 

 

Then to those short lengths of beading that run along the lower edges of the cab roof sides and front, the ones I'd never spotted until recently - has anyone else found those little plastic boxes that Preiser and Noch figures come in are perfect for storing and organising tiny parts before assembly? Here are the six pieces of beading, cut to length and with chamfered ends, before fixing:

 

 

And here they are, glued (tiny amounts of araldite) in place - they stick out somewhat in grey primer but they'll have their ends blended with Green Stuff and be gloss black to match the rest of the beading, plus white lining above them:

 

 

[Chas Levin]

With the final short pieces of beading on, running round the lower edges of the cab roof, the next thing is the black painting of that beading and the white lining above it. I'm adhering to Ian Rathbone's advice by applying the lighter coloured and more prominent white first, filling in the black afterwards:

 

 

 

 

 

I'm afraid the pictures aren't great for this specific feature (I've edited this post to substitute photos taken in daylight but it still glares on the white and also on the upper edges of the brass beading) but you can hopefully why that's a good way to do it, because having stroked a spirit-dampened brush along the upper edges (where the white borders the green) I can then fill in the black gloss on the actual beading, running up close to the lower edges of the white to get exactly the right line width.

 

I've moved over to using the Haff 135 rather than the 228. Although I was very taken with the swivelling blades of the 228 and the ease of cleaning they provide, they're not as rigid as the 135's thicker, hardened steel blades and I found they were occasionally flexing in use, pressing up against an edge or a ruler, causing minute bulges in otherwise good lines or stopping the paint flowing. Again, Ian's advice was spot on, as he mentions in his book preferring the 135 for this same reason.

Edited November 10, 2022 by Chas Levin
Substituting daylight photos

[Chas Levin]

The little sections of beading along the lower edges of the cab roof have now had their ends smoothed with a little filler and been painted black, the white lining touched in at a couple of spots and a couple of coats of varnish applied to the whole roof to match the rest of the body:

 

 

 

 

 

Looking at it now, with the beading and the white lining forming one continuous line right round the roof and another round the spectacle plate, it looks so right (and looking back at previous photos, it looks so incomplete as it was) that I wonder how I didn't question it before. I'd even noticed the use of the word 'continuous' in descriptions of GNR lining and still not made the connection. Useful lesson learned, as this won't be the last GNR loco I build...

[Chas Levin]

Here are some photos of the finished body, prior to re-uniting with the chassis, final running tests and the application of a bit of threadlock here and there. There is one thing - well, technically two things - missing from this body in terms of fitted items (I might yet add some spare lamps, coal irons etc) and that's the works plates. I have a pair of 3/4 sized 4mm ones on order in hopes they'll fit the sections of the frames where they go, but they won't be ready for some months so they'll be added later:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[31A]

That looks really lovely Chas, it repays all the meticulous work you've put into it - you must be very pleased!

[Citadel]

Fantastic.  There will be a void left in your like when this is finished.  What's your next project?

[Chas Levin]

Citadel said: Fantastic.  There will be a void left in your like when this is finished.  What's your next project?

 

Haha - you're right Mike, I do feel a little bereft: difficult to believe it's actually finished!

The next large project will be the Nu-Cast Sentinel-Cammell Steam Railcar that sparked the discussions a few pages back about their livery, but I have a couple of other small things on the go currently, plus it's been so long since I soldered white metal I'll probably put together a quick wagon to refresh my memory!

Edited November 23, 2022 by Chas Levin

[Chas Levin]

2 hours ago, 31A said:

That looks really lovely Chas, it repays all the meticulous work you've put into it - you must be very pleased!

Thanks Steve, yes, I am very pleased I must admit. It has its faults (as do we all!) but overall it's putting a smile on my face 😀.

Running tests have gone well too; it had been quite a while since the body was fitted to the chassis and I imagined all sorts of things light have shifted or changed in some subtle way, but no, everything seems happy so far...

Edited November 23, 2022 by Chas Levin

[31A]

3 hours ago, Chas Levin said:

Citadel said: Fantastic.  There will be a void left in your like when this is finished.  What's your next project?

 

Haha - you're right Mike, I do feel a little bereft: difficult to believe it's actually finished!

The next large project will be the Nu-Cast Sentinel-Cammell Steam Railcar that sparked the discussions a few pages back about their livery, but I have a couple of other small things on the go currently, plus it's been so long since I soldered white metal I'll probably put together a quick wagon to refresh my memory!

 

I look forward to reading about whatever it is you get up to next!

[Asterix2012]

Be interested in seeing how you tackle the railcar.

[Chas Levin]

8 hours ago, Asterix2012 said:

Be interested in seeing how you tackle the railcar.

Ha - so shall I!

 

I'll read up on some other builds, such as @jwealleans on West End Workbench and also look at his recommendations on replacing the floor and possibly the roof too (for weight reasons). I have a couple of possible motor bogies but neither is I think very powerful, so reducing weight may be very helpful.

 

Have you built one, or do you perhaps have one to build?

 

The bit I'm particularly looking forward to actually is the lining: I found I could do very thin lines indeed with the bow pen, by the time I'd done the practice and the actual lining on this C2, but because I'd started out on it unable to do such thin lines, I felt I had to keep things consistent. It would have looked odd if some the later work on this loco were noticeably thinner.

 

My intention on the next project however is to start out thin and stay that way...

 

As to the actual construction, I haven't really looked at the kit yet at all and, as I mentioned ithe other day, I need to get my white metal soldering eye back in on a quick wagon first!

 

We actually had some reasonably warm and sunny weather for a few hours yesterday and I was able to take some photos of the finished C2 in the garden, which always looks better. As soon as I've gone through them and sorted out the best ones, I'll post some on here 😊.

Edited November 24, 2022 by Chas Levin

[Chas Levin]

Morning all, here are the final photos of the London Road Models GNR C2 I've been building:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's taken well over a year to do, but that also includes time taken learning how to use a bow pen better than I had before, learning about non-rigid chassis and building a few other smaller projects too.

 

It's an etched brass London Road Models kit, GNR C2 tank (later the LNER / BR C12 4-4-2), with a FlexiChas compensation beam between the front drivers and the bogie, a rear radial truck (also an LRM etch), a High Level Kits Road Runner+ gearbox with a Mashima motor and paints by Phoenix Precision, excepting the black and white lining which was Humbrol, the lining being done with a pen. Transfers are by Fox, figures and lamps by Modelu and the only thing missing is the works plates as I had problems finding a suitably sized pair and have some on order.

 

I hugely enjoyed the build and the painting - this definitely won't be the last GNR livery loco I build!

 

I'd like to thank a long list of people who helped along the way with comments, suggestions and ideas, without which this wouldn't have come out as well as it has...

[Jon4470]

10 minutes ago, Chas Levin said:

Morning all, here are the final photos of the London Road Models GNR C2 I've been building:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's taken well over a year to do, but that also includes time taken learning how to use a bow pen better than I had before, learning about non-rigid chassis and building a few other smaller projects too.

 

It's an etched brass London Road Models kit, GNR C2 tank (later the LNER / BR C12 4-4-2), with a FlexiChas compensation beam between the front drivers and the bogie, a rear radial truck (also an LRM etch), a High Level Kits Road Runner+ gearbox with a Mashima motor and paints by Phoenix Precision, excepting the black and white lining which was Humbrol, the lining being done with a pen. Transfers are by Fox, figures and lamps by Modelu and the only thing missing is the works plates as I had problems finding a suitably sized pair and have some on order.

 

I hugely enjoyed the build and the painting - this definitely won't be the last GNR livery loco I build!

 

I'd like to thank a long list of people who helped along the way with comments, suggestions and ideas, without which this wouldn't have come out as well as it has...

Hi Chas

 

The loco looks fantastic! It’s a real credit to your modelling skills….and to your patience/persistence.

 

Jon

[Chas Levin]

22 minutes ago, Jon4470 said:

Hi Chas

 

The loco looks fantastic! It’s a real credit to your modelling skills….and to your patience/persistence.

 

Jon

Thanks Jon - I've enjoyed it very much and also learned a great deal; in fact I've never learned so much just in the course of one project!

[Bucoops]

A simple round of applause doesn't do your work justice. It's fantastic.

[Chas Levin]

22 minutes ago, Bucoops said:

A simple round of applause doesn't do your work justice. It's fantastic.

Thanks Rich, very kind of you!

[Chas Levin]

As mentioned a few posts back, before embarking on the Sentinel-Cammell Railcar, I'm building a quick white metal wagon, just to remind myself how to solder white metal, as it's been a while:

 

 

Aligning the W-irons takes a little bit of care as there are simply witness lines on the insides of the wagon sides which, given the probable 40-year age of the kit were not so easy to work with:

 

 

Got there in the end though, with the use as in the photo above of one of the excellent Brassmasters axle jigs:

 

 

For the bearings, I took the opportunity to practice brass-to-white-metal soldering, something I'm still not fully comfortable with, tinning the backs of the bearings with 145 degree solder first, then putting a tiny piece of 70 degree into the hole in rear of the W-iron, inserting the bearing on top of it and applying the iron - at a safe white metal temperature of 180 - to the bearing cup until it melted the 75 degree solder behind it and the bearing settled in place:

 

 

 

 

Then it was out with the trusty Coffman clamp to unite one long with one short side - this photo was taken before final alignment and the sides sat together before soldering a good deal more closely than you see here:

 

 

The instructions then have you joining all four sides with wheels between, before going on with other additional parts, but I don't like getting flux or water repeatedly splashed on the wheels and axles so I pushed on with all the other soldering while the wagon was still in two halves:

 

 

I wanted to use some detailing parts from the excellent Rumney Models B.108 General Wagon Detailing fret but looking at the photos I've so far found of wagons in GNR days (and this vehicle is going to be in GNR livery) I couldn't see any features that were both appropriate and not already incorporated in the excellent D&S castings, though I did find a use for a pair of label clips, which I also soldered, tinning the backs with 145 degree solder first and then sitting them on tiny pieces of 70 degree with the iron on top until the solder melted and flooded behind the tiny brass pieces:

 

 

 

I have the Great Northern Railway Society GNR Wagon Pictorial set on the way, so I shall delay further assembly until that arrives in hopes of spotting further suitable additions. In the meantime, the two halves fit together very neatly, upside-down on glass:

 

[Compound2632]

I should have said sooner, the C2 is your masterpiece.

[Chas Levin]

5 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

I should have said sooner, the C2 is your masterpiece.

Thank you Stephen, very nice of you to say so! ☺️

Edited December 18, 2022 by Chas Levin

[Adam88]

 

I bet you're glad the Great Northern didn't paint their goods wagons in fully lined locomotive livery.  It would be rather splendid though.

[Chas Levin]

11 hours ago, Adam88 said:

 

I bet you're glad the Great Northern didn't paint their goods wagons in fully lined locomotive livery.  It would be rather splendid though.

Yes, indeed it would! Mixed feelings on that I suppose: the process of learning to do the lining and use a bow pen has been enormously enjoyable and hugely satisfying and leaves me wanting to do another one in due course, but in the immediate short term there's undoubtedly a sense of relaxation about building a simple wagon that will be in one colour!

What an idea though: I'm just imagining a row of wagons, all in full GNR passenger livery!!

[Rob Pulham]

Chaz,

 

Can I suggest that you get yourself some 100 degree solder?

With it you can tin the back of the brass (or the white metal casting if going the other way* ) and solder direct to the whitemetal (*or brass) without the 145 step. It will also help reduce the inevitable build up of solder due to using two types on those tiny parts.

 

I have built a couple of DJH/Tower Streamlined Coronation in that last few years and all the whitemetal to brass soldering was done with 100 degree solder. I only use 70 degree for whitemetal to whitemetal joints these days.

[Bucoops]

I soldered these yesterday with my RSU and Carrs 179 solder cream. It helps that the white metal is quite chunky of course. Sorry for the awful pictures but no castings were harmed!

 

 

 

Edited December 19, 2022 by Bucoops

[Chas Levin]

1 hour ago, Rob Pulham said:

Chaz,

 

Can I suggest that you get yourself some 100 degree solder?

With it you can tin the back of the brass (or the white metal casting if going the other way* ) and solder direct to the whitemetal (*or brass) without the 145 step. It will also help reduce the inevitable build up of solder due to using two types on those tiny parts.

 

I have built a couple of DJH/Tower Streamlined Coronation in that last few years and all the whitemetal to brass soldering was done with 100 degree solder. I only use 70 degree for whitemetal to whitemetal joints these days.

Thanks Rob, I did know about 100 degree and it was on my list of things to try but has somehow slipped down the list (i.e. I forgot it existed!). I shall get some and try it.

Do you know if its ability to bond to both WM and brass is because of a different formula to both 70 and 145, or is it purely because of the ability to use it at a much lower temp than 145?

As a related question, does 145 in fact bond to 145 but it's never used because of the high temperature needed?