Tewkesbury Shed and Quay Branch Exhibition Layout in EM Gauge.

[KeithHC]

Looks good to me. I have just 3D printed a template for a 45ft panel just to see if I could make short test track in EM. As for which loco either for me.

 

Keith

[lezz01]

So after wifey went off to bed I spent spent a bit more time in the railway room and knocked up a connecting rod jig. As I have so much room on my multi purpose turnout filing jig I have added the con rod jig to that given that it still has acres of empty space on it. As I mentioned earlier I've just done one for 8' 8'6" for now as that covers a multitude of sins. 

I've drilled it 1mm for now as it's a good starting point and I can open up the hole once the rods are soldered up either with a larger drill or with a broach.

 

Here it is in all it's glory.

 

Now I can start converting my two Bachmann locos. I'm going to start with the rebuilt M class 3F.

I'm hoping to crack on with it at some point over the weekend and will post a step by step account for those that are interested as it progresses.

Lez.   

Edited March 24, 2023 by lezz01

[MrWolf]

Can't beat keeping it simple! 

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

Can't beat a jig, I love 'em!

 

Mike.

[KeithHC]

Looking forward to the blow by blow.

 

Keith

[lezz01]

So on with the 3F conversion.

I'm following the conversion notes downloaded from the Alan Gibson website.

Step 1.

Using the paperwork that comes with the loco to locate all the fixing points I striped down the loco and tender to their component parts. This loco, unlike the 4F, has no tender pickups so I may well fit some, I haven't decided yet I may see how it runs first. Anyway they won't be very hard to add later the only question is whether I make my own or use DDC concept ones.

I will be using the Bachmann tender axles to retain side play. It's just a case of removing the wheels and fitting the new one's making sure the back to back is correct. I shall probably fit a washer to each side of the axle as I have some Gibson precision washers in stock and more on order. I just need to measure the axle first as it's stepped. I intend to get the tender back on it's wheels first so that will be the next step.

More soon.

Lez.

   

[lezz01]

Hi guys.

Well the conversion has stalled as I don't have enough precision washers to hand. As I stated in my last post I have some on order from Gibson so it will have to wait until they arrive. There are some things I can do whilst I'm waiting for the post office to do it's thing so work wont stop completely but things will be a bit out of sequence. Hey ho that's life I guess. I will be building the coupling rods and fitting the crank pins to the wheels etc so once the washers arrive I can finish it off.

More later.

Lez.

[Enterprisingwestern]

3 hours ago, lezz01 said:

Hi guys.

Well the conversion has stalled as I don't have enough precision washers to hand. As I stated in my last post I have some on order from Gibson so it will have to wait until they arrive. There are some things I can do whilst I'm waiting for the post office to do it's thing so work wont stop completely but things will be a bit out of sequence. Hey ho that's life I guess. I will be building the coupling rods and fitting the crank pins to the wheels etc so once the washers arrive I can finish it off.

More later.

Lez.

 

EMGS do brass washers.

 

Mike.

[lezz01]

Thanks Mike I did have a look in the EMGS stores but they won't get here any quicker than the one's already ordered. What I really need is a lathe then I could make my own. Still the justifications are starting to stack up for one now.

Lez. 

[lezz01]

Wanting to get on with things I paid a visit to my local hardware shop this afternoon and found a selection of M2 washers of three different thicknesses from 1mm down to 0.2mm. After a bit of math I needed to use 1x1mm and 2x0.2mm each side of the tender axles to give me a back to back of just over 16.5mm.

Fitting all 6 washers to each axle the wheelset is a nice fit on the back to back gauge.

I refitted all the axles back into the tender.

and then refitted the brake pull rods.

With the tender back together I ran it through a B6 and it went through flawlessly.

So that's the tender done with just pickups, if it needs them and a screw link coupling to fit. Although I might go with Alex Jackson couplings.

I have some things to do for the loco before I can fit the wheels but as I'm waiting for proper washers I'm really dependent on the postie before I can get much further but I can make a bit more progress before it grinds to another halt.

More soon.

Lez.  

[Enterprisingwestern]

6 hours ago, lezz01 said:

Wanting to get on with things I paid a visit to my local hardware shop this afternoon and found a selection of M2 washers of three different thicknesses from 1mm down to 0.2mm.

 

That's a cracking hardware shop you've got there!

 

Mike.

PS. Package to be posted this morning.

[lezz01]

Cheers Mike.

Yes it is rather good although a little pricey. I'm looking forward to receiving the package as well. 

Lez

[lezz01]

I've PM'd you Mike.

Lez.

[lezz01]

Hi guys.

Does anyone know what M size Gibson's crankpins are?

Lez.

[Worsdell forever]

9 hours ago, lezz01 said:

Hi guys.

Does anyone know what M size Gibson's crankpins are?

Lez.

 

M1? measured one and it's just short of 1mm diameter.

[lezz01]

Thanks Paul. Yes of course I should just measure one. The problem is the wheels in the Gibson conversion packs have a dimple where all the other Gibson wheels I've used have had a hole and I'm wondering what size I need to drill them so the crankpin will cut a thread so I don't need to use CA to hold them in place. I have some small M number taps. If it's M1 then I think I need to drill the wheels out at 0.7 or 0.8mm I'll see what goes through the nut and that will give me a rough pilot drill size. I can then countersink the back of the wheel the same size as the crankpin head and put a couple of turns of thread to start the crankpin cutting it's own thread. Loose crankpins are not conducive to good running.

Lez  

[lezz01]

Which all means I have to get my finger out and finish setting up the cross slide table I don't need the amount of slack it has so I need to lube it up and tune the slack out of it. You don't need wobble when using sub millimetre drills even if you're cutting plastic. I need it set up properly for the coupling rods and mounting the wheels. 

More work oh goody.

Lez. 

[lezz01]

So cowboying up I lubed up the cross slide table and adjusted the slop out of it.

 

 

Next I drilled the wheels 0.7mm and countersunk the hole on the back of the wheel.

 

Then I tapped the hole M1 and fitted the crankpins to the wheels.

 

 

I then fitted the axle to the drill and using the drill as a press I fitted one side and then the spacers and washers and then the other wheel and checked the back to back on the gauge and quartered the wheelset on my trusty Bill Bedford jig.

  Ready to drop in the chassis. I'll fit the other plane one and then I'll make the spline on the gearwheel set and fit and quarter that one.

More soon.

Lez.

[lezz01]

So following the destructions from the Gibson site I prepped the driving axle. The gear wheel has a small boss the inner edge of which is touching the centre line of the axle. I marked the centre line and cut a knurl with the edge of a second cut file rolling the axle back and forth on the bench. It's very easy to do this although I didn't take a photo until I had pressed the wheels and spacers together with1x1mm and 1x0.25mm washers each side. 

Here is the centre axle back in the chassis block.

 

Ready for the other two wheelsets.

then it's just a case of refitting the base plate and tweaking the pickups.

So here's the chassis back on her wheels.

I'll be building up the rods next and fitting them and then it'll be time for a test run.

More soon.

Lez.  

[lezz01]

Right then cracking on I opened the pack and read the destructions for the Lanarkshire coupling rods.

These etches are very fine and need a little care so I drilled all the crank pin holes 1.5mm and the rivet holes for the knuckle joint 0.7mm and twiddled a 1/8th drill on both sides of the crank pin holes and a 1.5mm drill on both sides of the knuckle joint holes before I separated anything from the fret to remove any "rag" on the holes.

 Aren't they pretty?

I then removed the parts for the front of ONE rod using a very sharp curved scalpel blade in the big scalpel. I think it's a #22 blade.

I then mounted the rod onto my jig ready for soldering tomorrow.

 I'll carry on with the rods tomorrow get them soldered up and filed up ready to fit. I won't be fitting the two halves of the rods together until I get it running freely as an 0-4-2 first then I'll fit the back halves of the rods without fixing them until I get it running properly as an 0-6-0. THEN and only then will I fix the two halves of the rods together properly. 

More soon.

Lez.

[lezz01]

Happy Easter Guys for those who celebrate the Christian holidays. For those who don't I hope you're enjoying the day off.

The destructions of the coupling rods kit suggest that you clamp the rods with a metal clamp and solder along the edge however metal clamps not only clamp they also make an efficient heatsink. Not really wanting a heatsink I trimmed a couple of ply sleepers and glued them to the bulldog clip with impact adhesive to insulate the rods from the bulldog clip. 

I've set the modified clamp aside for the glue to set properly. I'll be going back into the railway room later this evening to get the rods soldered up and filed up to finish them.

More soon.

Lez. 

  

Edited April 7, 2023 by lezz01

[lezz01]

So firing up the soldering iron I first tacked each end of the rods and then using the insulated clamp I soldered up both front halves of the coupling rods then cleaned them up and opened out the crank pin holes with a cutting broach. I also had to drill out one of the 0.7mm holes for the knuckle joint as I'd managed to fill it with solder.

Of course I had to remember to build them handed but all in all they went together very well.

Next I checked the fit on the crank pin boss and after a bit of a twiddle with the broach the rods went over the boss nice and easy. So I fitted the front 4 wheels with the bosses and fitted the rods holding them on with a bit of wire insulation temporarily and reconnected the tender as the loco won't run unless it's plugged into the tender. I've resisted the temptation to get the Clipper out and plug in the test track but just turning the motor with my fingers for 2 full revolutions of the wheel it seems to be nice and smooth. As it was 01:30hrs by this time I've called it a day and will give it a run tomorrow once I've cleaned out the koi pond.

Of course I still have to make the rear halves of the rods and fit them. The rear rods might not go together quite so easily as there's only one crank pin hole so I have to pop a 0.7mm hole in the jig for the knuckle joint and pin them through that and once she's running properly I'll fit the rods together properly and fit the simulated oil corks.

More soon.

Lez.   

[lezz01]

So in the words of the late, great, Kenneth Williams IT'S ALIVE!! At least as a 0-4-2, although far from perfect it will run in both directions equally badly. The quartering seems fine, one of the crank pin bushes is a little tight on the rod so I'll open out the rod a tad with a broach and see how it runs then, It needs a bit of fettling. The rods are a little thick for the shorter crank pin bushes so I need to address that and I still need to sort out the rear halves of the rods but it's encouraging to say the least.

More soon

Lez.       

[lezz01]

I sorry there's been no progress this week I've come down with the mumps. The swelling has gone down now but the antibiotics have made me feel quite wretched so I've not been up to much. Hopefully I shall be back to normal and be able to crack on with things once again soon.

Lez.

[lezz01]

So after a bit of faffing around I give you the Gibson crank pin bush filing jig for reducing the length of AG long crankpin bushes.

This allows me reduce the length of the long crank pin bushes to 1.5mm for the Lanarkshire coupling rods which are 1.3mm thick at the crank pin boss. It works a treat and I'm very happy with it.

Lez.