Ruston's Industrial locomotive and wagon workshop thread.

[Ruston]

The EM extended axle has done the job perfectly but I can't say the same for the OO one. The threads on both OO axles are knackered so I really need another EM one, but no one seems to have them in stock.

 

 

 

Edited April 2, 2022 by Ruston

[Ruston]

Another extended EM axle has been ordered from 247 Developments. Until that arrives I have turned my attention to the bodywork.

 

The running plate construction is well thought out and instead of the usual fitting of two thin strips into half etched slots, the thicker base part has half etcheds for the valances to be folded down. A thinner top, which has a tread plate effect, is then soldered on top.

The thing that I don't like about it, and having grown used to the way Mr. Edge's kits go together, is how the cab must be soldered on and is then not at all removable for the remaining build and paint operations. The only means of locating the cab are two slots and tabs in the front panel, which have a lot of slack in them. There is a cab floor but no means is provided to stand it away from the running plate, which it should do and needs to to on the model in order to clear the nut that takes the screw to fix the body to the chassis. The cab material is very thin at just 10 thou.

 

I had planned to put most of the DCC gear in the cab as the windows are so small that it would be easily hidden, but the cab interior being inaccessible means a change of plan on that.

 

I am not looking forward to building the engine casing. I read the instructions (yes, honestly!), which say that when soldering the formers, only solder them to the sides as the top isn't an exact match to the curve, but not to worry about it as it won't be noticeable when the model is completed. That doesn't exactly fill me with confidence, but never mind, I have a sheet of plasticard in case it goes wrong.

 

Speaking of the instructions - they're not much help overall. Apart from a picture of the bare frame, one of bending the engine casing with a steel rule, and one of the completed frame, there are no illustrations. There are no numbered parts and no guide to identify the many small etched parts, or even a description of what they are and where they are to be fitted.

Edited April 2, 2022 by Ruston

[cctransuk]

26 minutes ago, Ruston said:

The thing that I don't like about it, and having grown used to the way Mr. Edge's kits go together, is how the cab must be soldered on and is then not at all removable for the remaining build and paint operations.

 

My favoured way of making cabs removeable is to solder a short length of brass tube (or a brass nut) into each corner.

 

Place or tack solder the cab into its correct location and lightly mark the centre of the tube or nut on the footplate; then remove the cab.

 

Drill clearance holes for fixing screws in the footplate.

 

If using brass tube, tap the bores to take the fixing screws.

 

John Isherwood.

Edited December 4, 2021 by cctransuk

[Mol_PMB]

On the last Mercian diesel kit I built, I found the top was not only not a poor match to the curve, but it wasn't symmetrical. If you formed it so the bottom edges lined up, then the handrails didn't line up. etc. Have a careful measure up first!

[Ruston]

A bit of historical interest for the prototype. Some of them were the first locomotives into France as part of Operation Overlord, even going ashore on Juno and Utah beaches, before a suitable dock was captured.

http://www.werkgroep-162.nl/scan0003.jpg

[sir douglas]

ive been helping with Overlord at exhibitions for the past 4 years and i seem to remember Chris (layout's owner) saying that back when he wanted a model of one he persuaded Mercian to do their kit but i cant remember the middle of that story of how he got in touch with Mercian and how he got them to do the kit

[Ruston]

I hadn't done any more work on these since my last post, until taking up the soldering iron again, yesterday. I spent most of last Sunday driving half way down the country to collect a whippet pup and then with looking after him, and not feeling well, I've not had the inclination to do any modelling.

 

But, I made some progress yesterday and today.

 

Both running plates now have buffer beams and buffers. This was a case of two steps forward and one back. The instructions mention some prototypes having the buffer beam standing proud of the rear of the cab and how the frame plates in the kit are made to the maximum length to cater for this, and how if you are modelling a prototype that has the buffer beam flush with the cab rear then you need to shorten the frames. Of course I wanted to take the easiest option and stuck the beams on the ends of the running plate, with their tops flush with the top of the running plate. This left the rear beam proud of the cab, which was fine.

 

It was only when I put the running plate on a chassis, and placed it on a length of track, along with an assortment of wagons, that I discovered how this arrangement left the buffers far too high. I then had to unsolder the beams cut the frames short, cut the valances back, and solder the beams under the running plate. It's all very well pointing out that there are detail differences, but what's the point unless you provide for them in the kit?

Today I made one engine casing. I annealed the single piece that has to be shaped and tacked one former at the cab end. Getting the thing bent to shape was a trial and I had a lot of metalworking to do in order to get the curves where they should be. The job was even more of a fight because having properly soldered the cab end former in I could not get the front end former to follow the curves, no matter how I tried. I ended up unsoldering both formers and then, remembering that this is a Mercian kit, I compared the two.

The one I had been trying to solder on the inside at the front is over 1mm wider than the one I had put on the inside at the rear. I realised that this was meant to go over the ends and not the inside, but, typically, the instructions do not mention this at all.

 

The whitemetal part, shown above, fits on the end and in turn has a smaller whitemetal part and an etch to form the radiator. This main part will require some filing to get it to the correct shape. I'll leave all that until the other model has caught up with this one. At least I should be able to build the engine casing in less time on that one.

Edited April 2, 2022 by Ruston

[Mol_PMB]

That sounds about right for a Mercian box of parts. Keep up that persistence with them!

[Sandhole]

1 hour ago, Ruston said:

I hadn't done any more work on these since my last post, until taking up the soldering iron again, yesterday. I spent most of last Sunday driving half way down the country to collect a whippet pup and then with looking after him, and not feeling well, I've not had the inclination to do any modelling.

 

But, I made some progress yesterday and today.

 

Both running plates now have buffer beams and buffers. This was a case of two steps forward and one back. The instructions mention some prototypes having the buffer beam standing proud of the rear of the cab and how the frame plates in the kit are made to the maximum length to cater for this, and how if you are modelling a prototype that has the buffer beam flush with the cab rear then you need to shorten the frames. Of course I wanted to take the easiest option and stuck the beams on the ends of the running plate, with their tops flush with the top of the running plate. This left the rear beam proud of the cab, which was fine.

 

It was only when I put the running plate on a chassis, and placed it on a length of track, along with an assortment of wagons, that I discovered how this arrangement left the buffers far too high. I then had to unsolder the beams cut the frames short, cut the valances back, and solder the beams under the running plate. It's all very well pointing out that there are detail differences, but what's the point unless you provide for them in the kit?

Today I made one engine casing. I annealed the single piece that has to be shaped and tacked one former at the cab end. Getting the thing bent to shape was a trial and I had a lot of metalworking to do in order to get the curves where they should be. The job was even more of a fight because having properly soldered the cab end former in I could not get the front end former to follow the curves, no matter how I tried. I ended up unsoldering both formers and then, remembering that this is a Mercian kit, I compared the two.

The one I had been trying to solder on the inside at the front is over 1mm wider than the one I had put on the inside at the rear. I realised that this was meant to go over the ends and not the inside, but, typically, the instructions do not mention this at all.

 

The whitemetal part, shown above, fits on the end and in turn has a smaller whitemetal part and an etch to form the radiator. This main part will require some filing to get it to the correct shape. I'll leave all that until the other model has caught up with this one. At least I should be able to build the engine casing in less time on that one.

Keep Rocking Dave.
I hope the whippet is settling in. They are lovely little beasts.
Chris.

[Ruston]

On 12/12/2021 at 15:44, Sandhole said:

Keep Rocking Dave.
I hope the whippet is settling in. They are lovely little beasts.
Chris.

Tommy

 

 

 

 

Edited April 2, 2022 by Ruston

[Ruston]

Never trust anyone else's build of a model? Maybe not, but you would think that you can trust what is presumably the kit designer/maker's own build. After all, it's the box lid illustration.

See the way the front (the whitemetal part in my previous post) has been filed at the top, and how it curves downward? Well, there's no such curvature on the prototype! Guess who filed their whitemetal front pieces after trusting that the box photo was correct?

 

 

I'll have to try and build them up with low-melt solder, and file to the proper shape, or start again with plasticard.

Edited April 2, 2022 by Ruston

[Mol_PMB]

Best of luck! I'm sure yours will turn out much better than the box artwork!

[Ruston]

Does anyone know if a casting, or a 3D print of a fuel transfer pump is available? I have been looking at as many photos of these WD 153HP diesels as I can find and some have a pump mounted on the rear of the cab. I would assume only the early batch that were landed, or originally were intended to land, in France. There would be no proper refuelling facilities, so a pipe could be stuck into an oil drum and the pump worked by hand.

No such part is provided in the kit. No surprise there then.

 

They look very similar to this:

 

Edited April 2, 2022 by Ruston

[Neilgue]

10 hours ago, Ruston said:

Does anyone know if a casting, or a 3D print of a fuel transfer pump is available? I have been looking at as many photos of these WD 153HP diesels as I can find and some have a pump mounted on the rear of the cab. I would assume only the early batch that were landed, or originally were intended to land, in France. There would be no proper refuelling facilities, so a pipe could be stuck into an oil drum and the pump worked by hand.

No such part is provided in the kit. No surprise there then.

 

They look very similar to this:

 

 

 

It doesn't look too difficult to model up. Do you have any drawings or the like with sizes?

 

Cheers, Neil

 

Edit: What about this:

https://www.castlepumps.com/pumps/pump/binda-excelsior-g-semi-rotary-hand-pump/

 

Edited December 15, 2021 by Neilgue
Information added

[Ruston]

7 hours ago, Neilgue said:

It doesn't look too difficult to model up. Do you have any drawings or the like with sizes?

 

Thanks, Neil. I guess it wouldn't be too difficult to make a rough representation of it, but I couldn't make all the little flanges, ribs and bolts. They'd be too small to make from bits of brass and wire, or even plasticard. I'm afraid I don't have any accurate dimensions. I'd be estimating the size from photographs of the locos with them fitted.

[Neilgue]

When I say model up, I mean put something together in Fusion360. Give me a couple of days and I’ll have something for you. I would imagine the largest size would be the most appropriate. 
 

I can print one out, but given that I live in Australia it might take a while by post. I can send you the file if you can get it printed locally. 
 

Cheers, Neil

[Ruston]

2 minutes ago, Neilgue said:

When I say model up, I mean put something together in Fusion360. Give me a couple of days and I’ll have something for you. I would imagine the largest size would be the most appropriate. 
 

I can print one out, but given that I live in Australia it might take a while by post. I can send you the file if you can get it printed locally. 
 

Cheers, Neil

Cheers, Neil, that's very good of you. I'll PM some pictures...

[Ruston]

The engine casings are almost done. I have added a rain strip/beading along the length of the bonnet as there is one on the prototype, but nothing is mentioned of it in the kit and it looked wrong without one. I used 0.3mm brass wire for this.

The one on the left, with the engine casing doors in original condition, is my own model. The commission one has extra handles. These were fitted to some of these locomotives when refurbished by Baguleys in the 1960s. The kit part has the holes for these handles, so I have had to fill them all with solder on my model.

 

That zig zag thing is supposed to be laminated to three thicknesses and goes on the engine casing. The cylinder head access cover then goes on top of the zig zag. I really cannot work out why this silly shape has been used. I won't be using it in any case and three layers would make the cover stand too tall, IMO.

Edited April 2, 2022 by Ruston

[Mol_PMB]

I wonder if the intention is that the points of the triangles represent the columns that space the access cover away from the bonnet top? Perhaps that's supposed to be an easier option (at least in 4mm scale) than doing it properly:

Now I'm stuck at home with COVID for the next 10 days, I really ought to have another go at finishing this loco. It's fast approaching its first anniversary.

I keep getting distracted with wagons...

Mol

 

 

[Ruston]

43 minutes ago, Mol_PMB said:

I wonder if the intention is that the points of the triangles represent the columns that space the access cover away from the bonnet top? Perhaps that's supposed to be an easier option (at least in 4mm scale) than doing it properly:

I think you may be right. A sort of optical illusion. I'm not convinced that it works though.

[John Besley]

3 hours ago, Mol_PMB said:

I wonder if the intention is that the points of the triangles represent the columns that space the access cover away from the bonnet top? Perhaps that's supposed to be an easier option (at least in 4mm scale) than doing it properly:

Now I'm stuck at home with COVID for the next 10 days, I really ought to have another go at finishing this loco. It's fast approaching its first anniversary.

I keep getting distracted with wagons...

Mol

 

 

What scale is that loco?

[Mol_PMB]

8 hours ago, John Besley said:

What scale is that loco?

That one is in 7mm, Ruston’s is 4mm. 

[Barclay]

15 hours ago, Ruston said:

The engine casings are almost done. I have added a rain strip/beading along the length of the bonnet as there is one on the prototype, but nothing is mentioned of it in the kit and it looked wrong without one. I used 0.3mm brass wire for this.

The one on the left, with the engine casing doors in original condition, is my own model. The commission one has extra handles. These were fitted to some of these locomotives when refurbished by Baguleys in the 1960s. The kit part has the holes for these handles, so I have had to fill them all with solder on my model.

 

That zig zag thing is supposed to be laminated to three thicknesses and goes on the engine casing. The cylinder head access cover then goes on top of the zig zag. I really cannot work out why this silly shape has been used. I won't be using it in any case and three layers would make the cover stand too tall, IMO.

Was the 'chimney' really like that Mercian example, i.e. almost solid with a small hole in the top, or was it actually like a proper chimney, meaning it has to be carefully drilled out? 

[Ruston]

1 hour ago, Barclay said:

Was the 'chimney' really like that Mercian example, i.e. almost solid with a small hole in the top, or was it actually like a proper chimney, meaning it has to be carefully drilled out? 

I don't know, I've never seen from above one of these locos and I can't find any pictures either. I wonder if@avonside1563 would know? There is one of these at the Foxfield.

[Asterix2012]

Is the chimney not just a fancy cover for the exhaust?