Jon's GER Loco Building Adventures

[GER_Jon]

I've just been pointed to the fact LNWR had 4'6" and 5'6" class 2-4-2 locos with wheel sizes of 4'81/2" and 5' 81/2 inch so my previous post may or may not be correct!! Although 5'6" class chassis would be spot on for my model surely?  Either way the n brass chassis is a very nice etch with lots of detail included.

[GER_Jon]

Quite a delay in updating for which I apologise.  Many other non loco things going on including shed temperature being too low for work.  It took some time to get a ride height I was happy with for the 2-4-2 but now i'm happy:

you can see the new smaller wheels in this photo (and how good the brakes are!).  The Van is a GER prize cattle wagon - I've designed transfers for this and some other GER NPCS but they are in the queue at Railtec so I have an excuse for not finishing it. 

I need to reassemble the chassis in its final form and fix the motor so that it can be run in and DCC'd which will allow me to identify where more weight can be fitted.  I'm also preparing to drill handrail holes and fabricate the springs for the leading wheels. Then its clacks and westinghouse pumps plus fit the boiler furniture.

 

During a non railway zoom meeting in Feb I created a boiler for the Y14 (J15) which occasionally appears in these pages. I had a little proxxon chop saw for my birthday which finally allowed me to get accurate straight cuts in the brass tubes.

 

Nicer weather this week and back to soldering ( had a respiratory sick note for a while) so naturally I got the tram engine out and with a lot of anglo saxon completed the soldering of the window frames - I'm too afraid to take a close up photo before painting!  I'm working on some microscope slide glazing and lead lumps to slot in after painting so I'm doing these before fixing the roof permanently in position.  At present the body weighs 5g and the chassis 8g.

 

Thats me up to date.

 

 

[GER_Jon]

THis weeks session consisted of working on weight and glazeing.  The Tram is rather small! I'm making side weights as shown by chewing up bits of old lead flashing to fit the side panels whie leaving the window clear I'll be gluing the glass (microscope slide against the side then an inner layer of lead.

 

Now is where I hit a problem - the glass scribing tool I bought from squires at Ally Pally stopped scoring the glass after only two or three goes - any advice on this subject welcome as you can see below I have the beginings of a mosaic.  You can see three bits of suitable size despite not being neatly edged, however I need some smaller pieces for the front and rear plus I also have a lot of coaches which i intend to use the microscope glass in.

 

I intend to have these ready before I solder on the roof, cow catchers and buffers as they need to be manouvered into a small space for glueing and in this stage of build the body is easy to balance  being a simple box.

[GER_Jon]

Bit more Tram this week - buffers fitted (the now extinct GER holden ones) plus the roof is shaped and ready to solder.