OO The Missenden Project - Alan Gibson LMS Jubilee with CSB and various BSL Phoenix coaches

[ianLMS]

Just returned home after a superb first time at the Missenden Modellers weekend. It was a great weekend at an lovely venue, top notch food, excellent tutors and very welcoming and friendly fellow modellers. I joined the 4mm loco construction group and Tony Gee was out tutor who was always on hand to help anybody with their question or challenge! 

 

My project was an Alan Gibson Long Firebox Jubilee. I managed to get most of the chassis complete, just the motion gear left to do and reverse the motor and gearbox as it wont fit in the boiler as i thought it would!! 

 

I cut out the space for the hornblocks, and much to our suprise, the Brassmasters slim hornblocks mated with the chassis perfectly without the need for any guides. Zero slop as well and a nice smooth flow.

 

CSB is a bit of an experiment. I had some Lanarkshire Models (not MJT as previously mentioned) CSB mounts and wire and thought i would give it a try. We marked out the holes 1.5mm above the height of the hornblock and in the centre bettwen the axles and an equal distance beyond the end ones. I used shoulderless handrail knobs shortened and soldered onto the hornblocks and thread the CSB wires through. It seems to work but wont really know until i have the chassis fully working with the weight and body added.

 

Will show more detail and update as i complete the build.

Thank you to everyone at Missenden and if you havent been before, i highly recommend it!!

 

Ian

 

 

Edited June 11, 2023 by ianLMS

[Portchullin Tatty]

Good to meet you last week Ian and i am pleased you enjoyed Missenden.

 

I look forward to seeing the Jub come along.  i must get to mine!

[pH]

I’m sorry - what is/are CSB?

[Bucoops]

6 hours ago, pH said:

I’m sorry - what is/are CSB?

 

Settle down for a read :)

 

http://www.clag.org.uk/beam-annex3.html

[Jub45565]

Do you mean LMS (Lanarkshire models), rather than MJT, CSB mounts?

 

I drew up some CSB adapter etches for the Brassmasters hornblocks, which are available via Justin Rumney models - and they include a spigot at the bottom for attaching the dummy springs to.

 

Looks like a great start for a weekends work!

[pH]

2 hours ago, Bucoops said:

 

Settle down for a read :)

 

http://www.clag.org.uk/beam-annex3.html

 Thank you! I’m awake with ‘restless legs’. That’s got me over them and ready to go back to sleep. 🙂

[ianLMS]

13 hours ago, Jub45565 said:

Do you mean LMS (Lanarkshire models), rather than MJT, CSB mounts?

 

I drew up some CSB adapter etches for the Brassmasters hornblocks, which are available via Justin Rumney models - and they include a spigot at the bottom for attaching the dummy springs to.

 

Looks like a great start for a weekends work!

Thanks for the kind words. Yes, i meant Lanarkshire models. I just ordered some more and different gauge wire to try out. Working on the body but will be slow progress due to life getting in the way lol!!!

[ianLMS]

Progress on the body so far. The kit comes with an etched jig which has the footplate valances attached and you build the body up from there, then cut away the rest of the jig when its assembled hopefully keeping everything nice and square. Very neat idea from Alan Gibson!

 

 

Edited March 13, 2023 by ianLMS

[ianLMS]

A little bit more work on the body this week. Cab, firebox, boiler and smoke box fitted. Boiler band a coach roof tape from Wizard models. Just need to glue the ends of one as its peeled away a little. Overall i am happy with how the build is going.

 

 

[Jol Wilkinson]

On 12/03/2023 at 22:13, ianLMS said:

Progress on the body so far. The kit comes with an etched jig which has the footplate valances attached and you build the body up from there, then cut away the rest of the jig when its assembled hopefully keeping everything nice and square. Very neat idea from Alan Gibson!

 

 

I don't know who first came up with the idea, but an assembly jig incorporating the valances is used on many 4mm kits.

I first encountered it on George Norton's Connoisseurs Choice LNWR kits. It is also used in London Road Models kits (which includes the  George Norton kits), Arthur Kimber's North Eastern kits and others.

It is invaluable where the valances are curved and the footplate has to be formed to match, such as this LNWR Teutonic.

 

 

I first encountered it on George Norton's Connoisseurs Choice LNWR kits. It is also used in London Road Models kits (which includes the  George Norton kits), Arthur Kimber's North Eastern kits and others.

 

 

[t-b-g]

5 hours ago, Jol Wilkinson said:

I don't know who first came up with the idea, but an assembly jig incorporating the valances is used on many 4mm kits.

I first encountered it on George Norton's Connoisseurs Choice LNWR kits. It is also used in London Road Models kits (which includes the  George Norton kits), Arthur Kimber's North Eastern kits and others.

It is invaluable where the valances are curved and the footplate has to be formed to match, such as this LNWR Teutonic.

 

 

I first encountered it on George Norton's Connoisseurs Choice LNWR kits. It is also used in London Road Models kits (which includes the  George Norton kits), Arthur Kimber's North Eastern kits and others.

 

 

 

Malcolm Crawley first put that valance/footplate arrangement on the J6 and the LNWR 2-4-0 kits which he drew for George Norton. I can't recall if it was his idea or if it was something he had seen elsewhere and liked.

[ianLMS]

Interesting stuff. It certainly is helping me a lot with this kit. After building 20+ locos, this is the 1st time i have come across the provided jig. But then i tend to buy 2nd hand low price LMS kits such as Jamieson, Model Loco, Cotswold, SEF etc so they probably didnt want the extra design/etching cost for a jig.

 

 

[ianLMS]

More work on the Jubilee. Added boiler and footplate details and handrails. Coming along, slowly but surely.

 

 

[t-b-g]

That is looking really nice!

 

I look forward to seeing it finished soon.

 

Cheers

 

Tony

[ianLMS]

Thank you Tony. Hopefully it will come out ok in the end!!!!

 

 

[ianLMS]

Few more minir details such as front handrails, buffers, front coupling hook, boiler fittings which im not sure what they are called, and a test fit with the mainframe, cylinders and motion bracket. 

 

Steps next then a damn good clean before starting on tender.

 

 

 

 

[hayfield]

Ian

 

Looking vert good

[ianLMS]

Thanks John. Working on the tender now. After starting to build the Stanier 4000 gallon tender, i checked my reference book and discovered 5698 Mars had a Fowler tender from when new until around 1940. Luckily i had on old tender kit for a 3500 gallon Fowler tender in my drawer. It came as a part of a few tender kits i got off Ebay cheap. This one is stamped M.Peascod dated 1977!!! What i didnt have though were the frames. Rather than buy some Comet ones, i am trying my hand at scratchbuilding some. After careful measuring, i have cut some out of some 12mm wide brass strip i had. I am now fitting Alan Gibson sprung hornblocks. These are 1/8", but i will solder in 2mm bearings to suit the axle on the AG wheels. 

 

Fingers crossed it all works!!!

 

 

[hayfield]

Mike Peascod is a friend of mine who I met at the Watford & District MRC,  He was very much involved in the North London P4 group and was heavily involved in Heckmondwike etc in the early P4 days, now his interested in the Furness railway.

 

Only occasionally see Mike as I have moved to Essex.

 

I for some reason cannot get on with Gibson hornblocks, hope to get back to building (finishing ) so locos later in the year

[ianLMS]

The tendef kit was nice to put together and had nice etches so thank him for me wjen u see him! I have loads of AG hornblocks but they are fiddly to get right. I prefer Brassmasters or MJT slimline ones for the loco.

[Jol Wilkinson]

When I started building compensated chassis I tried AG and MJT. I bought some of the early Exactoscale (and another similar type) but those fitted directly into the frame slot without the ability to fit them to match the coupling rods, so I have never used them.

 

I had issues with the fold up etch type, mainly with solder in places I didn't want and which needed cleaning off. When the London Road Models cast hornguide version came out I started using those and, with the exception of the HL version which came with a particular kit, have done so since. 

 

The LRM ones are perhaps a bit bulky compared to HL, but the edges of the mounting face can be filed back if required.

[ianLMS]

Tender and loco bodies and chassis painted and motion gear assembled. Tested on analogue with HL Coreless motor and HL RR+ gearbox. Odd thing. Works perfectly forward and reverse without body fitted with and without gearbox tightened on axle.  Runs dead smooth forward with body, but horrible grinding/vibrating noise in reverse when tightened on axle. Triple checked everything and cant for the life of me find the problem!!! The only thing i can think of is slight movement in hornblocks enough to cause a vibration in reverse. Checked motor drive worm to see if it hits body and it doesnt. 

 

Not really an issue as i rarely run the big locos in reverse anyway, but its niggling me!

 

Cab windows to install when buffer beams are dry, then work on tender pick ups and where to hide the decoder!!! No access to boiler/smoke box, so inside the frames or tender are only possible locations.

 

 

[Portchullin Tatty]

Have you considered if it is the motor lifting on its mount and then rubbing on part of the boiler/firebox?  Sometimes if this happens it adds a twist to the mount of the motor such that it is either noisier or less smooth.

 

Look up torsion resistance mounts, which are bars on the top of the motor that help stop this on the Scalefour Forum.

Edited May 10, 2023 by Portchullin Tatty

[ianLMS]

Thanks Mark. Will take a look and see if it might be that.

 

Ian

 

 

[ianLMS]

Spot on Mark. The top of the motor was vibrating against the inside of the firebox!! Issue resolved with a thin sticky pad inside!!

 

Thank you so much!!

 

Ian