High Level Neilson Tank

[pete_mcfarlane]

I bought this at Scalefour North in 2019, and it's finally worked its way up to the top of the 'to do' pile. A High Level Neilson Mineral engine, for my small collection of Victorian/Edwardian industrial locos. Not quite as small as the Hughes Tram engine I built last year, but still tiny.

 

Most of the work was done as the Scalefour Society East Midlands Group all day session on Thursday, which meant that I powered through the bit I'd been dreading (forming the ogee tank) rather than putting it off for a week or two. In the end it was fairly straightforward, bending round different sized drills bits with the tank sides held in the vice - less difficult than forming the one piece bonnet on a diesel shunter kit. The two spare tank sides are still on the fret (providing spare bits is a) a good thing if you mess it up and b) is a bit intimidating, as you suspect you'll muck that bit up). 

 

Pretty much nothing required fettling and it all fitted perfectly, as you'd expect. I've not even started on the chassis, as I expect it to fit the body perfectly. 

 

[wookey]

Aha,  one of these was tempting me for a very long while! I didn’t go for it in the end as I have enough uncompleted projects on the go, but looking forward to seeing how the rest of your build goes, good start, that tank does look tricky! 

Edited October 23, 2023 by wookey

[pete_mcfarlane]

Some more progress.

 

The body is complete, apart from the cab detailing. Again no major issues, and everything fitted. The only minor annoyance was having a temperature controlled iron, and having to continually swap bits/temperature when soldering up the buffer beams (low melt with one bit for whitemetal, normal solder with another bit for brass. 

The basic chassis is also soldered up. Cutting out the half etched hornblock holes (after assembling the chassis and setting the compensation beam) was a bit tricky with a piecing saw and a tiny chassis, but I got there.

 

Next step is to do the rods, which being a critical to get right first time job can wait until I'm slightly more awake (having drive to Derbyshire to visit the tram museum, having a few days off and it being the only railway type attraction open today). 

 

 

 

[Jol Wilkinson]

Pete,

 

I also have TCU (Antex) and don't bother to change the tip between normal (LRM 144) solder and low melt (either LRM 70  or Carrs 100). I continually use a Hobby Holidays tip cleaner (the curly brass type) and haven't had any problems.

 

Jol

[pete_mcfarlane]

Maybe I'm worry about my soldering bits more that I should do. 

[Bucoops]

I used to, then got them mixed up. Still couldn't tell you which was which and so I just use them for both now. A decent rosin flux reservoir tip cleaner pot does wonders.

[Steamport Southport]

One that's on my list but I would probably go for the GER version as I saw the preserved one in what was something like a scrapyard in Chepstow back in the 1980s along with another locomotive. 

 

Interesting about the tanks, something to ponder. I have got a couple of models that need things rolling so I'll practice on those first.

 

 

 

Jason