Lancaster Green Ayre - The Barn Owls have returned.

[sir douglas]

isnt there a raised planked footplate to go over the bolt?

[jamie92208]

isnt there a raised planked footplate to go over the bolt?

I'm not sure Sam the instructions re non existent and the ones for the loco are as bad. However I did wonder of there was a fall plate on the loco that would cover it. 'll look at some photos and other locos tomorrow.

 

Jamie

[sir douglas]

ive been looking through my photos of the repairs i did, nearly all of your locos have a raised platform on the tender

 

compound

compound (2) by Sam, on Flickr

 

3581

3581 (2) by Sam, on Flickr

 

311

311 (2) by Sam, on Flickr

 

the only one i can see that doesnt is 2716

2716 (8) by Sam, on Flickr

[jamie92208]

Thanks very much for those Sam. I'll dig 3581 out and have a look at it. I've also found another identical tender that Tony Bond had part built for the other 2F that I've got. They both seem to have a similar arrangement and the footplate of the tender appears to be where the fireman stands. The other kit is a George Norton one and the two tenders are at the same ride height so I'm going to have a good look through the George Norton kit and see if there is a fall plat arrangement.

 

 

Jamie

[jamie92208]

Evening all from a very quiet and dark village. Even the combine harvesters that are harvesting the black gold of the sunflower seeds have stopped and gone home. I headed for the shed after a late meal and got tuck into that tender. 0.8mm was filed off the tender top and the tender front. The tender front and various detailing parts were then added such as steps, guard irons, (Though one has dropped off and will have to wait for daylight to be found), and a fiddly surround to the coal hole. I also filed a slot for the offending nut to fir into.

 

 

I realised in the stronger light that I still need to sort out the left hand joint of the side and front.

 

I also have another part built 2F, mentioned above, that my late and much missed friend, Tony Bond, was building when he died. Parts of it were in various places all over the house and his daughter nearly threw them away as scrap. Fortunately I was able to rescue it and get most of the part built kit. It's an ex George Norton kit of the same type of loco. The tender was well advanced and here are the two fronts compared.

 

and the side views.

At least the ride height is the same.

The tender floor in my kit fitted well but I need to clean the inside before I solder it in place

That means the brasswork on the tender is almost complete and now it will be on to the white metal castings. I need to find the right flux for that.

As to the shovelling plate I plan to assemble the loco body and chassis and see how the two mate up before working out a solution.

 

Jamie

Edited July 27, 2022 by jamie92208

[Andy Hayter]

I assume finding flux means a bottle secreted in an as yet unopenned box.

 

However if it means purchasing, try amf87.fr

[jamie92208]

I assume finding flux means a bottle secreted in an as yet unopenned box.

 

However if it means purchasing, try amf87.fr

Thanks Andy. Yes you are quite correct, it is somewhere in one of several fold up crates that have yet to be fully unpacked but thanks for the info.

 

Jamie

[Shez]

Good to see the progress on the 2F. Looks like I have escaped some interesting instructions there!  Do you think its essentially the same kit as the one Tony had just with a different label. The kit for a Caley loco I recently built had no provision for a fallplate either - so I had to scratchbuild one using some materials I got from Tonys  boxes.

 

I only knew Tony for a short time, but he was a big influence on me, and its nice to be using some of his tools and materials on my workbench, If my models get to anywhere near his standards I will be happy.

 

I am sure it will be a cracking loco when finished - they are very attractive engines. 

 

Got to Telford for a brief visit and picked up a lot of stuff for the Eyemouth project,

 

Modelling at standstill at present. Son has moved back home (hopefully temporarily!)  As you know our house is not the biggest so  modelling room full of his stuff, (guitars, record player, boxes of vinyl, golf clubs...)  Cant even get near computer to post as he is using it for work........

[jamie92208]

Thanks for that Mark.   Commiserations on the loss of muddling space.   I hope that you get things sorted soon.   Our kids have been told that the only accommodation available is space for camp beds in the top end of the shed.

 

Tony was a great influence on me and like you I would hope that I can aspire to his standards but will probably fall a long way short.

 

As to the two kits they appear to be of different parentage.  I think that the one that Tony was building was originally George Norton then London Road.  I got it off Ebay.   The Mercian one has obviously been 'upgraded' and the process does not seem to have progressed to the instructions.   The illustration of the tender body shows a completely different chassis and if I hadn't had a reasonable knowledge of Midland Locos I would have had no idea where certain parts went.

 

All the best

 

Jamie

[jamie92208]

Another day and some more progress whilst Beth was out.   We're out together tonight so here is todays report.

 

The first job was to clean up the tender which I did as usual with Ajax and a toothbrush (Visitors beware I may use yours).   The coal space rear fell off so that got fixed first and a lot of solder was scraped off and burnished.   Then I found my riveting tool and set to work on the loco body.  An hour or so later this was the result.

It went together well once I had found that the buffer beam and drag beam etches were on the chassis fret. 

I did like the spectacle plates with their hinge brackets on the inside.

Some cleaning up needed and in the decent light I realise I need to adjust the right hand side cab side in the photo but now it's time to make dinner.

 

Jamie

Edited July 27, 2022 by jamie92208

[Clive Mortimore]

Hi Jamie

 

I like your idea of using your guest's toothbrushes.

 

It always amazes me that it is suggested we use an old tooth brush, what one where all the bristles go off in different directions? Pop along to Poundland (in France do they have Euroland?) and buy a packet of tooth brushes they will last years and the bristles are all pointing the right way.

[Oldddudders]

Hi Jamie

 

I like your idea of using your guest's toothbrushes.

 

It always amazes me that it is suggested we use an old tooth brush, what one where all the bristles go off in different directions? Pop along to Poundland (in France do they have Euroland?) and buy a packet of tooth brushes they will last years and the bristles are all pointing the right way.

 

No such shop in the few high-streets I see here, but the supermarkets tend to have periodic sales stands of implausibly cheap and nasty items. I admit that in the 20 or so years I have used an electric toothbrush, the spent heads have generally been cascaded to layout use of some sort. 

 

Sherry has just spent real money on a teeth-whitening experience via her dentist, and Jamie's Ajax idea would have been a great deal quicker and cheaper. She is due here tomorrow and I will apprise her of just how much precious wonga she has wasted. This could hurt....

[Compound2632]

I wait until my favourite electric toothbrush is on special offer then buy two - one for my teeth and one for the modelling box.

[jamie92208]

No such shop in the few high-streets I see here, but the supermarkets tend to have periodic sales stands of implausibly cheap and nasty items. I admit that in the 20 or so years I have used an electric toothbrush, the spent heads have generally been cascaded to layout use of some sort. 

 

Sherry has just spent real money on a teeth-whitening experience via her dentist, and Jamie's Ajax idea would have been a great deal quicker and cheaper. She is due here tomorrow and I will apprise her of just how much precious wonga she has wasted. This could hurt....

 

Tell her Ajax is only 1 Euro 7 centimes in Leclerc.  You could always offer to do the scrubbing for her as a supportive hubby.  If I remember my chemistry lessons properly the abrasive agent in both Ajax and Toothpaste is the same.

 

Jamie

[lezz01]

Not any more they don't Jamie. Some toothpaste's have plastic micro beads

Regards Lez.Z.

[jamie92208]

Not any more they don't Jamie. Some toothpaste's have plastic micro beads

Regards Lez.Z.

 

Thanks Lez it's a long time since I was at school.

 

Jamie

[jamie92208]

A bit more progress and a similar problem to the one on the tender has appeared on the loco.   I set to work last night to make the boiler.  This comes in three parts with rolled etches for the boiler barrel, firebox and smokebox.  You assemble these as separate items, each with a former at each end.   No problem with that except that the promised witness marks for lining formers and rolled etches up aren't there.  However as the bolt holes are a sloppy fit it's easy to adjust the parts when they are assembled.   They went together well and when the intermediate smokebox wrapper was soldered on it went together OK.   However there were no instructions as to which way round the various pieces fitted.   Fortunately with the aid of drawings in Jenkinson and Essery V4 I was able to sort that out.

 

It's starting to look like a loco.   However the next instruction is to solder the three sections together then to solder the boiler to the frames and footplate before adding the outer rivetted smokebox wrapper.   I'm not happy with the idea of a fixed boiler and would much rather have one that can be unbolted for painting etc.

 

The trial assembly showed up the next snag.   The front fixing hole for the loco chassis fits neatly with the hole in the footplate.

 

 

However when the boiler is added is partially obscured the hole and the front of the smokebox saddle is where the securing nut should be.  The front of the hole can just be seen peering out from under the saddle.  The boiler hasn't been properly aligned yet.

 

I plan to put a floor into the smokebox and to drill another fixing hole a few mm's further back and put a captive bolt inside the smokebox so that everything is held tight and in alignment.  That can wait till tomorrow. I'll also have to have a think about where to put the fixing nut for the rear of the chassis. At the moment it will be just as visible as the one on the tender.  I suspect that some sort of false floor will be added though there isn't one on the drawings.

Quote

 

 

Progress is being made though and the good news is that I've found my white metal flux when we were tidying some boxes at the far end of the shed.

 

Jamie

Edited July 27, 2022 by jamie92208

[Mike Storey]

No such shop in the few high-streets I see here, but the supermarkets tend to have periodic sales stands of implausibly cheap and nasty items. I admit that in the 20 or so years I have used an electric toothbrush, the spent heads have generally been cascaded to layout use of some sort. 

 

Sherry has just spent real money on a teeth-whitening experience via her dentist, and Jamie's Ajax idea would have been a great deal quicker and cheaper. She is due here tomorrow and I will apprise her of just how much precious wonga she has wasted. This could hurt....

 

Yes, there is an equivalent in France, and it is called Noz. It is a cross between Poundland and Matalan (and a jumble sale).There is one for Jamie's delectation in St Jean D'Angely.

 

I hate it. But I have found a number of "useful" things now and again, including people of the right size, for my garden railway, for 1 euro a pop (ex-Christmas display decs I guess). You can have toothbrushes, of an uncertain parentage, for a couple of euros for ten, or similar. Just depends on what the lorry dropped off that week.

 

There is also Gifi, which is more reliable as regards stock, but may charge an extra 50 cents.

 

Life is only more expensive here if you want decent quality and known brands. Baked beans are stupidly expensive, but not as stupidly expensive as they used to be. Strange.

[jamie92208]

Another day and two spells inthe shed.   The later one was when "Strictly" started that got me a pass out.   The first thing is that after studying prototype photos I've decided to solder the boiler to the frames as there are so many things like the reversng rod and the injector feeds to the clacks that connect the two. Also I realised that the bolt that secured the firebox to the cab will be behind the backhead.  

 

That still left me with the problem of what to do about the Nuts.   The one in the cab floor will have to stay but I have now drilled a new hole for the front one and the nut is now under the smokebox.   

 

The three pieces of the boiler eventually went together in the correct alignment.   I only had to take it apart once.  After a clean up I then put the first two boiler bands on.   Two more to go.

 

 

Then as I'd found the right flux I decided to have a go at soldering on the white metal axle box covers on the tender.   The method I use for attaching WM to brass works for me and so I'll attempt to illustrate it.

 

First I tin the area that the casting is going to be attached to with normal 188 solder.

 

Then I put two small pieces of low melt solder on the area and add some flux with a brush. 

Then I put the iron that I'm using for normal work, in this case a 60w behind the brass and hold it until the low melt melts into a neat pool.  

 

Then place the casting onto the pool of low melt and adjust to it's final position.  If it gets out of kilter a quick touch behind the brass with the iron allows you to adjust it.

Even worse photo through trying to hold the iron and camera at the same time without burning  myself.

 

None of the castings ended up as blobs of white metal.

And this was the end result of the days efforts.

 

Jamie

Edited July 27, 2022 by jamie92208

[jamie92208]

Not much got done yesterday for various reasons but I managed to get back into the shed today in between listening to Test Match Special which was brilliant. Over here TMS comes on You Tube but without video.   Anyway this afternoon I managed, after over an hour to attach the last two boiler bands then test fitted the boiler mountings to find that there is some sort of discrepancy and the band in front of the dome had to come off and be re attached 1mm further forward. I also discovered that the main boiler barrel has been soldered in the wrong way round so had to drill another hole for the dome spigot.  Fortunately the old hole is still hidden by the dome. I then sat in the sun using a Stanley knife and an old file to scrape off excess solder.   After tea I went back and attached the boiler to the footplate then the outer smokebox wrapper.  The final bits of work were the frame extensions and the valve chest cover.   This turned out to be over 1mm too short and then I found I'd mounted it off centre.  By then the iron was turned off so tomorrow I will decide whether to make a new one or to true it up and fill the gaps with araldite. 

 

However it's coming on.

and here's the valve chest cover.

I won't add the splashers until I've got the driving wheels fitted and can check for electrical soundness.  I want to make sure that the body structure is electrically dead on both the tender and loco.

 

The wheels should hopefully appear on Thursday so I'll be doing other bits and bats tomorrow as well as cleaning up the bodywork and giving it the usual Ajax treatment.

 

Jamie

Edited February 1, 2019 by jamie92208

[Mike Storey]

The cricket has been wonderful, and a bit of a distraction, but I too have managed to get stuff done in between the "Live" updates on the Grauniad website.....

 

Cook has redeemed himself at the right time!

[jamie92208]

The cricket has been wonderful, and a bit of a distraction, but I too have managed to get stuff done in between the "Live" updates on the Grauniad website.....

 

Cook has redeemed himself at the right time!

 

Quite agree and a very good innings from Root, even Bairstow redeemed himself.  Hopefully it will be a good day tomorrow.

 

Jamie

[jamie92208]

After a very warm day when it would have been like sauna in the shed, it cooled a bit this evening so I venured over when Bake Off was on.  I unsldred the three pieces of brass at the front end, (Frame extensions and valve chest covers) and tidied up the smoebox wrapper a bit.  I then put the frame extensions back on and measured how far apart they were.  I then made a new valve chest cover from some 12 thou brass in the scrap drawer.  This was soldered back on and things looked a lot better.  It still needs uite a lot of tidying up and some filler in places.   I thought it would look better with the three main boiler mountings on so here it is at present.

And this is what it looks like from the front.

Hopefully the wheels are about 2 miles away but won't get here till Thursday morning so then ot will be back to work on the chassis.

 

Jamie

 

PS, and what a fabulous day's cricket and Jimmy breaking the record with the last ball of the match, a great series.

Edited September 11, 2018 by jamie92208

[jamie92208]

Not a huge lot of actual progress to be reported as yesterday, son and heir plus partner arrived in the morning to surprise Beth on her birthday and various other things, mainly involving alcohol, filled the rest of the day.  They left at lunchtime today.  However they brought with them on the motorbike (A Ducati Multistrada 1200 for those that are interested) a small packet of wheels and other assorted things that had been bought at Telford.   I did get a very short time window this afternoon to bob over to the shed and trial fit the driving wheels.   Here is the loco on the Castle Branch being pushed along by the Westinghouse Midland EMU.

This trial fit has already shown me a few clearance issues to sort but I can sort those tomorrow.   I also hope to be able to fit the crankpins and coupling rods

to give it a real test.

 

 

Jamie

Edited September 14, 2018 by jamie92208

[jamie92208]

In  between various other tasks today, as we pack and sort the house and garden ready for going away for two weeks I managed to spend an hour in the shed this evening.   I decided to fit the crankpins to the driving wheels and to try and fit the coupling rods to see how it runs.

 

Firstly I looked at why the body wasn't sitting nicely on the frames.   I discovered that I need to cut two slots, 4mm square from the base of the cab and firebox so that the rear drivers can go where they are supposed to.   I've marked the cuts in the cab here.

And on the other side of the cab front and inside the firebox, here.

This is appalling kit design and proof to me that no trial build was done before the kit was released.   I don't know the history of the kit but there is no excuse for this especially as I have to cut through three pieces of brass in a T arrangement.

 

Then I started fitting the crankpins.   Problem No 2 showed itself.   The kit comes with dummy hornblocks that are soldered round the bearings on the outside of the frames.   Nice looking but not easy to see when the loco is in motion.   However the head of the 12BA bolt that forms Slaters crankpins sits proud of the back of the wheel by about 0.7mm.  It's a nice interference fit with the dummy hornblocks.   So it was out with the 60w iron and a screwdriver and tease off the hornblocks.  Then the frames were cleaned of the remaining solder and the wheels refitted.  After a few more bits of solder were scraped off the wheels rotated nicely.  The rods were then fitted, the centre nuts put on and the loco tried on a bit of track.   It does run but needs a bit of tweaking to run freely.  One bit is to move the eccentric straps on the dummy valve gear which are binding on the centre axle.

 

Anyway here it is.

 

That's it till the beginning of October, I daren't take any modelling stuff away with me so have  a good selection of books to put in the car tomorrow.  One rather large one is Union Pacific the birth of a railroad by Maury Klein, the first volume of his great trilogy.

 

Jamie