Steam Engine Handrails - How Do I Make Em?

[M.I.B]

Next stage in "Knight of Liege" build following paint is/are handrails.

 

I have purchased the correct wire and posts, and have done wire bending on my road van brake, which went well as there were measurements and the bends were all 90 degrees.

 

How do I tackle such things as the curve over the smoke box door, and the gentle bend along the boiler?

 

Do I start in the middle of the wire with the smoke box curve on a suitable former and work my way back?

 

Thanks.

[Barry Ten]

The gentle bend along a boiler should form itself once the pillars are set into the loco, but forming the curve over the smokebox can be a little tricky - I generally find it helps to have sufficient wire handy to be able to throw away at least one effort. The way I do it is to form the curve as accurately as possible by gentle and progressive bending of the wire, maybe with another loco as a reference. Once the curve looks acceptable, slide one handrail pillar onto the wire - this will be the one at the top of the arc on the smokebox - and only then form the sharper bends to take the rail back around the sides of the smokebox. You can then slide on the remaining pillars. I generally cut the wire overlength and then only trim when I'm confident that the curves are all correct.

 

Different people use different methods to secure the pillars; my preference is to apply a tiny dab of superglue from the end of a piece of brass wire, to the pillar itself, before pushing it home. I aim to add handrails before painting and lining, although with the more complex colour schemes this may not be practical.

[Guest stuartp]

If you don't already have them, a pair of round-nosed pliers is extremely useful. The only other advice I'd add is to make sure there are no children within earshot unless you want them to learn a whole bunch of new swear words, and you will waste more wire than you think, at least at first.

[M.I.B]

TY.

 

Rails on last - got lining to do as well.

 

No kids - just me, the assistant, and cars, trains and dogs

[ozzyo]

Next stage in "Knight of Liege" build following paint is/are handrails.

 

I have purchased the correct wire and posts, and have done wire bending on my road van brake, which went well as there were measurements and the bends were all 90 degrees.

 

How do I tackle such things as the curve over the smoke box door, and the gentle bend along the boiler?

 

Do I start in the middle of the wire with the smoke box curve on a suitable former and work my way back?

 

Thanks.

 

 

The way that I do it is to form the drivers side first up to the first handrail knob,

Then the fireman's side including the curve over the smoke box up to the top hand rail knob,

Then its the last part from the top handrail knob to the first handrail knob on the drivers side, Then solder them all up.

This is for a 7mm loco but it could work in 4mm as well. But expect to bin about 12" of wire to just getting it all to look right.

 

OzzyO.

[M.I.B]

Ozzy

 

Thanks - great model - what is it - not ex-Swindon methinks?

[Horsetan]

Ozzy

 

Thanks - great model - what is it - not ex-Swindon methinks?

 

It is ex-Swindon, and looks like a "Star"

 

 

The blue resin that JLTRT use for boilers for some odd reason reminds me of Domestos bottles.

[John_Hughes]

The bend over the smokebox door is always the tricky bit. The prototype usually makes such handrails in three pieces (one each side and the curvy bit over the door) and joins them invisibly in the front stanchion on each side, and the same trick can be done in 7mm, but I'd hate to do it in anything smaller!

 

Over the years I've devised a technique which works for me first time virtually every time; here it is:

 

• 
   
  
• Mark with a tiny dimple the locations of the stanchions alone the sides of the boiler / smokebox / tanks / whatever; it helps to have one of those gadgets model boat-builders use to ensure that things are perfectly level if that's what's needed. I find it's best to run a bit of tape down each side and make the marks on that, for a reason that will become apparent shortly.
  
• Mark with a similar dimple the position of the stanchion(s) on the front of the smokebox. This can be on the actual smokebox-front itself rather than on a bit of tape.
  
• Drill very carefully the holes the positions of which you've just marked; using the tape on the curved surfaces helps to make sure the tiny drill doesn't slip. Drill undersize as always and open out with a broach.
  
• Press in the stanchions along each side; they should be a snug fit in their holes but not need to be fixed in yet. The one(s) on the smokebox front can wait!
  
• With a pair of dividers or similar measure the exact distance between the stanchions at the front on each side (right across the front of the loco, in other words). This needs to be absolutely spot on, so be very careful to get it right!
  
• Draw a thin straight line on a piece of clean card with a sharp pencil, and use the dividers to mark off the distance that you've just measured; prick it with a pin.
  
• On the front of the smokebox, measure how high the front stanchion(s) sit above those on the smokebox side; a scrap of tape stretched across the front of the loco makes this easier. You can also now check that the stanchions on each side are indeed level with each other!
  
• On your card use this dimension to mark out the position of the smokebox-front stanchion(s). You have now made yourself, if you've been careful, a jig that will ensure perfectly-fitting handrails!
  
• Place pins vertically in your card at the position of the front stanchion(s) and also slightly inboard of the ticks marking the distance the front stanchions are apart. (It's a good idea to back the card with a solid piece of balsa or similar at this point.)
  
• Find a coin or similar round object of slightly smaller dimension that the smokebox door.
  
• Take the handrail wire (this works best with brass!) and use a match-flame to soften the piece in the middle; just guess at how much will be needed to cope with the curve, as this dimension isn't critical. The wire will work-harden anyway, so don't worry about it being too soft now.
  
• Lay the wire on the card jig with the soft bit in the middle and gently use the coin to push it up against the top pin so that it curves nicely and perfectly evenly. It'll probably spring back a tad when you release the coin, which is why you need one a little smaller than the smokebox door.
  
• You now have a piece of wire with a bend in it; holding the centre curved part in place, bend the ends sharply so that they lie flat along the original line you first drew - a bit like Mr Chad in the old graffiti!
  
• Run the front stanchion(s) along the wire so they're in the curved bit; it's easier to do this now than later!
  
• Holding down the central bit, bend the ends of the wire wire straight up towards you at the ticks marking the distance apart of the front stanchions.
  

 

You now have a handrail which you can turn over and simply feed into the side stanchions. Trim it to length and you're done. This all takes far less time to do than to write about!

 

Provided I measure carefully, I can usually do the whole job in about thirty minutes, with almost no wastage.

 

Be careful on GWR locos, by the way - they have a sexy little curve at the sides of the smokebox that hardly anyone ever models correctly!

[ozzyo]

It is ex-Swindon, and looks like a "Star"

 

 

The blue resin that JLTRT use for boilers for some odd reason reminds me of Domestos bottles.

 

 

 

 

It is Ex Swindon and is a 'Star' note the elbow steam pipes.

 

The blue resin that is used for the boilers takes primer very well and doesn't seem to produce any colour cast on the primer.

 

Thanks for the nice words.

 

OzzyO.

 

PS. I think that I mised this from my last post,

 

The end job,

[M.I.B]

Ozzy - that is fantastic. I take it that that is a "rebuilt" Star or a later Star - I am working from photos of Lode Star and there are differences in the tender (4000 vs 3500 gals) and the area below the smoke box door which made me think it wasn't "Swindon".

 

The 4000 gallon tender suits me as my chassis is an Airfix RTR which came with tender drive, which won't fit under a 3500 body.

[ozzyo]

Ozzy - that is fantastic. I take it that that is a "rebuilt" Star or a later Star - I am working from photos of Lode Star and there are differences in the tender (4000 vs 3500 gals) and the area below the smoke box door which made me think it wasn't "Swindon".

 

The 4000 gallon tender suits me as my chassis is an Airfix RTR which came with tender drive, which won't fit under a 3500 body.

 

 

 

Pure Star apart from the elbow steam pipes. The elbow steam pipes show that the loco had new inside cylinders but kept the original frames with the joggle rather than the later ones with dished frames.

The inside cylinder casting was known as a Vauxhall 7 front. 7 being the number of rivets (bolt heads) across the top, later locos had 9 across the top. The locos that had 9 across the top had straight frames ( dished).

 

 

OzzyO.

[M.I.B]

Thanks Ozzy. Having seen that I picked away at what looked to be a skim of filler, only to reveal that my Knight has a Vauxhall 7 front. Previously the top of the inside cylinder casting was flat, like Lode Star's is now.

 

Mine too has the elbow steam pipes.

 

This was all picked up as a partially built OO kit of unknown origin. (I think Stevie Wonder built most of it).

This is my first white metal adventure, and despite the setbacks of starting with a pig's ear, I am enjoying the process.

 

Your advice and educational posts are appreciated.

[steve fay]

Lovely pictures there Ozzy O that star looks fantastic. Am I right in thinking that that one turned out to be Glastonbury abbey?

[bertiedog]

Very sound advice given already, I had not noticed the thread on this, all I can add is the method I use, and that is not to fit the handrail knobs till the wire is fully bent and shaped to fit. The holes for the knobs are drilled out to good fit, and the side knobs put in place loose to estimate the outer limits of the bend around the smokebox front.

The front ones are left off and a paper pattern used to estimate the curve and bending allowance, although with experience this may not be needed. Complex shapes are best done twice, a practice piece to use to try the fit, and this piece is then used to bend the final shape to with the handrail wire..

The final fitting is to fit the knobs, I use epoxy these days on cast or resin, or soldering on brass, starting with sides and having end knobs on the wire, and eased into place as the wire gets to the correct position.

The wire usually used is nickel silver, but steel can also be used, it always seems straighter! The wire, even if straight can be annealed, (softened), with heat, a very gentle flame from a gas torch will do it, and soften brass, nickel and steel. to make it bend better without springing back.

Jointing the rails in the front, under the middle knob if fitted, as per the real handrails is rarely needed, our size wire can be manipulated so much more than 3/4 inch steel bars!

 

Stephen

[ozzyo]

Lovely pictures there Ozzy O that star looks fantastic. Am I right in thinking that that one turned out to be Glastonbury abbey?

 

 

 

 

Hello Steve, is this the loco that your thinking of after Conrad Cooper and Fred had a bit of a bash at it.

Fred and his W.W.W.W.W. can really bring a loco to life

 

OzzyO.

 

PS. W.W.W.W.W. = Welsh wizards wonderful weathering wand.

[M.I.B]

Outstanding Ozzy. Thanks for a post of the finished article.

 

There seems to be a problem with the tender decals tho - some sort of lion and wheel thing going on..........doesn't look right

[ozzyo]

Outstanding Ozzy. Thanks for a post of the finished article.

 

There seems to be a problem with the tender decals tho - some sort of lion and wheel thing going on..........doesn't look right

 

 

 

 

That's what the man wants that what the man gets . .

 

OzzyO.