DLT's NG Workbench - Back to The Hunslets

[DLT]

Its a shame non members cant read your update on the narrow gauge forum.

Oh, my apologies.  Are you sure about that?

Dave.

[N15class]

Oh, my apologies.  Are you sure about that?

Dave.

I just followed your link, it asks for a sign in no matter what tag you click on. I will try through google.

[DLT]

I just followed your link, it asks for a sign in no matter what tag you click on. I will try through google.

Ok, I'll put the whole lot on here if you like. I should be able to just copy it accross.

Cheers, Dave.

[46444]

Blimey 46444, that was quick, a "Like" within seconds of posting!

 

Well I recognise a well built model when I see one and it is a favourite prototype of mine

 

Lovely work Dave and thanks for posting the photos of completing or revisiting this build!

 

Cheers,

 

Mark

[DLT]

I've now edited the earlier posts to include the fuller text from the Narrow Gauge Forum.

Cheers, Dave.

[DLT]

One area of the kit that really shows its 4mm scale origin is the valve gear.  It looks fine in the smaller scale, but blown up to 7mm it looks a bit flat and weedy, and in serious need of beefing up.  On the real loco, some parts of the motion are massive forgings with wide forked ends.   I’ve done a bit of beefing up, but John went the whole hog and started again from scratch , even going to the ultimate stage of making the gear reversible using DCC control and memory-wire.

 

One bit that is really weak is the motion bracket/slidebars; these thin etches are meant to be soldered to the sideframes with the slidebars bent out at right angles.  This has no strength at all and I quickly broke a slidebar off.  I used a large piece of brass to join the two motion brackets together to make them one substantial plate, and replaced the etched slidebars with more substantial nickel-silver strip. 

The new single motionplate was joined to the cylinders with the two bits of brass rod you can see between the frames, so the whole cylinders/motion bracket/slidebars assembly screws together to becomes a single unit.  The brass rods provide the structural strength, rather than relying on the slidebars to hold everything together, and the assembly is held in place by the screw between the cylinders.

 

Apart from that I only made a few cosmetic changes to the valvegear to improve the look. 

The real thing is profusely illustrated on the internet, and many detail photos of its rebuilding can be found on the various Welsh Highland websites.

When I remembered that Malcom Savage had completely scratchbuilt his K1 model in 5.5mm scale, complete with accurate valvegear in steel, complete with forked joints wondered why I got so worried about it!

 

Dave.

 

Edited September 8, 2022 by DLT

[DLT]

I found the instructions earlier, a whopping 17 pages of them.  They feature printouts of all the etches clearly identifying the parts, clear and comprehensive assembly instructions, exploded diagrams, and even some photos of assemblies that are hard to describe.  This has jogged my memory further and have gone back and edited the earlier posts accordingly.

 

The kit was originally designed for 4mm scale and I dont doubt that it works fine.  I just felt that in 7mm scale certain bits of it needed something a bit more solid and positive in their construction.  Backwoods may have done this as a way of "de-skilling" the kit construction, by adopting a method that requires little more than glueing and screwing and therefore not needing any specialised tools or engineering ability to construct what is a fairly complex loco kit. 

 

I hope all my ramblings make sense!

 

Cheers, Dave.

[DLT]

Wanting the cab to be a separate sub-assembly screwed to the footplate required a few minor mods, mainly providing some screw and nut locations.

The boiler backhead and cab floor are made up in one piece, the photos show the captive screws that go through the footplate, fixed nuts on the cab rear, and the underside of the footplate with the cab fitted.

 

 

 

Thats the superstructure pretty much finished.  Still a few more details to be added; coal in the bunker, handrails re-attaching, while the cab needs glazing and a few more details like gauges, driver's tip-up seat etc.  Etched plates are waiting to be fitted (if I can find them) And once its all together, some final weathering using powders.

 

 

 

Cheers, Dave.

 

Edited September 8, 2022 by DLT

[Donw]

Lovely result Dave.

Don

[mudmagnet]

I must add that the K1 runs beautifully as well, not that is run very often at exhibitions!

[Donw]

I must add that the K1 runs beautifully as well, not that is run very often at exhibitions!

I seen Dave testing his stuff he wouldn't tolerant poor running.

Don

[DLT]

Thanks for the kind comments and all the "likes" guys, its helping the modelling mojo to return for this loco.

Only a few more bits to add, and those dratted etched plates to find.  I've obviously put them somewhere very safe....

Cheers, Dave.

[DLT]

They say a model railway is never finished, but I'm not sure if that applies to individual locos.    They also say that Fairlies are much better looking locos than Garratts.  Fairlies have two front ends, whereas Garratts have two rear ends...

 

Anyway, heres a few pics of K1.  Looking at them I can see all the blemishes, paint chips, poor weathering, smears, missing details etc.

I'll probably go over it again with the weathering powders, touch up the paint and add a bit more muck in places; but I can't see any more major jobs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers, Dave.

Edited September 8, 2022 by DLT

[PaulRhB]

Touching in paint chips makes it even more realistic

[DLT]

Found the missing etched plates at last, tucked inside another packet of plates so that they didn't get lost...

Opened up my Evostick only to finds that it had dried up and turned to rubber in the bottom of the tin.  So they're temporarily fixed with Bluetack.  

 

 

 

Cheers, Dave.

 

Edited September 8, 2022 by DLT

[N15class]

I sometimes use a spot of varnish to hold the plates in place then when it has had an all over coat they are stuck fast.

 

Looks good. I have been looking at some of the narrow gauge locos here in Brazil it is getting very tempting.

[Kenton]

What a beauty ! even the coal looks like COAL. Really subtle weathering, you should be very proud of that one.

[DLT]

I have been looking at some of the narrow gauge locos here in Brazil it is getting very tempting.

Go on Peter, you know you want to.  It would look great alongside your standard gauge stuff.

 

What a beauty ! even the coal looks like COAL. Really subtle weathering, you should be very proud of that one.

Thanks very much Kenton.  There's a very good reason for that, it IS coal!  You can't beat the real thing for realism.

 

All the best,

Dave.

Edited December 11, 2013 by DLT

[DLT]

Made up and fitted sandpipes today.  

I'm sure there are lots of other bits that could be added; JC's K1 is absolutely the bees knees, with properly framed opening cab-windows, replacement rivited overlays and all.  But I have to call a halt somewhere and move on.

 

Two bits of brass wire are soldered to a strip of NS, which when trimmed to length represents what I presume is the actuating mechanism.  The a certain amount of trial and error is incurred bending them to shape, before gluing them into holes in the sandboxes.  A tiny dob of Araldite where the pipe curves against the frame helps with rigidity.

 

 

 

 

MUST be nearly finished now...

 

 

Edited September 8, 2022 by DLT

[DLT]

Sandpipes painted and weathered to match the appearance of the frames.

 

 

 

 

Hmm, getting a bit bogged down in detail now...

Cheers, Dave.

Edited September 8, 2022 by DLT

[mike morley]

How many of us would even contemplate, let alone take and post for public scrutiny, close-up photographs of our work that were that microscopic?

 

Five star heroism for daring to do it, and that is before we even consider the superlative quality of modelling that enables you to carry it off!!

 

Wonderful!!.  Absolutely fantastic!

[DLT]

Thank you very much for such glowing superlatives Mike, I feel very honoured!

 

I wanted to see how far I could go with the close-ups, just how close I could get.  I was using using my wife's compact camera, (which with its macro setting goes a lot closer than my SLR does!) and see if I get the feel of standing next to the real thing and still maintain some sense of realism.  Apart from those screwheads, I'm pretty happy with those last two views.

 

Here's a couple of shots of the real thing.

 

 

I do have some more if anyone is interested?

 

Cheers, Dave.

Edited September 8, 2022 by DLT

[Ohmisterporter]

We are always interested Dave. More please.

[DLT]

Thanks Geoff,

I've started a K1 Garratt thread in the Narrow Gauge Special Interest section, and put my photos in it.

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/79709-k1-garratt-photos/

Cheers, Dave.

[DLT]

This thread has been quiet for a month now, but I'm getting moving again.  To counteract all those standard gauge Ixion Fowlers appearing on 0-gauge layouts, I'm now working on a narrow gauge "version"

The First World War 2-foot gauge Baldwin Gas Mechanical (or petrol tractor if you prefer) was built in quantity for the American trench railways, and many were available secondhand after the war.  Col. Stephens acquired one for the Festiniog, named Moelwyn and much altered it still runs today.

The 7mm scale kit from Neil Sayer  http://www.neilsayer.co.uk/ features etched brass and nickel silver, cast resin and brass, and looks to be of excellent quality.  Its a complete kit, including wheels, motor and custom gearbox.

 

 

Cheers, Dave.

Edited September 8, 2022 by DLT