Davids Workbench

[LNWR lives on]

Finally I have a workbench!!!!!  

 

As such I have started on the small pile of kits which I own, with a Slaters Cattle Van and 8T box van having already been built and sent to the newly formed paint queue, while another cattle van is on the way and the 10T Fruit van as pictured below which has me in a slight puzzle.  

 

 

The intention is to model the van in the early LMS period which form the notes states that the van would have entered traffic with the brake leaver on one side only, but later recieved brake gear on both sides. So from the picture is the brake gear as supplied the wrong gear as it brakes the wheels seperatley, or should i use a spare unit from the 8T box van which applies the brakes to the wheels on the inside for it to be correct for the period? Mainly its the transfer drawings on the notes which have confused me as the early LMS shows the differing brake gear from the supplied and no vac pipes fitted.

 

Can the van run as vacumn fitted and non vacumn fitted in this period?

 

Apologies for what seem basic questions but I have no Midland wagon books to reference too

 

David

[LNWR lives on]

Well todays progress has included starting on two LNWR Ratio coaches (Brake 3rd and composite) which are going together pretty much as per instructions in full LNWR livery as the period being aimed for is late LNWR into LMS period

 

Underframes are complete and sides have duckits etc all glued on ready for under coating and painting before construction onto the underframe.

 

Having built the bogies using replacement wheels and also bearings inserted I am looking at them feeling that they are a bit weak and probably not the best for the long term so my thoughts are turning to something a bit better. I also dont like the fixing to the underframe by method of a small screw so I am considering an alternative method, maybe a small bolt glued to the floor would be best and an etched bogie replacement 

 

Sadly the pictures came out blury so no pictures of progress tonight, and no more modeling until at least Sunday now

[LNWR lives on]

So after what seems like forever away from modelling railways to be able to have time to work on wedding based projects (one of which is railway based!!) I finally managed to do a little on a kit for someone else on a rare free evening

 

So, Peco Wonderful Wagon kit to celebrate the marriage of Charles and Diana, building to join Mum's royalty collection with mods so that it can be run on a layout in future if she desires. Built basically as per instructions except changing for standard couplings and metal wheels is required.

 

 

So from the components as laid out above it quickly became as below

 

 

Changes made included the fitting of Hornby couplings using the conversion bar as supplied. One thing I don't like about the kit is the plastic bearings and wheels supplied, the bearing holes are to big to readily accept a brass bearing to allow for changing to metal wheel running. The soldering over of the plastic slugs to the metal body requires some care as leaving them a little high fouls the insertion of the cardboard interior.

 

Final pictures to come once the sides have been fitted.......

 

[LNWR lives on]

So I have not posted on here for a long time,  certain things such as family life and getting married have got in the way but modelling has now been granted some good time again thankfully J

 

So, LNWR George the Fifth class locomotive, which loco as yet to be determined but to be built badsically as per the kit for my first loco build. This is also ,my first attempt at soldering white metal which in itself has been a challenge but I think I am finally getting my head around it.

The first problem that has been encountered was that the footplate was not square having been mashed around in the box. This has been flattened and squared as much as possible but  a small twist remains at the front end which refuses to flatten due to the metal cast underneath for the bogie wheels. The second piece of metal which was twisted was the lower half of the boiler and no manner of attempting to warm and twist could bend it all the way back, so the two boiler halves have been joined for a best fit, filler applied, soldered to the footplate and we have ended up with this:

 

 

It does not look too bad at the minute and seems surprisingly square. The next challenges are to fit the splasher plates which do not want to fit between the footplate and boiler, so I think these will need cutting to fit. Cab roof, safety valve, holes need drilling for the hand rail knobs, buffers and back cab handrails are all amongst items which need fitting in the next couple of sessions, and then of course the tender needs doing as well……….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[LNWR lives on]

So after another evening session the buffers and cab roof are now attached, the safety valve has also been soldered to the boiler and she is really beginning to look like a locomotive. The tender has also been started, coupling block for the loco and buffer block have been soldered to the frame section before the two tender sides were attached. The next stage is to attach the tender back plate and then file and fit the internal plate with the section for the coal and the under-frames.  After this the other small various pieces can be attached which should hopefully complete the tender bar painting and inserting of wheels.

 

 

Some major filling is required where pieces have not joined well to each other, this to me is most notable around the spectacle plate and cab roof. I think this will be done with either milliput or green putty as I just don’t have the skill or confidence as yet to fill gaps with solder, one thing I have not yet mastered is getting the heat in and out quickly with making the join’s quickly neat and tidy.

 

 

[LNWR lives on]

Waiting for 5 minutes here and there for finishing off is this coach, which is a 1^st/3^rd centre luggage. It is PC sides put onto a ratio underframe and sides, where the detail was filed off the sides, but utilised the existing roof and ends, which was actually an error as I misread that it should have been a cove roof and not an arc roof as built.

 

 

Bits to complete are touching up of the ends, the buffers need painting black, possibly Dingham couplers as I like the look of those and I need to detach coaches in the station at platforms. Otherwise the roof needs a further coat of white spray paint.

 

Two issues remain

1. What colour to paint the inside compartments and walls as its currently dark grey primer and looks horrible
2. Can I use methfix transfers on the sides or do I need to use waterslide?

 

 

[farren]

very nice would that be the 57ft d216 

[LNWR lives on]

It is the diagram 214 50FT Corridor Brake Tricomposite, it came in batch of sides only I bought from a gentleman on this site, of which I also have the early LMS (Period 1?) painted version which will also be built in a similar manner, though I will be looking to get the roof profile right on the next one

 

I have started a PC dia 373 50FT full brake tonight and have so far sorted the floor out with the bottom sides, and also folded out the ends. I have had a look at the bogies and think for now I will revert to cast white metal units because as beautiful as they look I don't have the skill currently to make them up.

[farren]

Thanks,Looking forward to your progress on the dia 373. How did you do the lining was it by bow pen.

[LNWR lives on]

The lining was part of the pre-printed sides, part of the beauty of the PC kits in that you can have lined coaches without being a painting expert. When I do come to having to tackle painting and lining coaches I will be having a go at lining using a bow pen which will be a very interesting experience I am sure!!

[Brassey]

I am not sure that the LNWR transfers are available as Methfix only Pressfix.  Peter

[LNWR lives on]

I do need to have a dig around in my transfers folder and see what I have, I think there are a couple of sheets of LNWR in there but it has been a while since i went in it.

 

Last nights progress was the front of the tender before the football, (The dia373 was started during the game) so that leaves the other splasher as the main remaining missing piece on the loco. 

 

The tender frames have been tack soldered for now as if I fully solder them I am not sure that I can then remove the wheels from the tender, so i am debating the order of progression, I think it should be application of filler to joints where needed and clean them up before then giving it a good wash in AJAX which i think would be appropriatte, etch primer the whole tender, insert wheels and solder the frames up properly, then hand paint the frames matt black, mask them and spray the remainder of the body Blackberry Black

 

Any comment is welcome as to a possible better solution/order as I am on a learning curve with loco building at the moment

[LNWR lives on]

I have stepped away from the locomotive over the weekend while I have had my mini man around and started work on the Dia 373 properly. The floor was cut to length and the sides attached, followed by the underframe details and the gas Cylinders. The holes for the bogies have been drilled and bolts inserted. The glue work is appalling, it holds but this is something I must improve upon.

 

 

The roof has been drilled and gas cylinders and torpedo vents installed and glued. Skylights have been added in the position I think they should be in, the instructions say in line with the vents and from the picture in Jenkinson’s LNWR book I think they are about right. The vents and Gas cylinders are not in perfect lines which is a combination of not marking out from one end only, and also not drilling them perfectly, more lessons learnt.

 

 

The one major change is the bogies, I have substituted Stevenson Coaches white metal ones for the PC units as just looking at them scares me, they are beautifully detailed but at the same time I think beyond my current skill set. Mansell wheels have been installed into the bogies. End’s have been constructed and just need the handrail wires adding before the entire lot can visit the shed to be primed and then painted before being glued together and the sides adding

 

[57xx]

David, did you ever get your fruit van query sorted? If not I can go and dig out my Midland wagon book and see if I can find anything for you.

cheers

Ric

[LNWR lives on]

Hi Ric

 

No I did not manage to sort out the fruit van query as yet, I did make an attempt on the roof but made a complete hash of the toilet tissue method so its still in the queue awaiting another go

 

I would be grateful if you could have a look and help me out

 

Cheers

 

David

[57xx]

The brake gear as supplied looks to be correct. The instructions are referring to the hand lever which would only be on one side, the brakes themselves for a vac fitted wagon would be of the clasp type as supplied. There is only one picture of the D361 fruit van in my Midland book, it is of a vac fitted version in MR livery c1905. It is showing the side with no hand lever, the clasp brakes are clearly visible. Whilst there is a line drawing of a handbrake only van, it does state "as originally built" and there is no text to state how long thy may have stayed in that condition.

 

cheers

Ric 

[LNWR lives on]

LNWR Dia 373 50FT Full Brake as substantially completed over the weekend, just needs the door vents and insignia to complete her as well as a couple of minor touch ups to paintwork. End handrails have been one of the biggest nuisance’s to learn how to do, In the end I went down the soldering route which then meant having to trim the bottom aluminium supports a touch which is not ideal. Faster setting epoxy required possibly.

 

 

While waiting for 10am to be able to drill walls and the like on a bank holiday I started on a Wills Tar Wagon kit picked up from a show long ago.  It went together fairly easily with a minimum amount of fettling. Alongside it I also did two Keyser 3 plank wagons which were a little harder to build as they required more fettling to get them to fit but other than that nice easy kits as well.

 

Finally after diy but before tea David Geen 1 plank LNWR Dia 103 was begun. (Tar wagon and 3 planks can be seen in the background just about)

 

 

The metal is much softer/quicker to melt under the iron which made it a little more challenging, especially as there is not a lot to get at to solder the wagon together.

The major lesson learnt from yesterday is that choosing of bearings has to be done carefully as using shouldered bearings on white metal kits seems to push the axle boxes out whereas they work great on plastic kits. Non shouldered well drilled into white metal axle boxes seem much better.

 

Progress will be slow this week as track planning steps to the front of the queue

[LNWR lives on]

A much better picture of the 3 wagon kits

 

 

And just because I could.....

 

[LNWR lives on]

Hi Ric,

 

I have fitted the clasp brakes already so I will finish it off by fitting the brake handle to the one side only now, then its application of livery and job done Thank you for the information

 

David

[LNWR lives on]

Baring two vents on the right hand side of the 1st/3rd coach which need to come from spares in another kit, DIa 373 and Dia 214 are now complete bar couplings

 

 

Transfer attaching needs to be improved, expecially numbering as they are not quite square, but as it was my first go on a coach I am not too unhappy with it

[LNWR lives on]

So after a break while track planning which has now been left with my Dad for a fresh pair of eyes to look at and adjust the pointwork because my mind has gone numb with it, loco building has resumed with a LNWR Prince of Wales, out of the box so far has come the main loco parts

 

 

 

After Sunday morning filing and a few hours with the soldering iron on Monday the main components are together, with the boiler being loose fitted for now pending being filled before final fitting.

 

 

The spectacle plate again does not fit well and has been trimmed with some more trimming required, but the boiler top half casting is also not perfect as has been discovered once fitted, it should have been put into a vice and tightened to give it a better curve as such. A bit of work on both factors will I think solve this, and as the next build will probably be the Experiment which has the exact same boiler with a different front smokebox

 

Biggest aggravation of the weekend came when having checked, cleaned and oiled a B12 chassis for the POW once having been put on the track to have a run around the pick up spring decided it had had enough of life and broke, so a new spring will have to be sourced or made, my favourite job L

[LNWR lives on]

I have not had chance to update of late but progress has been made

 

The George has now had details added and has received a good coat of primer. I am now considering if I am brave enough to add Micro-mark rivets to the smoke box before final application of blackberry black unlined livery.

 

 

The tender did not go together well and having built the POW tender below I now understand why. I did not drill the axle-boxes out well enough and get the side frames to sit low enough which is why it is now sitting higher than the locomotive. Another lesson learnt and a replacement tender to be sourced at a later date

 

The POW boiler has been fitted to the footplate and with some removal of metal underneath is now running. Further surgery is required where the con rod screws are clipping the footplate internally, not stopping it running when in motion but is causing a short if stopped in the wrong position. The front bogie truck needs some attention to replace the existing metal strap to position it further forward.

 

 

More to follow….

 

[LNWR lives on]

While glue and paint has been drying on POW and some wagons another project has been started, which began several years ago with an impulse purchase off eBay which should not have been made. When the package arrived I discovered that the Keyser bodies has been attached to Hornby 6 wheel underframes as the below picture shows. The paint job was also very heavy. Roofs had been cut and shut from Hornby van roofs, so all in all they are a bit of a mess.

 

 

So, the LNWR liveried units were taken to pieces and put into a bath of paint stripper, and then as much remaining paint as possible was removed and the corners sharpened utilising a clay makers tool with sharp edges. A quick solder later and the coach body is back together

 

 

The trial replacement underframe is from London Road Models as utilised underneath their range of LNWR 6 wheel coaches. The main section has been removed from the underframe and the rivets embossed, and that’s as far as I have got until I cut some sharp edged wood to go into the vice to be able to fold up the sides.

 

[Nile]

Hi Dave, I also have one of these full brakes bought second hand and built (fortunately not on a Hornby chassis). It appears to have the same figure leaning out of the window. Is he part of the original kit?

[LNWR lives on]

Nile,

 

Is yours on the original Keyser White metal side frames? I have aquired a further two coaches since the Hornby batch with the Keyser underframes as ideally I want a set of 5, and then I want some of the variants which also appeared.  

 

The guard is part of the casting, and usually was found on both sides. I have not made my mind up as yet wether to remove him or not from mine

 

Dave

Edited July 6, 2015 by LNWR lives on