An advanced warning loads and loads of photos.
This is basically two posts in one.
We start the show with the green having been masked off, about 2 hours work. The black was then sprayed and the masking removed. All in all I am quite pleased with the finish. There is still the detail work and the buffer beams to be painted.
Also shown is a strip of Magic tape painted ready for cutting into the boiler bands.
I not
We are slowly getting there, progress has been slow because a lot of other things getting in the way. I also had to do my psychological test to get my driving license. Although in Portuguese it was not too bad. The trouble is it is a copy of my British one although I only car and motorbike, they wanted to put the bus and lorry parts there to which meant more tests, but no driving exam.
The chassis is almost back together I need to do some more work to get the pony to swing nicely. I
Here we are all done and in the process of painting.
The back head has been finished and now primed. For what was included and a few added wires, it has come out far better than expected. Not perfect but very passable.
The body was finished although I spent some time trying my best to find something else to add rather than painting it. As you can see I have given it a good clean and blackened the vulnerable bits. I am running short of blacking fluid so
Some more done, getting ever closer to the wet stuff.
Firstly the squared up cab.
Then onto the final missing parts. The exhaust injector, or a representation of it. and the missing reverser. I think that is all the parts now apart from the back head etc. I will do that next.
It had it's legs fitted for testing the ride height and to sort out the bogie pivot and fixing point. I am also considering a centralisation spring too. I will lo
I decided I ought to get on and do some of the scratch building of the missing parts. But firstly I found an error with the body. Although built on a jig the rear drop down sloped down hill, which made the cab lean backwards, like a ship with a broken back. Not good at all. I never checked with a square as it fitted well and was as I say on a jig. Once free of the jig it was very noticeable. Fortunately I only needed to remove the firebox to straighten it up. The rear splashers unfortunately cam
I thought I had finished the body apart from the cab detail. Only to find whilst looking at the photos to publish, I have not replaced the missing cleat on the firebox, and the front vacuum pipe still needs adding.
But apart from that you will see the rest is fairly well up together even though dirty. I altered the vacuum pump covers, I also added some linkage on the same side, I presume it is for the sanding gear. The castings for the front steps and the pony were added at the front
We are getting closer to the end. I have done most of the major work now we are down to the never ending detailing.
First thing done since last update was the pony truck.
The fire box was soldered to the footplate and cab front. The boiler smokebox unit fits over the front of the firebox and is screwed through the smokebox, Hopefully it will aid painting.
As you can see I have also now fitted the chimney, looks better in r
Just a little done. First off is there is a cover between the splashers on the right hand side, this needed making as it is not in the kit. The vacuum pump cover goes out board of this.
Next I add the safety valve cover as the it is cast brass, I did not want to lose everything later. The pipe work for the top feed is not in the kit either. So this was fabricated from copper wire and some half round brass. Still needs a bit of tidying but looks passable to me.
Got a little further with this, the boiler and smokebox are now joined together. The washout plug holes drilled. But not the oned for handrails, front platform supports, or the ones for the clearance around the valve gear rockers.
I have built the firebox, added the washout plugs but still need to add the mud hole covers.
The cab roof has now been added, and looks better for the added rivet detail.
I have al
I suddenly realised I ought to do a post, most of the brass work is almost finished.
The footplate makes up nicely on a frame, they recomend removing it after the footplate assembly is done. but I am waiting until the cab and boiler are ready to be fixed or are fixed. I feel that this will make it easier to keep everything square.
I have added some more rivet detail to the cab sides and roof as I felt these wrer too flat when compared to the protot
I seem to be getting on well with this now. There is a bit of cusp filing as some of the etches are nice and thick.
We ill start by showing the tender in its primer. It is now awaiting the loco for its top coats.
Now on with the frames. I had done a little work to these some time ago. But my methods have changed and I thought I ought to bring this one upto speed.
I have made the cylinders and motion brackets removeable, mainly because the lea
I seem to of missed out an update.
The rest of the soldering on the brass work was straight forward with no untoward errors. The beading was a little fiddly but work out fine by just taking things easy. I did think I was a few castings short, but they were found hiding in the box with the loco.
The white metal castings are quite good, not needing much fettling. The axleboxes and springs are seperate castings and I did change the springs, only because the hangers sat bette
I now have this back on the bench, I have the tender frames painted ready for rewheeling etc.
I also have managed a little on the body. I did run the RSU and new flux over all the joints to make sure they were OK after using not so good syuff so far on the build.
The kit has cast corners which I must say are a nice idea, except the cut is to big or they are to short. For some reason they also have the beading attached so it eill either need filin
A little more done time has been scarce, we are looking after the dogs as father in law was in hospital with an infection etc etc.
The main chassis is now ready for painting. Which I may do later in the week. I made a start on the tender body. But disaster struck, I ran out of flux. Trying to find out where to buy phosphoric acid, but seems almost impossible. Think I may break into the Coco Cola factory down the road they use loads of it, and won't miss 1/2 a litre.
Better news
Here we go a start was made again on the tender. A bit slow, mainly because of finishing the PLV, and domestic issues taking up to much time. I decided for ease just to spring the centre axle. I used a Slaters etch horn guide and will be sprung as they are ment to be. It is siting high so there is both up and down movement.
I also decide that the pick ups will be on the tender with a 2 pin plug to the loco. I will be using some plunger type, but have not decided which ones as yet I h
