Brush 200HP DE, the other one...

[Arthur]

Brush/Beyer Peacock 0-4-0DE

 

A bit like waiting for a bus, you wait for a loco kit building thread, then not only do two come along together, they cover the same kit.

Dave (Ruston) and I must have acquired our kits at about the same time, we exchanged messages and Dave’s build thread is here.

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/123388-brush-200hp-de-judith-edge-kit-build/&do=findComment&comment=2744756

 

My own interest in the prototype was sparked many years ago by a single photograph of one of them in Adrian Booth’s Bradford Barton book, ‘A Pictorial Survey of Standard Gauge Industrial Diesels’, 1977. Dave has shown part of this image in his own thread but copyright prevents either of us posting it fully.

 

Taken at Park Gate Iron & Steel works in Rotherham, it shows a characterful 0-4-0DE with outside frames and coupling rods, sporting the British Steel Corporations all over wasp stripe livery, standing before a rake of slag ladles with the blast furnaces as a backdrop. According to Adrian’s caption, they were useful and popular locomotives.

Apart from one supplied to British Railways, the prototypes largely saw service within the iron and steel industry. Along with Park Gate who had a fleet of twelve, four saw use at Renishaw ironworks, one with the Steel Company of Wales at their Orb works in Newport and some were exported to a steelworks in Skopje, Yugoslavia. Diesel electrics were popular at steelworks as the engineering and fitting staff already had plenty of experience with electrics and traction motors on cranes and self propelled skip and bunker cars.

 

Once I became aware that Mike Edge was working on a kit to add to his range I waited for its availability with keen anticipation.

Launched in March, I managed to miss the initial announcement but obtained a pair from Mike’s second batch a couple of weeks ago via the very efficient mail order service.

Lest you think that I buy a kit and promptly build it, let me assure you that I too have an unbuilt kit mountain, albeit a little smaller than it once was.

But with these kits I was keen to crack on and see them at work.

 

So, with that preamble out of the way, where are we now? Well, the kits are almost finished, basic assemblies complete and primed, gear trains run in, I’ve just been held up waiting for the wheels, Alan Gibson 14mm discs. In the expectation that they will be with me this week, I hope to have all finished within two or three days.

I’ll spread the build story out over the rest of this week, so by Saturday, we should have two finished locomotives, hopefully complete with wheels...

To finish the models a gearbox and motor are also required. Mike suggests either a Branchlines 38:1 or a High Level Roadrunner+ 54:1 along with a Mashima 1224. I opted for the High Level and rang Chris Gibbon to order them. The Roadrunner+ 54:1 has been superseded by a 60:1 and Chris can no longer obtain 12 series motors but the 10 series was in stock, and is a good substitute. When I specified gears to suit 2mm axles Chris commented that I must be building a Judith Edge kit....

 

The Build.

 

But first, a Question.

Wither the kitbuilder sans Mashima?

 

As has been discussed elsewhere, the chap who manufactures Mashima motors is looking to retire and it may well be that these motors become unavailable. The 12 series may already have gone, though some retailers may have stocks.

One option is to use the readily available and cheap 12v motors sold either unbranded or under the name Mitsumi.  From eBay they come with a brass worm firmly fitted on the shaft and no mounting screws or they can be obtained wormless and with screws from John at Cambridge Custom Transfers. So, though I had the two Mashimas, I thought I’d try out a couple of the cheapies.

 

Here they are side by side. If the Mashima is a 10x12x24, the Mitsumi is a 12x15x18, they are quite a chunky beast.  They have a 1.5mm twin shaft, appear to be well enough made and may have a slower top end speed.

 

 

Of course, cheapness comes at a price.

 

Problem 1

The first issue is to remove the redundant brass worm. Hmm, it’s rather firmly fitted.

 

Solution 1A. I’ve removed a couple using an abrasive wheel in a mini drill. Not quick, you can scar the shaft and may need to cut in at a couple of angles.

 

Solution 1B.  I cut a narrow slit in a bit of mild steel angle, held the angle in a big vice, slipped the shaft into that slit with the worm at the top, and tried to drive the shaft out with a drift and hammer. No joy, I couldn’t find a strong enough drift, nor would it align readily with the shaft.

 

 

Solution 1C.  Onto brute force. I clamped the worm firmly, very, very firmly, in a 6” bench vice and tried to pull the shaft out by gripping the rear portion of the shaft with mole grips. Abject failure. Dejected, I opened the vice, removed the motor and the crushed and split worm just dropped off...

 

 

Solution 1D.  So, my high tech method has evolved. Crush the living daylights out of the worm in a big vice, sometimes requires a second crushing at 90 degrees, and the worm drops off in bits.

 

 

 

Solution 1.1A. Buy one from CCT, no worm fitted.

 

 

Problem 2

 

The motors do have two M2 tapped mounting holes in the endplate. Unfortunately they are arranged diagonally. You can mount the motor on the High Level box, it will work, but it will be held at an angle. In a large bodied locomotive that might not be a problem but within the narrow confines of an industrial loco bonnet it’s a no go.

 

Solution 2a. I made a simple jig by drilling three holes into a piece of brass sheet. One large enough to slip over the shaft ‘collar’ on the endplate and the others to act as drilling guides to suit the mounting holes. This was positioned onto the High Level etch, the holes oriented appropriately on the diagonal and the face plate drilled. So far so good, in the flat the motor could be screwed onto the faceplate.

 

 

However, once the gearbox etch is folded up, though the screw holes line up nicely, the side pieces of the gearbox get in the way of the screw heads. Dammit!

 

 

Solution 2B. Work in progress, some kind of further modification or an adapter plate, maybe, possibly.

 

 

Solution 2C. Resort to Hell Fire. Having run in the gear train and motor using the screws to mount it, the whole lot was stripped down, thoroughly cleaned and reassembled. Holding the motor on by hand, setting a bit of worm backlash by eye, a quick blob of solder was applied to hold the motor to one of the gearbox ears. The metal motor case takes solder well enough. A quick check of the running was followed by a second dab of solder on the other ear. Not elegant but it works very well and the two can be separated should the need arise.

 

 

I’ve run in both motor/gearbox assemblies on the workbench in stages. Just worm and spur gears first, then adding the axle and final gear and finally fitting the assembly into the bare chassis.

 

 

How well do these motors work? Perhaps a little noisier than a Mashima, but running on DC I’ve had them turning the axle at half a revolution per minute. We’ll see how well they perform once the wheels and rods are on. Longevity? Time will tell.

 

 

TBC.

Edited June 6, 2017 by Arthur

[Gordon A]

Mike Edge has posted some pictures of one of his chassis using a High Level gear box and Mitsumi motor in another thread.

The chassis was for a four wheel overhead electric colliery loco.

Like you he has soldered the motor case to the gear box.

 

Branch lines do or did an adapter etch which allows you to mount a motor at whatever rotational angle you wish by soldering it to the gear box etch.

 

Following with interest as I also have a Brush to build.

 

Gordon A

[Ruston]

Interesting stuff about the motors, Arthur. I have ordered some of the same motors that Mike recently posted about. 99p each and with free postage all the way from China! The trouble is they won't be here until the middle of July and I have yet to have an email to say they have been despatched. I also ordered some from Malaysia for £1.79 each, which have been despatched and should be here by the end of this month.

[5050]

I've also got one to build, bought at S4North same as Dave (and probably Gordon!).  These 2 threads will be very useful when I get my Round Tuit out in the future.  Just keep pointing out the pifalls guys!

 

Not that I really expect any from one of Mike's designs of course

[Arthur]

 

Just a quick update this evening.

 

Here's a video of one virtually complete chassis running without the coupling rods. It's been run in with them on but they were removed for painting before their final fit. It gives an idea of how slowly these motors will run on plain DC.

 

 

It may not be the least exciting video on YouTube but it's in the top one.

 

TBC.

[Ruston]

Have you fixed the flycranks on, Arthur? If you have, how will you get the cast resin axleboxes on the outer frame now?

 

I have been thinking about this on my build. Once the axleboxes are on the outside frame, and then the cranks are on the axle ends, there is then no way of seperating the outer frame from the inner...

[Arthur]

 

Dave,

Yes, they're held on the axle ends with a bit of solder. I was going to use Loctite 601 but having got them quartered I wanted to lock them strongly in place.

 

With the resin axle boxes, I've cut out the bottoms, as Mike suggests in the instructions. Basically, the working chassis drops into the frames, the axles sliding into the slots cut in the axleboxes bottoms. It's virtually impossible to see this when the two are to combined.

 

I'll be posting up the chassis build tomorrow which will include some photos showing the arrangement.

[Arthur]

Thanks for the comments and suggestions posted.

 

On to the kit itself then.

 

Here is one set of components for one loco. Two beautifully etched brass sheets, a few resin castings and a sprue of lost wax castings. Not shown are various nuts, bolts, wire, tube and other bits. Various detail options are catered for.

 

 

 

The only initial preparation required is to remove some of the resin castings from a thin resin ‘flash’ which connects some of them together.

Mikes instructions detail the build sequence and I’ll run through my experience of the build process.

 

There are three basic components. A functional chassis which holds the motor, wheels and gearbox and which will largely be invisible on completion. The footplate, to which is fixed the buffer beams and cosmetic outside frames, with the axlebox details, and finally the loco bonnet and cab assembly.

 

The first few photographs show various stages of the chassis build.

 

The basic inner chassis assembled. It can be built rigid or, with extra bits, sprung or compensated. Radius arms are supplied to give the option of using Mikes rocking axle option which I used here. The non driven axle is held in place by two arms which locate the axle whilst allowing it to rock about a central knife edge. Here the arms can be seen swinging free though in use the movement is limited by the axles running through the axle holes etched in the frames.

 

 

The chassis with the motor gearbox fitted. I had to trim back the top of the leading frame spacer by a couple of mil to move the gearbox and Mitsumi motor forward a little. This was to allow the rear of the motor to clear the cab front bulkhead.

 

 

 

The next two photographs show the chassis with the flycranks fitted and then with the coupling rods held on temporarily with wire insulation.

 

 

 

 

The flycranks are soldered up from three layers of brass, one having axle end detail etched on. I found that a cocktail stick was a firm fit into the axle hole so I use one to align the cranks whilst soldering them together.

 

 

 

Mike suggests lengths of 1mm brass rod for the crankpins. I had a couple of packs of W&H crankpins in a drawer and I used those. They are similar to Romford/Markits crankpins but are a little longer and a shade slimmer. They come with crankpin bushes so that was one detail provided for.I cut off the threaded boss and soldered the remaining pin through the holes etched into the flycranks. To ensure that they were fitted at right angles to the crank face I drilled some suitable holes in a bit of wood with a modellers drill press. This held the crankpin vertcallly whilst I soldered on the crank.

 

 

 

Quartering is done by eye and trial and error. The kit comes with extended 2mm axles with turned ends, these replace the original Gibson axles. Having fitted the wheels and gearbox and any necessary spacing washers the cranks are pressed onto the axle ends. On one axle they can both be firmly fitted and set at 90 degrees, or as close as you can get. One crank can be firmly set on the other axle, with the final crank lightly fitted. It's then a case of using the coupling rods to set the quartering by trial and error until the wheelsets rotate smoothly in unison. Once I had the quartering set I actually ran a smear of solder across each axle/crank end to secure the mating.

 

I should stress that the final assembly of the working chassis needs to be completed with the outside frames and footplate built up. It is essential that the axles are fitted such that,when these components are mated, the flycranks clear the outside faces of the cosmetic resin axleboxes. I'll cover more of that with the next post.

 

TBC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Arthur]

This photo shows the underside of the chassis and frames with wheels motor and axles fitted. Note that the ends of the axles supplied in the kit just clear the faces of the resin axleboxes. There must also be no lateral side play or the flycranks might bind on the faces of the axleboxes. The gearbox holds the driven axle fixed but the other axle needs washers to take up any sideplay. The Gibson wheels were not a particularly tight fit on the kit axles so I fixed them with Loctite 601.

 

 

 

Here is a side view showing the axles ends protruding from the resin axleboxes. These resin boxes are supplied complete, i.e. with a bottom but if used that way theu would 'lock the axles and inner chassis in place. Mike suggests that you cut a slot in the bottoms of the resin boxes, the brass frames are supplied slotted so that the chassis and frames/footplate can be separated. 

 

 

 

The inner chassis partly withdrawn giving a clear view of the slotted axleboxes,

 

 

 

Finally here, a side view of the other chassis with the flycranks and rods fitted. Once assembled, it is virtually impossible to see that the axleboxes have been slotted.

 

 

 

TBC

Edited June 13, 2017 by Arthur

[Arthur]

The Frames and Footplate.

 

The buffer beams, made up from three layers, and the frames are soldered to the underside of the footplate. Not mentioned in the instructions are the presence of etched dimples on the rear of some parts, the frames for example. I presumed that these were intended to be punched to replicate rivets on the front face. I did this using a punch and light taps with a hammer.

 

 

 

 

Many of Mike’s kits have the body built on a sub base which is bolted to the footplate. This allows the two to be separated for further work and painting. A start is made by bolting the sub base and footplate together and soldering the nuts to the sub base. To avoid soldering the whole lot solid the bottom of the sub base should be lightly greased along with the bolts and the nuts and area around them cleaned. A quick dab with the soldering iron should secure the nuts and the nuts only.

 

 

The frames, seen here painted, are completed with the addition of the steps which are slender and a bit fiddly. As Mike suggests, I added an extra brace between the bottom of the steps and the frames. Resin axleboxes and sandboxes were attached with araldite and in the previous post I covered the slotting of them. Also added in the photograph are the rear handrails, soldered up from wire and the front grab handrails. The kit includes some lost wax castings. One is for a lubricator which sits under the right hand side of the cab and the others for axlebox lubricators which sit under the edge of footplate above each axle. They include a cast feed line which needs to be bent back to clear the whirling cranks and down onto the axlebox tops. I found them a bit bulky so cut them off and replaced them with .33mm wire.

 

The photo also shows the cab footplate, as with many of Mike's kits part of the frames, and the handbrake. This has to be made up from a length of tube, an etched flange and wire.

 

 

 

The final photo shows the wire brace supporting the front steps and a strip of scrap etch I soldered in to support the brake cross shaft end detail. It's part of the frames and, being half etched, prone to bending. The rear of the cut out axlebox is also visible.

 

 

TBC

[Arthur]

The Body

 

Mike recommends tack assembling the cab, and later adding the bonnet, whilst the body sub base is bolted flat to the footplate. If the body is built separately and is built a little out of true, as torsionally the strongest member, it will distort the footplate/frames when the two are bolted together.

As with all of Mike’s kits the parts locate beautifully, etched guide lines, half etched corners to assist with location etc.

 

 

Firstly the cab built awaiting the rear sheet. The tack soldering blobs are evident. The kit has the standard Judith Edge cab floor arrangement. The main floor is soldered to an upwards extension of the frames and the cab sits over it. A ‘C’ shaped floor edge sits around this and is soldered to the cab sides and rear. The main floor has planking etched on it and a blob of solder holds the plain floor edge to the cab side. Once assembled square, the cab and base are unbolted and the solder blobs run into the joints.

 

 

 

A Pleasing Terror

Forming the curves holds a terror for many. Two assembly options are available. Form the bonnet and then solder in the doors and grilles, or, solder in the doors and grilles in the flat and then form the bonnet. I tried both methods and would recommend soldering in the doors and grilles whilst the bonnet etch is flat, and then forming the curves. I cannot see any advantages in the former method.

 

The bonnet etch from the front showing the doors and grilles soldered in. The doors on each side are a single etch and soldered in as one. Very neat.

 

 

 

Two end formers are supplied to shape the bonnet. I scribed a line down the centre of each former and the bonnet.

 

 

I then started to form a curve in the bonnet top by placing the bonnet face down on a towel and rolling a solid brass bar across it. Once a curve had developed I laid the bonnet down and, using the scribed centre lines, positioned one end former and held it in place with a blob of solder. This was repeated with the other former and then the bonnet was rolled and shaped around the formers soldering as the fit developed. The sharper corner curves are helped by half etched lines on the insides. The bonnet sides were rolled around the formers on a bit of cardboard until good curves were obtained and the formers were then fully soldered on.

 

 

 

The completed bonnet. Optional front formers are provided with either low or high radiator grille positions, I went with the high option.

 

 

 

I puzzled a little over the cab seats. They come as a ‘body’ and a seat ‘cushion’. The body is the etch to the right. The line marked green is etched on both sides. The shape is developed by folding down two sides first and then a third side which involves tearing that double etched line.

 

 

To the left is the finished unit with the seat cushion soldered in to fill the last gap. I presumed initially that the’ seat cushion’ was the squab, the bit you sit on, but oriented that way, as in the photo, it sits a bit too high in the cab. It is also the battery box and should match the access panel on the outer cab side. If rotated such that the ‘seat cushion’ becomes the seat back, it all fits neatly, one into each of the rear corners of the cab

 

 

 

More forming terror, the roof again has compound curves. I formed the sharper corner curves using round nosed pliers working bit by bit from both sides and test fitting against the cab. There are half etched locations on the cab upper sides and the roof is a remarkably accurate fit between them. As the roof is half etched it is thin and I was able to hold the roof down and in place against the cab sides and could then tack solder it centrally to the cab front, and then to the cab rear. Once tacked in the middle I could hold down each side of the roof and run solder into the joint. There should be no joint line visible at the cab side/roof transition and I made sure there was enough solder to act as a filler, very little being required, before sanding it back smooth.

 

 

 

 

Finally, am I really building two? Here’s proof. Added here are various handrails and grabs, horns, bonnet top access door and handbrake. Dave (Ruston) and I have exchanged messages on a couple of points, one being the exhaust. It is invisible on all the photos so we agreed that it must just be a stubby pipe. The kit provides some suitable brass tube for the job.

The parts here have been cleaned for priming. I’ve left off the cab rear handrails, the buffer shanks and jacking points as to ease some of the detail painting later.

 

 

 

TBC.

[Arthur]

Painting

 

Some photographs showing the basic painting sequence. The bodies and frames were firstly cleaned with Cif and an old toothbrush, rinsed and then given a couple of sessions in an ultrasonic cleaner. After drying and checking they were given a couple of light coats with grey car primer. The ends were then sprayed with Tamiya Fine White Surface Primer. This gives the best undercoat for the yellow to be applied next to the ends.

 

 

 

For the yellow I just use a Humbrol Acrylic Spray. For touching up, and for the rods and flycranks, I sprayed some in a small metallic paint reservoir (an old mince pie case) and brushed it on.

 

 

 

 

The buffer beams, cab rear and bonnet were masked with tape before the body was airbrushed with my steelworks fleet’s green livery, Precision Paints Doncaster Green.

 

 

 

 

The cab interior has been brushed painted a duck egg blue and the supplied control desk, resin, and control panel, brass etch, installed. The next step will be applying various decals and the final details.

 

 

TBC.

[Ruston]

Looking good, Arthur. I expected you'd be going for the all over wasp stripes of the Parkgate locos.

[Arthur]

 

Thanks Dave. Yeah, I'd like to do one in that Parkgate, all over wasp striped livery, maybe one day. The current two are destined for my fictional steelworks fleet and are being finished in its livery.

 

.

[Arthur]

Some photos of one of the largely completed models, D22 in the fleet of the Lancashire Iron & Steel Company. Glazing is required and the body is not yet screwed down onto the footplate.The wasp striping is strips of black decal paper applied over the yellow ends, The lettering is from some decal sheets I designed and which were made up for me by John Peck of Precision Labels. They are quite difficult prototypes letter as they don't have much in the way of plain panels.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And, with the loco dragged out into the works yard, the works photographer captures the scene in glorious monochrome.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'll add a final post covering a few final points and showing the locomotives weathered and at work in an appropriate setting.

 

.