0395 and D15 frenzy but mostly 0395 and a Bulleid Spam Can for good measure

[Guest Jack Benson]

It just sort of happened, honest guv.

 

 

Thankfully the well thumbed copy of Rice's Whitemetal Locos will come in handy. However memories of unequal length tender sides and other peculiar features are still fresh.

Captain Kernow isn't going to be happy.

 

To be continued.

 

Cheers and Stay Safe

Edited February 16, 2021 by Jack Benson
Another lockdown task

[Paul H Vigor]

Does SWMBO know you've got it??

[Guest Jack Benson]

17 hours ago, Paul H Vigor said:

Does SWMBO know you've got it??

Paul,

 

Strict rule number one, all purchases must be funded by a sale. Over the last few weeks I sold all the ‘not quite right’ stock for Beaminster Road and this is the result.
 

As explained elsewhere, my stocklist is somewhat eclectic with a few elderly ex-South Western types at the end of their lives, tall chimneys and big domes are much in evidence even though the blaggard Sir Meliagrance is the exception that proves the rule.

Moreover, I recently completed the tiny MicroPlank for any invitations to exhibit and the future use of the workbench will be to build stock for both layouts.
 

Because an 0-6-0 is the ‘mythical’ beginners kit, the 0395 seems a likely candidate even though it is a bit of a ‘curate’s egg’  in terms of fidelity and ease of construction. The only fly in the ointment is my physical issue of wobbly fingers (Parkinsons) but it is a challenge worth taking.

 

Cheers and Stay Safe

 

 

 

Edited August 24, 2020 by Jack Benson
Grammar

[Guest Jack Benson]

It never rains but it pours.

 

 

Emerging from the past, this old behemoth. I thought that I had my fill of Drummond’s finest 4-4-0 but a very ‘helpful’ chum directed me to Andrew Kwasniewski and now a semi-built BEC kit is on its way to the workbench. Not quite in the ‘tall chimney, big dome’ category it is a class that my late father thought was rather good and he kept a few images of them in his collection.  The odd coincidence is the OOworks tender that has just become spare from 30382.  
 

So, in one frenzied weekend, there has been the departure of the last of the ‘bigguns’  preceded by the completion of the last ever layout and now the purchase of the first two kits in the past forty years.

 

I will leave you with a nice image of 30467, still doing the business, sometime in the 50s  
 

Cheers and Stay Safe
 

Edited August 24, 2020 by Jack Benson
Updated image

[Guest Jack Benson]

Stripping the D15 to its major components reveals a solid cast power 'pod' with a MW005-style motor with Romford gears. It looks as if it just needs pickups and it might work but looks can be deceiving.

 

 

The body looks remarkably square, there are lots of missing details but Markits stock most of the bits except the correct chimney.

 

Currently, the loco body is taking a long soak in a bath of Dettol, if it disintergrates, then another opportunity to use the new soldering station. Unfortunately my stock of 70 solder and both yellow and red flux predates our move to the West Country and sourcing the right flux is going to be fun.

 

Stay Safe

[Guest Jack Benson]

Strangley satisfying - with overtones of George Joseph Smith

 

 

At least it smells clean

 

Stay Safe

[Guest Jack Benson]

A day soaking in Dettol has removed almost every trace of paint, the stubborn bits will need something more drastic followed by a good scrub with a mild household abrasive/detergent mix and a soak in warm water.

 

 

 

 

Very few bits fell off in the process and they were all saved for the rebuild. 

The next candidates for soak and scrub are the chassis and bogie.

 

Stay Safe

 

 

 

[Captain Kernow]

On 29/08/2020 at 14:11, Jack Benson said:

Unfortunately my stock of 70 solder and both yellow and red flux predates our move to the West Country and sourcing the right flux is going to be fun.

At least the low melt solder can be found here - https://www.eileensemporium.com/materials-for-modellers/product/solder-70-deg-pack-4-sticks/category_pathway-1124

 

What I don't know is whether the two fluxes listed on this page can be used with low melt solder in lieu of Red Label - https://www.eileensemporium.com/materials-for-modellers/category/solder-flux-etc

 

[Guest Jack Benson]

Some progress,

 

A few more bits have arrived; the tender from the OOworks K10 together with myriad small items to improve the appearance of the D15 however other key items are still awaited from suppliers.

A new motordrive from DJH was recommended on RMweb and an example of the AM10 is on order.

 

No further progress will be made until the remaining items have arrived, it is frustrating but no point in rushing.

On order:-

Backhead and smokebox door

Etched smokebox number

Mainframes and coupling rods

Crankpins

To be ordered when a reliable supplier is found:-

Decals for loco number

 

Cheers and Stay Safe

[Guest Jack Benson]

Not much progress, waiting for bits to arrive but a chance purchase of another D15, not sure of its provenance, it might provide some surprises

 

However this example is EM with a brass etched chassis and Portescap, the chassis will be recycled and the motordrive checked before being sold on.

 

 

I do wonder if it is a Bec model or something more exotic.

 

Cheers and Stay Safe

[Guest Jack Benson]

The odd D15 has arrived, it appears to be a 'bitsa' with a whitemetal tender and a brass locomotive. The chassis is rather strange as the bogie is integral with the front frames.

 

 

The power unit

 

The loco

 

 

It could be the basis for a nice loco.

 

Cheers and Stay Safe

[DLT]

Could be a Loddon Models kit, some of them have appeared on ebay recently. 

I hadn't heard of them before, but there are a few SR kits in there.

[Captain Kernow]

On 23/08/2020 at 21:01, Jack Benson said:

It just sort of happened, honest guv.

Captain Kernow isn't going to be happy.

 

Au contraire, in fact.

 

I've been assisting Jack with the build of an 0395, specifically the construction of the loco and tender chassis. After initial discussions about using a Golden Arrow resin kit for one, Jack obtained this unbuilt DJH kit.

 

A Comet 4F chassis kit had already been procured (as suggested by Golden Arrow), together with Markits wheels and a motor and gearbox from High Level.

 

Having examined the 50-year old whitemetal castings of the DJH kit, it was immediately clear to me that this offered the best path to a decent model of the 0395.

 

As such, I suggested that I also construct those elements of the loco and tender body necessary to ensure a good match between chassis and body.

 

First off, it was necessary to solder the buffer beam and rear drag beam to the footplate casting, in order to determine how much to trim off the chassis side frames and where:

The upper frame is already modified, the lower frame is largely unmodified.

 

Checking against the footplate:

 

It seemed prudent to start attaching the splashers as well, to ensure that wheel clearances worked OK:

 

The body shape of the 0395 is somewhat different from a 4F and it became clear to me that I would also have to assemble most of the main components of the loco body, as clearances looked to be very tight in some places:

 

 

More to follow.

 

Edited October 5, 2020 by Captain Kernow

[Captain Kernow]

Once the chassis side frames were modified (which involves shortening them, reducing material from the top edges of the frames and also 'flattening out' the front wheel 'hump', they were assembled together and the wheels added etc.

 

Having established that we had a viable 'rolling chassis', the wheels were removed, pending a trial fit of the motor and gearbox. This is the cardboard tray that I now use. Once I've got a nicely running chassis, I now try to ensure that each wheel, axle spacer and axle are kept in the same configuration as that which initially worked!

 

Running the motor and gearbox in on the bench:

 

Running the motor and gearbox in, once located in the chassis:

 

The completed chassis with brake gear attached:

 

And with the loco body on top:

 

Front buffers were also added, to ensure that the ride height was satisfactory, when buffered up against other stock.

 

 

More to follow.

 

 

Undergoing 'clearance trials' on Bethesda Sidings, the unpowered chassis is propelled by one of my panniers:

[Captain Kernow]

The same process then had to be adopted for the Comet tender chassis (6' 6" x 6' 6"). This required shortening at both ends. Once again, I soldered the rear buffer beam and leading drag beam to the tender footplate casting:

 

 

The current state of play:

 

The loco has been test run on the bench and layout with wander leads directly wired into the motor. Next up is to fit the pick ups and test the loco fully under it's own power.

 

[Guest Jack Benson]

On 02/10/2020 at 12:22, DLT said:

Could be a Loddon Models kit, some of them have appeared on ebay recently. 

I hadn't heard of them before, but there are a few SR kits in there.

David,

 

When convenient, please, share your thoughts on the collection of bits that have pitched up. At the moment, they are a tad sorry for themselves but something amazing will emerge.

 

Cheers and Stay Safe

[DLT]

21 hours ago, Captain Kernow said:

The loco has been test run on the bench and layout with wander leads directly wired into the motor. Next up is to fit the pick ups and test the loco fully under it's own power.

 

Looking good Captain!  One issue with then DJH castings, is that the cab appears to be too high, relative to the boiler.  This is compounded by the over-thickness of the cab roof casting.

All the best, Dave.

[Captain Kernow]

A bit of footage of the 0395 being shunted with no motor or gearbox in it, by one of my panniers:

 

 

[Captain Kernow]

Loco being given some running in on circle of track:

 

[Captain Kernow]

Some footage:

 

[Guest Jack Benson]

Tim,

 

Truly excellent, a lovely model

 

Cheers and Stay Safe

 

[Captain Kernow]

I've now got the 0395 as far as was planned and it's now ready to be handed over to Jack:

 

 

 

 

A bit of footage:

 

[hayfield]

On 29/08/2020 at 17:00, Jack Benson said:

Strangley satisfying - with overtones of George Joseph Smith

 

 

At least it smells clean

 

Stay Safe

 

 

Jack

 

Just bought an old DJH CR 439 class 0-4-4T body (Seller thought it was a M7) and the paintwork has suffered a bit, thought I would try the Dettol method, sorry for the stupid question but I assume its used neat?  in any old plastic tub ?

 

Thanks

[DLT]

Very nice indeed Captain, hope I can do as good a job on the D15!

[Guest Jack Benson]

The 0395 has been collected from the Cap'n, many thanks.

 

Work will commence almost immediately, in the meantime some more detail bits are inbound in order to improve the DJH kit. Most of the effort is centered on fixtures and fittings or rather the tiny bits that were simply not available when DJH released the kit 40+ ago.

 

Thanks to Brassmasters and Martin Finney, the cab can be improved with some nice 'twiddly' bits. The image of their T3 is just about the only guidance available for an Adams tender loco, our example will be a long frame, Adams boiler 30581 (Exmouth Junction) in early BR livery. The cab interior colour scheme will be careworn ivory with a neatly stowed black-out curtain still in place.

 

 

The controls were 51L Models but the backhead is an unknown quantity. All the pipework will be an assortment of copper electrical wire.

 

 

It looks like fun

 

Cheers and Stay Safe

 

Edited October 29, 2020 by Jack Benson