Nig H

Hello John, Thanks for your comments. I used 0.2mm nickel silver rod for the stanchions, but the handles are quite vulnerable, which is why I left attaching them till last. I had to modify a brass handle casting by removing the nice big base, to get the handle to the right height above the stanchion bracket, so there isn't much to solder to. I'll have to try to do better next time. Nig H

Simon, Thanks. I tried to do a chimney, height 2' above the smokebox i.e 4mm but it turned out 4.5mm. To me it looks more than 0.5mm too high. The 4mm is based on a drawing in the Wild Swan book of a Stanier chimney, and a table of chimney sizes in the Wild Swan Jinty book. I think I'll measure the chimney in Roche for 2Ps as that looks squatter, and work from there. What are railroad covers? Nig H

Here are some pics with almost all the build done. Now I can ask, "2P or not 2P, that is the question". I think it looks quite like a 2P, though I'm not sure about the chimney and dome. One of the stanchion handles came off just prior to the pics being taken, and the other looks like it will follow soon. I'm struggling to understand how the can handrail has come loose and slipped down. Three soldered joints all failed!? Instructions now done, so waiting for the etchers to send me the production version. In the meantime, I can do the repairs, sort out the safety valves (base done, just need to source a couple of safety valves), the tender axlebox/ springs and then paint it. I think I'll ask Ian Rathbone if he can line it for me. Just noticed the cab roof hatch looks a bit wonky too. The benefits of enlarging pics of ones models! Nig H

Mike Musson has now contacted me to arrange my registration. Thanks very much Mike. Nig H

Yes, I saw that. I wondered if details of the process were now available. Nig H

Hello, I can't find out how to register for the competition. Can someone point me in the right direction please? Nig H

I spent several hours on Friday testing the running of the now almost-complete loco. It started off dreadfully and I spent most the time trying to find out why, without success. Eventually I found that the worm was rubbing against the side of the slot in the underside of the boiler. Electrical pickup via the tender wheels only was poor too. With the slot widened and the loco chassis wired up to the tender chassis, I tried running the loco again, and to my great relief it ran really well. Very smooth, with just a hint of hesitation. I've added some weight to the firebox, but there is room for more, and at this stage the loco pulled six coaches weighing 138g, with no sign of a struggle. I think that with a bit more weight, the loco should manage eight coaches, probably more than they were normally loaded to prototypically. I'd like to finish off the loco by adding chimney, dome and safety valves, but I need to do the instructions for loco and tender while I still remember most of how I built it all. Nig H

Here are some pics of the smokebox front. I've built it as a unit which I will epoxy in place when all soldering work on the boiler is finished. I'm not brave enough to try soldering the unit in place. There are lots of little bits on the smokebox door and keeping them in place as other bits were added was quite challenging. Once the door with lamp iron, handrail and door straps was finished, I soldered it to the etched smokebox front and then added the dogs. These haven't etched quite as intended but they are so small that they are hardly noticeable without magnification. It looks like the handrail knob on the right needs straightening. The back of the unit. The straight bits are 0.2mm n/s rod to locate the 'dogs'. Nig H

Latest progress on the loco. The ejector on the right had side was a pain to make. I started with a little lump of brass and added pipework from various combinations of 0.5mm to 0.1mm tube and rod. The pipework on the right hand side of the smokebox below the handrail is only 0.1mm and very fragile. Too fragile as one end has broken off during cleaning up. I should have added it last, after the handrail. Nig H

Steve, Thanks for your comments. I'm not sure whether the way I try to hold bits together is the way not to do it but hopefully it is of some use. There are probably much better ways than i can think of. Nig H

Hello Jerry, Thanks, but it will be 40439 in BR lined black. At least that's the plan, but I'll have to think about how to do the lining. I think blue is a wiser choice than red for your suit. Hope it all goes well. Nig H

A few more pics showing the loco finally coming together. Some tidying up now required, then the steps can be added and one or two other bits from the etch. Then its the non-etch detailing plus turnings. Oh, and the loco and tender brake gear, and ... Nig H

Here's another progress report, which has been slow recently. I've struggled with the smokebox wrapper. Getting it tight and square around the inner wrapper took forever for some reason, then getting the saddle square between the saddle side extensions of the smokebox wrapper also took time to get about right. The dilemma for me is whether I've built it wrong or drawn it wrong. I'm assuming the former. Here's the cab now in place, with the firebox just dropped on loose. Assembling the cab sides/roof to the front was hard work, but I got it sorted in the end. A couple of shots of the boiler and smokebox, showing the slots for the worm at bottom centre and the cutouts for the splashers and reversing lever either side. The washout covers for the firebox shoulder are very small (c. 1.5mm long) and need to be curved to sit on the firebox shoulder. To do that I filed a curved groove in a lollipop stick, put the cover in the grove, and pressed down on the cover with the needle file shown. It seemed to work OK, and I'll try to get some pics to show the firebox with covers in place soon. Nig H

Hi Nick. Brilliant stuff, these videos. Thanks for sparing your time to produce and post these episodes. I can't wait for the next one! I've no idea why I drilled so many holes in the underside of the Jubilee body. Maybe, like the man who took all his clothes off and jumped on a large cactus plant, it seemed like a good idea at the time. It looks like my approach to chassis construction is more pragmatic than neat, though the really ugly work seems to be hidden from view when everything is assembled. Nig H

Hello Simon, I usually paint the chassis without the wheels. I add as much of the brake gear as possible to the chassis before painting. Paint the wheels at this point too, if not already done. You can still solder the brake hangers and pull rods in place after re-assembling the painted wheels on the painted chassis. I'd scrape away any paint from the outside face of the brake hanger bracket first. If any paint work gets damaged when you solder the rest of the brake gear in place, it can easily be re-touched when you paint the brake hangers and pull rods etc. Nig H

Here are some pics of me battling with the cab. It could have turned out better, but it could have been a lot worse. Squeezing the side to the cab front. The slot and tab was all I could think of to make assembly easier, plus inside the side is a strengthening piece with a rebate to accommodate the cab front. I would form the bends before adding the strengthener if I did it again. Persuading the splasher tops into a curve about the same as the sides The completed unit prior to trimming the splasher tops to length. Never easy forming the curve between the sides and roof on Midland locos in my opinion. Nig H

Hello Simon, I can't say that my method of getting gears on muffs is the best but I can't think of anything better. You could start with chamfering the edge of the muff slightly then ease the gear over this chamfer. Place the gear on a hard flat surface and gently tap the muff down onto the gear so the muff gradually moves inside the gear. Continue until the muff is flush with the gear against the flat block. An alternative I sometimes try is to introduce the muff into the hole in the gear then squeeze the muff fully home between the jaws of a vice. If you want the gear in the middle of the muff, open the jaws of your vice slightly more than the diameter of the muff, position the gear over the gap in the jaws and tap the muff down until the gear is in the position desired. I don't know what Bill said in his notes but I suspect it might be based on the assumption that you use the wheel quartering tool. For this method the axles fit very tightly in the muffs and I believe its almost impossible to remove the axles (if required) once they have been inserted in the muff. I use a different approach because I prefer to be able to take things apart of testing some aspect of the chassis is the build progresses. I prefer to have the axles a good snug/ tightish fit in the muffs, with the axles being glued inside the muff once I am happy with quartering etc. I therefore open out the hole in the muff with a broach until I am happy with the fit of the axles, but first I file flats along the muffs, one on either side. This makes holding the muff easier. I also drill 1mm holes about 2mm either side of the centre of the muff from one side to the other. These are for little drops on superglue for attaching the axles. The position of the holes might need changing for muffs with gears. I usually now file a flat in the end of each axle to act as a key for the glue. Hopefully the attached pic shows some of this. I hope this helps. Nig H

Thanks Tim, As they say, every cloud has a silver lining. Nig H

Here are some pics showing progress on the loco. The chassis, virtually complete. The front of the frames are angled in to give more clearance for the bogie front wheels and the guard irons. These two shots show how I tried to get the footplate curve tight against the valance. All seemed well until I noticed that the front section of the footplate bent slightly to the left. I spent ages trying to straighten it out, but in the end I had to accept a very slight bend. I did manage to bend the front section of the footplate up slightly so its no longer parallel to the rest of the footplate from the side view!! Nig H

Hello, Changing the reverser to the other side is quite easy on my kit - just reverse the front face of the firebox so the lever cutout is on the other side. The cutout on the side of the boiler has to be ground out which ever side it is. More problematic to me is that the valances, as far as I can tell, were further out towards the edge of the footplate on the LMS variant. So new bits for the footplate and front buffer plate(?) would be needed. The second test etch is not going swimmingly at the moment, and even if I had considered doing the LMS version, I am not now. I'll post some pics of progress soon. Nig H

Yes, I'm slowly working on the 2P at the moment, sorting out what I hope are final tweaks before the production version is prepared. Small parts a part of the 2FS experience, and with a bit of practice you can get used to working with them. I will provide spares for any bits of my kits anyone loses or damages. Nig H

You can set up alerts for PMs in notification preferences in settings. Nig H

I thought I'd start this up in its own topic for those interested. I decided to start with the tender and here are some pics as I progressed through the second test etch build. The stanchions for the brake handle being added. The tape under the footplate is to keep the 0.2 mm nickel silver rod in place until soldered.. For some reason I thought the bracket at the top of the stanchions should have extended from the top of the tank, whereas it is actually in line with the bottom of the beading on the side. It was quite difficult soldering the bracket into the corner whilst keeping it level. The water scoop handle side in progress. A lot of cleaning to do at some point! Two shots of the tender with most of the etched parts now added. Luckily I should be able to complete the tender from this test etch. There were a few minor adjustments to the artwork identified during the build. The chassis almost done, and the parts for the tender axlebox/springs One completed axlebox. Now I know where the assembly pitfalls are. Nig H

OK David. The loco was built for me by John Greenwood from parts etched for an LMS Ivatt 2-6-2 by Mike Raithby. The prototypes are very similar so the etches could be used for the standard version. John has done his customary brilliant job on the loco. Here are some pics. Nig H

Here are some pics of some of the almost finished coaches. I still need to add footboards and weathering. I may try to re-fit the roof of the rear brake second. The pics below were taken without flash, then adjusted for brightness and contrast with the camera software. Here are some of the period 1 coaches. Nig H