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N15class

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  1. N15class

    GWR HALL 7900 (9)

    By N15class,


    GWR St Peters Hall.
    I have had couple of days or half days back at my bench. The chassis has had all the castings etc fitted, just need to decide how I will do the pickups. I think I might try some back scratchers if I can find my copper strips.




     
    It will then be of to the paint shopearly in the week. The wheels will need painting too, which I am having a little trouble with rust at the moment. Not sure if it is residue flux fumes or the hi humidity here, or a combination of both.
     
    I had blued the wheels and put general purpose oil on them (3in1 type), but coming back the the bench after 2 days they were all going rusty. I have re blued them and they are now in a sealed pot with a load of oil, should be fun when I paint them.
     
    I still need to do the side control on the bogie I expect it will be along the my normal lines centre block and 3 coil springs.
     
    It will be back to the body soon. I am hoping to get this well on the way to being finished come the end of next week. I am being a little sidetrack at the moment, I have too much on the go I think. There are 3 plastic wagons and 3 locos. I know plastic wagons are easy but I started messing with them, will update those soon.
     
    Looking at the painting I am more or less certain I will go for early mixed traffic. Any one know of photos on the web of Mod Halls in this livery?
     
     
  2. N15class

    GWR HALL

    By N15class,


    GWR St Peters Hall.
    Right here is the next project. I know some of you wanted a 43XX, but you will have to make do with a Hall.
     
    Right my bargain finally arrived from the UK. Now I have actually got it in my hands what do we know about it?
     
    Well. I have seen worse not sure when or where, but I must of. I came in a ACME hall box, but I am not sure it is from them. The Hawksworth tender has JM models written on it. The loco etchings look good, if not complete, Lots have been put on back to front or inside out so you are looking at the rivet dimples rather than lumps.
     
    It seems from enquiries that I have a Modified Hall, of the 6959 series. So at least I know what pictures to look at for details. I will decide what name to use later on.
    It has been assembled with blobs of solder evostick a filler of some sort, and something I can't describe and not really sure if I want to know where it came from.
     
    Apart from getting more information about the prototypes, I could do with a set of instructions for the ACME hall, can any one help, pleeeaaasssssse. A set for JM's tender would also be handy. Unless it is just the inner chassis from them. The first proper job will be to shift the paint and see if I can remove the whitemetal before I stick it on the gas stove, after the cook has gone home.
     
    I will let you make up you own minds from the photos. But I feel it has got to be easy after the West Country.
     










  3. N15class

    S&DJR FULL BRAKE (7)

    By N15class,


    S&DJR PBV
    Here we are again. I am being very good at the moment and trying to get projects finished.
     
    I have finished lining the PBV and all in all I am quite pleased. I did the lining under a magnifying glass, which for me was much better. It is not as good as some peoples from this manor. From general viewing distance it looks very much the part.
     
     




     
    And a very cruel close up. The varnish should help to bring it all together.

     
     
    I have to give it a coat of varnish to protect the finish. I have discovered a set back. I have no transfers. I thought the S&DJR were on one of the LMS HMRS transfers sheets. I was not worried as I have all the LMS ones. But I have now found out they are on the Midland sheet. Now need to try and get a sheet sent here from the UK not the easiest thing in the world as HMRS do not do internet sales.
     
    So for now it will be going on hold for a month or two, which is a shame because I wanted to get it to the UK and sold.
  4. N15class

    GWR HALL (6)

    By N15class,


    GWR St Peters Hall.
    This is about as far as I can go with this until my new castings arrive. It has been fun doing it so far, the kit would be good to do from new.
     
    I have now got the running plate finished etch wise, the overlay for the top had to have 3 bits removed and new made. It turned out very well. As Eric used to say to Ernie "you can't see the join" Well I hope you can't anyway. I made the joins where they were on the prototype. I missed spaced a couple of rivets, but I put it down to the fitter in Swindon having a beer tomany the night before he assembled the running plate. The cab has been made and is fitted to the running plate.




     
    I assembled the firebox and it's casting, boiler and smoke box on the running plate by tack soldering to get it in the right possitions, then solder the 3 together. By removing the tacks the assembly can be removed for painting.

     
     
    There are a few brass parts that need fitted, like the reversing rod, and the sand box operating linkage. there are a couple of plates that I need to make for the front of the hanging plate.




     
    Well hopefully my parts will be here by Feb, as that is when the nameplates will be sent. I am hoping I can get the tender painted before I go to Rio on Tuesday, so it can be lined along with the Westcountry on my return.
  5. N15class

    GWR HALL 7900 (14)

    By N15class,


    GWR St Peters Hall.
    I was asked in sometime in the past, that I should do a before and after post.
     
    So as the hall is almost finished I thought I would bore you all with a whole load of pictures. I still some work to do including a coat of varnish. But as you can see it is almost there.
    Well I hope you enjoy the following, If you do get board before the end, I will understand.






















     
     
    Congratulations if you made it this far. I promise the next post will ave a little more imformation and less pictures.
  6. N15class

    WEST COUNTRY (20)

    By N15class,


    W/c class watersmeet
    Long time no updates, I have been doing a little work. Still waiting for odd bits to turn up.
     
    But at long last I have finished this one. After the traumers with the chassis to get it running. The rest was plain sailing just slow as I have had other things taking up my time. The name plates came I am impressed with the quality, just a little bit of a pai having to cut them out. I have added all the transfers etc since last post and it has all been varnished.
     
    I think it looks the part but will let you all be the judges of that though. It is a bit of a photo overload, but I blame it on the lack of recent posts.
     
    The first ones are prior to fitting buffers etc. But after varnishing.








     
    These next few are after final assembly.
    Close up off the tender and cab. C/W fallplate

     
    Tender front showing fall plate

     
    Cruel close up of the injectors etc on R/H side

     
    And the whole thing.

  7. N15class

    GWR MOGUL (2)

    By N15class,


    GWR 63XX MOGUL
    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 the wheels are now out of customs, but bad news is they are going to charge me, and that they are now with the post office. Cleared on the 3rd and still no sign of them coming my way.
     
    Things are going to be slow now until I get the acid. I not even gonna try and get some sent here. Now what can I do without it. Another plastic scratch build maybe?
     
    Here is the state of play so far.



  8. N15class

    1076 class (2)

    By N15class,


    GWR 1076
    Here are a few photos of my 7mm Buffalo under construction. I think you will see it is a very straight forward build nothing to fancy. I am looking forward to the day it is finished I get board with some builds this was one unfortunatly.

    Above is the footplate section, this just requires the buffers soldering on and then can be painted. I try to build loco's for ease of painting. This is all black so needs only the buffer beams masking.

    Above and below show the body before and after detailing. As seen from the top photo the bodyis a seperate unit and in the lower it is screwed to the footplate to allow the fitting of the details willstill split atpainting stage.

    Below is the backhead which I have added a little extra detail to help make it look betterthan the plain casting and also a shot of one of the injectors that have been modified to allow the units to come apart again.


    I hope that has brought things upto date, I am in the process of painting so I will post those soon.
  9. N15class

    GWR HALL (2)

    By N15class,


    GWR St Peters Hall.
    Here we are it has been a dirty few days but most of it is free of solder if not clean. I think I will be cleaning as I go, stops the boredom. My wet and dry has taken a hammering, but is well worth the effort.
     
    I start with a picture of my dustpan, this little lot was just taking the tender apart not scrapping the solder off. I think the whole thing as losy 0.5kg.

     
    I took some pictures of the loco before taking it apart to show what I had to start with. Surprisingly the etches I thought where missing were in the whole in the wrong place. There are quite a few castings not around, but spoke with John at ACME and I have a set for the loco on their way to me. So will get as much done as I can without them.



     
    I have made the parts to compensate the loco and tender. Aswell as starting to reassemble the tender. It has gon together nicely just as expect from JM. There is a bit of filling to do where parts had been butchered to fit wrongly. The coal space looks like it has had a ton of nutty slack dropped on it.





     
    All in all it is going very well. I have even started painting the West Country. The boiler and smoke box have been rerolled and look good, photos next time.
  11. N15class

    BEATTIE 0298 CLASS (5)

    By N15class,


    LSWR/SR BEATTIE 0298 class, BWT.
    Have been adding a little detail to the body, It has been a little slow as I have had some time away from the workbench. Mainly waiting for things and people that never turn up.
     
    The first pictures show the bunker rear and the water filler which was scratch built as there was not one with the kit. I still need to add the top lamp iron, and the fire iron brackets, once I have worked out how to make them.


     
     
    We then move onto the injector feed, which was also built up from brass as the white metal one was incorrect in shape and where the whistle fitted.

     
    Now onto the smokebox door, which I repositioned and and added the hinges and a new dart.

     
    Now we move onto the cylinder lubricators, clack valves and blower valve. The first two come from Laurie Griffin, the later was out the spares box.


     
    Next we get to the sanding operating lever and rod on the drivers side.

     
    Next is a full view of the drivers side showing all the pipes and rods etc. I also fitted the hand brake in the cab. There are levers and handwheels to add to the rods etc in the cab. That will happen when I start the cab detailing. The front lamp brackes still need to be done. Then it is just down to the chimney and dome I think.

  12. N15class

    WEST COUNTRY (9)

    By N15class,


    W/c class watersmeet
    Right here we are finally. With the last post I thought I was there apart from a few castings.
     
    But first the chassis pictures that were left off the last post.


     
    So we start by cleaning up the axle boxes and soldering them on. I then fitted the rear lamps, these needed a little bit carving out of them to pinch the wires, that act as the conduits. A quick photo session reveals that muggings had not fitted the water filler. So that was a root around to find it. It was one of the worst castings in the kit. Also at this time I realised I had not soldered a wire to the bottom of each tank side to represent, the projecting footplate.





     
     
    Finally half a hour of cleaning solder off, and the few little castings had used up another complete modelling session. But at least now it is just a good scrub down and priming. That is unless anything decides to fall of while cleaning.
  13. N15class

    WEST COUNTRY (5)

    By N15class,


    W/c class watersmeet
    I have progressed a little with the chassis's and the body. There is a lot that needs to be made, or corrected, this is not a problem just makes it slow. I am waiting for s few parts from the UK, and I also have order a book the Power of the Light Pacifics, or whatever it is called. Should give me a little more help.
     
    I have got a basic rolling chassis now, I am trying to position the footplate now. It comes to light the rear section is to wide. Still got to do the pony and bogie. The pony looks like it will work well without too much messing around. The bogie I think will be a different story.


     
     
    I have also finished off the compensation on the tender chassis. This is now rolling too. I had to make up some brake hangers from nickle silver, and some brake blocks from copper clad board. These will be added along with other brake rigging in the near future.

     
    The cab sides and roof were one etching this is now made into 2 sides and a roof. I had to make a new cab front as the kit one did not fit the body width. I also made up a couple of formers for the front and rear of the firebox. This I hope will aid joining it all together. The front cab windows will also have made but I will do those when the cab shell is together. The cab roof and body roof where run through the rollers just to give me more of an idea where it was all going.


     
     
    Not sure if I would not of been better off throwing the brass in the scrap bucket and selling the cast iron wheels. But as I have got this far it will now be complete. It is an intersting project. The detail in the kit seems to change. There are plent of rivets to punch out on the loco body, but the tender seems to be an after thought. As there is no detail to the front or the top. It is almost like it was designed made and someone said where's the tender as it was being put in the box.
  14. N15class

    MIDLAND 3130 (10)

    By N15class,


    LMS 3130 class
    Right finally finished or so I thought. Transfered all the photos to the pen drive looked at them before writing this post, and see that I had not fitted the front number plate well thats tomorrows job now.
     
    I have built the tiniest test track you can imagine, and this runs lovely. Not much to write here as it was just pputting it back together. Adding buffers, safety valves etc.
     
    I will just let the photos show the last of the story. Here it is finished in it's first BR livery. With the LMS on the left hand side now moved.






     
     
    And the moody low level shot.

  15. N15class

    GWR 850 CLASS (5)

    By N15class,


    GWR 850 CLASS
    I have got the motor and gears fitted to the chassis, I have also added the the reversing arm, lift links and counterbalance weights to the valve gear. I have had a major panic with it though. I am not sure if the motor will fit inside the firebox clear of the cab and front wall. I have put a canon motor in, in place of the larger one I was going to fit.
     
     

     
    So I have got on with the footplate. Once I have fitted the bottom of the firebox, and the cab, or at least the cab front I will check it out. If it does fit I think it will be tight, no need to tether the gearbox or motor.
    So far the body has not had any problems it has all fitted together quite nicely.
     


     
     
     
    I have started looking at numbers for it. I am having to decide quite early as there are lots of variations.
    So far I have come up with the following, but need to get on with the final decision.
    1) 1912 closed cab, Collett bunker, plain tank no rivets, black, early BR emblem.
    2) 1907 open cab, Dean bunker c/w coal rail, green, Great Western.
    3) 2005 open cab, Dean bunker no coal rail, green. Monogram.
    4) 1912 open cab Collett bunker, plain tank no rivets, green, with what could be Great Western on the tank. If not GWR.
    5) 1902 open cab Collett bunker, green Monogram.
     
    As you can see there are plenty of choices. Now which one??????????
  16. N15class

    IVATT CLASS 2 TANK (26)

    By N15class,


    Ivatt 2mt tank
    Here we are at the end of another adventure. The Ivatt has now been finished apart from glazing.
     
    I was very pleasantly surprised the transfers from Fox arrived in 22 days, for mail not tracked it must be a record. It normally just never arrives. The emblem is from Fox and the numbers from HMRS. As usual I had to use 3 of the lovely emblems to get two. But never mind.
     
    I think the lining looks a lot better now coated with some black tinted varnished.
     
    All in all I am pleased with the way it turned out What do you think.
     
    Next up is a Dukedog rebuild. I am not sure whether to continue it on here as a blog or open a thread as I did for my own models. Not sure if it is me but there seems to be a decline in responses here. But I will not need to decide now as I am going to get on with the G6 now as it is only a few weeks before we go away. So it will not be started until November, need some tender wheels from Guildex anyway.
     





     
     
    Nice to have the bench clear for things that are just for me.
  17. N15class

    GWR HALL (4)

    By N15class,


    GWR St Peters Hall.
    Progress to date, has been quite good. I have now got all the sub assemblies together most need more parts adding and all need to be fitted together.
    The boiler needs lots of fitting to get the cone to fit right. I will look into it properly in a few days.
    I have manged to speak to John at ACME and he is going to supply a complete set of castings for the loco. I know you can get better ones but I thought it far more cost effective doing it this way. Maybe if I was going to keep it I would source the individual castings.
     
    The fire box wrappers have been replaced, but some silly sod formed them the wrong way around So the left and right sides were reversed. As I managed to get them fitting really well I re drilled the washout plugs and filled the wrong ones with wire.

     
    Both sets of frames work well the loco chassis rolls very well with the connecting rods attatched. It is now wating for the castings to arrive so that it can be finished. I have started the tender brakes and found a water scoop from my spares box.


     
    The bogie has been rebuilt and is now waiting for me to sort out the centralising system.

     
    The tender has had the cosmetic frames added aswell as the steps. Half the treads were missing so new ones have been made.

     
    The loco running plate just needs the overlay sweating onto the top, then I can start fitting the upper works.

     
    The cab has been assembled but needs a little cleaning up before fitting to the footplate.

     
    As you can see with all the parts resting together it is begining to look more like a locomotive than a pile of scrap.


  18. N15class

    GWR HALL 7900 (10)

    By N15class,


    GWR St Peters Hall.
    Have been doing a little to the hall body.
     
    We started with the smokebox front which was a little small. So I rolled up a bit of 010" brass to fit inside to reduce the diameter. I also did the bands on firebox, which was easy once I had the right information from the good folks on here.


     
     
    It was then onto the sand box linkage and the reversing leaver. Then on with the other white metal castings on the running plate. I had to make a couple of handrail and ejector pipe brackets for the right hand side, as there were none on the model or in the pack of castings. It was interesting sorting out the boiler side ejector pipe work. The final bits are the injectors behind the steps. I am not sure about the drivers side, as I have no clear pre preservation photos.
    The next task is to do all the details on the boiler, firebow unit etc







     
     
    And of coarse you can never resist trying the top feed and chimney just to see how it will look!!!


     
     
     
    The chassis also got a coat of primer at the same time as the 3130 did.


     
     
     
    I had some lovely information posted on a questions thread I am running. It shows that 7900, came out of Swindon in lined black with the ferret on the dartboard emblem. With the Hawksworth tender. So black it will be.
     
    You will have to excuse the number of photos I seem to of got carried away.
  19. N15class

    BEATTIE 0298 CLASS (7)

    By N15class,


    LSWR/SR BEATTIE 0298 class, BWT.
    Well what with starting the lining on the Hall I have managed to get my Well Tank painted.
     
    You will have to excuse the number of photos, but I like it.
     
    We start off with the main body which unfortunatly used the last of my acid 8 primer. Need to go to the car paint shop I found here.

     
    Next up is the chassi which was done in red oxide, its black so will not matter.

     
    The cylinders were also done in acid 8.

     
    The cab roof and the back head were done in some grey primer I had bought here, looks ok to my eyes.

     
    As this loco is for me I thought it ought to have a crew, so I found a suitable driver and fireman. Looking forward to painting these I have not painted poeple since my Airfix days.

     
    And finally the sum of the parts.

     
     
    All I need to do now is make up my mind to whether it will be black or black lined green. And of coarse find some short Southern transfers.
  20. N15class

    GWR HALL (3)

    By N15class,


    GWR St Peters Hall.
    It has not been a bad couple of days. Not as long at the bench as I would of liked.
     
    Things are progressing quite nicely. I have the loco frames back together. I will remake the rods and then I will get it running, hopefully it will run well as the chassis is nice and square. I have had to make new cylinder covers. The look 100% better than the original ones.
     

     

     
    The running plate is now folded up the right way out. The front stepdown has been remade you will see why in the following photos. I will have to do the same with the rear step down too. The rear one will not be so bad as there is a lack of rivet detail. The front is now almost complete I jst need to make the ovelays for the front framing. I soldered up all the splasher and framing folds which has helped to stiffen things up.
     

     

     

     
    The boiler and smoke box where rolled a little while ago but the photos are here now. Both surprised me by forming very nicely I though I may need to remake both.
     

     
    The cab is ready for reassembly. Again nothing needed remaking. I will be try to make the boiler firebox and smokebox removable, I will also look at the cab and see if that can easily be done aswell.
     

  21. N15class

    IVATT 2MT (16)

    By N15class,


    Ivatt 2mt
    Well the end has come, the final assembly has been completed and the loco is now in a box waiting for postage to the UK.
     
    It seems to have taken too long to do, but when I think about how it arrived on my door step it is not too suprising. I don't think the kit was at fault. I think it was not starting from fresh etches. This kit came from a ACME kit, the etches where labeled as College kits, which I think were quite good. I have got one of their 43XX class to do, which looks really good, and what little I have has been nice to do.
     
    I like having made something slightly bigger than an 0-6-0 tank. Which I think my previous 15 or so builds had been. But with the west country and my next two projects. There is a rather nice little LMS 3130 0-6-0 to do. There is also a great likelyhood that the next will be a GWR Hall for rebuilding. That again is from ACME. When it arrives I will decide. So the trend is changing. Four tender locos on the trot, would be a record for me. I also have a Scorpio 850 in the UK which will Be coming here sometime in the near future.
     
    Well Hope you all don't mind this overdose of photos, Thanks for all the comments, etc.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  22. N15class

    IVATT 2MT (15)

    By N15class,


    Ivatt 2mt
    I now think I have finished the painting on this. It has been a bit of a struggle to get it this far. All in all I am pleased with it. I just need to reassemble it all now, I just rested it together for these photos.
     
    I gave it a coat of varnish with black added, but I then gave it a coat of straight varnish. This was because I over thinned the first go and it was a little patchy for my liking.









     
     
     
    Having been a good boy by getting this one ready for final assembly, lining out the the PBV, and sending the A1 to England. I can now reward myself with getting the West Country out the box again and attemp to get it finished.
  23. N15class

    W/COUNTRY CLASS

    By N15class,


    W/c class watersmeet
    Right here we go the start of a new project. This is another one of those kits that was aquired from a well known site for not a lot of money. Yes I know I need my bumps reading. I was just a good deal. I am sure the cast wheels for the bogie and drivers would cost more than the kit did. I bought Slaters ones for the tender and pony.
     
    It had been started but the only bit touched was the loco body, someone tried to form it. It will be alright on the night though.
     
    The kit is an ex Wagon and Carriage works one, I do not know much about the heritage of the kit I think it was originally drawn by Jim Harris, the chassis has oakville etched on it. So I think it has done the rounds.
     
    The only thing really done was to cut the body into sides and top, from the on piece etch. The kit was also designed for outside bearings on the tender, so I have measured up ready to make a new inner chassis that I will compensate on the front two axles.
     
    The loco will also be compensated on the front two drivers. This will be a bit of a task as there is no provision for horn blocks. I will be getting new crossheads and slide, and injectors from Meteor, as they do nice lost wax cast ones.
     
    The first real task for me to do is the tender chassis, I will also make some spacers for the loco, as it has the round bar type ones which I do not like.
     
    The kit comes with a cast white metal cab and an etched brass one. I will go withthe brass one as it will look better, I am though having trouble with what width it is supposed to be? It is not quite 9' but to big for 8'6". I will be making it with an 8' 6" cab. As I would like to make it as Watersmeet, Lundy would of been better but that one was rebuilt.
     
    The rest ot the etchings look OK and there are lots of white metal casting for every thing that was bolted on. We will see how good they are later.
     



  24. N15class

    S&DJR FULL BRAKE (5)

    By N15class,


    S&DJR PBV
    I have now got this into a position ready for lining. So it looks like I ought to get my head into gear and get this and my Ivatt class 2 finished off. As you may of seen My little A1 number 735 is now complete and is in its box ready for shipment.
     
    The Underframe was given a coat of Halfords finest satin black. The interior and roof a coat local spray white gloss. Not the best or easiest to use but it worked. Finally the side were done in precision S&DJR blue.
     
     




     
    I am pleased with this the sides do not look as bad as I thought they would. It is going to be a big learning cure for me I have never done a fully lined out coach before. So if you here on the news of a strange blue cloud over the Amazon you will know what caused it.
     
    It may be sometime before the next post here, as I am sure I will be sided tracked on projects easier than lining, like the West Country build.
  25. N15class

    LSWR 735 (9)

    By N15class,


    LSWR 735
    It has not been a very good week on the model making front, I try not to work at the weekends at the moment, and the wife has had three days holiday this week. I have also spent a lot of time redrawing the first floor plans for our house. So two mornings is not much time when it comes to making big advances. As it is down to detailing now it seems even slower. I suppose a lot of it is my own fault for making something that is not in the box.
     
    Well down to what I have been doing, as you will remember I made up the pull push gear last week. I now have made the new regulator handle, and clean up the backhead casting, I have planed how it will all go together, so this maybe will be done in the next session, Depending on how fed up of lamp irons I become.
     

    I have been detailing the smokebox, and filling excess holes. I thought Victorian engines were quite free from visible adornements. I think I may of been wrong. And of course Drummond had to be different with his lamp irons. The socket is on the iron not the lamp. so each iron seems to take forever to make. Then make sure you do not end up with component parts when soldering it to the loco. I think they look right I just wish I had of ordered some from Mr Griffin before our holiday in the UK Christmas then I could of brought them to Brasil with us. (Note to self, PLAN AHEAD MORE).


     
    Just need to do the bunker ones now.
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