jazz

Looking good Ken, I reckon it'll look mega with a little weathering to tone down the white lining just a smidge !

 

How's the B1 coming along ? Is it showing itself to be an accurate kit in terms of look and dimensions ? The B1 is on my list for the future.. after the L1.

 

JB.

Hi Jonathan. The B1 appears to catch the atmospher of the prototype. I have not been pedantic enough to check all the diamentions but the main areas seem OK.

I have just primed her today, final assembly tomorrow, then I'll post pics. Regards ken.

Hi All. Just had a fabulous week on the south coast, riding the Bluebell line amongst other things.

Just spent today doing a bit more painting on the Adans Radial. Not a lot left to do on her now. Here she is before weathering down to working condition.

Well, after playing around with films & youtube, it's back to the B1. The body is going well. It's great when parts fit as they should. I have filled the boiler and the firebox with lead, leaving just enough room for the motor to sit vertically in the firebox.

This model is HEAVY.

Another film of Mondays visit to Johns loft layout. This time loco I built for him fours years ago. She is on an express none stop run.

Thanks to Brian, I have the upload correct this time.

Shame about the roof supports, but as John said, it would have entailed a very costly rebuild of the roof.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNbk8uvPTcQ

Hi Ken,

 

The wonders of modern technology, and best of all you either took the film on a tripod or you have a very firm grip, shakey pics are one of my pet hates. Look forward to seeing some more of your work in action.

 

Regards, Martyn.

No tripod Martyn. I have just purchased the Panasonic SDR550. It has advanced O.I.S. which helps a lot. Also I use the two handed method of filming, like using the hand gun two handed, reduces the shake considerably. (I see so many folks using one hand and you can see the camera shaking)

Hold the camera as normal in the right hand. With the left, firmly grip the pop out screen. Lock the right elbow into the side of your body, that will then give the most stability. This camera has 78x zoom, when using zoom, like using a high power telescope, a tripod is then a must.

This is a test to see if I have done it right.

I spent yesterday afternoon at my friends loft layout filming ant photographing some of the 40 + locos i have built for him over the past 25 years.

This loco is about 15 years old now and performing beautifully.

PS Thanks to Brian for explaing how to upload these from Youtube. The only thing now, is how do I just upload my own videos and not a list of other peoples when you open the links below?

Hi Rob,

 

Just a word of warning, the Meteor WD drove me nuts !!! I mean who does white metal slide bars ( they do !!), the kit is like reading the novel war & peace steer well clear. I have not had dealings with the Roxey kit although I have built a few jltrt and they do go together well and the castings are 1st class.

 

ATB, Martyn.

I'll second that. We did replace the slidebars on the B1. They were lost wax castings but too bad to use.

Thanks Ken, The Roxey one sounds pretty good - it lists all lost wax castings as opposed to the Meteor whitemetal ones (they also list a 2-10-0 as well as the 2-8-0) While searching I also came across one that Just Like the Real thing list, that looks again to have all lost wax castings. Thanks for the description of the return crank.

Yes, the JLTRT will be a real nice kit, I have some of those kits on my layout.

HI Rob I don not, as a rule, replace the Slater's crank bushes. The exception is the centre axle where a return crank is used. I then use Gladiator threaded bushes on brass 10BA bolts. The reason for brass is to allow the return crank to not only be soldered to the bush but also the bolt. The threaded bushes also make for a very solid fixing for the return crank.

I'm not surprised you will not find the B1 on the Meteor site as I'm pretty sure Geoff mentioned it's now part of his range of kits. (His website has crashed an is currently being rebuilt)

I have not built either the Roxey or Meteor WD 2-8-0 but have built models from both camps. Reading the specs on the respective sites, if you are prepared to spend a bit of time & effort with the Meteor, it should made a nice model. If you are prepared to pay more for the Roxey, it will probably be an easier build. (At the other Roxey kits I have built have been no problem.)

I have built Geoffs ROD 2-8-0's, they are very nice to build.

On with the B1. I now have the chassis completed as far as I ca until it's painted. Tomorrow is onwards with the body. All went rather well, just a couple of minor things to adjust to get it running smooth. Clearances for the valve gear were not a problem as in some kits.

Here she after todays build.

the varish i uesd was Humbrol satin & not Railmatch

Oh well, can't explain that one. Maybe it's the weather conditions at the time of spraying? I always have more problems in the summer months than the colder, dryer air of the winter. Many a time the paint has bloomed in the summer.

Hi Brian. I take my hat off to you. I just cannot bring myself to tackle building diesels. I looked at a number of diesel kits and thought, no thanks.

Interesting comment about the Railmatch satin turning glossy. It's just happened to me on the last new can from my stock. Had to respray it with my new batch of Precision Paints.

The Baby Deltic looks very a very nice job. (So does that Brit & Duchess on the thread)

Now for a real stranger on the WB, from the strange lands of the east, an LNER B1. This is a Meteor kit. So foar it's going quite well. Geoff supplied replacement slide bar/piston rod assembly from one of his LNER kits.

The tender had no problems at all. Just a little cutting and filing to get the tool tunnel to fit nice. I moved the side frames out 1mm to allow the sprung buffers to operate. This is not all noticeable. I also had to fill & redrill the lifting holes as the tool box covered the etched hol on the right side.

The loco footplate has fold down valences. This made the job of folding and bending of the footplate and its overlays quite easy. I had to shim the backs of the cylinders with 15 thou plastcard to give sufficient clearance for the conecting rods. Again not noticeable. The only dissapointment was the coupling rods are etched solid. It will not be a problem as I am fitting 10 wheel pickups, so there will not be any stalling at crawl speeds. Again, this loco is to have the Ron Chaplin power plant.

Now looking forward to the rest of the build.

Thanks Rob. It's a very long time since I did work like the LMS loco. My lining skills have waned a bit. Just need practice I guess.

3.5 lbs, Ken?

Ha Ha, not quite, just short of 2lbs. She will be pulling no more than 6 coaches on this guys layout. Albiet a quite large layout at 25' x 30' oval. In fact I am delivering the loco myself and will be spending the afternoon filming some of his 40+ locos I have built for him pounding the layout.

This was taken on my last vist, built & painted by yours truly about 14 years ago and still doing stirling work as seen here last summer.

Hi All. Now here is a rare sight leaving my WB, a finished model painted by yours truly and ready for delivery on Monday.

This is the Scorpio Grange. Lovely kits, shame one cannot see the inside valve gear. It's kinda nice to know it's there though.

I have now change from Railmatch paints to Precision Paints. Much better paint and I am now using my airbrush instaed of the spray cans. It's slower but much better control and easier to get in all the nooks & crannies.

She is finished off with Precision satin varnish,again applied with the airbrush.

A Ron Chaplin gearbox/Cannon motor makes for a really quiet and smooth runner.

SJ Thanks for your kind comment. I guess I am adicted to striving for the very high standards of the top painters and frustrated when I fail to do so.

When you look at this model I built but painted by such a person, you can see what I mean.

Looks good to me Jaz.

Bob

Thanks Bob. It it a bit ragged at one or two places (Can be hidden hder a bit of exra dirt/grime)

The easiest was the boiler bands. All I had to was a black line on white blank waterslide transfer paper. Then using a new craftnife blade, a cutting matt and steel rule, cut a straight line either side of the black.

I found it did not work until I sprayed acrylic varnish over it first. (Crystal Coat varnish as supplied by the transfer paper manufactures.) These papers are designed for PC printer use and the varnish is meant to seal the printer ink.

Hi all. Took some time out today to play around with the lining on the Adams Radial. Admittendly, still not up to exhibition standards i on the lining. But I think by the time it has had some subtle weathering it will pass muster on the layout.

I guess I will have to practice more and not shy away from lined locos on my layout.

Hello Jazz / Ken,

 

in one of you photo of the Grange you have fitted the internal valve gear, now to my questions, who makes it? Does it work and how much of it can you see. Have you gone to the trouble to make the valve spindles move with it.

At one time I spent a lot of time fitting some to a loco that I had built, only to discover that to see the valve gear you had to have the loco on its roof, now that does not help running.

 

OzzyO.

Hi OzzyO. Scorpio kits come with dummy valve gear and looks very nice especially when picked out in slightly dirty red.

It is designed not to touch the axle so will not affect the running of the model. In fact the axle that the cranks are on is sprung.

How much can you see? On some of my Scorpio locos quite a bit at normal viewing. On this loco it is visibla at certain angle so is worth the effort. Some locos it is not worth it as it would be too difficult to see at normal viewing angles so not worth doing IMHO.

Really enjoyed the journey on this amazing build. Many thanks for sharing it with us all.

Hi guys. Cracking on today with the Grange. Now down to the final detailing only.

The boiler/smokebox were checked gainst the cast s/box front and the cast joining ring between the two units. A minimal amount of filing of the castings made a nice sung fit when the units were soldered along the joints.

As in the photos, I spot soldered the units to the casting from the insides.

When ready to attach the boiler/ smokebox to the cast firebox front I use a piece of wire passed through the boiler handrail holes to check all is horizontal.

The firebox is bolted to the cab front and the smokebox was drilled and a nut soldered to the the base. This enabled it to be bolted to the footplate. This will, of coures, make painting a doddle.

The boiler was attached to the firebox by small holes drilled through the boiler and into the firebcx front casting. 30 thou brass wire was then soldered in and filed flush. This held the boiler unit firmly in place. The boiler band then covered the pins.

That's it for today.

Hi all. Here we are on a splendid very warm evening with the sun blazing into the work shop (actually it's the rear bedroom)

The plates from Guilplates arrived this morning, I've wasted no time in applying them to the Johnson 1F. Install the crew and add the Dinghams and she ready to roll. I finished off the painting with KEEN Acrylic Crystal Clear varnish. This is wonderful stuff, a tad expensive at £15 for a 400ml spray can, but dries in under an hour and very easy to use. Then coated the s/box wrapper/chimney with Railmatch weathered black and a light dusting with Carrs powders.

I intend full weathering with the airbrush when I get the Adams Radial finshed and do both together.

Also on the WB is this rather nice Scorpio Grange. Now well underway and going together in fine style as is usual with these kits. The firebox required no filing to make it sit right either.

Adtian, I had a gander at your website, lovely work, nice site. Ken

Ken/Adrian

Ian Rathbone, in his book, recommends using linseed oil to thin enamel paint that is 'less than fresh'. I have not tried this yet as my local 'quality' art supplies shop has closed down. Have either of you tried this?

Sandy

That's a new one on me Sandy.. I have to say I'm seriously considering trying to find a good man at lining to do this for me. I know two guys, one is a bit hit & miss, somestimes really good, othertimes not so good.

The other guy is absolutely top notch but has a waiting time of many months & very expensive. My problem is trusting the unknown as I want a nice looking loco at the end of it all.