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Focalplane

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  2. Focalplane
    A belated Christmas present to myself arrived today - Arthur Jordan's classic "The Shakespeare Route" book on the Stratford-upon-Avon and Midland Junction Railway. This has additional photos not published elsewhere with particular emphasis on the Stratford end of the line (unlike the Towcester book!). But still no definitive Midland 3F sightings in the mid-1930s.
     
    The plan of the station building at Stratford Old Town prompted me to use it as a "go by" for SketchUIp practice. But as is often the case, once you get into the details the errors start to appear in the published data. The various photos on warwickshirerailways.com will help to sort out what is right and what is wrong, but even so, the many photos were taken at different times during different eras (pre-Grouping, Grouping and BR days).
     
    So, here is the progress on the virtual 3D model:
     

     
    The oversize canopy appears to be too long by comparison with photos. Some additional research should solve this one.
     
    While examining the book I discovered a loose piece of paper in the back which turns out to be an original East and West Junction Railway memorandum dated 3 January 1883.
  3. Focalplane
    More scenery added to Legge Lane over the past few days, including track painting, ballasting, ground cover and now an embankment.
     

     
    This track is the entry/exit road to the rest of the railway.
     

     
    A shot of the latest loco, destined for Penmaenpool, sitting on a short spur off the turntable. The two adjacent roads access the engine shed and inspection pits and are suitably ballasted with cinders and real coal dust.
  4. Focalplane
    I do find some things more difficult than others and my patience can run thin at such times. I had been convinced that Slater's plunger pickups are the "way to go" with 0 gauge kits and the logic is certainly compelling. Jim McGeown has his own comments and guidance on the subject which I have followed to a T.
     
    But what I found difficult is adding the wiring to the pickups. I pre-soldered the wires to the tag, no problem, then placed the tag on the screw thread, again not too difficult. But getting the second lock nut on in a confined space took much time, concentration and the occasional blue language! But all six did eventually get placed on and tightened (though I think I should add some CA adhesive as a final warranty of success).
     
    So here are three photos:
     
    The first is the standard view:
     

     
    The next, a view from below:
     

     
    And another view from above:
     

     
    I have colour coded the left and right wires and used shrink wrap to minimize shorting out. The red cabling does not show with the body fitted, which is a relief. The strip of printed circuit board was added so that I can easily wire in the DCC sound chip which has been ordered from Digitrains.
     
    Next I need to fit the coupling rods.
  5. Focalplane
    I have spent parts of the past three days installing a lighting system above Legge Lane. Here are two photos showing the progress so far:
     

     

     
    The long stretch over Legge Lane to the opposite wall needs an extra ceiling support, so that will be done once I buy the parts. With a full 24 watts of LED lights I can see what I am doing without breaking the bank. Win win!
  6. Focalplane

    A little progress!

    By Focalplane,

    After a long hiatus, there is reason to add an entry. Poor lighting of a model is an important reason for not being as active as one might be. Certainly the current setting of Legge Lane only works at certain times of the day, so some additional artificial lighting is very necessary, particularly during winter time.
     
    I decided on a wired system but finding a good source proved to be difficult. The local bricolage stocked a few items by a German company Paulmann. Finally I tracked down a supplier (Paulmann themselves it would appear) who would sell me a packaged system to England, but not to France. Another supplier could deliver to France but at a premium of about 40%. So, as I am driving back to France soon I decided this was a good time to improve Legge Lane and today I received the package. The lights can be adjusted in any direction and can therefore be fine tuned to illuminate not only the layout but also the pictures above. A win win situation!
     
    In addition the lamps are now LEDs so the energy savings will be considerable over halogen bulbs.
  7. Focalplane
    I finally got hold of the definitive book "Shipston-on-Stour Branch" by S C Jenkins and R S Carpenter. It is a well written history of both the original Tramway and the light railway which is the focus of this blog. Many of the photos are already published on the internet but in some cases the quality is better and the descriptions perhaps more accurate.
     
    The politics of branch lines keeps cropping up throughout the history and it does seem quite practical to make a "what if" assumption about the GWR re-laying the Shipston-Stratford Tramway as a way to prevent competitors building additional lines across South Warwickshire. Ironically, the original decision to serve Shipston from Moreton was never going to be practical as most people in the area have always gravitated to Stratford for their needs. Even today the local bus service is Warwickshire managed, the buses running from Stratford to Moreton via Chipping Campden and/or Broadway. Shipston is also well served by Stratford buses as well as the express bus service between Oxford and Stratford.
     
    So I think a little history bending is in order. The following would be the basis for a revision of history:
     
    1. The original GWR light railway modification would be extended north to Stratford, with additional land being bought along the roadways south of Stratford. The original Tramway terminus in Stratford would have been scrapped and the line brought into the then existing East & West Junction Railway at Clifford Sidings, with running allowed to the GWR main line (Birmingham-Cheltenham).
     
    2. After a political fight, the E&WJR gained running rights to Moreton in exchange for running rights afforded to the GWR. This meant that LMS locos could be expected to venture south of Stratford.
     
    3. Now that the line gained through status, signaling would become necessary with multiple token running. The ground frames at Shipston might have sufficed but a small cabin would seem appropriate!
     
    4. The loco roster might be expanded due to improved permanent way designs, so a wider range of tank and tender engines could be expected, including Dean Goods 0-6-0s, small panniers, Dobbins (Jinties to most people), 2-4-0s from the E&WJR and the 14XX that started off this romantic episode in my life! The Shipston Engine Shed would have been re-opened with a small coaling stage, ash pit, etc.
     
    This pre-Beeching expansion would have allowed 'direct' train travel from Shipston to Birmingham Moor Street via Stratford as well as connections to beyond Moreton. Busy days are ahead!
  8. Focalplane
    The lost wax brass castings on my work bench are slowly disappearing. Yesterday I built up the backhead, ready to insert into the cab interior which was also masked off and painted.
     

     
    Later in the day I painted it, scratched off some of the paint to reveal copper pipes and dirty brass gauge frames, and added some prints of gauge faces.
     

     
    A pleasing day on the work bench, aided by lovely weather that allowed the spray booth to be set up on the loggia. The photos also appear on Tony Wright's discussion in support of his contention that soldering is the best form of kit assembly, assuming the kit is made of brass and nickel silver. A number of very kind "likes" have been received for which I am thankful. RMWeb does allow one to test the water with one's skills (or lack of them at times!) and I find the support from like minded people to spur me on to greater things.
  9. Focalplane
    Back to the current kit building project, the GWR 14XX. This is slowly progressing with most of the etched parts assembled on the body but there still remain dozens of brass castings to the added, including the add on auto gear kit from Peter Roles.
     
    The first photo was taken a week ago and hows the beginnings of the body taking shape. The boiler is made of two pieces of thick brass tubing, ready to solder together:
     

     
    The brass requires a lot of heat and I switched to my Weller 40 watt iron for soldering anything related to the boiler. I nearly bought a gas (butane) soldering iron from the local bricolage but they didn't have one in stock, just a demo which didn't look to be complete. The ?copper tip of the Weller iron is a pain to keep clean and won't hold solder like it should. Maybe I should get the butane alternative.
     
    The second photo I took yesterday and this is after soldering a lot of small parts. As noted above, many still remain to be added:
     

     
    A degree of cleaning up has been done but there is more to do before any thought of painting begins. The roof still needs to be added but I am going to add the backhead and controls first. The floor is removable to aid painting after the roof is added. Even so, access is limited.
     
    The instructions have also become a little less clear. As well as a few typos for etched part numbers, it really does need more clarification of what goes where. I found having scale drawings and photos most helpful but it is quite probable that I have made some errors which will be frustrating if and when discovered. It is also critical to mate the etched "skins" to the underlying framework accurately because some slots won't accept their tabs if the two sheets are misaligned. It doesn't take much and the remedy is not easy.
     
    But the overall assessment of this kit remains very favourable. Patience is definitely required and good research into the prototype is essential. One aid I realized, almost too late, was the large colour photo in the lid of the box!
  10. Focalplane
    As promised some "current status" photos:
     
    First, the chassis. Two views of the nearly completed chassis. The motor and (4) pickup wires need to be soldered to the 8 pin sicket and it needs to be fixed in place roughly where it is. The decoder will be fitted in one of the tanks and plugged in as the body and chassis are mated.
     

     

     
    Now for the body. The cab structure has been fitted to the basic tab-in-slot underframe. Next will be the tank sides and the boiler/smokebox (machined brass tubes)
     

     

     
    The underside of the footplate gives an idea of how many tabs are used to position all the pieces added so far. These have to be filed down after soldering and some final smoothing will be done once the tank sides are installed.
     

     
    The technique I will use for this will be one I learned when making polished surfaces and sections of limestones back at university. The underside of the footplate will be ground down on a sheet of emery paper laid over a sheet of plate glass. For rocks carborundum powder and water slurry is used, starting with coarse and going to very fine grade. This degree of detail will not be necessary for the underside of the footplate but it will insure that the fit of the valances, etc. will be correct.
  11. Focalplane
    Officially, summer is over. In the South of France the school holidays are over and most French holiday makers have gone back to work As is often the case in northwestern Europe, the following week can have excellent weather and our thermometer revealed 36ºC at 8 p.m. This is hardly perfect conditions to restart kit building, but I was ready to open a new box.
     

     
    The kit is my first from Modern Outline Kits, a.k.a. David Sharp. The 14XX is a departure from my LMS focus at Legge Lane but it represents good memories of the Gobowen Rattler autotrain that shuttled back and forth from Oswestry. Typically, when I was using it, the autotrain consisted of 1458 plus two auto trailers. The locomotive was always at the Gobowen end of the train. No. 1458 is therefore the prototype and it will be painted in plain lined black as I think that was its general condition (to be checked one of the days when passing by the Cambrian Railway Centre at Oswestry. The coaches will be maroon.
     
    The Collett designed replacement for the Wolverhampton designed 517 Class was in keeping with its ancestor, an 0-4-2T with a high steam dome that gave it it a period look at the time when Collett was improving (?) Churchward's designs at the high speed end of the locomotive stable.
     
    It proved to be a very capable locomotive with good acceleration, a top speed said to be 70 mph, and excellent fuel economy. Much liked by railwaymen and travelers, four have been preserved.
     
    The kit uses Dave Sharp's excellent CAD skills and consists of nickel silver etches (2) and bags of cast brass details. There is not one white metal casting in the box. Slaters' wheels and a Maxon motor/gearbox from ABC Gears are required to complete. These have been sourced while I am still debating on which sound decoder to use.
     
    I have started the chassis first. This is fully compensated with rocking beams between the two driver axles and a lateral rocking axle box for the trailing axle. Full compensation should give good electrical pickup continuity. It will also mean that the locomotive could be used on not so even outdoor track.
     
    Dave Sharp has pioneered a "tab and slot" method of joining etched components. This allows for a dry run to be made and then, after any adjustments, the assemblies (the design could be described as modular) are soldered up and the tabs filed smooth. I like this approach and will miss it when starting other non-MOK kits.
     
    Here are the first photos:
     

     
    The rocking trailing axle box. This is a small module that is bolted to the chassis
     

     
    Rear step module, showing detailed instructions included in the kit
     

     

     
    Two views of the basic chassis
     

     

     
    Two views of a temporary dry run attaching wheels and motor.
  12. Focalplane
    As the end of June approaches I have had some time away from modelling to reflect on progress so far this year. Having just read my end of 2015 entry with plans for 2016, I see I am ahead of my planned schedule for Legge Lane Gauge O.
     
    Essentially, I have one and a half locos done so far, the turntable has been completed and run in, and the track has been laid and wired up. With three locos running, the shed is already getting busy. I have mixed emotions about having a layout with no points, but I have no space for 6ft radius points. I have decided to drop the cassette storage concept and add a quick-fit removable fiddle yard to the left of the shed. This could use the three way C&L point I made this time last year.
     
    A start has been made on the engine shed and I discovered some very nice windows from York Model Making which can be fitted soon. The inspection pits inside the shed have been completed and also the ash pit on the other side of the turntable.
     
    There are two steep inclines on the layout now. The first is the coal ramp into the coal hole below the water tower. The approach road is also inclined so that I can add the fiddle yard without cutting into the decorative frame. This incline is no problem for the locos but I have noticed some slippage with the Jubilee. This is interesting because the sound synchronization is controlled by sensors on the driving axle, so slippage really does result in the correct sound.
     
    Mentioning sound reminds me that the sound project is coming along nicely. The two kit built locos have Digitrains' sound with Zimo 645 decoders. Both the Jinty and the 4F have real recordings added to the chips which is an essential component (if there is a prototype that can be recorded). Sound is catching on in the UK - see Coachmann's thread for his inside-outside Oswestry layout.
     
    The next loco is a David Andrews Compound. The tender is finished, painted and logo-ed, the engine chassis is half built.
     
    I have also been rushed into buying two coach kits and there will soon be three coaches on the go - the built but not painted Kitchen Car and now two Mark 1 coaches from Just Like The Real Thing. I expect to build all three and then batch paint them.
     
    Complete breaks from modelling are probably not a bad thing as I can think about where the project is going and do necessary research. But I am now ready to tackle the ongoing projects in a weeks time. "Focus" was my one word New Year's Resolution and I think I am doing quite well. Planning for the future sees three more locomotive kits in the wings as well as a Lee Marsh Royal Scot, scheduled for late 2017 delivery, which will be the 100th anniversary of my father's involvement in the Great War. The Scot will be named after his regiment - "The Kings Regiment Liverpool".
  13. Focalplane
    As I think I mentioned a week or so ago, I had noticed that some Just Like The Real Thing's Mark 1 coach kits were no longer available. I was able to buy one of the last, a TK or Corridor Third, complete with etched BR1 bogies. But don't be overly concerned if you need one, there will be more available in a year's time with upgraded castings, etc.
     
    I opened the box to check the contents and all seems to be well. The parcel arrived in perfect condition (I think France's La Poste gives an excellent service at this end) and nothing was broken or missing. I called Laurie at JLTRT to thank him and also asked if there might be a Brake Corridor Third available. He is looking into it.
     
    This kit is going to be quite different from the Sidelines range in that there is a lot less brass used and Roket CA adhesive will be the main building medium rather than solder. I am looking forward to starting on the kit but there are other models already in the queue that must be finished first. All reports on the progress with this model will eventually be under the Category "Corridor Third Coach".
  14. Focalplane
    With a locomotive recently completed I decided to do some scenic modelling for a change. The engine shed seems a good place to start as it really is the focal point of the layout (although some would say that would be the turntable). A simple 2 road shed with LNWR/LMS credentials was the plan and I have gained a lot of useful ideas from Jack Nelson's LNWR Portrayed. But as I am modelling the mid 1950s, there should be some later LMS influences. So, for example, a cast iron pillar might be retained even though the roof it supports has been replaced
     
    I have tossed out various ideas of a burned down roof (not uncommon) and a roof in the process of being upgraded as either of these options would allow a more visual experience for the observer. However, as it is only a 2 road shed and I plan to add lighting eventually, the idea of a complete shed has won the day
     
    The building starts out as a simple framework of thin (5mm) marine plywood with the usual north light roof line. Offices etc. will be added on one side (facing the viewer). There will be plenty of windows and these will probably come from York Model Making. In the meantime paper mock-ups will give a sense of architectural balance. The north light windows will also provide additional interior viewing.
     
    I am making good use of some modelling timber I bought in Calgary a few years ago. This is basswood and I hope I can find a local source in Europe because it is a near perfect material to work with.
     
    The plan is to complete the basic structure before starting any detailing - many of those details will have to be brought in from afar so will have to wait until Telford or Reading later this year.
     
    So far the framework for the side walls has been completed. I am almost reluctant to show it at this stage - a sort of warts and all imagery. Particularly when compared to some of the excellent buildings that are regularly seen on RMWeb. In my defense I have never actually done any of this before though there has been plenty of 1:1 scale re-modelling over the years. The sun came out and the wind dropped so here are a couple of shots:
     

     

     
    A couple of points - the two uprights at the front have yet to be trimmed; the rear wall is very temporary!
  15. Focalplane
    The 4F is just about finished and ready to add to the Legge Lane roster. 44571 is the prototype and was, during the time period being modelled, a Saltley 21A locomotive. So after two Bushbury engines we now have a representative from the old MR side of the West Midlands. The period photos show several departures from the normal or standard LMS built 4F, the most obvious being the replacement of fluted connecting rods with Stanier's higher quality steel rods that didn't require fluting. It also had steam heating pipes front and rear and they have been added but using brass fittings from Laurie Griffin instead of the vulnerable white metal ones included in the box. It is painted in an ex-works (?Derby) plain black with early BR totem.
     
    44571 would have been used on regional freights served by Saltley engines. So Bristol and Derby would be the most likely outposts, but also Leicester where I have one photo of it on shed. Its presence at the fictional Legge Lane shed would therefore be easy to explain.
     
    The Connoisseur kit went together well and I can think of no real problem in building the loco and tender. A few mistakes of my own making have been rectified and I also added Laurie Griffin's brass Silvertown lubricators which really make a difference. The chassis could do with more detailing of the inside motion but the lubricators help to hide this omission from the kit, at least from the right hand view point. Jim McGeown's kits are advertised as "entry level" basic kits and they are certainly a good introduction for anyone entertaining etched brass kit building. With a few extra fittings they can be built to a higher level. In retrospect I would suggest that the 4F is an excellent candidate for a working inside motion kit.
     
    So, here is 44571 on shed with its mates:
     

     

     

     

     

     

     
    I thought long and hard about how and where to fit the DCC sound electronics and finally decided on a tender fitting. This is largely because the Belpaire fire box is not particularly large and there is no space in the boiler for the speaker. The Mashima 1833 motor already takes up a lot of space. Early on I had decided to fit an 8 pin socket next to the motor so that the decoder could be easily switched with a DC blanking plate. But this became redundant with the new plan. However, the pickups were wired to it so I left it there and fitted a new breadboard and 8 pin socket onto the tender frame.
     
    The interior of the tender is very spacious when viewed from underneath. In fact I think the speakers from a rapper's boom box could probably fit inside. Well, perhaps not. The standard speaker could certainly be upgraded and I might yet do this. The Zimo 645 decoder has a stay alive capacitor included and I wired this into the breadboard along side the 8 pin socket.
     
    Wired for DCC:

     
    Wired for DC:

     
    All that was now needed was to run four wires from the loco to the tender. In my spares box I had some thin TCS two lead connectors and decided that these would be perfect. But what struck me in a moment of "genius" was that I could use these sockets to isolate the DCC part and simply run the loco on DC. This is accomplished by adding one male lead to the motor terminals and one female lead to the pickups with their counterparts soldered to the breadboard in the tender. Disconnect the two locomotive sockets from the tender and connect them together and, "voila", DC working is achieved without removing the bodies of either tender or engine. And to remove both bodies the sprung couplers would have to be undone as well.
     
    This system has one disadvantage - the tender emits the sound. But there is one potential advantage and that is to add pickups to the tender wheels. These would not function in DC mode, however.
     
    The only remaining additions left are the crew which need painting. I will be using Jim McGeown's white metal figures, so they will be twins to the driver and fireman in the Jinty/Dobbin.
     
    Edited to put the correct DC image in the right place.
  16. Focalplane
    When I worked on oil rigs I used to help write the morning report. The easiest days were during periods of bad weather when no operations were possible, then the standard abbreviation was WoW - Waiting on Weather. The past few days I have been waiting on the wind to die down so that I can paint the 4F body and prime the Compound's tender. This is because I spray on the balcony and it faces the frequent wind direction, the NW la Tramontane. And when the wind blows in the opposite direction from the sea, it's called le Marin and is very humid. So waiting for ideal conditions can sometimes take days. Tomorrow may be calm enough.
     
    My modelling interests have therefore reverted to soldering and the current project is the Compound's engine chassis. This is going together nicely. I have made a decision not to install the working inside motion kit from Laurie Griffin but make the kit according to Davd Andrews' basic instructions, that is neither sprung nor compensated. This decision also means I will be building a second Compound later on, using the inside motion and also adding sprung horn blocks. There is a common belief that a kit builder needs to get his or her head around the kit designer's particular style and as this is the first, but certainly not the last, of my David Andrews' kits, it makes sense to learn his rationale.
     
    This is my first loco chassis build using the Poppy's Builder Box:
     

     

     

     
    And with the huge 6' 9" drivers attached, it went for a test roll at Legge Lane. . . .
     

     
    . . . . and passed with flying colours!
     
    David Andrews is semi retired and his kits now have to be ordered at particular times of the year. I just placed my order for the second Compound as well as a Fowler Patriot. This class was another frequent sight at Birmingham New Street, often on the old MR side when I was trainspotting but they were also used on the London two hours expresses before the Jubilees took over. Compounds also often piloted the London trains when extra carriages were added, so the variations for passenger motive power will be most suitable.
     
    While modelling this afternoon I ran out of CA glue and so walked down to the local quincaillerie to buy a new tube. The owner advised me that there is a specialist shop for model trains (ancienne, or old, he said) in Perpignan, called Droguerie Ducasse. I need to check this out.
     
    Edit to add: The Poppy's Builder Box was converted specially to accommodate the 9'6" spacing between the drivers. If you model a 7mm Compound make sure you ask for this modification!
  17. Focalplane
    Having made a restart on modelling I have now switched from the Kitchen Car to the track. One bogie a day is enough for me. I am using C&L flexible track with a thin layer of card as a cushion on top of 20mm of MDF. The card is first glued to the MDF with Copydex, then the track to the card, also with Copydex. Heavy weights from the kitchen's larder are used on both gluing processes. The card allows a good height match with the rails on the turntable and first runs with the Jubilee show that the match is far smoother than often experienced on the real thing - but see below.
     
    I just took this photo in the evening sunlight:
     

     
    The track with the Jubilee simmering runs to where locos will be coaled and is a simple track with no inspection or ash pit. The next one will include the ash pit and here I will be cutting the sleepers/ties out along the run of the ash pit, using track gauges to hold the rails while the glue sets. Wooden ties were not used along ash pits so these will have to be modified to look like concrete or stone.
     
    As befits a small shed (albeit with top link Jubilees) the ash facilities will be limited and manual. The far end of the ash pit will have an incline up which tubs (or barrows) will be pushed by hand. The tubs will then be maneuvered onto a small platform from where the ash will be shoveled into a wagon. When full the wagon will be taken away by the resident tank engine, using the turntable. This latter operation is not, as far as I know, prototypical but lack of space has determined that this must be the way. The same will apply to coal deliveries.
     
    Edit on Friday, April 15th:
     
    Just 24 hours after posting this, there has been a strange event - the track leading to the turntable is now about 2mm higher than the tracks on the bridge. How did this happen? Does Copydex swell overnight? Sadly I cannot adjust the height of the turntable bridge relative to the surrounding baseboard, so I have two courses open to me to rectify this. One is to file down the rails leading onto the turntable to provide a gentle ramp, the other is to rip up the track, remove the card underlay and try again. I am not sure if I will be happy doing option 1 while option 2 would be difficult. Buit, given the properties of Copydex, not impossible. Sadly I have also added the ash pit road and while it is not completely stuck down this again will not be easy under option 2.
     
    In typing this I am beginning to realize that option 2 is probably the way to go.
  18. Focalplane
    A couple of shots taken today, just before the Kettering Show. The 4F is waiting on a few brass castings to complete, then the chassis will be painted and the wiring added. The engine and tender bodies can then be primed, but only when the weather warms up and dries out (we had a flurry of snow earlier today).
     
    The engine's chassis is back to front - my mistake - but it does help to show the beginnings of the DCC set up - two simple hard wood strips on which the 8 pin socket will be glued.
     

     

  19. Focalplane
    This is getting tedious. On Friday morning I checked in at Birmingham Airport for two flights, to Montpellier via Amsterdam. My suitcase, containing all my more expensive modelling tools, had to be checked in because its contents would not pass a hand baggage inspection.
     
    I had a one hour transfer in Amsterdam which I was assured was enough for me to go through immigration as well as change gates. I barely made it, only by running most of the way which at 70 years old was not very pleasant (have you noticed how mobile phone users simply get in the way of anyone in a hurry?) When I arrived at the gate it was about to close and the rather unpleasant Dutchman who took my ticket and listened to my out of breath complaint said "well, you made it, didn't you?" If I had had the energy I would have remonstrated further.
     
    I also noticed that the plane from Birmingham was sitting on an adjacent stand to my next departure so I felt sure my suitcase would not have had the experience I had. Wrong! It did not fly with me to Montpellier and nearly two days later I still don't have it. It has been out for delivery since 6:30 am so I suppose my suitcase is last on the list despite me being an "elite" card holder.
     
    I cannot go out because no-one can tell me where my suitcase is or when it will be delivered. Neither can I do any modelling beyond some carpentry on Legge Lane's baseboards.
     
    So to end this rather boring post, I will admit that I planned to drive back to England anyway and that is what I will do. Thank goodness my David Andrews Compound kit is not in the suitcase - I decided at the last minute to leave it behind.
  20. Focalplane
    One of the reasons for embracing Gauge 0 last year was the sad fact that my fingers could not handle the smaller parts that come with 4mm kit building. The past two weeks have seen something of a deterioration of my joints while undertaking some serious DIY, so today I took the unusual step of trying out what has always seemed to me to be an unscientific solution - the copper wrist band.
     
    People either swear by such things or look the other way with contempt. Scientific tests using groups provided with placebos suggest that these devices have no material effect. Yet many people do believe they make a difference. This may be pure psychology but if it works that way, then I am not going to be one to complain.
     
    Already, only 12 hours in on the experiment my left hand's prehensile grip between index finger and thumb is significantly less painful. Would it have been without the wrist band? I have certainly been active during that time so simple resting of the joints is not a good enough explanation for the apparent improvement.
     
    I have also started taking cod liver oil capsules again (I stopped a couple of years ago). I think I had become rather blasé about getting older and the recent painful swellings have been a wake up call to that effect.
     
    In a few days I will be able to restart some modelling - I am currently away from my workbench.
  21. Focalplane
    A quick observation that may be useful to others. It is a well documented fact that Slater's allen key is not only expensive, the metal used is softer.
     
    I have worn a couple of Slater's allen keys out so I bought several much less expensive keys that are made of harder metal. The only trouble is, the harder metal has now worn out the female countersunk screw on one wheel, leaving it locked solidly in place. Hopefully I won't have to undo it.
     
    The lesson learned is not to use too much force, whichever key is used.
  22. Focalplane
    Until I get back to France and then Bristol OGG I am at a loss of what to do with Gauge 0 Legge lane II, so I have opened a 4mm DJH kit I bought years ago. It is K70, the de-streamlined Princess Coronation pacific. Mine will eventually be 46235, City of Birmingham, in BR green, late BR logo.
     
    So far, so good. I am building the tender and everything fits except that the pre-formed tender sides don't match anything else. I suppose it is truly dangerous to assume anything, but when a tender side is pre-formed, well, you should expect it to fit the other cast and etched parts. But it doesn't.
     
    I have a work around which will probably end up with the tops of the tender sides being rather ragged. But the lesson learned is that just because a part is pre-formed it doesn't mean it has been pre-formed correctly. I should have checked before starting to assemble the superstructure.
     
    That being said, the chassis is a lovely piece of kit engineering. The brake shoes are the best I have handled since brake shoes were included in kits. And everything else fits nicely without too much fettling. I am not sure how far this is going before I return to France, but at least it proves that I can still, just about, handle a 4mm kit!
  23. Focalplane

    The "Truncation Issue"

    By Focalplane,

    At the moment I see there is a pink coloured box above which informs all of us about a software glitch following a software upgrade. Looking back through this blog I see that more than just the one entry has been truncated. As others have pointed out, these blogs are a useful diary of events, not only for others but also for the "owners" of the blog. I sincerely hope that the missing texts are re-instated.
     
    By the way, I never use Word yet this is suggested as a part of the problem. The "pound sterling" character certainly did cause a problem a few posts back, yet when I edited the post it was allowed back into the system.
  24. Focalplane
    Eight days ago I bought the Connoisseur Models LMS 4F kit from owner Jim McGeown at the Bristol O Gauge Show. I really could not wait to get stuck into it, so a week later I finished constructing the tender, though it still needs some final filing and sanding before going to the paint shop. The engine's chassis has also been started on, but that will be the subject of another post.
     
    A few comments:
    The castings for this kit are simply the best I have seen. The axle box castings needed no fettling, see previous post
    The etches fitted together well with no mismatches at all
    I still use too much solder, but most of it is either underneath or will be hidden by a full load of coal
    The vacuum hose attachment is damaged by my poor soldering but Jim puts more than two in the kit so this will probably be replaced later
    The coal rails were easier to install than I thought possible

    A few photos, but remember there will be some more fettling before the primer goes on!
     

     

     

     

     
    I have also chosen my prototype, 44571, a Saltley (21A) loco for most of its post nationalization life, with no steam heat. This was one of the later 4Fs, built around 1937 when the LMS needed quick and cheap additions to its fleet of goods locomotives.
  25. Focalplane
    I have just returned from the Bristol 7mm show and a good day was had. An excellent turnout of traders, layouts and visitors.
     
    My major purchase of the day was my next loco kit, a Connoisseur LMS 4F. I had already bought the wheels and pickups, so the kit is complete with the same motor gearbox as on the Jinty. I also visited several other stands and made new friends along the way.
     
    I also bought a carrying case for the 4F, made by Parkwood Arts. Although I don't need it yet, the exhibition price is extremely good value because there is no shipping cost involved.
     
    We watched Modelu3D's Alan Buttler do a 3D scan and then edit it on screen. He gave me a trial 3D LMS loco lamp to test and I will be in the market for a few sets (four white plus one red jewels) when they are officially released. More figures are in the works.
     
    Another stand I really enjoyed was Laurie Griffiths with his inside working valve gear kits. It would be really neat to install a set in one of my future locomotives. He even has a kit for the Midland Compound. It certainly seems a lot more attainable for me than the 00 Gauge Brassmaster's 4F (which I think is a very tight fit into an 00 gauge frame).
     
    At Eileens Emporium I was advised to wait until the 5-12" folding bars come back into stock before ordering one. This is perfect for most 0 Gauge needs. But I did buy a 2" engineers square, something my tool box has lacked for ages.
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