drduncan

Thanks! D

Ian, That's very kind of you. I'll be up today and will stop by. Regards Duncan

Thanks! D

The crank pins have arrived and I've managed to escape to the workbrench for short periods over the last few days. The coupling rods have had Alan Gibson brass coulping rod bushes soldered in place to reduce the rather large holes in the Hornby coupling rods down to somthing appropriate for Alan Gibson crank pins. At the same time the chemical blackening was gently buffed away using a glass fibre brush. The rods were then put to one side while I worked on the driving wheels. First, a 1.5mm drill was turned very breifly in the hole for the crack pin in the rear of the wheel to give it a countersink and allow the pin to be screwed right home. Don't make the countersink too deep or you'll ruin the wheel..... I then removed the brass bearing bushes from the orginal Hornby wheels as these get used on the Alan Gibson replacement wheelsets. Ultrascale laser cut balance weights were added to the Alan Gibson wheels, and the non-driven axles and wheels were assembled, with the Hornby brass bearing bushes and quartered using the GW models wheel press and quatering jig. If you don't have one and want to use wheels other than Romfords, get one, it is quite simply the easiest way to quarter axles and worth every penny. The driven axle was dropped in place and the overhang on each side carefully equalised before the poistion of the gear wheel was marked using a felt pen. The axle was then removed, put on a cutting mat and with the edge of a file over the gear wheel mark, gently rolled along to knurl the axle to give the gear wheel something to grip. Unfortunatley, the gear wheel proved to be a loose fit so did not bite on the kurled area; it was secured with a small amount of superglue. The driven axle was then assembled. and test fitted along with the other 3 to see what sideplay there was and how many spacing wahsers might be needed. On the driven axle, 1x1mm spacer was fitted on each side. On the leading axle the plastic gubbins supporting the cylinders prevented full sideplay, so 0.75mm of spacers were added on each side to prevent it rubbing on the plastic. On axles 2 and 4 I'm going to try giving them full sideplay in the hope that it will allow 2811 to go round corners without chucking itself into the cess alongside the rails and waving its wheels in the air. The coupling rods were then test fitted on the wheels and a problem emgered. The Hornby coupling rods are much thinner than the crankpin bush, so there is huge amounts of side play. I think there are two possible solutions: 1. Dress the bushes down with a file until they are the right length. 2. Replace the rods with either Comet or Alan Gibson ones. At the moment I'm leaning towards (1) becasue there is always a possbility that the replacment rods may be fractionally different to the honrby wheel base and poor running (if any running) will be the only result. I shall mull things over at ExpoEM tomorrow and perhaps someone there might have a bright idea.... drduncan

Hi Richard, Thanks fof that. I don't suppose you can date the Hannan/Hannah Sawell wagon drawing? Regards D

Hi Horsetan, You're very lucky! Whenever I see a Finney kit on ebay (and its one I want) it always seems to go for at least the sum I would have paid the manufacturer! drduncan

I converted this loco a few months ago - actually it was done behind Westcliff at the Watford show and took about 3 hours or so for the basic conversion, so it was running on Westcliff, thanks to Richard Butler's indulgence, towards the end of the Sunday of the show. The only problem (not that its really a problem, the conversion was so easy) was I sort of promised to do one for Richard when he manages to find the correct wheels in amongst his bits and pieces cache in exchange for a stock box! I used the Alan Gibson conversion kit and the conversion guide that can be downloaded from the Alan Gibson website. The instructions were easy to follow with no problems carrying out the conversion. In fact the only thing I did differently was the number of spacing washers I needed was smaller than that suggested in the Alan Gibson instructions - no special reason for this, I just couldn't get 2mm of spacing washers on each side of the chassis block, 1.5mm each side was all I could manage. The most difficult part of the whole conversion was getting the front bogie back in place without the spring catapulting itself across the room, followed closely by getting the axle tie bars in place. On the thumbnails below you can see that the rear AJ coupling has been mounted using the retaining screw for the NEM coupler socket on the tender, and the spacing washers. Subsequently I have painted the wheel rims black which was a great improvement and 3433 has galloped happily round Hope-under-Dinmore. I just need to buy and fit the sound chip and experiment with one of the chuff cams... I shall keep you posted! l have also noticed that the tender is exactly the type I need for 2811 - I wonder if Bachmann will supply a tender by itself?

Prior to starting this blog, I had been working on a number of wagons for my own, as yet unborn, GWR Cornish branch line. Last night I took some of them along to SHMRC and posed them on Hope-under-Dinmore. Many of the chain clay private owner wagons were from the POW sides (pre-printed on salters/coopercraft bodies) - and very nice they are too. Very helpfully, POW sides will also change the running numbers for you, so you don't have duplicates - inevitably I only realised this after it was too late for one wagon - hence there are two no 4s for the North Cornwall China Clay Company - but hopefully the weathering is so heavy that at least one of the numbers is indecipherable. Below you can see the NCCC wagons arrayed on the SHMRC's 'Hope-under-Dinmore' (which I admit is a long way from being a Cornish GWR branch line, but is a very pretty layout and a perfect backdrop for photography). Yes, I know they need tarpaulins - its on the to-do list. The Toyne Carter wagons and the solitary (so far) John Lovering one... I really need far more wagons belonging to wagon hiring companies. The NCCC wagons are perfect for my own project (it's set near Wenford Bridge, to the dismay of the LSWR - see another blog, 'the De Lank Chronicles', for more details - just don't hold your breath for the blog to be published, something about getting stock for Empire Mills next outing is getting in the way - I still blame Gareth....), but for the Empire Mills china clay option, something less geographically specific is needed - hence the attractiveness of using wagons owned by the wagon hiring companies based in and around the china clay region. Weathering was using white acrylic paint dry-brushed over the outside of the body, with a weak wash of white applied to the inside of the body. The GWR also made great use of its own wagons for moving china clay - either in loose form using specialist end-door wagons, or ordinary opens carrying high quality chain clay in casks (the jute sacks same into use during WW1 and so are a bit out of period for me). Below you can see a motely collection of GWR opens from the period 1900 to 1914. Most are from the Coopercraft stable, but the O13s (specialist china clay wagons) and the O11/15s are Parkside Dundas. Almost all of them have had their brake gear replaced using ABS parts to better present the DC1/2/3 variations, some of the O5s have also had grease axle-boxes added in place of the later oil type. The 4 plank O5s . A 7 plank O10 and 5 palnk O11 fresh out of the paint shops and needing weathering Here are two O13 China Clay wagons, again awaiting weathering. You can see on the left hand one it has the Parkisde brake gear, while the right hand one has ABS cast whitemetal brake gear which I think is a great improvement. Weathering for these wagons has been varied - some were just dry brushed with varying amounts of underframe dirt, rust and mud colours, while others also had a weak wash of dirty black. Some wagons will be in ex-works condition too. What's next from the W & C works? There are some more GWR open general merchandise wagons to be finished off (couplings, lettering, weathering, that sort of thing), some PO coal wagons and hopefully rather more interesing, the construction some scratch-built ex Cornwall minerals railway iron bodied tippler wagons. Watch this space.... drduncan

Well, the MRC open day was a success!!!!! It was, in fact a very enjoyable day - if hard work - and many people stopped by to chat about the wider layout project, Empire Mills as currently displayed, or AJ couplings (must do a post about these sometime soon as it the thing that got the most interest on the day). In fact it has to be said that any problems that were seen on the day were down to one of two problems: 1) finger trouble - ie the pressing of the wrong uncoupling magnet switch, followed by repeated shuffling of a cut of wagons over the correct magnet whilst wondering loudly and with increasing recourse to vernacular expressions why the couplings aren't working, followed by a realisation of the error and a sheepish expression, or a determined attempt to brazen away one's mistake. Another variation on this theme is the operation of the wrong point lever with the resulting derailment, shorting out of the DCC system, and yet more vernacular language. 2) Brain trouble - this had by far and away the most serious operating impact on the layout. The operator, who shall remain nameless (but in honour of the clear traditions of this blog, Gareth must be blamed), forgets that having designed the layout does not actually mean he can shunt it effectively, resulting in baffled expressions, some quite horrendous shunting snarl-ups, and extremely circuitous methods of carrying out the outwardly simple task of exchanging full wagons for empty ones (or vice versa). In turn, this leads to some patronising, if well meaning, but certainly heartfelt, comments by the exhibition-hardened members of the team, who were showing off their shunting abilities on the neighbouring 2mm F/S 'Caledonian Road Goods Yard', about a certain layout group co-leader's skills levels and operating abilities etc etc etc. The nameless operator (and he who designed the track plan) winning his dunce hat. Anyway, back to day dreaming about getting to ExpoEM this Saturday, rolling stock production, or blaming Gareth - it's a toss up between the three as to which is more fun.. drduncan

Yes!

Hi weaselfish, Very well it seems (so far...) The frames supplied by the EM gauge society specify what kit or rtr body they fit. I'd be amazed if they did not have one for the K's Dean goods. Have a go its easier than you may think! Also Iain Rice's book on etched chassis construction is a fantastic help. drduncan

Hi Gareth and Mike, Thanks! Managed to get some....isn't ebay wonderful? D

I knew it would be my fault somehow... But you are a demon with the piercing saw! drduncan

As I discovered I had run out of crank pins a pause has been forced in 2811's progress. So I decided to have a renewed crack at the Nucast Armstrong Standard Goods. Russell's locomotives of the GWR gives 2 nice pictures of 788 in pre 1906 livery - all glorious lining and indian red frames etc. Also 788 has a belpaire firebox which might give an extra mm to hide the motor and gearbox, always a problem with wasp waisted Victorian or Edwardian locos! The original Nucast kit had a massive, yet narrow gauge (ie OO) brass chassis, milled from a single block of metal, that I'm hoping the new Model Railway Museum project at Ashford will accept as an exhibit in due course. The replacement chassis has been constructed using Alan Gibson milled brass mainframes and MJT hornblocks to make a compensated chassis. The rear axle is fixed (I'm still not to happy with the idea of floating/compensated driving axle - although this is exactly what the Finney kits and High Level Dean Goods chassis do, so I'll have to get over my constructional fears at some point). Prior to yesterday evening, I had soldered up the running plate... And the boiler (although the smoke box was still loose) and tender too (although the tender picture refuses to load in line and appears as a thumbnail at the end) So yesterday as the SHMRC I got busy with the cab, and then fixed it and the boiler/smoke box etc to the running plate The intention - when I next get a moment (I'm hoping the postman will deliver the crankpins for the 28xx today, to that will got back to the top of the list if they do arrive) - is to move onto the chassis and fit the wheels and motor for testing, and check the fit of the body, before looking at making the tender leading and middle axle float and thus transfer the tenders rather appreciable weight onto the draw bar - oh and somehow fit a large speaker for a sound chip in the tender too.... Anyone know a supplier for those natty 4 way connectors that Hornby and Bachman use to provide electrical connections between loco and tender? I might need some...

Can anyone date the wagons that are drawn in the Raikway Modeller article posted above? drduncan

Come see Empire Mills in something approaching glorious Technicolor and almost Dolby stereo quality sound at the Model Railway Club's open day on Sunday 11 May, 11am to 4pm! We will be running (hopefully) Western Region diesel hydraulics (and Gareth's class 25 interloper as well as my 08 if the wasp stripes are done), BR china clay and mineral wagons. If that's not enough to tempt you to come along, also on show at the open day are: Lacey Dale, the MRC's new N gauge layout. Happisburgh Goods (O gauge). Caledonian Road Goods (part of the Copenhagen Fields 2mm F/S layout). And... 'Minories'; Tom Cunnington's EM tribute to the late C J Freezer's famous urban minimum space terminus scheme. More information and directions on the MRC's website: http://www.themodelrailwayclub.org/ See you there and do stop by for a chat. drduncan

Dear all, Attached is a copy of the Railway Modeller Jan 1965 article which may be of interest. drduncan RM china clay article.pdf

Well, in that case we should blame the iniquitous job market that required me to abandon London for Portsmouth.... D

I hope to get a look at Mr Finney's Dean 3000 gallon tenders at Expo to see if he does one that matches 2811's D

Hi Stefan, Thanks for the note. I hope to modify the mainline tender, but we shall see as there will be a bit of work involved. D

While mulling over the top feed issue, the tender issue, and summoning up the courage to start drilling holes in the spectacle plate - and above all because the laser cut plasticard side frames had arrived from Ultrascale - I have decided to make some progress with the chassis. Stripping the chassis was not as traumatic as I feared and the wheelsets, coupling rods, and cross heads gently slipped out of the chassis into a heap on the floor. The sandboxes were removed too, as was a small bit of rectangular plastic next to one of the sandboxes. I haven't a clue what this bit of plastic represents but it will be glued onto the Ultrascale frames along with the sandboxes in due course. Then the Ultrascale false side frames were offered up to see if they fitted (they did). The Ultrascale frames had the brake hangers (the tiny little point of metal on the Hornby chassis) marked off and holes drilled. The brake hangers were added using brass lace pins. Those little bits of metal representing the brake hangers were snipped off. The Hornby chassis then had pads of 40thou plasticard superglued to it, to give something to glue the side frames to and get them out to a more respectable distance (the article in MRJ 216 was a great help at this point). The Hornby chassis is 12mm wide, the Ultrascale frames 20 thou/0.5mm each and with a 40 thou sapcer on each side gives an overall wdith of 15mm. Or put it another way, 1.5mm of sideplay (0.75mm each side) on the standard EM bakc to back measure of 16.5mm. Hopefully this will be enough... Then the side frames were glued to the spacing pads using plasticweld. And thats as far as I've got. Time spent on the conversion so far: an hour on the body, 3 hours on the chassis, about 6 months plucking up courage to start.... D

While a 28xx is probably a bit big for a china clay shunting layout - a viewpoint I struggle with - the Hornby model of the straight framed version looked lovely so I had to have one. The Hornby model is of 2812 in 1930s condition so not only will it need to be converted to EM gauge, but also back dated to 1912-ish. The early locos were builtg with short coned boilers, not the top feed fitted long cone of the Hornby model. However, the early locos started to receive D4 long cone boilers from about 1910, but top feed remainded a later addition. There also will need to be the small but distinctive Churchward ventilation 'port holes' added to the top of the spectacle plate above the firebox as well as sundry other details which can be seen (hopefully) in the picture of 2811 below. The observant will notice that 2811 has a different tender to the Hornby model - a Dean 3000 gallon tender (I think) rather than the Churchward version. This is going to be probably the hardest part of the conversion, as although Dean 3000 gallon tenders are available (Mainline Dean Goods, W & T Models etc), they are not that type of 3000 gallon tender as they have a scallop taken out of the leading edge of the fender lip around the tender top. I have considered using a Dapol City of Truro tender kit, but the amount of effort needed to turn that into a decent model means that scratch building a new tender body may be the easiest (!) way forward. Any bright ideas always welcome though... So to start. After a long time summoning up courage I attack the boiler. It was very carefully removed from the footplate and all the screws, boiler supports, handrails etc put safely to one side (I lost one handrail knob in the process though). The safety valve & top feed cover pulls off quite easily and then the top feed piping was filled back. I'm mulling over whether to source a replacement safety valve cover or cut away the top feed cover and reuse the Hornby one.... Anyway the next job will be reinstating the boiler band.

Seriously, Gareth has also reminded me that there is also a K's 26XX Aberdare in 1912 condition in the dark recesses of my workbench (he should know he cut out new frames from brass strip for me) and while trying to find some crank pins for the 28xx I also realised that there is also a Mainline 43XX + Perseverence chassis awaiiting completion (one with the extended/'normal' cab so 1914 batch, 4321 or similar) - its now gone to almost the back of the queue until I've made serious inroads into the pure frieght locos.... D

And I may one day accept that!

I blame Gareth. This, I can assure you, is a default position - but a very good one - derived from long experience of shifting the blame. Admittedly I had been mulling over doing a 'what's on my workbench and how I've managed create a masterpiece/complete pigs ear' for a while, but lets be clear - this is all Gareth's fault. Why? Well he has volunteered the EMpire Project to appear at the MRC's March 2015 Alexandra Palace show. Well so what? It’s already done that, so why blame Gareth? Because, gentle reader, there was a tiny little caveat... with completely new stock to portray [wait for it] a GWR china clay branch in the Edwardian period. And as the number of GWR pre-grouping modellers, who do EM gauge, are active [!] modellers, involved in Empire Mills, who could nominally supply stock for a china clay branch is, and are members of the MRC is, you've guessed it, just 1 - me. Hence what was going to be a leisurely production of stock has now gone into overdrive - and I'm also supposed to be progressing my own layout too. So this blog will attempt to keep up with the frantic efforts to produce at least half a dozen EM gauge locos (DCC to boot and hopefully sound chipped too) and associated rolling stock that could, if viewed in a gentle light, be imagined to frequent a GWR Cornish china clay branch as well as the stock that may one day see the light of day on my own layout (or more likely the way my layout is going) on the South Hant's MRC's Hope under Dinmore - maybe... Now I've already managed to shift some of the work back on to the all too deserving shoulders of Gareth; kits of a 517, a part built 1076 pannier tank and an even worse part built 850 saddle tank were chucked at Gareth and he was invited to get cracking. However, he's clearly been slacking as it's been over a week and he hasn't finished any of them. He has, however, explained at length my errors in putting them together - probably fairly, it has to be admitted. And I'm sure he will delight in pointing out my rubbish soldering and dodgy kit building, either on this blog or his own. So what can we look forward to? Loco wise and in no particular order there is a: Nu-cast/cotswold 42xx in original condition Alan Gibson 1076 saddle tank SE Finecast 1854 saddle tank Dean Goods (Belpaire boiler) on a High Level Kits chassis Martin Finney Dean Goods Nu-cast/cotswold 2021 saddle tank Hornby 28xx in 1911/1912 condition (superheated, D4 boiler, no top feed, Dean 3000 gallon tender etc etc) Roxey no 34 0-4-4T Nu-cast/cotswold Armstrong Standard Goods. Modelex 45xx And then there are the other locos waiting to be converted/built for my own layout.. Bachman City (to be fair this one is done, sans DCC chip, but I owe Mr Butler and have to convert his one for his 'Westcliff' in return for him making me a stock box or 2...) Craftsman 36xx Finney Stella class K's Dean single M & L Dean single (I like Dean singles...) I'd also like to get my hands on a 44xx, a steam railmotor, a straight framed 29xx and a Scott Atlantic... Wagon and carriage wise we can expect: More GWR and PO china clay wagons than is healthy. PO Coal wagons Brake vans And when that is out of the way... GWR NPCS like Pythons... 4 and 6 wheel siphons Fish wagons Assorted GWR open and closed vans 4 and 6 wheel coaches Dean clerestories And probably some sexy Dreadnoughts, Concertinas, or Toplights for the City to pull... So not a lot at all!