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Havnt been working on her as such this week....her long wheelbase has further exposed my poor track laying.....bitten the bullet and relaid the offending trackwork.....she seems to like the new arrangement. I posted to my friend John Rowan earlier this week....if your trackwork isn't up to it all our creations are nothing more than debris by the side of the track if they derail.....

Forgot too mention if not apparent in the text, my layout is at kneeling level, as evidenced by the number of trousers worn out at the knees

Layout height...in my case never intended to be exhibited....merely wanted to get the maximum under my loft eaves...giving the greatest radii.....trying to give the best compromise of my chosen prototype location....goodness how I've struggled....suffered getting my bulk under baseboards fixing tortoise point motors...wiring signals....just to have a handful of friends and fellow enthusiasts share my passion.....if not my discomfort.....still a labour of love.....worth it all too me when I recreate....not the spectacular....a duchess diverted off the Trent valley line....but the everyday mundane ( in the early sixties) a black five or a craven dmu on a bham Leicester..

Steve goodness me the butchery....fair play to have the confidence to " adapt" a chassis.....real admiration

body starting to take shape

just added the pick ups by my usual method....copperclad board gapped to form a centre area where the pick ups to the insulated wheels are soldered. The pick ups are phos bronze wire wrapped around a small dia screwdriver forming a spring. This is soldered to copperclad...the other end sprung against the wheel tyre. The chassis runs very nicely.however as suspected from the off needs more Sideplay to get around my curve into fiddle yard. This will necessitate removal of wheels and a major reduction in the those bearing not yet adapted...I thought just reducing first and fifth would be enough...it wasnt

Where do you think I got the funds for Bertha....

Just taken possession of a 3 mm to 12mmtapered reamer courtesy of Amazon...what a tool....wish I'd had it last week for opening out bearing holes.....speaking of tools ...my ex boss once said to me...I have a number of tools in my box ....but you are by far the biggest !... I was overcome by emotion...I digress the first tool mentioned is a quality piece of kit, well supplements by five side broach..

Sorry for any lack of progress....never started a thread before....Bertha as reported over the weekend now awaiting pick ups...a fiddly task ...daunting on an 060 or 460 chassis....with a this ten wheeler even more so....I've also been diverted by finishing the attached model.....a GBL v2 body...Hornby a3 inserts...SE finecast a2 chassis ...adapted...scratch cylinders around comet LNER components, and a Hornby Tornado tender converted back n time.....apologies to anyone who has seen this materalise on other threads...but the reason I've been diverted from the big girl.......back to my original line on starting a thread and inviting people to share you experiences...hadnt expected the sense of responsibility......eh Ho at the end of the day it's a hobby please enjoy ....or not...I certainl do...

Just thought I would post fnished shot of 60505 thane of Fife created from GBL v2 and Hornby a3.. Cline cast chassis home made cylinders and adapted valve gear...tender Hornby tornado modified

Just looked at one of your pages Peter...the scratch building one....will look further tomorrow ...excellent modelling

Hi Peter, I followed the instructions.....it states the middle of the brass worm should be 6mm from the face of the motor...this leaves a very slight gap between the end of the worm and motor face....Chris then goes on to instruct that when fitting the first stage. idler gear under the worm you should see daylight between the worm and first stage I gear cogs..I have now constructed a number of these gearboxes...on one occasion due to my incompetence I shredded a plastic gear...I was able to obtain a replacement from Chris at High level. I always test the motor gearbox either in the chassis frames, as in this case or held for example in a vice and run firstly by rotating the end of the motor shaft by hand....in this case had cut it off so straight to under power......I thoroughly recommend running in of motors and gears before putting them under any sort of load. I run them both in forward and reverse about twenty minutes each way . Tony. Wright in one of his excellent articles on chassis building notes that some of not all gears have a tendency to run more smoothly in one direction better than the other. I too have found this to be the case. I hope this helps.

Coupling rods added after gentle renaming out of their holes...the chassis tested again with them on ..no apparent tight spots running very smooth....pick ups to be added then let's see how she performs on track.

one from the side for good measure....mashima motor left over from another project, hence the careworn appearance...

Just a quick note gearbox made as per instructions...one minor glitch easily sorted...the opening for the motor boss I am using was a little too small....opened it out by drill in dremel gently opening it out until a nice fit ion motor.....worm place as recommended with ts middle some 6 mm from the motor face...loctite used to secure....snug fit in frames....idler gears bit tricky...excess dremelld off and a dab of superglue gel ....very small grub screw secures brass gear to driving axle.

the hi flier and round can mashima more situated in chassis has been given my usual twenty minute run in either direction ....very smooth...run n nicely ....you may gather won't get in work as a " hand model" anytime soon....in any case would interfere with my other work as a body double for shriek....

just added the wheels to chassis...reduced the lead and end bearings considerably with a file to give flexibility to chassis. The one piece boiler and running board just added for effect. The second photo is of valve gear...in response to an earlier query not jointed...the centre crank pin acts as a pivot...and lastly the 54/1 hillier I decided upon..quality product and great service..more soon.....oh and yes she goes around my dreaded inner curve...hope she does so under her own steam and not just finger power

Cured the Arthur....thought to myself if it was one of my creations and it did this.....checked the back to backs...sure enough rear drivers a tad too tight...slight pressure to widen...ever so little....now rides well.....back to Bertha, a lady can only be ignored for so long!

Sorry for any lack of posts....been side tracked last couple of days bought a S/H Hornby King Arthur.......yes I know I model the midland lines NE of Brum and apart from the preserved Sir Lamiel in 1980s never likely to have been through in BR days.....unlike RB merchant navies and URB and RB west countries which did so on specials in sixties.....but ....but it was sitting there all lonely in its display case...and I had some birthday money from my children to spend....thus ensuring their continuing presence in my will.....anyway purchased ....soon to be repainted into BR green.... I digress, the blighter kept derailing on my bend from hell....more trackwork modifications....if a rtr 460 wont stay on the track what hope for the big girl when she gets to that stage.. latest Hornby variant of the Arthur by the way..

One other test have cleaned frames to remove any residual flux...will fit wheels to ensure all is square and true when placed on plate glass ....set squares placed against it seem good...

All bearings now soldered in....frames held together as per the kit instructions...two brass middle with screws. The screw heads stand proud at the moment. They will be invisible when wheels located....just wondering however when bearings are reduced will they foul the wheel rims in addition two ns frame spacers front and aft. . One thing that still interests me ...how thick brass like these frames can absorb heat even from the tip of a 25 watt iron. I have under my bench a cooks blowtorch which I have given a heat blast to brass before now...this extra residual heat assist the flow of solder.....please it is used sparingly and away from the solvents etc that litter the workbench normally. One last thought at good food show in November....cooks blow torches....Janes Martin uses a heavy duty. one bought from b and Q, more at home welding pipes than melting the tops of Creme brûlée...will examine coupling rods tomorrow come on s nice ns etch will photo and post

Just been reaming out the chassis frames for the bearings. Is there a more tedious job....especially on a ten wheeler like this. I've fixed the crank pins into the wheels....little dab of superglue on the back of wheel, had them come out before now under power....not good. Superglue into the hole I before fixing the crank pin, I've found can't screw it in all the way, hence on rear where it shows . One thing that is apparent, the bearings will have to filed down to allow sufficient side play. The Sideplay....some would say slop on RTR is considerable, hence the ability to travel around some more challenging curves...We shall soon see how Bertha behaves on my permanent way.

Counties.......countries.......goodness me we don't model the GWR.......well not much in my case

Cheers Steve....actually ..and please not false modesty I addition to he work mentioned ...just hosted a burns night in my humble abode...in honour of my best friend...no longer with us.....he a Scot me an Englishman...in his memory just served haggis ...my wife and in laws present .....flower of Scotland courtesy of YouTube and Royal Scot dragoons...first verse of the ode to the haggis delivered by me.....just to say modelling has for once taken a back seat....yet........the tender sits in my loft complete...apart from lining ...six nations about to start....lift a glass please to my best friend, and strongest rival when our two counties met......Bob....uncle Bob to my two sons.....

Handrails added to cab...cleaned using cif ....primed and painted gloss black..awaiting mixed traffic lining ....this will be now at the same time as loco. The next stage will be the chassis....just checked if it included brake gear....it does whitemetal ones.....interesting....