Black Country Mon

Well done and thanks Peter. Top quality engineering and also taking the time to include so many photos and so much detail of the build and guidance has been invaluable to me certainly and i'm sure plenty of others too. As Wallace would say Crackin Build Peter. Dave

It's really looking the business Peter, are you going to tackle the painting and lining yourself? Dave

I find it can be tricky with small 4mm boilers too. I usually hold the boiler onto my x acto knife where the firebox sides start and gently try to unroll the brass. I find that after a couple of passes it starts to flatten out, then it's just a matter of using larger or smaller diameter hard objects to get the finished shape. I have a very small ball pean hammer that i also use to gently flatten small etches at the edges using a piece of flat steel as a base rather than something with give like a cutting mat. If all else fails fortunately i have a set of large GW rollers so i can roll another one if i need to. Gently gently is the key i find and not rushing into trying to get it formed in one go. Dave

Thanks, yes I keep catching the beading on the sides so I'll probably start on the cab detailing first. Dave

Opened out the boiler at the firebox and soldered the boiler seam. Wrestled as i always do with the smokebox wrappers and front without getting the rivetted overlay too obliterated with solder. Decided also to use the kits boiler bands before it was attached to the footplate assembly. Got the saddle fitted to the footplate along with the cylinder cover and frame extensions. Everything so far has fitted really well with only a miniscule amount of trimming where the firebox and splashers meet. On with some of the detailing components hopefully over the weekend at some point. Dave

Just managed a brief visit to the bench tonight, cab sides, floor and internal splashers fitted. I fitted the window beading before i added the cab sides to the footplate as i find them a tad fiddly when in situ. The backhead isn't fixed in place yet. On with the boiler next. Dave

Made a start on the body assembly, valances, splashers and buffer beams added Dave

Fulcrum points (short handrail knobs) added to the inside of the frames at the positions from the CLAG website (see below for link) and 0.36 dia guitar wire threaded through all of the components. I've checked the line and level of the axles with some long 1/8" bar and all seems ok but until i get the wheels pressed and quartered on i won't be certain. As the wheels are Gibson's i will be leaving that until after the brake assembly is sorted and the chassis is painted. CLAG website link http://www.clag.org.uk/beam-annex3.html#introduction Dave

Not much done over the last couple of days but back to it this evening for an hour. Coupling rods sweated together, frames assembled and horn blocks and guides fitted. Next job is to add the fulcrum points for the wire beam. Dave

Hi Doug glad to hear you've something in the pipeline. Once i've got my EM layout built i'll add decals and weather all of the stock to reflect that. At the moment the J50 is sitting patiently waiting something to run on. Cheers Dave

I've made a start on the hornblocks. I'm using Puffers ones as they are the thinnest i have. The guide has been cut back on one side and i've soldered home made carrier tags onto one side of the hornblock bearing, they all have a 0.5mm dia hole 4mm above the axle centre line. I made them so that the bottom of the tag would be flush with the bearing so they were relatively easy to assemble then. I decided to go with the roadrunner+ gearbox in the end as it gave me an extra 1mm in width to play with over the load hauler. They are so easy to put together as long as you follow Chris's instructions exactly. Axles have been glued to the frames so i just need to let that set. Next job is to mark out the frames for the fulcrum point tags that the wire beam will go through picking up on the holes in the hornblock bearing tags. Dave

Thanks Mike the J50 kit was excellent, testimony to the good work of Jim McGeown at Connoisseur really. I just fitted it together. Dave

My first dilemma has reared it's head in the shape of the CSB, before i've even started!! By utilising this method of springing it will reduce the space left for the gearbox as i need to use horn blocks and guides on all axles. The EM spacers with the kit are 13.8mm wide (P4 ones are 15mm, would have been a breeze with those), the loadhauler gearbox is 10.8 so leaving 1.5mm either side for the CSB etc. That is very tight, the CSB wire is usually 1mm away from the frames on handrail knobs or a similar arrangement. I may have to substitute the load hauler gearbox for a roadrunner which would give me either 2mm or 2.5mm if i used the plain roadrunner and not the extended version. The first job to do i think is to make up the hornblock assemblies and to see if i can slim the driven axle pair down or re jig it so i gain as much space as i can when they're mounted on the frames. Dave

Sometimes in my view it's the small things that make a big difference, the sand pipes really finish the chassis off. Top notch engineering Peter. Dave

It's the same as the one you built from George Norton just the scaled down version, so like you i'm not expecting any major headaches apart from the ones i create myself.

It's that time of the year again when the night's are drawing in so on with another challenge. This time a London Road Midland Johnson 3130 kit with 2950 gallon tender. This is what you get in the kit and added to it are Gibson wheels, a High Level Loadhauler + gearbox and a Mitsumi motor. After the J50 which i tried out Alan Gibson hornblocks (not overly impressed) i'm going to have a change and try the chassis with CSB this time. Dave

Peter yes it does. A drawing shows what a photo and descriptions sometimes have difficulty conveying in plain and simple terminology. That's another reason why i find Mitchell and Finney kits in particular a cut above as they not only provide good detailed descriptions of how they designed and envisaged an item fitting but they show the builder too with good detailed drawings. Replicating it is a different matter entirely however. Dave

Peter thanks very much for taking time out to take additional photos and putting that all down onto paper. Brilliant. Dave

Hi Peter, The valve gear is looking fantastic and the tips you've given us all regarding laminating the spare etches is invaluable. I have an assembly question if i may. How have you attached the return crank to the crankpin? I presume the eccentric rod is pinned from the rear to the crank and the bearing cover soldered onto the front. Cheers Dave

Cheers Nick, Yes, i may do that, and put the main line access in the sliding fiddle yard on a slight skew instead of as the latest version. Hadn't thought about moving the loco servicing facility so that the 2 lines also form part of the fiddle but that would add some vital extra storage and as you say breaks up the exit point nicely. I like it. Dave

Labelling removed but will generally stay the same as in post 1 Dave

Thanks to you all who've commented, there will always be umpteen different variations possible i guess. I have taken on board some of the comments regarding orientation of the turnouts and trying to get too much in, and consequently i'm in the process of tweeking the plan slightly. It's a shame i don't have a little more room to play with as yes a small scenic section for the mainline would be nice. The loco servicing area is the main area that i have been mulling over for some time but i think it will stay maybe moved slightly and reduced in size so as to alleviate a little clutter. I've been busy building the basic boards which are now done along with several of the turnouts so i need to get some foundations laid. I'll update the plan and post asap. Dave

From up here in Perthshire those photos will be very useful. It's a trek to see the wee beasty up close and personal, so thanks and keep em coming. Cheers Dave

Hi Richard how is the test build going for the B1? Any ideas for production dates? Dave

I've just started building up my EM stock (mostly LMS/Midland/LNWR) so about time i laid plans for something to run it on. The main boards will be 2440 x 500 with a sliding fiddle yard attached to the end approx 600-700 long. I'm stuck with an overall of 3150 which is one side of the shed where it will live. I can't make it an L as that would encroach onto my work bench area and the other side of the shed is used for the more normal shed type storage stuff (mowers, tools etc). Anyway here's my stab at what might give me some varied stock movement. The grid is 250mm with most of the turnouts being B6 and B7. It's not based on any where in particular as i'm restricted for length, protypical working is out of the window in favour of a practical solution to keep me interested with a semblance of realism. Dave