mikemeg

LNER B4 Here's another 'dodge' which might prove useful for model loco builders. Now conventional wisdom says that you should not put anything through the rollers which has embossed rivet detail and, of course, conventional wisdom is correct as the rollers will flatten out that embossed detail. Correct that is, unless the rollers can be prevented from actually coming into contact with the embossed detail. Cue a piece of fairly thick card but flexible enough to curve easily - I use card around 0.030" thick - cut wider and longer than the piece to be rolled. The piece to be rolled is simply placed with the embossed detail facing the card and then both card and piece are put through the rollers as many times as necessary. As the brass embossed detail is far harder than the card, it simply buries itself in the card. The piece in the photo - outer wrapper for the B4 smokebox - was rolled six times, reducing the radius with each roll. There you go; piece rolled with all embossed detail preserved untouched! Cheers Mike

LNER B4 The inner smokebox wrapper has now been rolled and the smokebox former folded up. Using the top handrail stanchion hole and a hole in the wrapper to align the wrapper on the former, this was then soldered to the former leaving the lower part of the smokebox unsoldered. The front of the boiler was then inserted into the smokebox and aligned, again using a hole in the top of the front of the boiler wrapper and a corresponding hole in the rear of the top of the smokebox. A hole which will be later opened up to accept the snifting valve. Finally the bottom of the smokebox wrapper was clamped tight around the boiler and soldered up. Next step is to fit one of the two external smokebox wrappers supplied; one flush riveted, one pop rivetted. As this model is intended to portray the prototype in its final year (1950) then the pop rivetted wrapper will be used. The piece in front of the front splashers, which appears to support the boiler, is a temporary support piece which will be removed once the footplate is fully completed. My query as to how much space is available within the firebox and the cut away section of the boiler bottom is now answered. There is some 34 mm within the firebox and a further 11.5 mm within the boiler, so 45.5mm to accept the gearbox and motor. If the model looks a little 'truncated' at the front end, there is still a curved section of footplate to add plus the front buffer beam and its furniture, which will restore the aesthetics to what they should look like. After some weeks of adding 'micro' bits and pieces, it's good to be adding the 'macro' bits and pieces; much easier to see them!! And yes, the smokebox has also been 'bulled up' for the photo. Cheers Mike

LNER B4 The boiler has now been rolled and seam soldered. The front and rear boiler formers have then been soldered into the rolled boiler wrapper. Just sitting the part completed boiler assembly onto the footplate/firebox/cab assembly and this really does begin to resemble a locomotive. I haven't yet fitted the valances nor the rear footsteps or removed the front footplate support and will wait to do this until all of the heavy work on the loco superstructure is completed. At last I'm now making progress at something like the usual pace!! And I did spend a couple of minutes shining up the assembled boiler! I know I've said this before, as have many other contributors, but these late nineteenth / early twentieth century locomotive designs - of almost all of the pre-grouping companies - were just very handsome things; perfectly balanced and uncluttered. What a 'double header' this will make with an ex-NER S2 / LNER B15; the second photo below!! Cheers Mike

LNER B4 Here's a 'dodge' which I use on almost all of my models of tender locomotives, which does conflict with prototype accuracy but which makes the handling and positioning of the cab rooves much easier. Tiny pieces of .020" plasticard are cut (5 mm long) and glued to the forward corners of the inside of the cab roof. These pieces are attached so that they are an interference fit with the cab sides and also provide the correct locating of the cab roof with respect to the cab front. Once the cab interior is painted and suitably 'mucked up' these tiny strips are virtually invisible and can only be seen by peering into the cab from the tender front, which doesn't happen very frequently on 4 mm models. Only the 4 mm scale crew really know they are there!! Cheers Mike

LNER B4 Now shaped and then detailed the cab roof. The cab roof bracing straps are suppled as straight pieces of 'L' and 'T' section brass, which must then be annealed (to soften the brass) and then the end sections cut and curved from the 'L' section strip. The side sections are also cut from the 'L' section strip and are shaped at their ends to lie flush over the lower web of the end bracings. The centre bracing strap is cut from 'T' section brass strip and is, again, shaped at the ends to lie over the lower web of the 'L' sections. After this lot was assembled and before sitting down with a large glass of something red and alcholic, the roof was cleaned up to remove any flux, solder and muck. Luckily, the curvature of the roof seems to exactly match that of the cab front so no further fettling or curving is necessary. Cheers Mike

Chas, Some fairly simple practices to avoid unnecessary solder showing :- a) Wherever possible, solder joints from the inside. b) When soldering two parts together, trial fit the joint to ensure that the two parts join with no visible gap, before soldering as solder will leech through any gaps and show. c) When soldering parts which have 'matching' curves i.e. splasher tops to splasher fronts, ensure that the curves match before any solder is applied. d) Where solder does escape or show then, wherever possible, use fine emery or a glass fibre brush to remove it. e) Tinning parts can often provide better results than simply applying solder to a joint. f) Using the correct iron also helps- enormously! I'm sure that other folk could/can add many other tips to this list. Perhaps the most relevant tip would simply be that, like many activities, the more of it one does, the better one becomes!! Regards Mike

LNER B4 All of the splashers have now been assembled, as has the cab floor, which is in two layers - upper and lower - with two 12 BA nuts sandwiched and soldered between the two layers to facilitate fixing the chassis to the body. The two footplate cupboards have been assembled and trial fitted, along with the shelf and foot board on the left hand cupboard. There are some tiny etches which represent the cupboard door hinges, little more than 1 mm square, which fit into etched recesses on the rear of the cupboard assemblies; some of the smallest etches I've ever seen. The shelf and footboard are interesting in that they are formed of two layers with a half etched edge to each layer, such that when the layers are folded back on each other, one edge (the edge visible on the shelf and footboard on the left hand cupboard) becomes rounded to represent the rounded edge of these wooden fixtures. Once the right hand cupboard is completed then onto the cab roof and then forward to the boiler, etc. Looking a little more like a locomotive! Cheers Mike

LNER B4 Richard, Many thanks for the information and photos of your B9. The reason that I have delayed fully assembling the chassis is that because I am fitting the inside motion, then I am almost compelled to drive the B4 from the rear axle, as there will not be sufficient space on the centre axle to accept the eccentric cams and the gearbox and final drive gear. This then constrains the orientation of the motor to facing forward either horizontally or some form of diagonal, Thus, until I have the boiler and firebox assembled and checked, I can't be sure of the maximum motor size which can be accommodated. As for Spring, here in Scarborough; we have been blessed, recently, with some dry and reasonably sunny weather, however we are still 'afflicted' with an easterly wind off the sea; and the sea is currently at its coldest, so that wind is a mite chilly. Regards Mike

LNER B4 The firebox has now been soldered to the cab front, after completing the section of the firebox which actually lies inside the cab. The cab sides/firebox were then soldered to the footplate, after which the two centre splasher fronts have been fitted to the footplate. The nameplate - Immingham - is actually etched with the two centre splasher fronts, so no need to order separate nameplates. At last, 1482 - 'Immingham' begins to resemble a locomotive and an ex Great Central locomotive at that!! I will complete the body, at least structurally, before assembling the gearbox and motor as I am not certain what size of Mashima 14xx will actually fit into the firebox/boiler. Hopefully I can get a 1426 or even 1428 into it but we shall see. As if progress on this build wasn't slow enough, it has been further slowed by the arrival of some spring weather, which allows me to get out into the gardens to prepare them for summer. Cheers Mike

Thanks John. Any and all advice on building this kit is very welcome. I'm going nowhere near my usual pace on this but that is down to my unfamiliarity with your design and engineering methods. The front support bracket is only 'tack soldered' to the two footplate sections, so should be reasonably easy to remove when appropriate. Regards Mike

LNER B4 While I await the delivery of the last parts to fully complete the chassis, I have made a start on the locomotive superstructure. The footplate has been partially assembled, the cab sides have been detailed with their brass beading strips and the beading around the cab side cut outs. The cab front has also been detailed and the splasher tops curved to the approximate profile needed. The Belpaire firebox is almost complete, just one more inspection hatch (where the wire is protruding), the wash out plugs and Ross pop safety valves to add A test set up, with the cab sides and front just resting on each other and the partially completed firebox also just positioned against the cab front and sides. This should solder up without too much trouble. Believe it or not, in building well over thirty etched brass kits this is the first Belpaire firebox I have ever done. Cheers Mike

LNER B4 After an unplanned lay of from the workbench - with the flu - now back to the B4. The front bogie has been assembled and checked for clearances so now the various sub-assemblies can be put together to form the working chassis. After that the gearbox and motor can be added. The gearbox will be a High Level Highflyer with a Mashima 1424 motor. Shortly before Mashima ceased production of their motors I bought a couple of dozen, of various sizes, which I am still using up. Cheers Mike

John, My plan for the motion is to minimise the friction / resistance on this. Realistically, the only part of the working motion which will be discernible - as moving - is the movement of the eccentric links and the valve rods from the middle driving axle to the eccentric links. Even the slight movement of the valve spindles (3 - 4 mm at max.), at the eccentric end, won't be seen once the boiler covers this lot. So the reversing / lifting axle will be fixed, as will everything on that axle, once the rotating rods have been correctly positioned and attached to the lifting rods (using removable pins). The lifting rods shouldn't move under normal operating conditions as they are pivoted at the centre of the eccentric link, though the eccentric links oscillate about that joint so there is a bearing here. As to the joint for the valve spindles, I am tempted to leave them unattached to the eccentric links, though positioned at the bottom of those links with an overlapping, though unpinned joint. Effectively, the bottom of the eccentric link will slide in the ends of the fixed valve spindles. As for extending the 'animation' of this to include the reverser linkage within the cab; no. This, as you have said, is a step way too far. The 22 - 24 mm high crews, who will be charged with 'driving' this model, will just have to put up with a reduction of functionality within their cab!! After all, even for the 4mm live steam models, the fireman is redundant!! Regards Mike

LNER B4 Well, after a few days of assembling various tiny assemblies, checking that they move freely - if they are intended to move - and then musing for an hour or so as to how to assemble the reversing axle, with everything on it and insert the whole lot between the mainframes without losing any of the parts. The reversing axle contains, 2.3 mm spacer, rotating arm lhs, 4.5 mm spacer, counterweight and arm, 4.5 mm spacer, rotating arm rhs, 2.0 mm spacer, reversing axle actuator; all threaded onto a 0.8 mm rod, notionally 17.0 mm long. The whole lot is then slotted into two holes, one in each mainframe. The ends of the rotating arms will carry the joints to the lifting arms on the eccentric assemblies thus holding these assemblies in place and in position. They will be pinned with removable pins to facilitate the motion being removed for servicing, etc. Anyway, after a little experimentation the axle with its attendant parts was successfully inserted between the mainframes and quickly soldered into place, to prevent the whole lot falling out. All of the components mounted on the axle are still free to rotate on the 0.8 mm rod until the final assemblies are fitted and adjusted. As an aside, the counterweight is a very fine brass component, separately packed and labelled as part of the kit, though it has to be drilled to accept the balance arm. Now for the real test; actually making this lot work!! Cheers Mike

LNER B4 With the assembly of the reversing axle incorporating the rotating arms - which lift or lower the eccentric links and thus change the valve travel - then the various motion components are now almost complete. Still need to add two more tiny (2.0 mm) pieces of 1/16" tube to the axle to hold the rotating arms in place to fully complete the motion. The actual valve spindles are done but not shown on this photo. Cheers Mike

Richard, Here's another photo which might help you with the tender. This photo, though not directly referenced as a B16 tender, is a North Eastern 4125 gallon tender and is lined in mixed traffic livery, so can only be from a B16. I also have supporting drawings for the 4125 gallon tender which I will forward to you on a PM. Hope these help. Regards Mike

Richard, A few more B16/1 photos for you to peruse. I don't have a photo of 61412 but these two (61413 and 61414) might give you some further help with the model. Looking at your model v the side on photo of 61443 shows that the gap between the cylinder front and the footplate curve on the photo is larger than this gap on the model. So, either the cylinders on the model are longer or the footplate is shorter. I think someone did comment that the kit footplate is 2 mm short; perhaps this shows where the shortening has been done. These locos have always been a favourite with me especially as they were always so closely associated with Summer specials to Bridlington and Scarborough. There is a record of over thirty of the class being seen, in one weekend in Scarborough, during the early 1950's. Hope the backhead drawing is useful. Regards Mike

Richard, I don't know if this photo is of any use to you but, strangely, this is the best one I have of a B16/1 late in its life. As you can see the external condition of this loco is appalling though, by this time, many of them were in similar states. The loco carries the later LNER designed boiler, identifiable by the dome position, and various other details are visible on the photo. I assume that your model will not replicate the condition of this loco. Regards Mike

Richard, Many thanks for the kind words. In all honesty, the assembly of this motion is right at the limit for me; the limit of actually seeing the pieces with sufficient clarity, the limit of handling such tiny components and the limit of soldering multiple tiny components together. But, with care (quite a lot of care) and patience (ever such a lot of that) it is possible to assemble this motion. Anyway I've now soldered up the first set of motion, except for the rotating arm. The joint spindles have then all been trimmed flush to prevent any fouling of the parts when moving. The whole thing moves freely when the eccentric cams are rotated so now for the second set after which the actual valve spindles will be assembled and tested. Once this motion is assembled and installed, then the loco superstructure should be comparatively simple - famous last words, perhaps!! Cheers Mike

LNER B4 Having assembled the rotating arm and made some new lifting arms, then a quick check that this assembly lines up before starting to solder the various bits together whilst still preserving movement at the ends of the eccentric link and on the join between the lifting arm and the eccentric link. The two joints at the ends of the eccentric link are the only ones which should be subject to any serious movement and stress; the other joints are still subject to movement but much less so with less stress. The eccentric cams, at the left of the photo still need cleaning up to remove excess solder. I'm now having to resort to the lighted magnifying glass to do some of this as the parts are very small. Cheers Mike

Keith, Firstly, apologies to Richard for causing a 'digression' on his thread. The shed shown in the posting, above, was Hull Dairycoates. Until its rebuilding, in 1955/56, this shed boasted six turntables all within a single building. That said, this building was actually built in several stages, being added to as the locomotive allocation increased. When we knew this place, after the 1955/56 rebuilding, there were two turntables within the shed itself and two further turntables, one each end, outside the shed. Additionally, there was also a four road 'dead end' straight shed. We knew it in the late fifties/early sixties and it was quite a place! We would bunk around this shed most Sunday afternoons and on many evenings, so we must have 'gone round' the shed several hundred times. This place never, ever, lost its fascination, though latterly ( c1964 / 65 ), watching the scrap lines grow ever longer, we stopped going, from then simply to rely on the memories and the wealth of photographs. Now, though the shed building still stands, there is little evidence that this was ever the North Eastern's largest loco shed. I do have quite a few photos of this place so here are a couple more. Just look at the shafts of light coming through the soot stained roof lights; you could cut them with a knife as they pierced the stygian, smoke filled gloom. On a Sunday, when the locomotives had their day off, all was silence; there would be no sound save for the faint hiss of steam, the steady drip, drip of water and oil and the occasional flapping of pigeons up in the roof beams. As Richard said, this was a very different world, but one which many of us felt privileged to have seen. Cheers Mike

LNER B4 So the thumb and fingers have survived the assembly and shaping of the second of the eccentric links, so now onto the motion lifting gear assemblies. Again, two of these driven from a common lifting gear axle. As yet, neither of the two valve rod assemblies has the end spindles soldered up and won't be until all of the motion components are assembled. Cheers Mike

LNER B4 The two sets of valve rods have been assembled onto their eccentric cams and the first of the eccentric links has been assembled and profiled. Another of those multi-layer nickel silver components, again quite small; this one requiring quite a lot of filing to achieve the final shape. A shape now shared by my thumb, middle and index fingers!! Anyway, the full assembly has just been pinned (not yet soldered) to check that the eccentric link will travel the full distance without binding, which it does. Now to subject the fingers to even more 're-shaping' as I make and fit the second eccentric link!!! Cheers Mike

Hi Richard, Many thanks for the info re the ModelMaster transfers which I will certainly try. Your comments re the sheds of the North East reminded me of a trip I made around Easter of 1962, up to Newcastle. It was a Sunday trip and I can vividly remember bunking around Gateshead, Heaton and Tyne Dock sheds. Gateshead and Heaton had an incredible mixture of ex NER ad LNER locos but the most memorable part of that Sunday afternoon was the roundhouse at Tyne Dock. By this time the roundhouse roof had gone but around the turntable were the last four N10's and some of the Q7's. I think twelve of the Q7's, all of which were then shedded at Tyne Dock, were in Tyne Dock shed, that day. Oh and the return trip, from Newcastle to Hull was on a special, which travelled the LNER East Coast Main Line to York and then around the York - Church Fenton - Selby 'loop' on its way back to Hull. The locomotive was 60002 - Sir Murrough Wilson, of Gateshead shed. Quite late out of Newcastle, it arrived quite early into Hull, so must have got a move on!! Oh to be able to re-live just one of those steam shed Sundays!! Long while ago Richard; magical days in those great 'cathedrals' dedicated to the steam locomotive; the locomotive sheds of the old North Eastern. Regards MIke

Richard, I wonder if I might ask 'Whose lining have you used and from where is it obtained, for the BR mixed traffic lining on this model?. I remember thinking, when you painted and lined your G5 build, how good the lining looked, I have always used the HMRS methfix/pressfix lining for BR mixed traffic livery but your model lining does look much better. Also though I'm not certain on this but were the boiler bands on the firebox actually lined? Regards Mike