scanman

Chris - If using a digital camera remember on most you can change the light source - most have tungsten, fluoresent settings etc. Just have to remember to change it back or the wife & kids end up looking like a certain Labour MP (orange!) Regs Ian

Nice build - very clean soldering Regs Ian

Hmm... Martin got back to me pretty quickly. The 'missing' small etched sheet is in fact included in one of the larger sheets. Just appeared separate on the photocopy.. Normally I would have checked all the parts against the sheet, but I was impatient to start. I've sent Martin an apology! Also the wheelsets arrived today - great service from 'Alan Gibson'. Craig - There's been a bit of 'chat' on the 'small suppliers forum' re 247 Developments... I need to contact him anyway - need a backhead for a '5700' & the 'Metro'. Fortunately he's trading at ExpoEM! If/when I've worked how to de-mount the wheelsets/chassis etc I will describe it here. The other route would be to open the ends of the hornblocks & iether use some form of 'keeper plate' (pretty difficult bearing in mind the water scoop & other gubbins that sits under there, or use keepers across the mouth of the hornblocks. I'll investigate! Regs Ian

Paddington in a boxfile - now there's a thought! Regs Ian

Back to back problems Chris? Worth checking given the parameters.<BR><BR>Dont worry about not airbrushing track - I always paint mine with a brush - slightly less 'overspray'!<BR><BR>Regs<BR><BR>Ian

Hi Nick - I will admit the idea is not new - I built a 7mm 3,500 gal from the same stable - it was only once I'd done all the chassis work that I thought 'B...er, how do I paint it?'. So I gave it back to the client & let him work it out... Regs Ian

Stunning progress - as I recall it was 'bare boards' a few weeks ago! Regs Ian

Russ - if you are considering making a 'scenic test track' I'd consider making the point operable... At least you'll know that when you go back to Banff your stock will go through the pointwork! Regs Ian

Hi T - If its any consolation I found that the two printers I use (an HP inkjet and a 'Brother' laserject) both print just fine without calibration. You just have to tell 'Templot' you have calibrated (once you've checked!) or it will print 'uncalibrated' on the drawing! Hope things settle soon, Regs Ian

As usual I start with the tender. This is the 3000 gal variant - and thanks to CraigW on ths site I now have a very nice image of the loco & tender. Coupled with the images & drawing in 'Russell' and kind contributions from other lists (GWRSG & GWR- E-list) I now have quite an amount of information! The one thouht that occurs to me is - when a loco went to Swindon for (say) a heavy overhaul - did she come out with the same tender? seems inconceivable that the tender would sit around (sometimes for several months)... Anyway, thanks to Craig I have photo evidence bang on period! This shows a 3000 gal tender fitted with tie bars rather than tie-rods - so on with the chassis.. This is a Finney kit - just follow the instructions! Okay, I didn't... Section 1 'fold up the side frames, then impress the rivet detail' 'Ahh - if I do that I won't get the rivetting tool in'. So I did the first side rivets first - and spent some time 'tweaking out' the inevitable distortion. It then occurred to me that the setting of my rivetting tool (basically an M6 rod with a hardened tip and adjustable nuts controlling the travel of the slug could be adjusted! The other sideframe followed the instructions to the letter - bingo! No distortion. So after 4.5 hours work - Work stopped when I hit a slight snag - a missing part. Or rather a missing fret... At 11.00pm I guessed it would be politic to drop Mr Finney an e-mail rather than 'phoning him! Shouldn't delay the buid too much - I need the wheels next to set up the chassis. Having said I would follow the instructions, there is one 'mod' I am considering... The side frames are 'temporarily' located by 10BA bolts passed through the holes visibll in the plan view. I'm thinking about making that arrangement permanent, allowing an element of disassembly. It will depend on other construction elements yet to come! Hopefully I can make some progress tommorrow, as the tender body is not dependent on competion of the chasis. However with three of us involved in hospital visits tommorrow, time may be somewhat short! Regs Ian

Hi Nick - According to the shed lists she was at Westbury in '23 and Didcot in '34 - so she could appear in my scenario (set east of Gloucester & north of Cheltenham on 'through trains' to Honeybourne etc. I only chose the name 'cos Kingfishers are my favourite bird! Hi Mikkel You have to give them the money, too! As to balancing the effort, I really started the MSWJR whilst waiting for some 'bits' for a 5700 conversion - which I then got 'carried away with'! The 'Bulldog' for obvious reasons will take precedence over both the others - which are laid out in their own desk-trays. Regs to you both, Ian

Hi Tom - It's said that the first footstep of any journey is the most difficult! Looking good - and certainly more impressive than the usual 'p..o' product! Regs Ian

No - not a jingoistic outpouring, but a model being built in tribute to a very nice man - a true 'Brit' and an ex-master mariner to boot. Not only is Jim my father-in-law - he's also my uncle. Before anyone gets a banjo out, Zoe my wife had the good fortune (her words) to be adopted by my aunt & uncle. The reason for building this kit (a Martin Finney 'Bulldg') is explained in the last section (to date) on the MSWJR 4-4-0 build. So now an appeal - if anyone has any photo's or references to 'Kingfisher (3448) as running between 1920-1930 - I'd be delighted to be aquainted with them. Usually I enjoy the research almost as much as the buiild - but in the circumstances time appears to be pressing. So onward... As usual I will start with the tender... This is the Churchard '3000 gal' variant. Whats in the box? I'm tempted to say 'the usual Finney product'... Superb cleanly-etched shiny brass etches, very nice castings and a set of instructions to drool over... Martin states that from this kit you can build ll variants of the prototype and I doubt I will prove him wrong! First step (for me) is to lay the parts out in a desk tidy (of which I have several!) - this ensures that no parts go astray. Next step is to order the wheels (Gibson) and motor/gearbox (High Level) - will speak to Chris this a.m. for advice - the kit was originally designed round a portescap, but I'm guessing that Mr Gibbon's got something in the armoury! Tommorrow evening will be spent poring over the instruction-sheets (which include a nice guide to the etches), and familiarising myself with the various parts. Who knows, I might even get some soldering done! However, whilst I do feel somewhat 'under pressure' I will resist the temptation to rush it... Regs Ian

(an explanation of the tite follows shortly) Progress today has centred on completing the axle bearings and starting the brake rodding. The axle bearings went together easily enough once the jig had been sorted out. The hornblock guides being held in place by hair-clips whilst being tack-soldered'. I quite forgot another tip picked up from these forums - using a redundant 'Biro' spring to hold them in place.. Next time! Next it was on to the brake-rodding - with some assembly taking part 'off-model' Again, the instructions are lacking - the pull-rods are designated 'front' & 'rear' - but the rear one has form to it, and there's no indication which way up it goes! However, for now , this is where it's at... As is my usual wont. the brake-gear will be removable - the brake hangers will just slip over the ends of the upper rodding. One day.. Which brings me to the meaning of the title. Last Xmas my father-in-law (2nd time around & not related to the loss of my 'first' mum in law) gave me the wherewithal to purchase a Finney Bulldog. Since then his health has deteriorated (he's 87) and for obvious reasons I'd like to get the kit finished quickly... So now I'll have three loco's ubder construction - not a scenario I like, but there we go. Follow the progress on the next section of the blog - 'A Very British Bulldog'.... Regards Ian

Having reduced them to fit your hornblock bearings, I would wipe them over with a coat of light oil to prevent any oxidation/corrosion while they are in the tool box. Incidentally, LRM don't claim the idea for the design, that was Iain Rice's. LRM just started to get them made. Jol Cheers Jol - A trick worth trying. Regs Ian

Hi Pete - I'm lucky in that I still sometimes visit. It's now the 'home' of 'English Heritage' and as a part-time archaeologist I sometimes have to look at their mapping and aerial photo archive. Somehow I always seem to vist 'Steam'.. (if you go to 'EH' as a 'reader' you can get free parking - I tell them 'I'm just slipping out for lunch' as you cannot get any accessions between 1-2pm)! Regs Ian

Hi Nick Thanks for the compliment - just the result of a lot of 'cleaning-up'! the best tool in my armoury for verifying this is a digital caliper Yes - must get one *next time* I'm at the same show as 'Squires' (or similar). Keep promising myself! surely a better way would be to reduce thickness under rotation? I did consider that (honest!). The trouble with the 'Dremel' is it's speed of rotation - slowest speed is about 2000 rpm & I knew there wasn't much to take off. The jigs look like they are made of aluminium rod, and I just had to take off the oxidation layer + a bit more. Be interesting to see what happens when they are not used for a while.. I'll see you at Expo - I've now found I can be there both days (too late to organise stand, so I've offered to steward). Should have some test frames to show you! Regs Ian

After an enforced layoff ( three contracts for windows - very nice) and the loss of my mum-in-law (b....y awful) it's nice to be back in the workshop modelling for myself (gerrynick - if you;re reading this I've not forgotten Hellingly's windows!). During the break I received a set of LRM axle jigs, so the next phase is the setting-up of the suspension units. First, build the coupling rods! These are in two parts, both of which are reasonable thickness, so when sweated together do take on the 'massive' look of the prototype. The crankpin holes were then drilled out to take Gibson bushes. (yes, the bush is one of the long versions. The way they tend to 'ping' rond the workshop I didn't want to risk a short one)! One of my teenage memories is going on a trip round Swindon Works with the school model railway society (do any still exist?) and seeing a coupling rod formed from a single blank of steel. So impressive! On to the chassis. The rear axle is fixed, and had already been bushed. The leading horn-block/bushes were assembled and reamed 1/8th". Then the problem arose... The jig axle was marginally too big to pass through the bushes... (anyone else had this problem?) . I checked using the reamer and a Gibson axle - both passed through and rotated freely... Only solution - take a file & emery cloth to the jig axle! About an hour of file/check - file/check & the jig finally did what it was supposed to do. I then 'loaded' the front jig with the hornblock assemblies - and then found the chassis is slightly thicker than the etched outer portion of the hornblock. Result - the outer face of the bush doesn't clear the chassis . The solution will have to wait until tommorw. I propose to file 'flats on the outer face of the bush. This will slide in the chassis - but prevent the bush from turning. I hope. The axle jigs roughly assembled! It's nice to be back Regs Ian

Hi 'Halfwit' (?) - Kentons in teaching mode again - and well-worth listening-to. I did a similar blog entry some time ago - and having been corrected by Kenton on several points (particularly using insulating material - I actually use asbestosised paper- under the working point) I've found it a very useful tool. Another suggestion is to bolt a piece of angle to the work-plate. Useful for frame assembly etc. Again, not my idea - I saw it demonstrated at ExpoEM South a couple of years ago. Regs Ian

Another china clay line coming up! Does look seriously intersting tho'. Regs Ian

Mr Quince would certainly 'wince' if he visited his local doctor for that complaint... The treatment hadn't changed much from the times of his forebears. An injection of mercury in the relevent aperture... (see the relevant syringe in the 'Mary Rose' museum at Portsmouth)(Ohhh nasty!!!). Lovely modelling as usual Mikkel! Regs Ian

Nic progress, and a shame about the prototype location. Unfortunately, it is a common problem - those who are passionate about preserving something (about 0.5% of any population) cannot understand when the other 99.5% are not so enthused.... Something that happens regularly in archaeology... Regs Ian

Excellent - one of the two things that always attract me to 'over the pond' modelling. ian

Hi Steve - I've just put a 'High Level' chassis with representative motion under a 4mm pannier. I *definitely* would not go to the trouble of putting working motion in - even in 4mm there's not much visibility. Just having 'daylight' showing through would be reward enough in 2mm! Regs Ian