Ruston

Due to cutbacks the new 165DS order was cancelled. Instead a tatty old 165DE was transferred from the Nottinghamshire Coalfield. In the end I built it without the jackshaft. It was causing clearance problems between the cab steps and the crankpins on the rear axle. I could have persevered but I ran out of arsedness and went for the easy option. I fitted Slaters plunger pickups because of the great gap between the running plate and the wheels. The motor is a Mashima 1833, driving through an MSC 40:1 single-stage milled gearbox. The wheels and crank pin bushes were tapped to take 10BA screws. The buffers are Welcome Wagons Lowmac buffers with ABS heads, which have been lightly milled at 60 degree intervals to produce the effect of the countersunk screws that hold the large heads on to the smaller heads behind, as per prototype. The windows have been filed to take away the curve at the top, which appears to be only on early locos (and examples of DS sold to British Railways) and the exhaust hole in the bonnet (a BR feature) has been filled and the exhaust pipe moved to the cab front. Lamps are from Ixion Models, available as a pack of electric and oil lamps with oil cans and tools and the S.W.P. transfer for the brake system are homemade on Crafty Computer Paper.

I have done a little bit more, today. The reccommendations for buffers in the instructions are reasonable but the buffers fitted to 88DS Rustons appear to have been made by Rustons themselves and are peculiar to their locos. Nothing else is exactly the same. [/url] I used Welcome Wagons Lowmac buffers. The bases on these are rectangular but I can't be bothered to file them to shape as that would mean making new cosmetic nuts and bolts. I tried soldering one of the large etched buffer heads, that are supplied in the kit, to the Lowmac buffer but the etch is of course flat and attempts to form a curve on it failed.Instead the Lowmac buffers were drilled down the centre of the head and machined to take the curve of the rear of ABS buffer heads. The new heads were then lightly milled to leave the impression of the countersunk screws that hold the large heads on, as per the prototype.

At last I can now talk about this! Excuse me whilst I now get quite excited... A RTR Ruston 48DS! Wahey!

The most difficult part of the bodywork is done. There are half-etched lines to form the curves but I still found it difficult to get the bonnet to follow the curve along its length and I soldered lengths of I beam inside to help prevent the sides from bowing outward. [/url] Two minor cock-ups - Firstly I soldered the radiator grille in the wrong way round and, second, I obviously didn't use enough grease between the baseplate and the footplate as the bodywork is now stuck to the footplate. It just means that I'll have to fit the interior then paint and glaze the cab before I put the roof on. Of course it can't ever be taken apart then but it doesn't affect getting to any of the workings - gears, motor etc.

For Osgood and anyone else who may be interested:

Derail beams added and the inner footplate and the base for the cab and engine casing are bolted to the frame. There is a layer of grease between the base and the frame to prevent them from becoming soldered together whilst the cab and engine casing are built in situ. [/url] I have decided to build the earlier type of cab with the metal window frames.

As I'm currently building the new 7mm Judith Edge kit I have been looking again at 88DS locos in detail. Apart from the cab styles and windows there are other small details that differ. Some 20-ton locos have weights that take up almost all the length of the frame sides - [Link no longer exists] Whereas others have slightly shorter weights with lifting eyes at the frame ends (this is not the real BR No.20) - https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7498/15198273904_762f46181e_b.jpg The majority of locos with the lifting eyes appear to be later ones, with the larger windows, but the small window-cabbed locos did have them - https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5712/22927403305_241d89afdc_b.jpg Other links to 88DS photos. Where is this? http://davesrailphots.weebly.com/uploads/8/4/8/1/8481551/2316469_orig.jpg Vauxhall Motors, Dunstable - https://c7.staticflickr.com/5/4097/4796643214_053282b79d_b.jpg Vauxhall Motors, Dunstable - https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4077/4796046640_5a348f25f0_b.jpg T.W. Ward, Tinlsey Junction - https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8484/8205978078_1753a96f62_b.jpg ? https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3481/3255305399_bb1c26aecc_b.jpg Ex-British Gas, with flametrap exhaust, Quainton Road - http://www.brc-stockbook.co.uk/hilseaL.jpg Rowntrees - https://roundtreessidings.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/rowntrees-shunter-neville-stead-03.jpg BR No.20 - https://photos.smugmug.com/RAILWAYS/BRITISH-DIESEL-AND-ELECTRIC/PRE-TOPS-DIESEL-LOCOMOTIVES/i-MSJ8Dpt/1/XL/20-XL.jpg Bolton Gasworks - https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7171/6587753101_167824969a_b.jpg Wensleydale - https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7339/9987566273_8b47b951f6_b.jpg ? https://c7.staticflickr.com/4/3628/3434208694_3733de47b0_b.jpg ? - https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8502/8389357685_1d81e5e098_b.jpg GCR(N) - https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7082/7381862366_eeee98094d_b.jpg Rutland RM - [Link no longer exists] Telford - https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3728/8864756351_2d89ba4194_b.jpg

Hi Tony, I can't remember all of the problems as they were told in person and not all written down in any form but in addition to those I have mentioned there is the fact that if you build it according to the instructions the smokebox will not line up with the cylinders. I'll ask for you but I'm not going to identify the chap who is building this for me as he doesn't usually build for other people. If he's reading this he may contact you through this forum but I'll leave that to him. Make sure you have been provided with the correct wheels too! I was given 3ft. 6in dia wheels, as was the kit of the chap that is building it for me. They should be 3ft. 9in (10-spoke as shown in the pictures). When you open the box on this kit it looks as if you're getting a lot for your money but a lot of the etches are surplus, as are a lot of the castings. Another thing that put me off was the state of the lost wax brass castings. Bent piston rods and the things the valve rods should slide in were rough and there was no chance of the rod sliding in them at all. Have you tried drilling that stuff? It's very hard - another reason why I am not building it myself!

Is it really upside down? I can never tell. It looks the same as the other one to me.

Outer frames now attached to footplate and buffer beams. [/url] [/url]

The outer frame side etches include the radius rods and the axleboxes. To these an overlay of the thickening strip and other layers go to make up the axleboxes and the axle end locating plates. [/url] I have partially drilled the holes that need to be punched out to help prevent distortion when punching. Circled are two undrilled etched dimples for comparison. [/url] Completed side/axlebox/end plate. The instructions say the end plates should go on after assembly of the frames but I think that it is easier to fit them whilst the frame sides can be laid down flat. I'm considering cutting the flat etched radius rods off and replacing them with something a bit more three dimensional.

While we're all waiting, here's the test card. My 7mm kit-built W4.

Since my last post about this I was contacted by a modeller who has already built one of these kits and he went through the problems and innacuracies. The list is rather large, including a boiler that is too long, cylinders that are too wide and, that if made up as out of the kit, the valve gear would not work! After I encountered the initial problems I put the thing away in its box. I have never built anything with outside valve gear but I was going to have a go until all the problems emerged and I decided that if I was ever going to build outside valve gear it's best that I learn on something that will work, so I ended coming to an agreement to pay someone to build for me. It will have the rods and frame painted and the bodywork primed but I will do the final painting and weathering myself and will fit DCC and sound. It is being built with an open backed cab, as per 1488 WEST RIDING. Photos unavailable due to the pirates at Photobucket

It's progressed even further today. I've got the rods and brake hangers/blocks assembled and painted, the cab roof on and the buffer beams painted with diagonal yellow/black stripes. I'm expecting buffers and plunger pickups tomorrow and an order for wheels has been put in to Slaters. It will probably be the New Year before it gets a motor and gearbox because of bills to pay this month.

Yes, that would be a challenge for even the most experienced in the use of a lining pen! I doubt I'll even attempt any lining at all. I have made a start on the inner frame, which is the actual working parts of the loco. The frame is a fold-up with spacers. The front axle sits in bushes whilst the rear is located by swinging arms and sits on a knife edge that provides compensation. [/url] The wheels to be used are disc wagon wheels so the axles are 1/8th as opposed to the more usual 3/16ths on 7mm locos. The holes in the swinging arms are 1/8th and the larger hole in the frames allows for the movement of the compensated axle but the holes for the front axle are way too large to take the 1/8th bushes. I haven't contacted Mike to see if there should be some larger bushes that are missing from the kit. Instead I opened out the holes to take 3/16th axle bushes and then soldered the 1/8th bushes inside these. The frame is folded, the spacers soldered in, the knife edge soldered in and the swinging arms held in with screws and nuts. [/url] The wheels in the picture are some 3-hole discs that I have borrowed from a wagon to fit the frames up but I will buy new plain discs and drill 4 holes in them before final assembly.

Excellent! You got me hooked at the sight of a 48DS trundling down the road next to a churchyard.

The most eagerly anticipated loco model of the decade! For me, anyway. The Ruston 88DS is my all-time favourite diesel shunter and I have been pestering Mike Edge to do a 7mm kit for a long time. Today I finally got my hands on the etches. [/url] The kit can be built as either the early or late style of enclosed cab. The open-sided cab is not catered for in the kit but I suppose cab sides could be scratch-built to model that style. It comes with resin castings of the optional frame weights to build the 20-ton version, or to leave them off for the 17-ton. I have yet to decide which I am going to build. I have a suitable motor in a drawer somewhere and some Delrin chain and sprockets that I have been saving for such a special occasion. I need to buy some buffers and a gearbox and wheels. Rivet counter's guide to the type - http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/113246-the-ruston-88ds-class-a-rivet-counters-guide/

The Coal Board have ordered a 165HP diesel-mechanical shunter, of the type 165DS, from Ruston & Hornsby Ltd. for use at Royd Hall. Delivery expected late December.

I've decided that I won't be selling this after all. It's tucked away in the shed so isn't in the way of anything and I've just ordered one of Hornby's Pecketts. The original plan of keeping the stock with tension lock couplings will probably be abandoned as the attempts at automatic uncoupling were unsuccesful. I'll probably replace them with something that not only works better but looks better too. The Peckett is supposedly DCC ready and if sound can be fitted I will convert the layout to DCC as I already have the equipment that can be borrowed from Royd Hall. It will need a dusting and the rails cleaning and then we're back in the steel business...

Have you finished painting the Manning yet?

I have ordered one, the old-fashioned way. I have been to my local model shop, which is about ten minutes drive from here, and asked them to keep one for me. It will cost a bit more than from an online shop but there's no postage to add on and no driving to the Royal Mail depot to collect it when they inevitably try to deliver it whilst I'm at work. So... without me having to trawl through all 30 pages of this topic, do we know if there's space inside to fit DCC sound?

I mainly model 7mm but I do have a 00 layout that needs finishing. I was going to buy one of these little Pecketts - when they hit the shops... Being a 7mm modeller and buying my stuff, mostly kits, at shows and shops, I had no idea that the RTR market operates this way so I seem to have missed out. With all these hundreds of little industrial saddletanks being snapped up I can only hope that we get to see some nice new industrial layouts being posted in the UK Standard Gauge Industrial section of RMweb...

Interesting. The BR locos have the exhaust near the front of the bonnet but I have yet to see ain industrial version with the exhaust there. The industrials all seem to have the exhaust centred against the cab front.

I've done it. It's far from perfect. My excuse is that the Coal Board fitters had the bonnet off and were a rough lot when it came to re-fitting it. I suppose the 88DS will have to be made in the same way so it's practice for building that. Speaking of which... Do you have any ready yet?

Some info for modelling 165HP Rustons. If you're modelling the cab interior... Early DE. Late DE. Engines: Despite this series of locomotives all being designated 165xx only the DS had their engines rated at that horsepower (at 1250 r.p.m.). The DE, which used the same Ruston 6VPH normally-aspirated diesel was rated at 155HP at 1250 r.p.m.. The DH locos, which used the Ruston 6YEX turbo-charged engine, which was rated 165HP at 1800 r.p.m. Although the engines are rarely modelled it makes a difference to what sound chip you may want to add. Although no one does sound for any of these locos you could use something at least similar so a Rolls Royce sound is going to be more suitable for the DH but something slow-running such as the chip for a BR class 03 may be better suited to a DS. I can't think of anything suitable for the DE with the slow-running engine but no gearchange sounds.