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Dave Holt

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  1. Dave Holt
    In anticipation of fixing the platform in position, I've done some work on the rodding for the platform release cross-over which will be fairly inaccessible once the platform is in position. The cross-over was operated from a ground frame located between the buffer stops via a rodding run which started in the 6 foot, then crossed under the platform road and then ran close to the platform face before crossing back to the far end point blades. I've tried to replicate this arrangement using cast white metal stools from MSE and 0.4 mm square rod from the same source. The rodding cranks are Brassmasters etchings and the point stretcher bars are represented by lengths of plastic strip passing under the rails but not attached. Hopefully, once painted and from a reasonable viewing distance, this won't be too obvious.
    The photos show some of the work so far.
     

     
    The arrangement at the point nearer the buffer stops is slightly unusual. The rodding continues past the point blade attachment (via a lug attachment - not yet modelled) and the passes under the track several sleepers further along. I thing the purpose of this arrangement was to balance the pull/push lengths and so avoid the need for a compensator. Photos of the actual location show no signs of a compensator.
     

     
    Here is the far end connection where the rod passes under the platform road to reach the blades in the loop line.
     

     
    Here's a more general view of the rodding and stools, looking from the buffer stop end.
     
     
    Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.
     
    Dave.
  2. Dave Holt
    Well, it's cooled down somewhat recently and I've finally got down to a bit more modelling after nearly two month hiatus. The final details still outstanding were the lamp irons and fixing the smokebox front.
    I actually did the latter a couple of weeks ago during the hot weather and failed to spot that some Araldite has squeezed out and covered some of the rivets round the top half of the wrapper. I have been worrying about what to do about this and had come to terms with leaving it for fear of damaging the white metal casting. To help this decision, I painted the local area matt black to see how it might look on the finished model. However, today, I tried a stiff fibre-glass brush to remove the paint and noticed the Araldite seamed to also partially rub off. I also noticed that the residue of adhesive in the mixing lid had set to a sort of rubbery consistency rather than hard as glass - perhaps i didn't use quite enough hardener? Anyway, this prompted me to try scraping it with the back of a scalpel blade which resulted in the excess peeling away, leaving the cast rivet detail unharmed. A bit of good fortune on my part.
    The lamp irons are another custom etch from Rumney Models, which fold up to represent the correct pattern of irons for the smokebox top and bunker rear. They're rather fiddly to do and have a tendency to ping off into the far corners of the room. I needed five but lost two to the carpet or somewhere. Luckily, Justin had etched seven irons in a set so I was just able to get all that were needed from one etch.
    After fitting the irons, I have reassembled the body and chassis so that the speedometer drive could be bent back into the correct shape, having been moved during handling.
    I'll leave it for a couple of days to let everything cure before cleaning up ready for it's trip to the painters.
    Here are a few shots of the assembled loco.
     

     

     

     
    And the other side, with the front plates and door handles temporarily fitted.
     

     

     

     
    Dave.
  3. Dave Holt
    One of the problems I've created for myself is that the layout is being/has been wired in a way that means nothing can really be tested without the control panel being connected and so far I had not made any progress with this item. I've now made a start sing a panel case bought from Squires.
    I must say, it has a sort of 1950's Sci-Fi film laboratory (think Quatermass or Blob from Outer Space type of thing) look to it in my view. However, since the layout is set in the '50's, that might be quite appropriate.
    Progress to date has mainly been marking and drilling for the various switches and LED's and fitting the plug & socket (2 x 25) for the connections to the layout and 2 x 5 pin DIN sockets for the main DC and DCC controllers. The two large rotary switches select the main or yard controllers or DCC for the two track sections (main/platform line and loop/yard).
    The point and signal switches are set out like a signal box lever frame and have appropriately coloured levers.
    Still lots to do, but at least work is under way.
     

     
    Here's the panel with the lever frame and section selector switches fitted and holes drilled in the mimic diagram panel for an isolation switch and various LED indicators.
    Here are skectes of the two panels.
     

     

     
    Dave.
  4. Dave Holt
    Since my last post back in September, I've painted the remaining track and point rodding with basic colours and recently installed the signal wire posts. There's just the rodding outside the signal box to complete and then I'm faced with the slightly daunting task of laying the ballast.
    I'll be using C&L ash ballast in the yard and run-round loop and a mixture of ash and proper ballast for the main line. Photos of the real place suggest the ballast even on the running line was pretty old and contaminated with years of accumulated muck, dust and oil. The type and colour of what proper ballast there was is an unresolved question and I'm a bit undecided whether to use a pale grey (granite) or creamy (millstone grit?) colour mixed in with the ash. Any suggestions of the type/colour of ballast in the Lancashire/West Riding border area in the mid 1950's would be welcome.
    My proposed method of laying the ballast is to cover an area with loose ballast, then soak in a diluted carpet adhesive with a few drops of washing-up liquid added. A fairly common approach, I think. One concern is whether the glue will also be drawn down the holes in the board for electrical dropper and drip all over the place. Has anyone any experience with this?
     
    Anyway, here are some photos of the current state of play, showing the painted track, rodding and signal wire posts. The tops of the rails have not yet been scraped clean. The dark coloured areas along the back edge and in some sleeper bays are where there will be little or no ballast in the cess and where stretcher bars, point rodding and signal wires pass under the track.
     

     

     

     

     

     
    Dave.
  5. Dave Holt
    Following on from the fitting crews and fire irons to various locos it's back to some rather more fiddly modelling in the form of the injectors for my Ivatt Class 2 tank. These injectors have quite a distinctive shape and I am not aware of any commercial source of realistic representations of these items. To overcome this lack, I decided to try and represent the injectors and their mountings using multiple layers of custom etchings, produced to my sketches by Rumney Models. I use the word "fiddly" because each injector unit consists of 30 separate pieces, not including the wires representing the pipework, despite the body only being 5.7 mm long.
    Here's a photo of the real thing, fitted to the Ivatt Class 2 2-6-0 tender loco at the SVR. The injector is identical to that fitted to the tank engines except for the mounting bracket and orientation of the water feed pipe.

     
    For the model, I produced this sketch of the assembly relative to the chassis main frames (on the right) and underside of the cab/side tanks (along the top). Drawn 10 times full size, I realised I needed to make some slight changes (as noted) to allow for some minor dimensional compromises.

     
    Here we have one of the assembled injector body/mounting bracket units (LHS of the loco) with the various pipes and water valve operating spindle laid out in roughly their correct relative positions. The pipes will be bent to shape and fitted after the injectors have been fixed in position on the loco main frames.
    Also shown is the other injector and bracket (RHS) which is, of course, the opposite hand.

     
    Think I probably need to go and lie in a darkened room for a while after that lot.
     
    Dave.
  6. Dave Holt
    Well, crabs are generally said to scuttle, but that's sideways, so it's not unreasonable that forward progress is fairly slow.
    Following the conversion work on the ex_GCR push-pull coaches, I thought I ought to try and finish off some part completed projects which have been sitting around for quite a while. One such is the ex-LMS Crab, which is a Bachmann body on a Comet chassis and a Comet brass tender, together with a Brassmasters detailing kit. The original idea, inspired by the demonstration version on the Comet exhibition stand, was for a quick production based on a straight forward assembly of the chassis kit for P4 gauge. Needless to say, I couldn't go through with that approach and ended up adding lots of extra details and some missing bits, all of which added extra time.
    So, in a mad bout of renewed enthusiasm, the final details have been added to the chassis and body and a bit more work done to the tender. There, the only outstanding parts are the cab doors. I've assembled the Brassmasters doors with working hinges and am dallying with the idea of springing them open but need to obtain some fine phosphor bronze wire to make the springs. A trial with 0.33 mm brass wire proved the geometry but was too stiff.
    On the loco, which sits on coil springs, I have had a bit of fun and games getting the weight in the right place. Initially, I added too much in the front portion of the boiler, causing the front driver springs to be nearly fully compressed. It was a mighty struggle to get the weight back out, having glued it in rather too well. That made things much better, especially after I managed to squeeze a bit more lead in the firebox and some under the cab roof, but after I fitted the the front pony truck, which is also lightly sprung, I found the reverse problem! Now the rear driving springs were fully compressed, so I had to re-fit part of the boiler weight and remove the lead from the cab roof to get a reasonable ride attitude. Compensation is a lot less bother!!!
    Anyway, here it is in its current state. The loco still needs overall weathering and the tender remains unpainted till the cab doors are sorted, but definite progress.
     

     
    Dave.
  7. Dave Holt
    A bit of further effort has seen the completion of the FPL and lock bar with the rodding all connected and the drive to the FPL bolt also done. This means I can now paint the track on the final board and in fact, since the photos were taken, I've primed all the unpainted bits using Halfords grey plastic primer.
    Just the rodding connections into the signal box left to do; then the dreaded ballasting awaits.
    Here are some shots of the finished assembly.
     

     

     

     

     
    Aahh! Just spotted that I forgot to plug the hole in the sleeper where I had to move the pivot bar for the FPL bolt (last photo). Another little job to do before painting.
     
    Dave.
  8. Dave Holt
    My Brassmasters Jubilee, 45701, Conqueror, has been painted and lined by good friend, David Clarke. It's now come back to me to be re-assembled and various smaller items attached before it goes back to David to be weathered.
    The attached, very poor quality, photos show the re-assembled loco ready for some test running prior to the weathering.
     

     

     

     
    Dave.
  9. Dave Holt
    I've been doing some further work on the Dobcross bridge/tunnel which forms part of the scenic break at the exit to the fiddle yard. Recent work has been to add a section of curved wall alongside the steep lane going over the bridge. These days, it is almost completely obscured behind brambles and other thick undergrowth but I imagine it was fully exposed to view at the time the railway is set (mid to late 1950's). It appears in a photo on page 23 of Larry Goddard's Delph to Oldham book.
    Following construction and installation of the new wall, the stone-work has been painted. The above mentioned photo (unfortunately undated) shows that the stone was not completely blackened, as was common around Oldham at that time, with the mortar generally being a lighter colour than the stones. This has necessitated a different technique to the other stone structures. These had been painted a stone colour followed by matt black, which was partially wiped off after a few minutes drying (as recommended by Gravy Train). This is very effective for rough stone but results in the joints being black. For the bridge, the black has been applied by dry brushing over the stone colour, tending to leave the mortar the base stone colour.
    The different stone effects are the nearest commercial embossed plastic sheet to the various types of stone-work on the real thing. I suppose individually engraved stones (a la Geoff Kent) would have have enabled a better representation but I can live with the result I've got.
    Here are some photos of the result, previously seen only in grey primer.
     
    First the "Delph" portal:

     
    The lane side wall, including the new curved section:

     
    The "fiddle yard" portal (and the end shown in the L.G. book):

     
    There may well be some further weathering but the bridge can now be fixed in position and the cess ballast touched up against the walls of the bridge.
     
    Dave.
  10. Dave Holt
    Work on the sprung chassis for the Class 40 has progressed with the PenBits etched brass kit assembled and work on modifying the Bachmann drive units and bogie frames started.
     
    The PenBits chassis went together perfectly, with virtually no adjustments required other than minor filing to get various sliding parts to give a nice fit. This was mentioned in the very comprehensive assembly instructions available on the PenBits web site, so came as no surprise. I didn't bother trying to download or print off seventy-odd pages but just browsed on line as I worked - fortunately, my computer is right next to the work bench.
     
    Although I've stated that the chassis is sprung, it's actually a mix of springing and compensation, with pairs of axles sprung using guitar string wires which are able to pivot in their mountings for the primary (on bogie) suspension and the bogies resting against secondary spring wires under the bogie mounts, again able to rock in the fore-aft direction. It all sounds rather complicated but actually goes together nicely with a bit of care and by being methodical, also being careful not to mix parts up between the two bogie assemblies.
     
    Having done all the soldered parts, I had to move on to the modifications needed to marry them to the Bachmann parts. That's where the deep breath came in. It's quite daunting to have to start chopping up the workings of a £200 r-t-r model, knowing that there's no going back or manufaturer's warranty available.
     
    The following photos show aspects of this recent work.
     
    First, the Bachnamm drive train has to be dismantled and sawn into two pieces, with a sliver removed to allow articulation between the axles. This shows the result with the gears re-fitted to the larger piece and the bass transmission linking box in the background.
     

     
    The remaining gears are inserted into the brass housing and the two sections re-connected by the final gear and its pin. Also visible is the bogie mounting with part of the Bachmann bogie mounting arrangement glued into the top.
     

     

     
    The articulated drive train was then dropped into the etched bogie chassis just to check nothing was catching on something else. When the springs are in place, the plastic drive train will be held further up inside the brass chassis.
     

     
    Next the bogie mounting was dropped over the bogie, again to check for clearances/clashes. Once the secondary springs are in, the mounting will sit higher up, giving even more clearance.
     

     
    So far, everything appears to fit as it should with nothing catching or binding.
     
    I can't really do much more with the trial assembly till I've put the driven wheel sets together. The Bachmann axles have to be taken apart to release the drive gears and these then have to be bored out to fit the full width 2 mm axles. A friend who does clock and watch making has very kindly offered to do this on one of his small lathes, so they are with him just now.
     
    The trial assembly has allowed me to have some ideas about pick-up arrangements. Clearances require removal of the existing Bachmann phosphour-bronze strips. The PenBits instructions are based on shorting out the wheels on one side of each bogie but I don't fancy that and need to find suitable positions for conventional wiper pick-ups.
     
    The final bit of work has been to start to get the plastic outer bogie frames ready to fit to the PenBits mountings. This entails cutting out the various cross struts and the base of the moulding and removing the coupling mount. The inner end strut has to be removed after gluing the frames to the brass mounting assembly. I've also cut out the holes where the extended axles of the front truck poke through. Suitable axles have been sourced from the part finished Lima conversion, mentioned below.
     

     
    I'm rather disappointed by the Bachmann frame mouldings and some of the jumper cable details, which are way over scale. Years ago, I part finished Lima Class 40 in P4 and, to be honest, the bogie detail is far superior and much crisper. I'd also put on all the hoses, pipes, front bearers and even the AJ couplings, so I intend to try to reclaim and re-use some of these parts. The photo below illustrated the Lima and Bachmann frames (the Bachmann is neared the camera, so looks larger, but they're both the same size!). I broke one of the cab steps off the other Bachmann and these are much better than the Lima, being separate mouldings, but I'm not sure we've progressed much in the twenty years or so separating these products.
     

     
    Dave.
  11. Dave Holt
    Not a huge amount of progress since my last post. In fact, I didn't do any modelling at all over Christmas and New Year, but have got back to it in recent weeks.
    I had marked out the areas to be cobbled onto 1.2 mm thick mount card using the templates illustrated last time and since then, I've embossed about a quarter of the area needed and cut out some of the shapes to fit round the track and goods shed.
    My original intention was to paint the surface before fixing to the base-boards but have got a bit carried away and have now fixed the first section in place. So much for plans!
    The land form levels were built up with layers of card so that the final surface is level with the platform at the end of the station building and slopes down to track level in the yard area. I used a centre strip of card to produce a bit of camber in the main roadway, although this probably isn't as pronounced as it was on the prototype.
    Close observation of the photos just reveals the cobble stone embossing, but hopefully this will be more apparent after painting.
     

     
    The view looking at the end of the platform. The later addition of the brick-built loading platorm now stands at the correct height. The cut-out nearest the camera is for the gable end and back yard of the station master's house.
     

     
    A more general view.
     

     
    The area round the goods shed is only partially embossed and is not yet cut to final size or fixed down.
     
    Dave.
  12. Dave Holt
    Hope this works - continuing the story of my layout and workbench. On the old RMweb thread (which I no longer appear to be able to access), I had posted regarding the setback experienced when the paper track plan which I had stuck to the cork underlay and on which I had intended to lay the track, wringled up very badly with the recent damp weather. The following photos show the trial fitting of the station throat pointwork on the track plan.
     

     

     

     
    Fortunately, the wrinkled paper came away quite well and did not damage the surface of the underlay, although it did reveal a few areas where the cork was not well adhered to the base-board top. Following removal, I have had to mark the track position directly on the cork and this stage is shown below.
     

     

  13. Dave Holt
    It's been rather a long time since my last entry, leading to some queries if I and the project are doing OK. Well, I'm fine but the layout has been in abeyance for quite a while because I allowed the prospect of hand scribing all the cobble to over-face me and off I went on my full size restoration work. I'm still involved with that but have had a bout of renewed enthusiasm for the layout and modelling in general recently.
    As a result, there's been progress with the layout, the latest loco and some coach conversions (from OO to P4).
    On the layout, I found that the remaining areas of cobbles hadn't scribed themselves in the intervening period so I knucked down to it and finished the lot in a couple of weeks!
    The next job is to paint them. As I recall from my youth, cobble stones in the North West tended to be a pale buff colour (rather than granite coloured) and the joints filled with tar, so I am thinking of a grey/brown acrylic paint with a very thin wash of dark grey/black which, hopefully, will settle in the scribe lines - like panel lines on military models. Better try out this on some spare card before committing to the layout!
    The final arrangement of cobbles extends over two of the base-boards but I forgot to photograph the two together before I split them and put the sections away for Christmas visitors. However, I did take a few shots of the main station board, which allows comparison with the previous photos. Unfortunately, the scribing doesn't show up too well on the white card, but you can get the idea. The cut out strip next to the run round in the loop line is to accommodate two rows of wooden sleepers. I imagine these were installed to make it easier to access the chairs in case of track maintenance. Photos of Delph show these quite clearly and also the fact they were only applied at this one place. Otherwise, the cobbles go right up to the side of the rails.
    First, a couple of shots from the buffer stops:
     

     

     
    And one looking the other way. The join where the next board connects follows the coarses of the cobbles not the base-board joint. When assembled, the join is fairly neat and not too intrusive.
     

     
    One issue which has arisen is that the "ash"" ballast I used has faded from dark grey to a fawn sort of colour, so some unexpected painting will be required at some stage. Oh well.
     
    Dave.
  14. Dave Holt
    Phew! Superb weather but rather too nice to be stuck indoors doing any modelling. Even now (ten past eight), my modelling room is uncomfortable as it gets the sun all afternoon and evening. So, I've been mainly out in the garden reading and having my meals al fresco. Looks like this might carry on for a few more days.
    However, I did make some further progress with the Standard 2 tank before it got so hot. Using the second batch of custom etched parts from Rumney Models, I've made the cab roof, lubricator drives and fire iron rests. Still got some lamp irons and the shed/SC plate mounting to go, then it's complete. The roof is just temporarily clipped in place and will not be fixed till after painting, glazing and fitting the crew. This latter is a bit of a dilemma. As a push-pull loco, it should have driver and fireman in the cab when loco first but only the fireman when pushing (as the driver is in the driving trailer coach). I'll probably go for the two on board.
    I took the loco body out into the garden and took a few shots showing the new parts, hence the strong shadows.
     

     

     

     

     
    Dave.
  15. Dave Holt
    Those who have followed previous blog entries will know that I have not yet started the support structure for my Delph based layout. As a result, although I have placed individual boards on the (suitably protected) dining table to work on, any attempts to connect several boards together have involved having them on the floor. During a recent visit by Tim V, we managed to connect all four scenic boards, but this entailed moving the table and a coffee table out of the way to make enough space. All a bit of a pain.
    Recently, I have worked on individual boards with them balanced on top a two dining chair backs. A bit precarious, but this has the advantage of raising the board surface to a less back-breaking height and also leaves the table free for its intended purpose! Then a thought struck.... Why not use trestle legs as temporary supports? Similar in height to the chair backs but more stable and leaving the chairs free! So, three pairs of plastic trestle have been accquired and found to be just the job. I haven't tried assembling the whole thing on these, yet, but a couple of sections have been connected so that a couple of loose rail ends could be re-soldered at the board joint. This assembly is shown below:
     

     
    Over the past week or so, I've been fitting the cosmetic chairs to the soldered tack (mainly points, but also some plain track) on the board with most of the station throat point-work. There feels to have been millions of them, even though I've cheated by only applying the chairs to the visible side of the rails to halve the number required.
    In order to fit them, any part of the brass rivet protruding beyong the foot of the rail has to be ground completely away. I used a small grinding disc mounted on the end of a flexible drive shaft to do this - very laborious and causing one or two of the soldered joints to break, needing repair before the chairs was fitted. Each chair moulding has to be cut in half and the cut ends trimmed back to allow the half chair to fit right up against the side of the rail. The chair halves were then attached using a strong plastic solvent (Plastic Weld). I used Exactoscale chairs because they do a wide range of chair types, which helps try to represent the various types of chair present in bull-head rail pointwork. The photos below show the results of my efforts:
     

     

     

     

     
    The next job is to fit cosmetic fish plates at all the rail joint positions. There are lots of these, as all the siding track-work is supposed to be 30 foot rail. Where electrical isolation is required, I'll use the Exactoscale plastic versions and otherwise, Brassmasters etched brass plates. Then it's point rodding supports and the facing point lock arrangement.
    Still lots to do, but it's coming along.
    I hope to have a trial running session next week. If it accurs, I'll post a further item and photos.
     
    Dave.
  16. Dave Holt
    My Jubilee, 45701, Conqueror, has now been weathered by friend, David Clarke, ready for me to finish off. Cab glazing, crew and DCC chip to be fitted, the tender coaled up and the cab roof fixed. For some reason I haven't yet identified, it has developed an intermittent short when running forward which it didn't have previously. A quick check of loco brakes and sand pipes hasn't shown anything out of place, so some further investigation will be necessary.
    Here she is in her current state:
     

     
    Dave.
  17. Dave Holt
    Yet another step forward with the electrics - nearly there now. I've had two bell code dinger units made to enable the layout operator (driver/signalman) at the front to commincate with the fiddle yard operator (hidden at the back) using prototypical bell codes. These units utilise a modified door bell mechanism (to give single dings each time the switch striker is depressed) operated by a battery powered circuit board at each block post and a change-over micro-switch. Only two wires are required to join the two units - perhaps as well as that's all I'd provided in the wiring loom!
    Any way, the unit for the main control panel has been installed - except for the externally mounted PP9 battery. I haven't sourced a suitable mounting clip/bracket, yet.
    Photos show the dinger cicuit board inside the panel enclosure and the bell and operating switch on the outside of the panel.
     

     
    Dinger circuit board.
     

     

     
    External panel views showing the bell and operating switch. I hope to mount the PP9 battery on the end of the panel, just below the bell.
  18. Dave Holt
    By moving some of the furniture, I was able to assemble all four scenic boards for the first time, today. Still on the floor, naturally, as the support structure is not yet built.
    The occasion for this event was a visit by Tim Venton (Tim V), of Clutton fame, following his visit to the Midland Model Engineering Show nearby. Tim kindly helped with the removals work and assembly of the layout.
    Attached photos show the results - looks impressively long for a single line branch terminus.
     
    Two overall views, first from the station end and then from the fiddle yard end:
     

     

     
    This closer shot of the station shows the approximate location for the control panel - right at one end so the operator doesn't block the view!
     

     
    Dave.
  19. Dave Holt
    Having recently completed three larger types - a Crab, Jubilee and Stanier Caprotti 5, all potential holiday excursion locos but not really true to prototype, my thoughts have shifted to the next project. I have two part built Class 2, 2-6-2 tanks, one Ivatt and a BR standard type. In real life, these were used on the regular push-pull passenger trains in the last years of operation, in the mid 1950's.
    Both are in running condition but incomplete. A state they've been in for umpteen years whilst I've messed around with larger, generally inappropriate locos. . in terms of detail, so I've decided they really must be finished off before I start anything new.
    Each is in a different state of completion but on balance, I decided to work on the BR standard version first. Work has now started - given a boost by being housebound by the recent snow and freezing weather.
     
    The loco consists of a modified DJH body mounted on a Comet chassis. Initial work has been to finish off the chassis by adding the dummy driving axle springs and mountings, the brake gear, ash-pan and hopper operating gear and the sand pipes. The valve gear assembly and the two pony trucks were already completed, so only the body remains to finish off. The main issue with this item is that the kit is 2 mm too short in the cab area. Unfortunately, the loss of length (why do they make that sort of mistake?) is distributed in front of the cab windows, in the cab opening and also behind the cab opening. Correcting this accurately was just too over-facing, so I opted to cheat by simply stretching the cab opening to give the correct overall length. Of course, that means the cab roof no longer fits - Oh hum!
     
    The photos below show the current state of the major component parts, as described above.
     
    First, the chassis. Since the body kit is designed to include the front and rear sections of the main-frames, I opted to keep this arrangement, so the main chassis finishes at the front of the cylinders and under the cab, behind the steps and sand boxes. To permit assembly, the brake gear is split into two sections and is removable to give access to the pony truck pivots. There is a removable keeper plate which incorporates the dummy springs and sand pipes (the rear sand boxes are part of the body). I deliberately fitted the dummy springs inside-out as they are etched with a small number of very course leaves whereas the real things had 12 or 14 fine leaves which probably can't be seen in the gloom and at normal viewing distances, unlike the crude etched lines.
     

     

     

     
    Next we have the body, which is in two parts - the footplate, tanks and cab section and the boiler. A certain amount of detailing has already been done, especially below the tank and cab sides, but these parts now represent all the work needed to finish the loco off. This includes the push-pull gear, front end pipework, lamp irons, tank fillers and restraining bars and that dratted cab roof.
    First the footplate/tanks/cab assembly:
     

     

     
    and the boiler:
     

     

     
    Next we have the completed cylinder and valve gear assembly, which also includes the motor torque reaction links to stop the motor/gearbox trying to rotate round the axle. Also in this shot are the pony trucks:
     

     
    The pony trucks were made from Brassmasters etches. However, on the 2-6-2 tanks, one of the trucks (the rear one on the standards, but generally the front one on the Ivatts) was of the swing link side control type rather than the spring side control type represented by the Brassmasters etch. This was done by modifications of some of the etched parts and some scratch built parts. The difference in appearance of the two is shown in the final photo:
     

     
    Hope that lot is of some interest.
    There will be a short break from this project to get the track cleaned on the layout, ready for a visit by a group of friends next week.
     
    Dave.
  20. Dave Holt
    Progress on my Standard Class 2 tank is at a temporary standstill, awaiting the final etched components. In the meantime, I've been fitting the injectors to a model Crab belonging to a good friend.
    What I anticipated being a very straight forward detailing exercise proved to require rather more tricky and extensive work to achieve the required outcome. The loco consists of a Bachmann body on a Comet chassis, built to P4 standards. Interestingly, its one of the rotary cam poppet valve fitted examples but I'm not sure whether it's the Lentz or Reidinger type.
    The original chassis construction is beautifully neat and rather better than I normally achieve, but lacked the injectors and any of the underneath piping which I normally include. Furthermore, when I got down to it, I found that the brake arm supports under the cab had been fitted as per the totally wrong Comet kit instructions (located just inboard of the main frames instead of close together near the centre line), which resulted in one of the brackets being just where the exhaust injector should fit. The pick-ups on the rear wheels are also rather close to the injector and piping positions but I managed to live with that.
    Anyway, the first thing was to move the brackets inboard to the correct spacing (whilst still leaving access to the rear body fixing screw). Easier said than done. The brackets were found to be "L" shaped and soldered into the chassis side frames and what appeared to be a frame spacer was just fitted between the brackets. As a result the whole assembly came away from the frames in three pieces upon unsoldering. Definitely not what i expected. So, a new, full width frame spacer had to be made and fitted, to which the slightly shortened brake support brackets could be fitted.
    Of various options available, I opted to use Brassmasters lost wax brass castings for the injectors.
    The exhaust injector, together with all its associated piping (various diameters of brass wire) was mounted on a removable base plate which is attached to the new frame spacer with a 14 BA screw.
    The live steam side was a bit more tricky as the injector and overflow are fixed behind the cab steps (part of the loco body), whereas the piping is attached to the frame spacer, again using a 14 BA screw. Unfortunately, the Brassmasters casting is the opposite hand to the type normally fitted to LMS locos, so the positions of the steam supply and overflow had to be reversed by cutting off the existing flanges and providing new parts on the other side of the body.
    Getting are the bits of wire bent to the right shapes and correctly located whilst soldering in position required quite a few abortive efforts before final success was achieved. Praise be to Blutak!
    Here are a few photos showing the end result.
     
    Three shots from underneath, showing the two injectors, pipes and representation of the water hoses from the tender,
     

     

     

     
    And a side-on shot of the fireman's side, showing the exhast injector.
     

     
    Thoughts now turning to completion of my Ivatt Class 2 2-6-2 tank, also a Bachmann body on a Comet chassis. These locos were the basis for the later BR Standard versions, so lots of similarity to the loco recently featured. Plenty to do on it to keep me off the streets and out of pubs - well, some of the time, anyhow!
     
    Dave.
  21. Dave Holt

    Delph push-pull trains

    By Dave Holt,

    I see Coachman has started this subject in his coach blog. Not to be outdone, here's a couple of photos of an ex-LNWR push-pull diagram M15 driving trailer with a BR conversion of an ex-LMS Period II open third and a Lees breadvan (Fowler 3MT 2-6-2 tank) in charge. By all accounts, the coaches might have done better on their own! The prototype photo is by H Casserley and the model photo by me. Can you spot which is which?
    The M15 is one of a series made for me by Coachman (and without which a realistic model of Delph would be virtually impossible), the Period II is by me from a modified Comet kit. Both beautifully painted by Coachman. Loco from a heavily modified Gibson kit, built by me and painted/lined by Ian Rathbone.
     

  22. Dave Holt
    Or, perhaps it should be "The buffers hit Delph"!
     
    Following my stint with the bulldozer and grader to change the height of the road, just beyond the station, I thought I'd better get on with more directly related railway matters. So, I've fixed two rail built buffer stops at the end of the platform and loop roads. Quite a few more to go but progress nonetheless.
    These stops are made from the Mainly Trains fine-scale cast brass kits, which match the Code 75 C&L plain track very well. You may notice that the stops are not quite complete as the very rearmost sleeper (located under the 3 rail wide section at the rear of the stop, are not yet in place. The buffers are connected to the running tracks using Exactoscale/P4 Track Co moulded plastic fish-plates. As a precaution against wheel rims shorting across the isolating gaps (the cast brass buffer beam offering a very attractive circuit path from one side to the other), an additional rail gap will be cut in one rail, after the adhesive has fully dried.
    I've only fitted cosmetic chairs on the visible side of the rails (same as the point-work). Mind you, I'm not sure why I've bothered at all. All the stops at Delph were surrounded by so much debris and long grass that the sleepers, chairs and rails were completely hidden from view. The platform road stop had a pile of what looks like spare cobble stones stacked in the 4 foot almost up to the buffer beam and the loop line 4 foot was filled with a pile of ballast or ash/gravel - at least in the period modelled - mid 1950's.
    Just visible in the 6 foot are the pads for the stools for the point rodding from the ground frame (located between the two buffer stops) and the run-round crossover points.
     

     

     

     
    Dave.
  23. Dave Holt
    I left the Class 40 with the bogies wheeled and the loco test pushed through some of the yard throat point work. Since then, pick-ups have been added and the loco rendered operational, though not without some trials and tribulations.
    My clever plan for the pick-ups proved a bit too clever for its own good. The mounting bus-bars were just fine as were the simple phosphor-bronze wire pick-ups for the inner wheel sets but those for the outer driven axles gave lots of problems with shorting out on the bogie mounting units. This resulted in a brief period of near despair when I thought I had blown the DCC chip or the control unit or both as on first power application the whole thing went completely dead after moving only a few millimetres and the hand set had a flashing display I just couldn't get rid of. Perhaps old bods like me just shouldn't try to mess with new technology. In the end, it turned out I had simply failed to press the reset but had tried unplugging, cancelling and all sorts of futile actions.
    The solution involved moving the pick-ups to the outer side of the wheels and re-bending them to try to clear the mountings at the extremes of the suspension movement. In the end, I also had to file some mouse-hole shaped cut outs in the mounting stiffeners on the under side.
    This appears to have finally solved the shorting problems and I now have a fully functioning chassis - at least up and down my short, straight, test track. I'm intending to give it a longer running in session on the North London Group circular test track next Monday. In the mean time, I also attached the Bachmann cosmetic bogie frames. making quite an improvement to the appearance of the loco and providing mounting points for the Alex Jackson coupling hooks.
    Still got most of the piping and other details recovered from the Lima project to fit to the new frames. The Bachmann moulded plastic air pipes on the bogie front plates have proved particularly fragile and vulnerable to handling damage and will be replaced by the brass wire versions I made for the Lima.
    Since sorting the electrical problems, I have to confess to the rather childish pleasure of running the sound, repeatedly going through the start-up sequence and then leaving the loco idling for ages with that characteristic warbling whistle, so redolent of these locos. I imagine the sound will be switched off after a few laps of the test track, to avoid me being pummeled to a pulp by angry NLG members, driven to distraction!
    Here is the loco in its current state:
     

     
    I've just been advised that the painting and weathering of my BR Standard Class 2 tank is now finished, ready for collection tomorrow. David Clarke has sent some photos showing the result. I have to fit the windows, coal and a crew to finish it off. It looks like some minor adjustments to the return crank positions might also be required, although it might just be the angle of the photos and crank positions. We'll see:
     

     

     

     
    Thought I might have a go at the Rumney Models sprung chassis for a couple of BR 16T mineral wagons I've had for a while. Just preparing to start shows just how little I know about wagons. Help! They look trickier than locos.
     
    Dave.
  24. Dave Holt
    I've finally painted all the bogies and re-assembled all 6 coaches which make up the train. Weathering can wait till a later date. Here are some further views of the train posed on the station throat section of the layout - track yet to be wired & painted.
    For those who haven't followed earlier entries, Delph wasn't built on a continuous viaduct (!), the arch shaped openings are the tops of lightening holes in the stiffening ribs. These will be hidden behind an embankment and stone retaining wall, eventually.
     
    First, the final pair of coaches to have the bogies painted.
     

     

     
    Now the assembled train, starting with a couple of views from the buffer stop end of the station area.
     

     

     
    A couple of shots looking towards the station.
     

     

     
    Dave.
  25. Dave Holt
    Having decided on the method for creating the large area of cobbled (setts) roadways in the yard, using mount board hand impressed with individual setts, I've spent some time hoping it might do it itself. However, nothing has happened so far and now seems unlikely to, so I've re-started work on this aspect.
    The area behind the platform end has had a framework of tapered foam-board ribs erected to give the slope up to the yard entrance (off scene) and a template made from thin card for the whole of area to be covered with setts and the immediate surrounding area.
    Because of the complex shape and the need for a close fit round the goods shed and where it borders the track, this has been made up from a rough cut spine and a patchwork quilt of smaller pieces glued on. I started using a PVA type glue intended for craft work but this has caused a degree of rippling and distorsion of the card, so the later pieces have been attached using a solid stick adhesive.
    The template will be used to mark out the two layers of 1.3 mm thick mount board needed for the roadways and surrounding areas. The setts will be impressed off the job and the surfaces painted before fitting to the layout.
    The following photos show the general result and a close-upnear the goods shed which illustrates the patchwork nature to get a close fit round the walls.
    A few small isolated areas remain across the track at each end of the goods shed, in the four foot and just beyond. These can be seen as pale grey areas devoid of ballast in the photos.
    Two general views:
     

     

     
    And a close-up:
     

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