Rob Pulham

It seems that I am not the only one to have had the same issue. So while I need to do something about it, at least I know that it's not as a result of something that I might have done wrong earlier in the build.

me much of the way. Some of the issues have been of my making, mostly due to my clumsiness in dropping bits on the floor which subsequently disappeared into the black hole in the workshop floor. As I was working my way through the motion and I got to the motion bracket, I discovered that he support rod for the reversing mechanism wouldn't go through the chassis due to it hitting the middle wheel set. Initially, I wondered if the cast wheels were slightly oversized but they aren't and a bit of further investigation got me to the support brackets which are too long when compared to the GA drawings in the Wild Swan book. I wonder if other people who have built the DA kit have experienced the same issue?

Gauge O Guild Southern Show 2023 Date: Saturday 20th May 2023 Location: The Grandstand. Kempton Park Racecourse. Staines Rd E, Sunbury-on-Thames TW16 5AQ Price: Members £8.00. Non Members £12.00 for advanced tickets. £1.00 extra on the door On-line tickets: https://www.gaugeoguild.com/onlinesales/ticketsales.aspx A New Show and New Location in the South. Members in the South have been requesting a Gauge O Guild Southern Show for many years. Finally, we have a date and venue which works.

An Evening With... Will Heath & Jackie Kneeshaw Friday, 26 May, 2023, 20:00-22:00 Online via Zoom Spend ‘An Evening With’ Will Heath & Jackie Kneeshaw on Friday 26th May 2023 who will talk about researching and building St Neots MRC layout, Bowaters Paper Mill. Will and Jackie will give some insight into why St Neots Model Railway Club chose to model a corner of Kemsley Mill on the Bowaters Paper railway, which operated in the Kent marshes up until 1969. The seminar will include how they went about researching this industrial railway and what challenges it presented to model. With some of the original locomotives still in steam on the Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway (SKLR), and an extensive Bowaters archive to draw upon, the project has proved to be much more than just a model. The event takes place on Friday 26th May @ 20:00 BST The event is FREE to members or £2:00 for non-members. You must register for this event as places are limited.

Still beavering away at the chassis. I had it running with just the inside motion for test today. Actually I had it running last night but then I realised that I had one of the insulated wheels on the wrong side so had to strip the rods off to swap it around. https://youtu.be/xv6bngf4Bfw As an aside I have reversed the front crankpin bushes to look more like the prototype and to give additional clearance for the motion. I was wondering about how to tighten the reversed bushes and remembered the late David Smith talking about making peg spanners as he called them. I chose a similar route but instead of pegs I used the same approach as the 4mm scale Romford screwdriver (I still have one in my modelling toolbox). For those who haven’t a clue what I am talking about this is a Romford screwdriver Original Romford Screwdriver This is the leading crankpin bush that I am talking about Front crank pin nut This is the custom big boy’s ‘Romford’ Screwdriver that I made to tighten them. The business end is 3/16 silver steel and the end was shaped with a 3mm end mill with the rod held in a square collet block so that I could keep flipping it over to take the same amount off each side. 8BA Romford Screwdriver Continuing my current ‘Dremel’ tool theme I used a ball burr in the mill to make the grip. Previously I have used the ball burr in a similar manner to an end mill by cutting into the top of the work piece. This time I did it differently and side milled it. This gave a much better finish and was easier to do. I milled the grooves before turning the taper.

Hi Stuart, Mike's contact details are mike@scale-factor.co.uk

I got around the problem last night by modifying a 12BA screw and soldering the etched covers on, making a small bush from tube threaded 12BA and a small spacer. Once I get them assembled, I may not need the spacer but if I don't they will go in the spares box. I still need to add oil corks to the eccentric rods.

Recently there has been much work but not a lot to show for it. I returned to the chassis in an attempt to get that running before carrying on with the body and cab. Much of the time has been spent fine tuning the fit of the gearbox so that it doesn't rub and getting the rear axle to pass through the gearbox and be a tight fit but still be removable for painting etc. This is more interesting because of the wheels being fixed to the axle stubs and the gearbox having ball races which want to grab onto the axle. I also had a rather frustrating time trying to make a pin for the outer end of the return crank which attaches the eccentric rod. I had tapped the small end of the return crank 12ba and the plan was to make a small shouldered pin threaded 12BA with a large flat head that I could attach an etched cover to. This gives an idea of the desired pin with the etched covers below The observant amongst you will note that the threads look very undernourished on the pin. This was possibly my fifth or sixth attempt and I kept putting it down to my having the pin too thin, too thick etc. as each time the thread came out too small for 12BA. Eventually I examined my 12ba die under some magnification and realised that one of the three cutting edges is out of line with the rest and is what I am sure was causing all the failures. I can't actually recall if I have used the 12BA die at all (I use the 12 BA tap set regularly but generally for fitting bought hardware) and if I have I would have only used it on brass or nickel so I very much doubt that I have deformed it. It has been consigned to the bin and a new one ordered from Chronos. in the meantime I will probably modify a a couple of 12BA set screws to get on with the job but when the new die arrives I will have to make another to prove once and for all that it's not something that I am doing wrong.

Thanks, that was my gut feeling but nice to have it confirmed.

More detailing of the cab has ensued since my last update. The reverser is a mixture of David Andrews and Ragstone castings. The David Andrews Seats are reasonable castings but I was struggling to work out how best to fit them. They look like the idea is that the two pegs fit into holes but I didn't really want to be drilling holes in the cab side sheets for them. With the pegs removed there is very little to secure them so I made some replacements with a rear strip to solder to the cab side. What is unclear is whether they fold up or down. At the minute They just drop down but if they fold up I can make a couple of stays to hold them when folded down.

Here is it is with most of the bling refitted - just resting in place it will be soldered in from the back later. I say "most of", because the production locos from 6203 onwards had a double regulator handle and I have only just got around to making it.

An Evening With Peter Reynolds and Guests about how to control your model railway. 26th April 2023 at 20:00 hours BST The purpose of this Evening with programme is to discuss, and showcase, some of the more affordable DCC systems available for modeller’s use, plus other layout control options, including traditional DC, and direct Bluetooth Control. Mention will also be made of radio control. I have asked modellers with experience of various systems to come, and briefly talk, about their experiences with the systems that they use, plus systems that I own and use, and others I have researched specifically for the programme. So, if you are not sure how to control your railway, join us on the evening where I hope to, at least, give you some starting point ideas. The event takes place on Wednesday 26th April @ 20:00 BST The event is FREE to members or £2:00 for non-members. You must register for this event as places are limited. The event is FREE to members or £2:00 for non-members.

In between assembly of the 8f water scoop gear I also managed to prime and top coat the Back Head.

The back head is well on it's way now, but when I got so far I realised that the only hand wheels I had were the teched nickel silver ones that came with the kit. Nickel of course looks different when you are trying to represent brass so I thought I would have a go at turning some. I did one to work out how, but the four holes came out all over the place. Once I had a method that worked I made the three that I needed. They actually looked the part when fitted to the back head but what was missing were the handles. At this size I couldn't see any sensible way to add them to the ones that I had made so I had a rethink. I modified the technique and made rings to solder to the face of the etches and then added half round rod for the handle. This is the best of both worlds. the right shape and three dimensional. This is a cruel close up but they look pretty god at normal viewing distances. Out of the castings that I have from the various sources the one that is missing is a sight glass lubricator which sits at the upper left above the brake valve. Two turnings and a bit of rod and tube later... That's about it unless I think of anything else. I am struggling as to what was fitted the 1930's and what was fitted later. The Wild Swann supplement has a photo of Princess Elizabeth as built and there is a lot less on the back head than is shown in the GA in part one. All the parts are removeable until I have painted the main casting.

Still working on the back head, because I am using a mixture of David Andrews and Just Like the Real Thing castings, I have had to move/reduce the size of all the holes except the one for the regulator mounting boss. The JLRT castings are really nice (as are the couple of David Andrews castings that I have) except for the cab dials which are a bit misshapen and the 'unions' for where the pipes are proving impossible to drill. The simplest and quickest way was to make some more swarf by turning some more. Then I realised that I also needed a smaller version It made sense while I had the set up to do some for the Rebuilt Scot at the same time. Then I dug out the mountings and attached the dials to them.

I was working away on the back head this afternoon, filling the holes for the water gauges prior to redrilling the right size for the castings spigots when the door bell rang it was the postie with the final production version of the firebox print. I was then distracted so I will pick up the back head again tomorrow. This was printed by Mike Hopkins of Scale-Factor. These show the firebox print as received with all the supports attached. Then with the supports carefully removed. I still need to clean up the base and the cab end but I have tried the boiler on and it fits perfectly. A nice friction fit.

It was kindly pointed out over on Western Thunder that I had the drivers brake valve upside down and that it was too close to the centre line of the engine/heat shield. I measured it up and compared it to the Wild Swan drawing and sure enough it was 0.9mm too far inboard. As you can see I had made a small brass bush to reduce the size of the hole but moving it gave me the chance to re-drill at the right size for the brake valve stem. Here we are nicely aligned. I have also made a start on piping up the steam fountain. The brake valve is piped up the right way up now too. I had to remove a section from the inside edge of the heat shield to allow pipes to pass through it. The pipe at the side is one of the two main pipes coming down from the steam fountain and one thing that stands out on both drawing and photos is that there is a chunky union on the lower section. These are the parts that will make up a representation of those unions.

This week has mainly been about working on the back head, one of my favourite parts of a build. I started by making a driver's heatshield. The size and shape was worked out from an oblique photo and referencing it to other items located in the cab. Once I had the basic shape I took a short length of nickel rod and filed it to half round to create the edging strip. I did have it fixed in place but then when I fitted the Drivers brake valve in place and started to consider the other pipework I realized that there would need to be some relief above the fire door rails to allow pipes to pass behind the shield. The other castings that you can see in the photos are some of the few David Andrews parts that I have. The ready made holes in the back plate itself are causing a few issues as most are over sized and the ones on the fire hole door needed their placement adjusting to get the levers that open and close it to sit correctly with the two mounting brackets adjacent to the bottom rail. The shelf on the other hand fitted perfectly .

Well, it's a good job I had decided to add the bottom nut as, when I was walking back into the workshop after taking the last photo I dropped the blessed oil pot and it disappeared into the ether. As it turned out if you will pardon the pun the bottom stem wasn't long enough to accommodate the nut and go through the hole in the bolster so I made too more.

I was asked (understandably) what they were for. As soon as I posted the update I realised that I hadn't explained what they were but at the point I hadn't done this This is a snip of the real thing on Princess Elizabeth Looking at it I really need a nut on the bottom too.

I am still working away on the details, some time back John Dale pointed out that I had the front boiler slightly band too far from the smokebox so having checked photos and seen what he meant. I moved it as far as I could. It's now sat on the very rear edge of the smokebox/boiler joint rather than straddling them as I had it initially. Next I turned what are probably the smallest part I have done to date. A challenge but satisfying. This is the working drawing - Fusion in it's wisdom seems to get a few of the sizes slightly under or over when creating drawings despite having defined dimensions in the sketches. So they are rounded to the full size i.e. 1.75mm for the overall diameter. Finally with my obligatory 5 pence coin.

Sunday, 26 March, 2023, 20:00-22:00 Online via Zoom Spend an Evening With Simon George, the owner and builder of Heaton Lodge Junction, Britain's Biggest Model Railway. This O gauge layout is 196 feet x 40 feet which depicts the location situated two miles west of Mirfield. Heaton Lodge Junction was where the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway’s Calder Valley route and the London & North Western Railway lines converged and even up to the mid-1980s this was a busy route with more than 130 trains a day in each direction, more than half of which were freight. Simon will talk about what made him want to build it in the first place; how long it took to build; how long did it takes to find a ‘home' for such a large model railway and what is involved with logistics when taking it out for other people to see. Another question we have asked is whether Heaton Lodge Junction is finished or could it be extended further? Please come prepared to ask questions. The event takes place on Sunday 26th March @ 20:00 BST The event is FREE to members or £2:00 for non-members. You must register for this event as places are limited. The event is FREE to members or £2:00 for non-members. Visit Heaton Lodge Junction Simon George has kindly offered to have a running day for Heaton Lodge Junction exclusively for Gauge O Guild Members. The date of the visit is Sunday 23rd April 2023 and you can stay for as long as you wish between 10:00 and 16:00. Find out more...

Date: Saturday, 4th March 2023 10:00 - 16:00 (09:30 for advanced ticket holders) Location: The Arena. Kettering Leisure Village. Thurston drive. Kettering. NN15 6PB. Price: £8.00 for members and £12.00 for non-members if purchased in advance. £1.00 extra on the door On-line tickets: https://www.gaugeoguild.com/onlinesales/ticketsales.aspx The planning for the Spring Show in 2023 is well under way Layouts booked: Denton Sidings by Jon Boot Dunwich Tramway by Colin & Margaret French Tetbury by David Beighton Harbourne St Mary's by David Tuffs Template Wagon Works by Dave Tailby North Foreland by John & Peter Smith The East Midlands Test Track Demonstrators booked: Architectural Building with Paul Bason Building & weathering with John Emerson Scratch building wooden coaches with Brian Bartholomew Soldering with Rob Bishop Painting & Lining with Geoff Haynes Sourcing information with Nigel Paine https://www.gaugeoguild.com/events/2023/Kettering-Showguide-2023-Page1.pdf https://www.gaugeoguild.com/events/2023/Kettering-Showguide-2023-Page2.pdf

I haven't always been able to do it Jeff, it takes time and experience and I still make mistakes. It's how we get past those mistakes that we learn most from. It's also why I am happy to share my builds, warts and all. In the hope that it perhaps prevents others from falling into the same traps.

I hear what you are saying Jol, I agree, such as RM can be an easy target. I wouldn't mind if they got here eventually but the first lot of castings was sent between 7th and 19th of December to be lost in the ether. The firebox casting is coming from a mate who has no reason to hide anything, he could just tell me he hasn't had time to do it, he's doing me a favour after all. The last one that he printed was posted Saturday and with me on Monday. As it is, coming from Leeds to Bedale, he could have walked here with it and walked back in the time it's taken. I have had a similar RM experience with outbound stuff admittedly a good number of years ago. I sold some coaches via eBay and posted them 2nd class recorded. they took 26 days to reach the guy who had bought them (who understandably was tearing a strip off me). When they finally arrived, he could see from the postmark that they had been posted the day after payment as I had advised. He was gracious enough to apologise.