Sandy Harper

Apologies for the hijack but couldn't resist!! David, This is what 'Caledonian sensible black' looks like!! Enjoying the thread. Regards Sandy

Ooooooh! that's a big ask!

Peter, I was thinking of the Martin Finney version. Sandy

Peter, If it was mine I would have built a different kit!!!! Re gards Sandy

Bill What I meant was, that I needed to get the width over the bearings to less that 29.5 to get a running clearance. I think I ended up with 29.3 over the bearing flanges which was sufficient to avoid any chance of binding between the rear of the wheel and the face of the bearing flange. The other issue with this kit is the clearance needed between the crosshead and the rear of the front footsteps. Being white metal the steps are slightly thicker than a brass etch (I had already added a N/S strengthening strip behind the steps) and any widening of the chassis reduces this clearance. Regards Sandy

Hi Dave Thanks, the kit is ok (7 out of 10)with clean castings and reasonable instructions but it leaves you high and dry when it comes to the crosshead area. This took quite a bit of trial and error to get it right. The connecting rod has to be inside the coupling rod. Unlike Peter I had a big issue with the chassis as I ended up, after assembly, with 30.3mm between the outside faces of the brass top hat bearings! I had to dismantle and remove nearly 2mm from the width of the frame spacers to give me a bit of side play. I have a second kit to build and I have individually measured all the components across the chassis and it still comes out at 29.7mm So something to be aware of when building. The rest of the chassis went together fine. Peter - the client wants the light olive green and yellow lettering, but, the second one will be a la Blubell version. Jack P - I'm taking pills for the condition! Kind regards Sandy

Whilst the 'Schools' is still in the paint shop I put this together in a couple of weeks. Roxy kit, split chassis and just awaiting the ABC motor/gearbox to finish (hence, why I have not fitted the driving wheels yet!) Sandy

You did well on that one Ken! Sandy

I have completed the restoration on the Caley tank but really must get back to the Schools!!! I forgot to push the cab roof fully home before taking the photos!! She is now for sale on both the RMweb site and the G0G 'Sales and Wants' section of the forum, if anyone is interested. Sandy

Thanks Barnaby, PAD Mmmm I think it will have to be a slight of hand here. On these engines the door was usually lined as a separate panel so, along with a couple of scratched lines, It may just look the part. Peter, the Schools will be lined olive green. Regards Sandy

The 'Schools' is away at my friends being grit blasted prior to painting. In the meantime I have been resurrecting another distressed Caley engine. This was originally a Meteor Models kit that had been assembled squarely but with little detail. It was covered in a dark blue paint of indescribable quality! The Prototype is a Class 1, 4-4-0 tank engine for use on the Glasgow Central Railway which included the ' underground' lines and was fitted with condensing apparatus. It was initially painted in the full Caley lined dark blue but, when they were replaced with the electric trains, they were relegated to shunting work with the condensing apparatus removed. One of the class survived as Perth's station pilot painted in the lined sky blue livery. This one will be liveried in the red and white lined black of Caley shunting tanks with the condensing pipes removed. This is the model stripped of its 'Paint Job' and ready to start adding some detail and repairing some of the damage. When the paint came off a large 'dent' was discovered in the side tank. It had been filled with some sort of filler which had dissolved in the cellulose thinners used in the paint removal. Carr's 'Gap Filling' solder came in very useful here and resolved the problem without too much difficulty. Next I had to make up a way of fitting the roof so that it was detachable for access to the cab. This is my preferred method. When I get the roof into position I use a fine permanent marker to mark the four corners by going through the cab cut outs. I then mark a line between the opposite corners. I then cut four lengths of brass or N/S wire and bend each to 90 degrees before soldering them to the underside of the roof with the bend at the apex of the corner as already marked. A slight outward curve, bent in the wire, will make them a nice sliding fit inside the cab and hold the roof in place. This is the progress so far. Sandy

That kit does build up into a nice detailed tender Ken. You don't see many Granges modelled. Sandy

There are times when compromises have to be made! This is probably one of them!!

Hi Peter That was the way I was thinking. It will be a few weeks yet before I need to decide. Regards Sandy

Hi John Yes I can see the drain cocks but no pipes or operating levers. The levers need to be attached, one end to the bracket on the chassis, and the other to the rear of the cylinders, in line with the drain cocks. The pipes of course are attached to both the chassis, at the bottom of the cylinders, and the outside of the front footsteps which are part of the footplate. I haven't figured out how to achieve that yet! The cab issue must have been the way I assembled the rear part of the footplate. I think I had it butting up against the main footplate whereas I should have recessed it underneath the main footplate which would probably account for the 1 to 1.5mm discrepancy I had between the slot and tab. Anyway, by judicious fettling, I got it all to fit in the end! Sandy

Hi John Nice model. I note that you appear to have avoided the 'difficult bits'! Bogie Trailing Wheel splasher, Drain cock operating levers and the drain cock pipes. I am at the stage where I need to decide to do the same or try and modify them in some way Do you remember having an issue with the cab front not fitting the slots in the footplate? . Regards Sandy

I must confess that I have been a little tardy in posting over the last few weeks. Holidays, hot weather etc all conspiring against progress which has been a bit slower than normal. I am at the stage now where the main superstructure is complete and I am on to the detailing bits. It takes a long time and is not very exciting until it is completed. I promise that I will post some photos soon and describe the one major error that I have found in the build which caused me a lot of extra work. I had also heard something about these events but, with Guildex coming up soon, I have been otherwise distracted! Regards Sandy

Hi Ken Thanks for the tip about Marine Drive. Went around on Friday evening before going for something to eat. Very still. It was superb. Cheers Sandy

Not tried that one, but may have to! Sandy

Thanks Ken useful tip. Lets hope the weather holds until next weekend!! I've done the tram a couple of times, and walked it! Sandy

A 'Handsome' looking loco ken although, being LNER, is outside my comfort zone! Do you have a preferred method of attaching your return cranks that is removable so that the valve gear can be detached? I have used a method where I use a 10BA screw for the crank pin and fit two taped Slaters top hat bearings. The outside bearing, reversed, is screwed on tight up against the inside bearing. The screw is then shortened to slightly less that the length of the two bearings combined, The return crank is then soldered to the' top hat' part of the outside bearing at the correct angle allowing it to be unscrewed. This should mean that any time it is removed in can be refitted in exactly the same place. However, sometimes it doesn't!! and I don't know why!! Can a nut thread pick up the screw thread in two different locations ? Regards Sandy PS Coming up to your neck of the woods on Wednesday for a few days in the caravan staying at Tyddyn Du caravan park near Pennmynmawr (sorry about spelling)! Weather looks good. Sandy

Thanks Barnaby, What's happening in Wimbledon? Sandy