locomotive kits 30368's Workbench SR Loco's with a bit of LNER

[30368]

 

 

The B17 brake levers were cut from the Hornby moulding being careful not to damage the spigots. One good feature of the massive cast mainframe of this model is the ease of drilling holes for fitting the brake levers to the frame. I used brass wire for the brake crossbeams.

I used thin (sorry can't remember the thickness, seems about 10 thou) plasticard for the frame overlay and the running plate support brackets.

 

 

 

 

The brake gear looks fine and if you look carefully you can see the B17 axle springs through the wheels although not all would fit due to collector wires.

 

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

 

 

[30368]

The V2 is just about finished bar painting. I thought it might be useful to see the parts that I have fitted to improve the look of the loco. There are two jobs to complete, fit the vacuum reservoir to the tender and the cylinder drain cock lever that is missing on the drivers side. Missed it!

Now that my layout is progressing well I want all my loco's to be robust enough to pull trains and the V2 should do this well with bags of traction. Tony Wright makes the distinction between highly detailed no compromise loco models and layout loco's that can regularly pull trains reliably. I think the V2 falls within the second category. It is a very old model superceded by both ready to run and later kit designs but it captures the spirit of the prototype well and at £45 + my time, is a bargain.

 

I met Tony again at the Doncaster  Show last Saturday and we briefly chatted about this model. It came with the Bachmann tender and the parts to build the Nu-Cast tender. I took Tony's advice and retained the Bachmann tender and re-wheeled it. I did not realise that Tony was an Art Teacher and that skill set shows in his excellent layout and the many loco's that he has built. It is said that building models and loco's in particular is a mixture of art and science. My view is that it is more an art than a science once the basic skills of soldering and forming brass sheet are mastered. Enough pontificating!

 

 

My goodness, that dust is way overscale!

 

 

 

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

 

 

Edited February 17, 2022 by 30368

[30368]

Green Arrow is now complete. I have left the paintwork as it is although I may polish it a bit since what I thought was dust is orangepeel. I am pleased with this refurb, a good clean, lubrication and some added detail has created a powerful addition to my fleet and it will appear on my layout pulling a pigeon special as Mallard60022 has suggested. It may even stay for a while, after all when the SR had a few in the 1950's to cover the withdrawn Bullied pacifics, they were popular with SR enginemen and since all footplate staff were very wary of new loco, they must have been good!

 

A couple of pictures prior to adding RA number.

 

On the Up Main Line outside Basingstoke shed.

 

Reminds me of that wonderful shot of this loco on its home depot 34A alongside Silver Link sometime in the late 1950s/early 1960s.

 

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

[30368]

I am not building any loco's at the moment, I will stick to my promise to spent another few months building my layout. However, this does not stop me picking up kit bargains etc.

 

For some time, I have wanted to build an A2/1 but could not find a kit. Nu-Cast and PDK produce one. Mrs B promised to buy me another kit for Christmas so I put a PDK kit on order. Delivery was delayed awaiting the tender etch, which includes riveted and ex A4 tender sides. A few weeks after placing the order a Nu-Cast A2/1 kit appeared for sale from a well known model railway supplier in the NW. I'm afraid reader I bought it!

 

 

So you wait for an A2/1 kit for ages and then two come along... The NU-Cast kit is complete with Markits wheels, gears and a new Anchoridge D13 5 pole motor. I know that Tony Wright, who has vast experience of kit building, suggests that the Nu-Cast massive chassis is best discarded and a brass chassis is substituted. I have a great deal of respect for Tony but I will have a shot at the Nu-Cast item and discover, I suspect, that Tony was absolutely right. I guess though I could use the PDK chassis as a template........

 

These will both be built as "Layout Locos" now that I have seen the light...

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

[Mallard60022]

You are going to love building that. It will need some work on the Boiler IIRC. Also beware of where the instructions tell you to put small parts like the Lubricators; but you know that. find you prototype and get as many pics as possible. The TW will supply most evidence. Enjoy.

P  

[John Tomlinson]

4 hours ago, 30368 said:

I am not building any loco's at the moment, I will stick to my promise to spent another few months building my layout. However, this does not stop me picking up kit bargains etc.

 

For some time, I have wanted to build an A2/1 but could not find a kit. Nu-Cast and PDK produce one. Mrs B promised to buy me another kit for Christmas so I put a PDK kit on order. Delivery was delayed awaiting the tender etch, which includes riveted and ex A4 tender sides. A few weeks after placing the order a Nu-Cast A2/1 kit appeared for sale from a well known model railway supplier in the NW. I'm afraid reader I bought it!

 

 

So you wait for an A2/1 kit for ages and then two come along... The NU-Cast kit is complete with Markits wheels, gears and a new Anchoridge D13 5 pole motor. I know that Tony Wright, who has vast experience of kit building, suggests that the Nu-Cast massive chassis is best discarded and a brass chassis is substituted. I have a great deal of respect for Tony but I will have a shot at the Nu-Cast item and discover, I suspect, that Tony was absolutely right. I guess though I could use the PDK chassis as a template........

 

These will both be built as "Layout Locos" now that I have seen the light...

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

 

With the Nu Cast kit if you stick with the cast chassis you'll have to skim the wheel flanges as the spacing is, I think, true to prototype, not extended as with the DJH A2's.

 

That's as far as I've got with my kit, other than cleaning up some of the castings, I then got distracted! It did look quite promising I thought.

 

John.

[30368]

 

Layout doing well and I have finished the Push-Pull driving trailer I was building for Jack Benson so I am sneaking back to do a bit of loco building. Given that all our earlier images have gone, I thought I would remind you of the last few builds the V2 and a Urie S15.

 

So I now intend to continue with a Urie King Arther probably 30755 The Red Knight which was often on Basingstoke shed and was shedded there between 1956 and 1957. My apologies, I have no idea where this excellent picture came from to attribute it.

 

 

This build is a bit of a hybrid. The chassis is SEF as is the body, although this will need some modification, for example I am not using the SEF boiler. When I built my model of H15 30491, the Urie loco fitted with a tapered boiler to release a parallel boiler as a spare for the other 9 locos, I used the white metal SEF boiler from the King Arther kit because it was easier to modify than the resin boiler supplied with the PDK kit that I used for the rest of the loco. So... the spare resin PDK boiler will be used on this build. I'm glad that is out of the way and wonder if all that waffle was really necessary...

 

The chassis is nicely designed and I am using a spare DJH motor/gearbox assembly. I also had some old Markits wheels laying about so I am using them too. They are not to the latest profile.

 

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

Edited May 19, 2022 by 30368

[30368]

A brief update.

Half of the old (I suspect Romford) Romford/Markits wheels had no holes drilled/tapped for the 10BA crankpins. The wheels were drilled with a 1.4mm drill and then tapped with a 10BA tapered tap very carefully. Use oil and reverse the tap often to free up the swarf. I am using Markits return cranks again (M4CRNKPRtnERp) which means opening out the coupling and connecting rods to clear the larger crankpin journal. For this reason I am using a Bill Bedford N15 valve gear fret that I have had for years because the connecting rod "land" around the centre crankpin hole is much larger than those supplied with the otherwise excellent SEF valve gear fret.

 

Crankpins all in place and the threads dosed with Loctite 243 and tightened. I have soldered 16BA (which will be trimmed to the correct legnth) set screws to the slidebar assembly because I prefer to use setscrews for valve gear build rather than rivets to facilitate maintenance.

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

Edited May 21, 2022 by 30368
spelling!

[Michael Edge]

The best lubricant for tapping Mazak or aluminium is - spit. However you seem to have managed what is a very delicate job quite safely.

[30368]

Unlike previous builds where, on occasion, the pick-up arrangement was tailored to fit in with brake gear with some poor results on this build everything on the underframe will have to fit around the pick-up arrangement which is simple but very effective.

 

Return is via live wheels - not ideal but determined by the spare wheels available for the bitza build.

 

I have not yet used the Scale Model Railway Scenery Arid Earth yet but it looks good for some of the area between the main line.

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

 

[30368]

I have been working on a corner of the Buxton U3A Model Railway Group layout. It is a rural corner where a footbridge will take a path over the railway into an industrial area. We are about 12 or so gentlemen of an appropriate age i.e. mostly retired that meets once a month. In October our layout will be exhibited at a local show. Some lovely cakes have been consumed over the months.

 

Some tight curves!

 

 

Meanwhile the N15 continues. All the valve gear has been cut off the fret and filed to profile, drilled as appropriate for 14 and 16BA clearance, and most of the securing setscrews soldered in place on the back of the appropriate rod.

 

In close up 14 and 16 BA do look large. The odd looking piece next to the crosshead on the left is the drop link before the 16BA setscrew is cut to legnth.

 

 

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

Edited May 27, 2022 by 30368

[30368]

Most of valve gear now assembled and after some fiddling and fettling - runs smoothly.

 

Bit concerned about the slide bars - they have no support other than at the cylinder end. I may have to add a supporting bracket to steady them. The motion bracket,which is still to be added, seems to be cosmetic only.

 

 

 

A few additions to the cylinder "front" the cover is 10 thou brass sheet and the cylinder releaf valves made from brass spare pick-up plungers

 

 

KInd regards,

 

Richard B

[Michael Edge]

Yes, you need the motion bracket, I make these as a plate across the frames (would fit in a slot cut from below now). It doesn't leave much clearance behind the bogie wheels on the N15s though.

[30368]

51 minutes ago, Michael Edge said:

It doesn't leave much clearance behind the bogie wheels on the N15s though.

 

Hi Michael,

 

Yes that is the issue, clearance very tight on all Urie 4-6-0s due to large bogie wheel diameter. They were subsequently cascaded to the eight wheeled tenders when worn. I have a motion bracket made up (on which I could fit the SEF piece from the fret) spare from another build but it will require some adjustment to fit.

 

Any suggestions for a correct hight Lemaitre chimney supplier for this build?

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

[30368]

After much fiddling and cursing I managed to assemble the valve gear and the chassis is undergoing initial running in as I write this. It started very well from a low voltage and is now running at this low setting with no problems so far!

 

Next step will be to build the bogie and then run the chassis around my layout which has some tight curves. No doubt more adjustment will be necessary.

 

 

 

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

 

Edited June 2, 2022 by 30368

[30368]

The very old SEF "Bodyline" kit is going to need some modification if it is to fit the excellent SEF chassis. Not really a surprise given its age and design.

 

I decided that I had little chance of soldering the other half of the running plate to the cab spectacle plate unless I had a second point of reference so I made up a fairly thick brass spacer, which would also double as the front securing point, at the front of the running plate. It was soldered level on one half and it was then fairly simple to solder the two halves of the running plate together.

 

The PDK boiler was offered up to check its relationship to the front of the running plate. The boiler will need a lot of modifications including a smokebox wrapper and front plate and changes to the firebox end.

 

To further strengthen the front end ( the original cast front end and buffer beam have been discarded) and provide the front of the running plate I soldered a piece of scrap N/S to the cast lugs on the running plate sides. You can just see them in the picture above.

 

Underside showing the body/chassis securing nut soldered on the underside to avoid contact with the smokebox. These changes will mean removing a short section of the frames.

 

 

 

 

Kind regards,

 

 

Richard B

Edited June 5, 2022 by 30368

[30368]

I have been working on the resin boiler since it needs a fair bit of work to get it into 30755 form. I know there is much discussion about the relative merits of resin boilers but in the case of the PDK N15 boiler I have no complaints regarding form and dimentions, they are all fine. One advantage over, say brass (which I also like and use), is just how easy a material it is to drill.

A couple of pictures of the boiler temp fitted.

 

 

We are still working on our corner of the U3A Club layout. The footbridge is now fitted and only requires weathering and some more vegetation to add. It will be finished in time. The layout is freelance but the footbridge has a very Midland Railway flavour to it so it is fitting for Buxton.

 

 

 

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

Edited June 8, 2022 by 30368

[micklner]

Re Resin Boilers .

 

      I have only ever built one kit using a Resin Boiler , by coincidence a PDK kit for the LNER A1/1Great Northern. Below are the potential problems on using them I found.

     Yes easy to drill including oversize!!, unless you are very careful and ensure the holes are all in the correct postion first. A pig to mend if a hole goes out of position, if the drill wanders as it cuts the resin , the material can be quite soft, it was on my kit.  Also avoid inhaling the dust.

   Normally nowhere to add any ballast weight,  where it is needed e.g above the motor. My kit had a hole just big enough, for a motor to just fit into.

   All additional parts  have to be glued onto the resin, a potential for very weak joints and awkward to repair/correct , if the parts go out of line as the glue sets.

  I have no intention of doing another one , and I much prefer Brass kits and solder.

 

  I sold the PDK kit for other reasons, after it was built. I doubt very much if I will ever do another one.

 

[Guest Jack Benson]

Hi Richard,

 

That’s odd comment, the resin-boilers on Brassmaster kits seem to be rather good, no problem whatsoever if you are careful and plan the task carefully,  I suppose it is all a question of skill and dexterity . Certainly no reason to dismiss the use of boilers as other modellers seem to cope.

 

Your previous models seem to be perfectly adequate, you seem able to cope with PDK kits.

 

StaySafe

 

[30368]

Hi Jack and Mick,

 

As mentioned, this SEF N15 build is really a bitza job made up of all the parts left over from a number of kits. In the case of the boiler, I used the white metal N15 boiler from the SEF kit to build H15 30491 which was the only H15 with a Urie taper boiler. The H15 kit was a PDK hybrid kit intself, Paul supplied a H15 kit, which normally has a brass parallel boiler with a KIng Arthur boiler which was made of Resin. Because 30491's boiler would need a lot of chopping about to fit the H15 chassis I thought that would be too difficult with a Resin boiler and used the SEF kit white metal boiler. So in that sense Mick I kind of agree that resin boilers do have limitations.

 

In relation to drilling and assembling the PDK resin boiler on this build I have found it very easy so far, easier than, for example, a brass boiler. I have built a Crownline A1/1 kit too and found it a challenging build but the resin boiler was not really a problem if you paid attention to the boiler/firebox transition it can look odd if too pronounced. Perhaps you found that Mick?

 

Thanks for your interest and comments.

 

Richard B

[micklner]

10 hours ago, 30368 said:

Hi Jack and Mick,

 

As mentioned, this SEF N15 build is really a bitza job made up of all the parts left over from a number of kits. In the case of the boiler, I used the white metal N15 boiler from the SEF kit to build H15 30491 which was the only H15 with a Urie taper boiler. The H15 kit was a PDK hybrid kit intself, Paul supplied a H15 kit, which normally has a brass parallel boiler with a KIng Arthur boiler which was made of Resin. Because 30491's boiler would need a lot of chopping about to fit the H15 chassis I thought that would be too difficult with a Resin boiler and used the SEF kit white metal boiler. So in that sense Mick I kind of agree that resin boilers do have limitations.

 

In relation to drilling and assembling the PDK resin boiler on this build I have found it very easy so far, easier than, for example, a brass boiler. I have built a Crownline A1/1 kit too and found it a challenging build but the resin boiler was not really a problem if you paid attention to the boiler/firebox transition it can look odd if too pronounced. Perhaps you found that Mick?

 

Thanks for your interest and comments.

 

Richard B

I have said this before elsewhere. I wasnt impressed with the PDK A1/1 , the Boiler issues I have already covered above . Easy to build yes, but with limitations if you want the Loco to pull anything. Your build with the whitemetal footplate will help , the PDK had a etched footplate which hardly weighed anything as well.

 

The big problem on the PDK A1/1 was the fold over/up chassis. I think it must have been etched for EM, when folded up it was so wide. I made the mistake of building it and painting it ,and only  then discovering zero clearances behind the OO drivers, when I attempted to fit them. By filing the axle bushes back I managed to just get the drivers on , not surpisingly it didnt like curves very much!. I sold it on. Never had that problem on any kit before or after!.

 

Luckily shortly afterwards, Graeme King did conversion kits for the Thompson pacifics, using the Hornby and Bachmann r.t.r  Locos as a base. Much much better, with the needed weight as well. There were photos on my build thread sadly they are still missing.

[Mallard60022]

4 hours ago, micklner said:

I have said this before elsewhere. I wasnt impressed with the PDK A1/1 , the Boiler issues I have already covered above . Easy to build yes, but with limitations if you want the Loco to pull anything. Your build with the whitemetal footplate will help , the PDK had a etched footplate which hardly weighed anything as well.

 

The big problem on the PDK A1/1 was the fold over/up chassis. I think it must have been etched for EM, when folded up it was so wide. I made the mistake of building it and painting it ,and only  then discovering zero clearances behind the OO drivers, when I attempted to fit them. By filing the axle bushes back I managed to just get the drivers on , not surpisingly it didnt like curves very much!. I sold it on. Never had that problem on any kit before or after!.

 

Luckily shortly afterwards, Graeme King did conversion kits for the Thompson pacifics, using the Hornby and Bachmann r.t.r  Locos as a base. Much much better, with the needed weight as well. There were photos on my build thread sadly they are still missing.

Hi Mick. I am aware of your vast experience with kit building, so please forgive this, but may I just ask something about the A 1 Chassis? 

Could it have been that the fold was supposed to be the opposite of what we would normally do? That is fold with the half etch on the outside? I ask as I made this mistake once whilst zooming through some kit or another and I hadn't noted that this particular part needed the reverse etch. It can make 1 to 1.5mm difference to width fold on thicker metal. It does make a tiny difference to width or height of course!

Phil

P.S. I think it was in fact a Comet Caprotti Black 5 Chassis, but it must have been ten+ years ago and that loco is now in a new Home. 

 

Edited June 9, 2022 by Mallard60022
Additional piece.

[30368]

6 hours ago, micklner said:

The big problem on the PDK A1/1 was the fold over/up chassis.

Hi Mick,

 

I must admit that I didn't have that problem the axles have sufficient sideplay. Pehaps some variation in the etch? Maybe my example was from a latter batch.

 

The parts have now arrived from Paul at PDK and what has been supplied will save me a great deal of time. I was ready to scratch build the boiler backplate but the casting will save a lot of time. Smokebox front has been cut out and is ready for filing to profile.

I still have to clean off the glue smudges. The boiler fits very well.

 

It starts to look a little like 30755!

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

Edited June 9, 2022 by 30368

[micklner]

3 hours ago, Mallard60022 said:

Hi Mick. I am aware of your vast experience with kit building, so please forgive this, but may I just ask something about the A 1 Chassis? 

Could it have been that the fold was supposed to be the opposite of what we would normally do? That is fold with the half etch on the outside? I ask as I made this mistake once whilst zooming through some kit or another and I hadn't noted that this particular part needed the reverse etch. It can make 1 to 1.5mm difference to width fold on thicker metal. It does make a tiny difference to width or height of course!

Phil

P.S. I think it was in fact a Comet Caprotti Black 5 Chassis, but it must have been ten+ years ago and that loco is now in a new Home. 

 

"Mallard"

     A very simple answer. I have no idea !!, from memory the basic instructions never mentioned either way. The etch was folded to the inside, as its quite rare for the fold to be on the outside of a kit,  in my experience.  I built the kit 10 plus years ago which does'nt help either !! I had suspicions at the time that it was based on the  old Crownline conversion  kit, and that it had been rushed back into production .

 

Chas

    Re my kit it was bought when first announced/released by PDK , so yours may well be a different version and hopefully better quality .

    I should have complained to PDK at the time , I did'nt bother and as I said sold it on , the curves issue was in the description, and the buyer must have been happy as never heard anything from him then, or since.

 

 

Thanks & regards  Mick

[30368]

1 hour ago, micklner said:

Chas

 

Richard not Chas Mick

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B