Some time ago, I was given a Langley kit of this, by my good friend and fellow modeller Jacky Molinaro.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fpatrickbaty.co.uk%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2011%2F09%2FLoco.jpg&hash=0ca70c766b091dd17b0d770f488639e1f0f1953f)
source: http://forums.auran.com/trainz/showthread.php?115901-Small-American-Steam-Locomotives&s=4e2de608283c4f4bb7ae08d9ea629350 (http://forums.auran.com/trainz/showthread.php?115901-Small-American-Steam-Locomotives&s=4e2de608283c4f4bb7ae08d9ea629350)
For some time I pondered on what chassis to use on this model. It was designed for the Farish 4-4-0 chassis which, frankly, makes it look ridiculous due to the inside frames. Scratchbuilding was considered, and another friend even offered to build me a chassis, but at Expong I ran into a Liliput Zillertalbahn jackshaft driven diesel, so I decided to give that a try instead. It ran beautifully, and honestly I was loath to strip it down.
But remembering the work Tom Dauben did on his Kelani Valley Hunslet, I took a leaf out of his book and set to work converting the chassis of the little diesel. The wheelbase is slightly short at 18mm where it should be 20mm, and the wheels are only 8mm instead of the regulation 10 or 11. However, it is a beautifully running outside frame four-coupled chassis, so...
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I matched the chassis, and in particular the frame/footplate assembly, against the tank/boiler casting of the kit.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_0720.jpg&hash=4df7584bad5a7e69363c93d658945e30d070d241)
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Note the cylinder/front footplate casting from the kit, which would be needing much work. I spent some time measuring various items against each other and decided to use Tom's approach, but for the moment leave the footplate attached to the frames for strength.
I savagely attacked the extremely hard material of the footplate/frames casting of the diesel chassis, with a hacksaw that made short work of the material that needed to be removed.
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The front 4-5mm of the footplate was removed to accommodate the cylinder block, which was then cut and filed to shape so it would fit over the frames.
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The present status is that the cylinder block and the footplate are made to shape. I will need to narrow the footplate down so it will disappear under the tanks. The slidebars may be attached to this again, but I must first check on clearances, as the cranks are fairly wide. It may well be that the cylinders will have to be moved out a mm each.
I cleared away a lot of material inside the tanks and boiler, but these wouldn't sit on the footplate due to the motor clip interfering, so there will be a slight gap (1mm) which brings the tanks to probably slightly over scale height over the track. But so far it doesn't look too bad if checked against the drawing. Here is the result of an afternoon's work:
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Before I forget, the dummy plug for the decoder socket can be laid flat if you remove the plastic collar at its base. The connectors can then be bent at a right angle so the plug won't stick up and interfere with the loco body.
And now I'm off to relax and have dinner! ;)
Looking good so far!
The Branchlines 'Hawk' chassis fits this kit well and is reasonably easy to assemble.
Thanks Rod, I might have used that but just didn't think of it. This one turned up at Expong, so I decided to use it. It's very smooth and powerful.
This is a good way to motorise this kit and will undoubtable look good when finished and run well.
However it has to be said that the boiler/tank casting in this kit is not the best quality and falls way short of what can be done today. In fact it was not that good when it was first available in the 1980's and needed quite a bit of work to make the smoke box round and the thanks square! From memory the smokebox also drooped a bit at the front and the rivets on the tank side were small holes rather than small points. The brass parts of the kit are a lot better and tend to show up the casting.
Brian Meldon
My memory of this kit is that the castings are really too thick and in consequence have distorted on cooling. My comment about the Hawk chassis was not meant as a criticism of your choice Ted, merely to be informative. In the end, almost anything is better than that completely inappropriate,ugly and not very well running Farish chassis!
Quote from: B.Meldon on November 10, 2015, 10:34
This is a good way to motorise this kit and will undoubtable look good when finished and run well.
However it has to be said that the boiler/tank casting in this kit is not the best quality and falls way short of what can be done today. In fact it was not that good when it was first available in the 1980's and needed quite a bit of work to make the smoke box round and the thanks square! From memory the smokebox also drooped a bit at the front and the rivets on the tank side were small holes rather than small points. The brass parts of the kit are a lot better and tend to show up the casting.
Brian Meldon
when I built one back in 2013 the casting were ok
(https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8262/8665743128_eef0bbb92c_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/ecLcwh)006 (https://flic.kr/p/ecLcwh) by brian mosby (https://www.flickr.com/photos/mozzer36/), on Flickr
(https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8250/8666203232_06c81d0a11_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/ecNyi7)008 (https://flic.kr/p/ecNyi7) by brian mosby (https://www.flickr.com/photos/mozzer36/), on Flickr
It is indeed as you say - the smokebox droops a little. The casting is very big, so it must have distorted when cooling. By comparison, the photos by Brian Mosby look much better - did you clean them up? I suppose I will need to do a little fettling, it isn't worse than having a 3D printed kit that needs to be spruced up.
The Hawk chassis Rod mentions should be more appropriate due to the wheel size and wheelbase. One disadvantage of the Liliput chassis is the solid frames and the shape of the cranks. I may try and open up the frames a little so they look less solid, but I have to weigh that against the risk of damaging them.
I'm not familiar with the running properties of the Farish 4-4-0 chassis. I have used one of the 2-6-4 chassis which is very smooth. But I understand quality was a little variable.
all I did to clean them was a quick bush with a suede brush (brass bristles)
That would account for its clean looks!
I wonder how to turn this into a steam locomotive chassis. I have been measuring the space available for the connecting rods, crossheads and slidebars, and considering what to do so I won't run into trouble. The main issue is that these, and the cylinder casting, were designed with an inside frame chassis in mind. The photo below shows the etch with the parts indicated. The casting has been attached temporarily to the chassis.
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Space behind the slidebars
The Liliput chassis has thick frames and cranks. Allowing for the crankpin screws and the sideways play you need to clear a width of 22.3mm. I think it will be safe to put the insides of the slidebar etches 23mm apart. Add 0.3mm for the thickness of the etches, and you will need 23.6mm over the outside faces of the slidebar etches.
This will have to be allowed for by the recesses in the back of the cylinder casting. These need to be filed out - practice will show if it works, and if it doesn't look silly. See photo below - the space indicated with the double arrow must be 23.6mm.
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Connecting rods
The crosshead folds over the slidebar but it stays comfortably away of the crankpin since the wheelbase is only 18mm and there is 21mm from the crankpin hole to the crosshead on the etch. However, the slidebar etch won't allow the travel needed for the crosshead, since the connecting rod is too long for the short wheelbase.
Since the connecting rod and the crosshead are in one piece, I might cut them through and re-solder the connecting rod to the outside of the crosshead. Unless it will then foul the crankpin! Again, this has to be measured carefully...
And finally, the screws on the rear cranks are too short to accommodate another rod. So I will have to find a fitting tiny screw of a suitable length... I'll keep you posted.
Quote from: tedp on November 10, 2015, 16:24
I'm not familiar with the running properties of the Farish 4-4-0 chassis. I have used one of the 2-6-4 chassis which is very smooth. But I understand quality was a little variable.
I have two of the Farish 4-4-0 chassis' operating as 0-4-2T under my ELMGATE and THATCHAM locos. Despite their age, and my modifications, I have never had problems with them. One is the earliest type with brass gears throughout, and the second has "nylon" (?) intermediate and final gears. Neither have I a problem with any of my other Farish chassis. That said, the latest Bachmann versions are IMHO, superior. I am sure, as discussed elsewhere, that clean track and proper balance of the body has a lot to do with good running, whatever the chassis.
Thanks, Tim - what you say about track and balance is similar to my experience.
Balance is very important. At the moment, the Liliput chassis is overloaded at the front end if I put the boiler/tank casting on it. As a consequence the rod-coupled front wheels take most of the load instead of the driving wheels at the back. This shows in slight jerkiness. I will balance the model slightly towards the rear to reverse this. The same effect is apparent in the Backwoods chassis - the rear wheels must take most of the load, about 60 to 70% will work best.
I totally agree with the comments about this needing about the same work as a many of the 3d prints do but white metal can be so much better than this.
As to balance it looks like there is lots of room in the cast tanks and firebox for extra weight to balance the loco and from memory the cab roof is cast metal as well.
Brian Meldon
Putting weight in the tanks will do nothing to balance the loco, only make it heavier overall. The point of balancing this loco is to counteract the weight of the (cast) smokebox and front apron. So weight will have to be fitted BEHIND the rear driving axle.
I agree the additional weight should be far back - there is little extra weight needed as it has plenty of weight already. There is plenty of space in the bunker. However, this may introduce a tendency for the loco to sway around the short wheelbase. I'll have to experiment and see what's best.
Today I did some further fettling to the front end block. I cleared the recess in the cylinders to the required width and then epoxied the block to the frame and footplate casting. The cylinder centres are slightly above the wheel centres to correct for the small wheel diameter. I also made the slidebar frets to size.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_0745.jpg&hash=3eb55044b1afadf414b985686e83b190e1cfa844)
Here is the slidebar fret glued to the cylinders and the frames. Note that I introduced a slight angle to make them line up with the driving wheel centre. I folded the supports so they rest on the footplate of the Liliput chassis. There is about 1mm to spare between the crankpin screws and the fret.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_0750.jpg&hash=54bb2f61ec1e3de814f3cdcd4385d49fa08fa0af)
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Next, I turned to the connecting rods. These are thick at 0.3mm, and the crankpin holes are matched to the Graham Farish wheels, about 1.7mm diameter. So I decided to ream them out to 2mm to accommodate the screw head, and sweat on a thin backing shim of only 0.1mm. This is drilled for 1.1mm so I could try and re-use the original crankpin screws on the chassis.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_0757.jpg&hash=1ff65a1e27fd458d420d31643106d5206bbbb690)
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Next, I tried fitting one connecting rod to the loco. Some extra space was needed on the slidebar fret to enable the crosshead to slide the full length, but I assembled it and it seems to work. It runs without binding.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_0764.jpg&hash=4ca9e01067f9b2f9a3fc3097261ac85ee9251d26)
The only problem proved to be the crankpin screw. This didn't like the extra thickness after all - it even decided to turn wild in the tiny thread of the crank, so I put in some superglue to fix it. I will need to run the chassis upside down on the workbench for some time to see if it will hold! But it starts looking good, I think...
I fitted the connecting rod on the other side and it goes OK. No trouble seen yet. Yippeee!
Here is a short video clip.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lsc9pAxjHWM (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lsc9pAxjHWM)
Congrats, Ted. It looks to be a perfect fit.
Jeff S.
Thanks, Jeff, only after a lot of measuring and filing! But I'm not displeased.
To be continued.
Quote from: rod335 on November 11, 2015, 15:42
Putting weight in the tanks will do nothing to balance the loco, only make it heavier overall. The point of balancing this loco is to counteract the weight of the (cast) smokebox and front apron. So weight will have to be fitted BEHIND the rear driving axle.
In theory you are correct Rod, but in practice extra weight between the driving wheels will most defiantly help balance any model loco, or at the least reduce the effects of the overhanging weight at the front or rear.
Brian Meldon
Quote from: B.Meldon on November 12, 2015, 10:23
Quote from: rod335 on November 11, 2015, 15:42
Putting weight in the tanks will do nothing to balance the loco, only make it heavier overall. The point of balancing this loco is to counteract the weight of the (cast) smokebox and front apron. So weight will have to be fitted BEHIND the rear driving axle.
In theory you are correct Rod, but in practice extra weight between the driving wheels will most defiantly help balance any model loco, or at the least reduce the effects of the overhanging weight at the front or rear.
Brian Meldon
I think Rod is right, Brian. What you need is leverage at the rear end, not so much extra weight. I could fit two blocks of lead in the rear end of the tanks, but it would only be about 15mm behind the centre of the wheelbase if I would do so. Putting some lead in the bunker would mean a lever of 45mm measured from the centre of the wheelbase - three times as much - so the amount of weight needed to produce the same leverage would be reduced by two-thirds.
I'm going to see about the way I should extend the frames to to the rear and fit the cab. But I'm probably unavailable for a few days due to other commitments starting from tonight.
Today I built the etched cab of 'Lyn', a fold-up structure that is easy to solder together. Note the cab back sheet and the fold-up tray that will sit inside the bunker.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_0766.jpg&hash=64b5ce29161577e75029fb8755fe60c648524562)
After I made this photo, I removed the cowcatcher from the fold-up structure, since it would foul the track, probably due to the Farish chassis the model was intended for. This will be cut to size and fitted to the model later, at the correct height.
The flare to the rear of the bunker must be formed using a round object. The etch is made with numerous half-etched lines to weaken it. It needs to be filled with solder later to get rid of the holes.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_0769.jpg&hash=ae2695f17b59bd49afab7a8557ffa82c6fb5a094)
Spot soldering the cab with a tiny piece of solder cut and laid inside one of the seams, then some flux added before touching with a soldering iron. Here I experienced some trouble with the soldering tip which is weathered - it should be replaced.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_0773.jpg&hash=982f92ad27cb4ed7c7779fcd1a657ff9cac00dbb)
The completed cab next to the loco. I first wanted to fit the cab under the cut-down footplate of the Liliput chassis, but then it sat too deep. So I will fit the chassis with support pads on which the floor of the cab will rest.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_0775.jpg&hash=16e5cbdc797d0e9650fad8ffa8a28032fcce8648)
Here I'm cutting a larger hole in the floor of the cab, to accommodate the chassis. The cab must be soldered solidly together before attempting this - it has to be rigid.
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The cab then was epoxied to the rear of the tanks, after some trial and error. In the end I fitted two 1mm styrene pads to the rear of the tanks with superglue, then fitted the cab to them, with some extra epoxy to fill the gaps. The cab is now slightly clear of the tanks, as it should. Note that the model is balanced loosely on the chassis. It looks as if it sits nicely horizontal. No frames yet under the cab, but I noticed the whitemetal roof already helps with the balance.
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In the front and rear views, note the over-sized cowcatcher which wouldn't have fitted as intended. By the way, the boiler centreline is about at scale height, compared to the drawing.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_0790.jpg&hash=74888337f64394e84a8b06aea2724204e5beb563)
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Now I must suspend the modelling work for a day or so due to other commitments. More later.
Well... other commitments done, today I continued the work on the Baldwin. The first thing to do was fit support pads to the chassis so the loco body (cab) would be supported. I glued two brass angles to the chassis, initially with superglue, later with some epoxy added in the remaining gap to strengthen the bond. Note the holes drilled for self-tapping screws going into the cab floor.
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The next challenge was to secure the smokebox end. Eventually I superglued a nut in the bottom of the smokebox where the locating lug into the smokebox saddle used to be. A hole was drilled from below, and some judicious filing set the exact distance of the nut to the remains of the smokebox saddle. So the nut doesn't carry the load of the screw thread as it is screwed to the lug on the saddle, but it has enough holding power to carry the body.
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Here is the screw head on the underside of the cylinder block, and the fixing screws under the cab.
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And here is the loco running trials. I fitted the chimney and the domes, so its outline looks more familiar.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_0798.jpg&hash=9cb80b108f600b13e10bc751b741910f19852985)
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Finally, a video of the loco running trials.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Q--blJqkbI (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Q--blJqkbI)
We're slowly getting there!
Looks like a smooth runner, Ted.
Jeff S.
Ted, an interesting project as usual from you. Are you going to fill in the awful rivet detail on the tanks like I did on my own version which uses the intended Farish chassis with the old Brian Clarke 'Mini-cranks'. I'm sure using Archer rivets would enhance the tank sides.
Looking forward to reading the remainder of this excellent project,
Roger
Thanks, all!
Roger, I wonder at the use of the Minicranks on the Farish chassis - so it is possible to use them even in a rod-driven chassis. I have a set of them still intended to convert a Minitrix 2-6-2 chassis.
The side detail on the tanks is terrible indeed. I have considered making a printed overlay with all the lettering and lining on it. That would mean a flat tank side and I would need to match the green to the other parts of the loco, which will be painted the normal way. I have been wondering about the correct shade of green for the Southern. How much difference was there between the coach green and the loco green? Any Revell oil paint that matches?
What I failed to write about is that I took considerable care to get the loco body straight on to the chassis. It's a short wheelbase and a long loco, so the tiniest error there shows. In particular, the rear end sits straight above the track. The loco may not look like much at the moment, but now the basic work has been done I can set to work getting the body cleaned up and adding details.
Just a thought Ted, I assume this loco is destined for the C & DR? If so, the thread title should be 'An American in Britain', to save upsetting our Scottish friends? Or am I being too clever?
Yes, you're right, Rod. But the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway was a very English railway, and the loco will be lettered for the Southern Railway. That's why I was thinking of England, even though 'Lyn' will be used over the C&DR. ;)
Quote from: tedp on November 15, 2015, 13:14
Yes, you're right, Rod. But the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway was a very English railway, and the loco will be lettered for the Southern Railway. That's why I was thinking of England, even though 'Lyn' will be used over the C&DR. ;)
so instead of going to Brazil the ship got lost & hit the rocks off the coast of you Island Ted so the ship headed to Port & to cover the cost of ship repairs the master gave to loco to the Island Railway
:o
Excellent idea. I should keep that in mind, since the C&DR's management has an eye for a bargain, being Scots! A quality they've got in common with the Dutch... ;D
Quote from: tedp on November 15, 2015, 14:33
:o
Excellent idea. I should keep that in mind, since the C&DR's management has an eye for a bargain, being Scots! A quality they've got in common with the Dutch... ;D
& Yorkshire Men
Probably the same - any poor farming community produces thrifty people. Goes back ages, before industry came along.
Instead of going on and detailing the model as I planned, I spent today fitting lights. I decided to use the blanking plug in the DCC socket as the basis for two springs carrying the power to the lighting wires in the body of the loco. There are two contact pads on a piece of PC board glued inside the body shell. From there, the wiring and series resistors for the headlamp LED and the firebox LED lead further into the loco body.
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Here are the springs soldered on the blanking plug. They are phosphor bronze springs cut from an old sheet, curves and soldered to two appropriate leads on the plug board. Note that the plug has been bent back and laid flat.
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A close-up of the contact pads and the insulated leads of the red firebox LED.
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The headlamp is a LED with two insulated leads through the top of the smokebox. I cut a short section out of the rim to get the LED in place, since the leads have to go through the back of the smokebox as well. The lamp will be camouflaged in the style of the lamp from the kit.
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The 1K series resistors and the leads to the smokebox.
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Trial run, showing the lights in the semi-darkness.
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More later!
I have been struggling a little with the blanking plug today - it takes up valuable space under the boiler backhead. I even cut down the backhead, finding the plug and the chokes mounted on it is too tall to allow the LED to shine out of the firedoor. So the plug will have to be modified. I found the wiring diagram needed to replace the plug, and even jury rigged the chassis so it would run without a plug, but since it's a good base for the light contacts I decided to cut it down, then re-wire it so the motor and the lights get their power.
The chokes were cut off and I added two bridge wires to connect the track to the motor. The lighting contacts appear to get their power from the chassis. The loco runs again and I added the boiler backhead.
Now this hurdle has been taken, I have to complete the cab interior and fit all the etched detail around the cab. Then the interior will be painted and I can turn to the outside detail. More will follow, including photos.
I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about Ted, but it sounds very impressive and I'm sure it is for those who know about electrons and amps and things! The model is taking shape very nicely indeed, I look forward very much to more progress reports.
I've also added one of these Liliput diesel locos to my "keep an eye out for one" list. They sound as if they are well worth their purchase price.
Mick
To answer your question:
The Liliput loco has a socket for a NEM 651 standard DCC decoder. If you insert a decoder, it will respond to digital control. The blanking plug is a tiny piece of PCB with 6 connector pins inserted instead of the decoder. This converts the loco to DC operation - it can be seen in the centre of this photo (the green object with two black choke coils at the top):
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The 6 pins of the socket are arranged (1 to 6)
1 - right motor lead
2 - left motor lead
3 - right rail
4 - left rail
5 - front light
6 - rear light
Since the blanking plug, even when folded flat, interfered with the light out of the firedoor, I decided to cut the plug short by removing the choke coils. Then all the connections were severed, so I connected pins 1 to 3 and pins 2 to 4. For some reason, the other pins were already powered from the print in the chassis. So the springs for the lights were still powered after the operation. The next photo shows the jury-rigged blanking plug. Also, the regrettably mutilated firebox backhead (I tried to fit it over the coils on the plug and failed) and the etch that goes over it. I installed the etch and the mutilation doesn't show (photos of the cab will follow later).
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Next I looked at the pony trucks. These come as a flat etch that has to be folded up. A second etch is folded up and fitted to the first to represent the axleboxes. I'll show the rear truck first as this is the one I did this morning. As it comes, it includes a shortened representation of the long compensation lever from the hanger of the rear driver spring to the axlebox of the rear truck.
I looked at the truck etch and decided to INVERT the truck so the pivot could go under the keeper plate of the main chassis. This is easily done if you remove the compensation lever flaps from the etch, and cut it down to a sensible size. The pivot is a small screw with a very flat head from the scrapbox. I drilled a hole in the keeper plate and just threaded it in.
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The compensation levers will be rebuilt later to preserve the looks of the prototype:
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fpatrickbaty.co.uk%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2011%2F09%2FLoco.jpg&hash=0ca70c766b091dd17b0d770f488639e1f0f1953f)
source: http://forums.auran.com/trainz/showthread.php?115901-Small-American-Steam-Locomotives&s=4e2de608283c4f4bb7ae08d9ea629350 (http://forums.auran.com/trainz/showthread.php?115901-Small-American-Steam-Locomotives&s=4e2de608283c4f4bb7ae08d9ea629350)
This is what it looks like now. Note that I reinforced the etch folds with a little solder.
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I added the axlebox detail etch and replaced the plastic wheels by an old Lima wheelset which has the same diameter wheels, but they are metal and as a result run better than the originals. I found the new truck runs beautifully - there is a slight spring action and the deep flanges of the Lima wheels track very well.
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Next will be the leading truck.
The leading truck took a while as the flanges shorted against the bottom of the front footplate. So I filed away a lot of whitemetal so the wheels would run clear. The loco will run through 9" radius curves without trouble.
Now finally we have a 2-4-2!
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Off to watch a film on the telly, with the missus. Outside it blows a full gale, and I put another block on the stove and switched on the coffee machine!
More later.
By the way I noticed the front footplate has become very thin, so I expect some cosmetic work is needed to the edges, which in the prototype were very deep. The truck wheels probably won't touch them when fitted.
The last difficult job will be fitting the cowcatchers and couplings. Some provision must be made for the couplings to swing, due to the long overhang. Inevitably this will interfere with the cowcatchers. The kit has pivot points for the couplings just beyond the trucks, but my preference lies with couplings mounted on the trucks.
In several other cowcatcher fitted locos I fitted the cowcatcher on the truck so it moves sideways. In another I cut a slot through the cowcatcher, but then I lack space for a sprung coupler socket.
However... I came across several couplings from the Kato 4-w mechanism, probably handed down to me by Garry, our esteemed Moderator, who over the years has saved many couplings for me. These are the rigid variety with a loop and a coupling socket. They are not sprung, but they pivot which may be useful to correct for the overhang. So I fitted one to the front, with a cut down socket which just managed to hold on with a few dabs of superglue:
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Trial running with a Peco wagon convinced me that the idea had some merit. The Peco wagons have been fitted with Fleischmann N couplers in the NEM pocket. These are rigid - they only move up, not sideways.
So I fitted a second coupler to the rear end:
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_0878.jpg&hash=6bf069aebc1680d7c598118ee91d4635bf4298e7)
Now I'm running extensive trials with the part completed loco and the Lynton & Barnstaple stock. I had a few instances of the stock being forced off by the couplers on sharp curves, but I think that a little tweaking of the couplers on the Baldwin will be possible. I finally had the pleasure of running a Lynton & Barnstaple train over the layout!
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I will need some time to run the loco with all types of rolling stock, but if these couplings are OK, I can just cut a slot in the cowcatchers without more modification than needed.
More later!
Here is a video of a trial run of the half-completed loco.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PI-a_EYZOqQ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PI-a_EYZOqQ)
I fitted tiny lead weights to the coupler shafts to keep them down better. The couplers now do their work fairly well - perhaps they need a fraction more freedom to swing. I'm surprised the long overhang doesn't give uncoupling trouble on gradient changes - up to now the stock stays on quite well.
Note slight knocking developing in the chassis after running for 3-4 minutes under load. My feeling was this came from an overload on the leading wheels. These must be relieved, so later I added some lead at the bunker end to improve load distribution over the driving wheels. Probably a little more is needed, but it has much improved.
Well - I'm proud to announce Lyn has passed all the tests up to now with flying colours. The loco just took three C&DR bogies, the NWNGR style six-wheeler and two four-wheelers out of Dunalistair to Inverlochan and back, quite a long and heavy train. Currently it is waiting at the Dunalistair home to be allowed in.
Here are two photos of the train passing Glenclachan, showing it matches the C&DR stock well:
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The first four-wheeler by the way is Bert van Rhijn's scratchbuilt Tralee & Dingle horsebox. The train is all that could be accommodated in the platform road at Dunalistair, and rather longer than the normal service trains. With road trials completed, I can now continue completing the loco.
More later!
Soldering Baldwin cowcatchers in five easy steps.
The process takes inside half an hour, I promise!
1 - Tin the frame and the strip across the bars. Take care you tin the correct side, and don't tin the bars themselves, so the folding process will not be disturbed.
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2 - Sweat one unit together, but make sure the bars are left alone. If they want to stick to the frame, turn them up a little so they stay free of the frame. Make sure the top strip is perfectly horizontal on the frame, just below the coupling slot.
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3 - Bend the cowcatcher in the jaws of a vice. The bars will splay out correctly. Correct where needed.
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4 - Solder the bars to the lower edge of the frame. They may need to be cleaned up before washing and painting.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_0917.jpg&hash=4157d51b2ddabedf9884f706399534991eaca909)
5 - Treat the other cowcatcher likewise!
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_0919.jpg&hash=b1298d545cddbc917f52c709a41cf11bd4deb42c)
;D
PS - this doesn't take into account any cutting work needed to clear my own couplers. The ones in the kit should fit through the slot.
Excellent method, Ted.
Jeff S.
Thanks, Jeff. I forgot to mention that before soldering the bottom end of the bars, they need to be nipped close to the frame - the folded ends then lie flat on the frame.
Meanwhile, using a slitting disc, I cut out the centre of the cowcatchers to allow the N gauge couplers to pass through. I temporarily glued them to the loco, setting them about 1-2mm above the track. Inevitably they sit slightly higher on the locomotive ends than the manufacturer intended, but the chassis is rather lower than the Graham Farish one. I think it looks about right.
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Tomorrow I will do more trial running to ensure the cowcatchers don't catch on the track or the lineside. But by now the loco starts to look like a proper Baldwin! ;)
This arrived in the mail this morning:
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A tin of Maunsell light olive green and some Southern Railway transfers, from Brian Mosby!
Thanks, Brian, much appreciated.
Today I added most of the remaining detail. There are the prominent equalising bars under the cab, between the springs of the rear drivers and the trailing axle. These were made up from scrap brass taken from the cab fret, soldered together, bent to shape so they clear the rear truck and glued to the chassis. The two spare steps for the tank fronts were used for the pivots of the equalising bars.
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On the left hand side, the air tank was fitted under the cab. This took some fettling to get the truck to swing far enough. Note the scarred tank sides - these will need a lot of work to clean up. Also, there are the holes in the folds of the brass parts. These need filling before the primer goes on.
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The smokebox door took a hard time to fettle down so it would fit. In view of the price of this kit, I confess I have seen better whitemetal parts. Anyway, it now fits.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_0943.jpg&hash=38959ca3ef4fa19758e07735471ab72ca7a8411c)
The windows were put into the cab and the window grilles have been glued on to the rear windows.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_0946.jpg&hash=c60cf11536cd3114995d8309b9ac00e723ca5fa0)
To be added still: brake and heating pipes, steps on the tank fronts, footplate stays, handrails etc. And the headlight and smokebox saddle have to be built up with styrene.
More later.
I to think the Langley kits piece are on the high side
there L&B coach kits are
Progress!
After a weekend filled with distractions - an old school meeting, seeing several classmates of 45 years ago - and the development of a stinking cold, I completed the road trials of 'Lyn'.
Yesterday I experienced some trouble with the Peco wagons being forced off the track due to the overhang of the loco, sharp and sudden curves behind the backscene and several other factors. The Peco wagons have rigid NEM coupler sockets, very well for the loop and hook couplers but less so for the N gauge couplers I prefer. And they weigh next to nothing. Increasing the lateral movement of Lyn's couplers and adding weight to the Peco stock helped.
I spent a restless night with ghosts dancing over my bed - at one stage I had a table full of tiny brass and steel screws in front of me that had to be sorted out. All due to the side-effects of the cold virus, grrr.
Today I decided to ignore the discomfort as far as I could, and go to work again on Lyn. The last thing I had done was treat the cab and the tanks with very fine wet-and-dry and water. This morning I took the loco apart and cleaned it with methylated spirits and a soft brush. Then I masked off various parts with sellotape and sprayed on two thin coats of grey cellulose primer. Soon afterwards the loco was re-assembled and tested, and I painted the smokebox, the footplate and the roof black, and the bufferbeams red.
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You may notice the headlamp. This is the LED, which was filed down to get rid of the flange at the back. Then I cut the top off the whitemetal lamp from the kit, filed a round recess into the underside and glued it to the top of the LED. A piece of brass scrap was bent into a 'U' shape and glued to the bottom of the LED. A piece of wire was wound round a screwdriver, cut to a ring and glued around the lens. Then the assembly was painted black.
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And here is the cab end, which received rather less primer than intended, but I suppose it will provide enough of a key when I start painting. Note that the scarring on the tank sides is nowhere near as bad as it used to be. One coat of paint and I suppose it will be invisible. The bunker needs a bit more sanding down and some filler. I use superglue gel as filler for tiny holes, which works fairly well.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_0951.jpg&hash=6fd8c9fddbdd4a0c2f90e9e72d5f6f0fc6be8598)
More later!
It is coming along nicely, Ted.
Jeff S.
Thanks, Jeff. I'm making good progress now, as I've entered the...
Painting stage!
Today I added a bunker bulkhead to the cab interior (not visible on the outside, but since the interior is painted light grey, I expect it will reflect the fire glow better). I also touched up the chassis and painted the coupling and connecting rods light grey to get rid of the brass etch colour and the red of the coupling rods. I painted the cranks with their unprototypical counterweights black to camouflage the incorrect pattern.
Then I set to work with Brian Mosby's Maunsell light Olive. This is a Precision Paints colour which I think is semi-matt paint. It dries very slowly which I suppose is normal as I have seen the same with Revell semi-matt. The paint goes on very thinly and evens out very well.
Here is the first result. You'll see there is still a little bit of the undercoat shining through - a second coat will be needed tomorrow. No lining and borders yet, of course, so it still looks a bit sombre.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_0957.jpg&hash=211fee9620a610466277c66055e4f79f87a1a551)
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More later.
Looking Good Ted
Thanks, Brian. I thought you might like this:
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(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_0969.jpg&hash=e393ef851634f02b8cf14eb650fb139d487c2ba9)
After adding another coat of Maunsell light olive and rebuilding the smokebox saddle, here the Baldwin, still lacking lining and various details, runs more trials on Inverlochan Moor.
I think this turns into quite a passable L&B train. ;)
Since I'm now waiting for feedback on painting details from the 762 club, I decided to entertain myself and you with another video. Note the much improved running.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R88caKzlU7s (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R88caKzlU7s)
Painting and lining trials!
Today I tried using a bow pen with white acrylic paint on the test piece, which is a patch of Maunsell Olive Green on an old credit card. This failed miserably as the paint doesn't flow as it should. So I looked around on the internet and found various art pens used in calligraphy. I know a good art shop in town, so I jumped on the bike and went there.
They had something called a 'gel pen' which drew beautiful white lines, 0.7mm wide, on a piece of black paper. This one is sold under the 'Signo' brand but made by the Mitsubishi Pencil Co of Japan.
In addition I decide to buy a yellow acrylic paint pen produced by a company named Molotov. The yellow is something I used in lining other liveries. Regrettably the latter is 1.5mm wide, but it might be bordered in black, so the width doesn't matter. However, when I used the acrylic pen, the paint crept under the ruler and smudged. This can be countered without trouble.
Back to the Maunsell livery. Using the white gel pen, I drew a line on the test piece. It dries very quickly. Then I added a black line using the Stabilo pen I bought a few days ago. The lines were put on rather roughly, so their width is not very even. But I am confident this can be improved with some practice.
Here is the test piece in cruel close-up.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_1007.jpg&hash=b53593e374426057281e185c57c8541d8897deab)
The dimensions fall into place when I zoom out. The test piece is about the size of the Baldwin pannier tank.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_1013.jpg&hash=6f5c04aa2d7d95f40fa386b43eeb6e1d4e4b7e56)
Next, I will need to experiment with the transfers Brian sent me.
More later!
Interesting technique, Ted. Good luck.
Jeff S.
Thanks, Jeff.
Luck is what I'm going to need, because something went wrong. Not too badly, but it set me back a day. The white ink of the gel pen proved to be water soluble. When I had carefully lined out a tank and then applied the Methfix transfer, this is what happened:
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The lining went all runny when I applied water to the transfer paper! So I painted out the smudged lining and carefully cleaned up the edges of the lettering.
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This will have to dry out for one night, then I'll do the lining again, apply matt varnish and try again.
Sh*t happens. ::)
I would try a test portion after the white lining and test the varnish on it.
David
I have just done so and it seems to hold without problem. The white ink obviously needs to be sealed. I will try to repair the damaged side tomorrow. If all fails I can rub it down, repaint and try again. It's only a flat surface.
Probably the best method is to reverse the process - put on the lettering first, then varnish and do the lining.
Ah well - each new model means a new learning curve. :laugh:
I just surveyed the damage in daylight and it doesn't look too bad. There is nothing lost - it's just the kind of problem you encounter when trying something new. I never anticipated the white ink would be water soluble - a simple barrier coat of flat varnish would have been enough.
The Methfix transfers are very good by the way, clear and sharply defined. I think I'm going to apply the numbers first now - some number doctoring will be needed since I have to turn 763 into 762.
Here are some images of the latest work.
I'm not very happy with the gel pen - it works quite well on long stretches, but on the short lines a lot of correcting work is needed.
Where I started about an hour ago, with the flat varnish on the tank side:
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_1021.jpg&hash=f56c380f1d2262f5cfff821e6e0f9d8842cc5d79)
One stroke of the pen along the top of the tank, which looks fair enough:
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_1025.jpg&hash=05397ad00e8883b41a81cd1d56a62fc6b98a18b1)
The present state of affairs. I'll spare you the image of the cab with all the blotches where the pen leaked:
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_1031.jpg&hash=43cff51b02ff60263ccb2aa3584fb3d78df6eafb)
Some touching up is still needed, but we're getting there. This will be followed with flat varnish to seal the lining. Now I'm off to buy a tin of flat black instead of Anthracite which I used on the cab side and tank tops. And a tin of gloss varnish, to mix with flat so I arrive at an eggshell finish.
More later.
I have been working at the black parts of the cab which look rather neater now - far more contrast to the olive green and it looks rather more 'Southern' to me now. Still not quite satisfied with the lining - sometimes further correction leads to more trouble than you had in the first place!
Not too bad I think - at a distance! :P
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_1035.jpg&hash=5641ac301b91af764184be3a4055719ceaaf748e)
Probably will look better with a number, lining on the tank front and red name plates.
A cruel close-up of the tank side, not yet cleaned up - a few blemishes to be removed and the final coat of flat varnish added. As you can see I turned 763 into 762. And Eastleigh has been designated as the home depot.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_1045.jpg&hash=c4f41794ca19f49aba82f3c2276b8d4175426576)
;D
This morning I painted the rear of the cab black, and touched up the brown sliding window frames.
I completed the paintwork on the right hand side of the loco. The cylinder is now deep black, I corrected a bit of lining on the rear of the tank which had smudged, added the nameplate, and cleaned up the tank side where needed. Finally, I repainted the connecting and coupling rod, the slide bar assembly and the equalising bar at the rear end Humbrol Dark Sea Grey. The edges were then highlighted with Revell light grey, no. 76. I think this looks much better than it used to.
Here is the loco photographed on the desk, in daylight.
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And here, a cruel close-up showing all the blemishes which luckily don't show at normal viewing distance, and the way the rods have been treated. I think this is as far as it will go. Where the lining on the cab is imperfect, the handrails will be fitted. So no one will be any wiser!
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_1053.jpg&hash=64cc9423b056d4db7677f041f410b8a427348fc7)
Next, the left hand side will be tackled. To be continued!
Here is a short sequence of photos of the work done in the past hour, as I did the first stage of the lining on the left side. This is to illustrate the amount of correcting needed in this kind of work.
First I put the white ink on to the tanks and the cab sides, using the gel pen. Looks pretty horrible, don't you think? The cab looks a disaster, but this will be corrected. The inside edges of the lines on the tank are pretty straight, although you will see a faint scratch mark on the green at the top of the front end where I took off some white ink.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_1055.jpg&hash=680482cb26be236690d1fcba363ef0d77660924d)
Next, I took the black felt tip to add the black borders, which is very straightforward. You'll see that the lining on the cab is pretty rough, but I'll leave that till the second round. At the bottom of the tank the black went across the white - this needs to be set right first.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_1058.jpg&hash=90d02b980c48eecede385dfc0eca71d223b1767f)
Here is the result after correcting the bottom line on the tank. Not quite there yet, but some improvement. I have left the cab largely alone - the vertical lines are out of true and not straight at all. After a minute or so I put flat varnish on the work to seal everything.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_1063.jpg&hash=7dfe7271629fd3ebf54fc50da82643d4c53016b6)
And an oblique view showing the varnish (and a few dust specks!).
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_1060.jpg&hash=5bc047945f9b4570286e56dc0b7dedbcdd9bcfcf)
Now I'll leave the varnish for an hour or so to dry out before continuing.
Rather better I think, after a little work with the pens, and a brush of matt white and Olive Green to straighten some of the wobbles in the lines.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_1067.jpg&hash=d1a086a51195966596f2de8746489df838aa4a98)
Now the main thing to do is be patient. When I did the other side, I noticed that even after a few hours of drying, the white paint smudged when I put on the varnish. I'll now leave it till tonight, then put on the varnish.
Later tonight we'll take the family to the movies, so there won't be a lot of time to carry on. Perhaps tomorrow. ;)
Well - a lot of work done this morning! I lettered the left side of the loco, which partly went very well, but modelling wouldn't be what it is without the usual glitches.
First, a photo I made late last night, comparing David to Goliath, or a fairly big 2ft gauge loco to an even bigger 2ft 6ins loco. I wanted to compare the 'fag paper' lining on the Kitson to the pen lining on the Baldwin. The width of the lining in neither case comes under about 0.5mm, so if you want finer lining, you will need transfers. Anyway it is an interesting photo.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_1074.jpg&hash=d003a2242ad69e6a888b34b472ddbe93c5efd13e)
Next, a step by step report on applying the Methfix transfers to the tank. First, I cut out the lettering 'Southern', as advised by Brian Mosby. The thin backing paper of the letters is carefully peeled away from the paper base.
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Next, the letters are positioned on the tank. I used a ruler to measure the distance from the top edge, which is 1.5mm, and to straighten the letters. The letters are slightly tacky, so they stay in place when you press them home with a finger. The flat varnished surface helps in giving the letters a good grip.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_1079.jpg&hash=d95e5f0503fcb2aba57edb390b99678d8bfa930b)
A drop of water is applied to the backing foil.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_1084.jpg&hash=009cf30cd0821a91e9133f6a92f973fbcb18659e)
This is peeled off after about a minute, leaving the letters standing out fresh from the olive green.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_1085.jpg&hash=1dd8f6497be31113f630863ada881b94cfe2fd56)
It was the number where I ran into trouble. I fitted the '6' in its proper place:
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_1091.jpg&hash=a03218bf6129224eae3d552b0c2ddfd084a006ae)
Then the '7' and the mutilated '3' to either side. The '3' will be turned into '2'. An eagle-eyed observer will note that the '7' is slightly at a slant and here is where I went wrong.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_1094.jpg&hash=914e9642b02e8a79bd93feffb680aa105c4241a1)
I removed the '7' after it was stuck to the tank side, then discovered it was my last 4.5mm '7' in the sheet. So I used a 5.5mm one and cut it down even before it was positioned on the tank side.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_1097.jpg&hash=38e47859d74e90a7f1e6550a607c0b50eb4c2c19)
Note that the shape of the '7' is slightly wrong as it was cut down. Before doing anything else, I applied flat varnish to prevent the transfers being disturbed by subsequent work.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_1100.jpg&hash=3467cab621ef9f4e8c4590536c86f15fdd39ef24)
After the varnish had dried, I used yellow and olive green paint to correct the numerals. Phase 1 - extending the yellow to improve the shape. Note the base of the '2' which is grossly over-stretched. This is intentional, as a cross stroke over the yellow using olive green will give a nice square edge:
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_1105.jpg&hash=8c8c6555dc4db98580cc2cee16511549a34472ae)
Phase 2 - correcting the yellow with olive green:
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_1106.jpg&hash=7f6b20e7591dff558fe6355b86f0bcc8b44a6d86)
Inevitably the numerals are a bit 'hairy', but if necessary this can be corrected by scraping with a scalpel blade:
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_1109.jpg&hash=22598a726e08e20ddb8d67b82d10d2e4503f50ef)
However, at a distance it doesn't look too bad.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_1113.jpg&hash=200b6b9a347de90f93c0c5e0a8c7b4776fa4481d)
Now I'm leaving the paint to dry. I'll apply the tiny 'E' for Eastleigh over the number at a later stage.
A small sidestep tonight: finding a crew for Lyn. I had a set of Victorian Langley enginemen which I modified by changing their headwear to flat Southern style caps (I hope). I cut the caps down and fitted small styrene discs which I then filed down to shape. Although the're hardly visible behind the windows, at least they're in style.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_1116.jpg&hash=29e09007fe2324510a7ea0feef02760cb44adc5e)
Here they are in the tiny cab (after some unfortunate feet amputations to make them fit). Note that the driver is intended to lean out of a left hand cab window, but the Baldwin, just like the Manning Wardles, seems to have been driven from the right. So he now seems to grab the whistle cord.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_1118.jpg&hash=841a2cdd4d6bc90f526b767fd45deeab998f6672)
In the next view, note the cab windows installed, and all the frames now painted brown. It is a wooden cab with varnished or oiled window frames.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_1122.jpg&hash=e9c3202a481e49588cf9a0ab17be8db097564b20)
Now for the final lining and detailing phase!
It's coming together nicely, Ted.
Jeff S.
Thanks - however, today was a little frustrating. It went all right most of the time - I lined out the tank fronts and the bunker. Rather tricky, but I managed to get it straight and neat.
The detailing tonight was a perfect pain however. I tried drilling 0.7mm holes in the cab sides, to fit handrails, and found out I should have done so before painting. The drill bits were blunt despite being new, and they slipped and damaged some of the paint. The windows on one side were just pushed loose by the drilling.
I managed to restore most of the finish and repaired the windows, but the right side of the bunker probably needs more work. Luckily flat varnish hides most of the damage. I put on the handrails - wire ones as the ones in the kit were etched and FLAT - and I bent the whitemetal vacuum and steam heating pipes to shape and fitted them to the bunker and the footplate.
The pipes along the bottom of the tanks will be made up with wire. And the footplate stays must be fashioned.
To wind it up, I made a lot of progress but it was frustrating. Luckily, having been a sailor, I have a plentyful supply of bad language to sustain me.
Here are the photos - the main improvements are the vacuum and steam pipes, the vacuum (or steam?) pipe running under the left hand tank - there is a thinner one on the right which still has to be fitted. And the footplate stays. An American locomotive has the front footplate suspended between the cylinder block and two heavy stays bolted to the smokebox. I drilled through the smokebox and inserted a piece of brass wire, which was then bent down to match the fitting patches on the footplate. It has only been glued to the smokebox as this has to come off when the chassis is removed.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_1156.jpg&hash=fad2522ca7276f296547724687240a07d30adfbd)
The rear end and the cab handrails - least said about them the better. The drilling went out of hand, the glue has blotched the black lining and it looks altogether horrible. I'll have quite a job fettling down the glue patches and repairing the lining. The other side is slightly better but not good either. We'll see how to fix that tomorrow.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_1162.jpg&hash=fc99209d5bbdd272e55cca287667768e0a3bd156)
More later.
Looking Good Ted
Thanks Brian, but I'm not yet happy. The problem is the cab around the handrails. I should have drilled the holes before painting. However, I just touched up the worst blotches and it came out slightly better. Tomorrow I'll have a better look in daylight. The overhead lighting probably makes it look worse than it really is.
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Well, in daylight it looks better although I'm not doing too many close-ups!
This morning I fitted the vacuum pipe on the right hand side - which in Southern days was led inside the valve gear and the valve chest - and I painted all the detail work Dark Sea Grey.
So now the loco is as good as completed. I'll give you a few photos made on the layout this morning. First a close-up on the desk. Here the steam heating pipe hasn't yet been painted.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_1177.jpg&hash=b26cc84590346d3ad97ecfa6ad04a0b4bda06208)
The right hand side, with the vacuum pipe led inside the valve gear.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_1182.jpg&hash=a856d0f480e09e3e8cfa779c81fc4e7c86566a0f)
Lyn on its way with the L&B train.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_1190.jpg&hash=14e0f5d4f5305d0df8b5377540554dda3c6e9b4d)
And finally a few state portraits on the bridge in the Gorge.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_1194.jpg&hash=09bc94fb1ddcc11b432c6c2022ce6082da4cfc4c)
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_1197.jpg&hash=9dc759c784ff6f65fa54e2bdfde1cafae61f94bc)
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.009dutch.nl%2Farchive%2F2015%2Falbum%2F2015lyn%2Fimages%2FIMG_1199.jpg&hash=acc7141b4fa48822f376a58980e28c74dda66eca)
This concludes the Lyn project! ;)
Not sure your point about the stays between the boiler and the front footplate being to support the footplate is quite correct Ted. My understanding has always been that these stays are to strengthen the lateral forces on the front bufferbeam and prevent the loco from pulling itself apart. Certainly this was their purpose when they were fitted to Great Western locos.
That's an interesting point of view, Rod. I wonder how the main frames of the GWR locomotives were laid out if they needed such stays. They had substantial plate frames, didn't they?
Regarding lateral forces, I feel that in "Lyn" these would have been taken up by the footplate framing which in the drawing from ''The Engineer" in the book by Catchpole seems to be a box shape. It is the vertical forces on the buffer beam and the cowcatcher that are counteracted by the stays.
My reasoning is that in American locomotives of that age, the boiler was the strongest item, with the cylinder block integral with the smokebox. The bar frames were fitted between the cylinder block and the firebox, and everything in front or in rear of that was comparatively light. This is quite a different approach from the British built locomotive which usually had full length plate frames and the boiler fitted on top.
The principle is clearly illustrated in drawings in the book 'A History of the American Locomotive' (its development, 1830-1880). If you look at the well-known 4-4-0s from 1855 onwards, or even the primitive 1850 4-4-0 "Copiapo", the front framing is very flimsy, but the stays play an important role to stiffen things up. The front footplate seems to be a frame hung from the smokebox using those substantial stays, creating two diagonals supporting the front buffer beam and the cowcatcher. The same design is carried on to the 2-6-0s and 2-8-0s built in the mid-1860s. Even the Baldwin ten-wheeler of 1870 has almost the same type of front end as Lyn, similar even to the banjo-shaped footplate.
If you like, I can send you a few scans so you can see what I mean.
An excellent job, Ted. What's the next project?
Jeff S.
An excellent conclusion to another super project Ted. Thank you very much for sharing your work with the members.
I look forward to seeing Lyn in the flesh in due course and maybe an opportunity to compare the loco to my 2-4-4T bash Matilda, which I have now made a note to add to the joblist for a major refurbishment!
Mick
Thanks, Jeff and Mick.
Mick - I will be taking the loco with me to Sparsholt, where I hope it will be one of the performers on Dunalistair. Before that it will be subjected to heavy duty over the C&DR, which will be the final test proving it is all right.
Jeff - no idea yet for a new project. Probably as fancy takes me!
Quote from: tedp on December 08, 2015, 15:51
Thanks, Jeff and Mick.
Jeff - no idea yet for a new project. Probably as fancy takes me!
That's the best way. It happens to me a lot. Unfortunately, I'm not always finished with the current project, when it strikes.
Jeff S.
To round it off, here is a video of the completed loco on a Southern Railway train, descending the line from Inverlochan to Dunalistair.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TH0G5PEqcPM (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TH0G5PEqcPM)
Have fun!
Excellent video, Ted.
Jeff S.
Ted, as I understand it, the Great Western locos fitted with frame stays like this did NOT have continuous frames, there being sub assemblies fore and aft of and bolted to the cylinders. Of course, Baldwins tended to cast their frames in handed units including the cylinder and half the smokebox saddle for that side. So you may be right in this connection. But then we can look at Talyllyn and Dlogoch and of course the Festiniog England engines where the boiler WAS the 'backbone' of the loco and everything else, within reason, was bolted to it. That has always made me wonder in the case of the Padarn Horlock locos, which, built like this, had NO frames as such unless I am mistaken, how did the side rods cope with the expansion of the boiler?
The Great Western locos having separate frame units would account for additional strengthening to be needed. Would that be the triangular frames on top of the footplate? These look like being fitted to the cylinder block, not the smokebox. Or perhaps I'm looking at the wrong loco.
I never looked in detail at the 1860s narrow gauge engines - I saw the frames of Welsh Pony at Boston Lodge this spring. These were plate frames, but that was one they rebuilt or even newly constructed in the 1880s. I must have a look at the cross section of an early England engine in Boyd.
I suppose that was a very common construction method in early engines even in Britain. After all, 'Rocket' was built the same way.
Expansion in the boiler must have led to binding in the coupling rods of the Horlocks, with their long wheelbase!
Back to the frames of American engines, in the early 4-4-0s there was a single bar each side, extending forward to the cylinders from the frame supporting the driving wheels. This was supported by brackets to the boiler in intervals. You wouldn't believe it if you saw it, so flimsy they were. I heard these frames flexed on the lumpy track they made in those days, to improve the ride. The drivers themselves were on an equalising beam. Evidently it was a success since they kept this feature for decades.
Nice doing some research, don't you think?