I've just taken delivery of a Brian Madge 'Velinheli' Alice Class Hunslet, and very nice bit of kitting it is too! I'm looking forward to getting stuck into building this little beauty, and only hope I can do it justice! I need to get some Epoxy before I go anywhere with it though or I can fasten the motor down and that wouldn't really be much use!
So first things first, here are some shots of the contents of the kit
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The whole thing (except the intstructions, which are there, I just left them out of the photo!)
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The lovely outside frames and spring etchings
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The valve gear, lots of fun to be had here by the look of it!
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The chassis parts and drive gear
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The main footplate etching showing just how small the overall loco will be! (I know it's not the smallest, but still pretty diminutive)
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The whitemetal boiler and backhead casting which is nice and heavy, and right over the wheels, so it should be nice and balanced and have a bit of strength. The backhead is nicely detailed too, which in an open cab is very good. I'll be adding a couple of footplate crew as well of course!
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And finally the nameplates which I will be using on this build (I can already sense the need for a few more!) I just need to source a nice dome from somewhere to match the one the real thing carries now, does anyone have any ideas?
So that's that. A delightful looking little kit, and as I get on I'll keep posting updates and hopefully there'll soon be a Hunslet running around a layout set not that far from the original factory! (well closer than the Welsh slate quarries anyway!
Cheers
J
Sometimes I wish I was into midget size 009 instead of those big colonial size models. It looks like a very well-made kit. Good luck building it - it should make an excellent loco.
It's not a loco I would want myself, but it does look to be a beautiful piece of model engineering. I look forward to seeing it assembled. Good luck with the construction ;)
Len
A quick update on the current state of play, mainly photographical...
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The drive unit fully assembled and tested (it works with encouragement as it's very light but the varios superstructure parts should solve this!)
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The footplate and frames etches built up and sitting on the drive unit, with this extra weight it moves rather well!
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Just for an idea of the final size and weight, the whitmetal bolier is rested in place. Clearances are fine and the extra weight really aids pick-up
Next up are the more complicated bits, including my first attempt at valve gear! It looks very well designed, so fingers crossed I don't end up swearing at it!
Cheers
J
Very nice work, J.
The whitemetal castings probably weigh it down enough to make it run normally.
If I'm correct the motor drives a layshaft with worms, so you don't need the cranks and the rods for power transmission. This means you won't have a lot of trouble with the rods - if they stick, just open out the holes a trifle. In all it seems a sensible chassis design.
Good luck in completing the model.
She does run rather smoothly with the bolier casting in place, the rest of the details will add a little more weight too.
You are correct about the drive mechanism too, it even mentions in the instructions that quartering doesn't need to be 100% accurate as a result.
I've fitted the cranks today and should be starting on the motion fairly soon, once the Loctite 603 has had chance to fully set (I don't want it getting into the rods now do I!)
Cheers
J
This morning I've had a go at the main rods and bushes, and to say the went together easily is an understatement! It took less than five minutes to do both sides and have it ready for testing, which was a sucess! My quartering can't be too bad to say it's the first time I've done it! I know that it doesn't need to be exact as both sets of wheels are gear driven, but there's barely a 'waddle' as the chassis trundles down my bit of test track/photo-plank!
Here are some photos of the loco from either side to show the quartering and fitted rods (with temporary nuts holding them in place).
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Next job is to start the coupling rods and cylinders, that might just be a bit more time consuming!
Cheers
J
That's looking good - didn't I tell you it would be easy? I wish more chassis were designed that way, without relying on rods to transfer the power. Quartering a Backwoods kit is a different story, although it's not too difficult once you get the hang of it.
Looking good. Keep up the blow by blow account as I'm hoping that Lady Stoner might buy me one for my birthday! ;D
John W
Thanks, Ted, I've got a double Fairlie in the 'to build' pile, and I fear that won't be quite as straigt forward!
I've done a bit more on the valve gear, but my work has mainly centred on detailing the body in the last few days.
The cylinder/slide bar assemblies have been soldered together and the fastening screws into one half of the crossheads. I've also had a go at assembling one of the assemlies using a certain blue tacky substance as recommended in the instructions.
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As for the body, I've fitted the handrail, filler cap, chimney and whistle assembly along with the smokebox door and all of a sudden it really looks the part. Reference photos from a quick interweb search were used to help position the various bits, and a turned brass dome will be added when it arrives.
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Ideally, the next task will be fitting the piston rods, but a tight spot has developed on one of the cranks, so I'll need to sort that out first!
I'm really quite pleased with how well this is going together, it is a very well produced kit indeed!
Cheers
J
That crosshead/slidebar assembly really looks nice, as does the chassis. The whitemetal tank and boiler look a bit scruffy by comparison (typical for whitemetal castings, of course).
As discussed on the NGRM post, the whitmetal had been 'roughed up' a bit to give the glue something to key to when fitting the castings and will be tidied up later. The castings were also noticed to be slightly out of true, and before it had even been pointed out as a result of the photographs, Brian had a new set in the post, now that's customer service!
I think I've finally got on top of the tight spot, and it only involved de-soldering the rods, taking them off and reaming them out a bit more! It now has a bit of a waddle as it moves forward, but no discernable catch so fingers crossed that's that problem solved!
As mentioned before, the castings have been replaced and I've also done a bit of work on the cab area. The firebox details have been added (super-glue was used on these fiddly bits!) the steps have been soldered to the frames and the side and back sheets fitted, this time with low-melt solder.
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The cab side sheets have etched overlays with the rivet details, but I will glue these on, because, despite my attempts, I just could not get them to stay soldered on. Once I had one piece sweated on, heating it for the other one just resulted in the first one coming away and me getting cross! That'll be done once the current frames/cab assembly has had a good clean in my ultra-sonic bath and a scrub to get rid of asny nasties that might not work with the glue.
Cheers
J
Looking good.
John W
A larger than life close-up, it almost looks like a broad gauge loco! Very neat work, James. I like the backhead detail. I would glue on the fine detail as well. Soldering them on is only for those who like punishment. ;)
Thanks guys, I'm really enjoying putting this little delight together, even the tricky bits are nice to do! I could start the whoile 009/008 debate with regards to it being broad gauge, but I'm not feeling pedantic this morning (lucky us!)
Test fitting of the first cylinder/motion assembly has now been done, and it looks great as it moves! It actually seems to have purpose now!
Since these photos were taken I've also rpaired the damage done when I knocked it onto the floor (I wasn't very happy about that!) Ive also trimmed back the bolt on the crosshead, and adsded the actual piston rod (from the NS rod, not the steel pin, as I thought a soldered joint would be stronger) The cylinder has also been fixed to the frames and the rod to the crank on the rear driving wheel. I just need to get the other side done now and that's all the moving bits sorted!
Also in the photos can be seen the driver figure (from Brian) just held in place with blu-tack at the moment but it really does give a feel for the finished loco!
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Cheers
J
Stunning!
Thanks! But trust me, that's all down to the design of the kit, not my abilities!
I've had a small disaster, while fitting the piston rod to the second crosshead, some of the solder got inside and seized the whole thing! So it has been dismantled and will be cleaned up, then re-assembled with some vaseline on the pivot to try to keep it from getting all clogged up again!
I did surprise myself when it happened though, I just calmly uttered a naughty word, de-soldered the assembly and tidied everything up and left it to cool. No hint of a temper tantrum or an attempt to repair it while it was still hot and making myself crosser! That's more progress than building the whole loco!
Cheers
J
A new set of crosshead/rods and associated 14BA nuts and bolts arrived in the post on Tuesday (Thanks ever so much Brian!) and I have managed to assemble a second coupling/piston rod and fitted it to the chassis (of course I knocked the other pistom rod off in the process, so that will be glued for ease of both the job and my sanity!)
I have tested the chassis and it still seems to run as it did before so the second cylinder assembly was soldered in place and tested again, I was shocked that nothing had gone wrong!
So the next step is to finish off the body detailing and fit the couplings, followed by a good clean up and then into the paint shops!
Here's a couple of photos of the valve gear in place
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Cheers
J
Nice job - where will you be getting your dome?
Thanks, the dome has been specially made for me by Brian, and a very nice bit of brass it is too! I'll be fitting it once its painted, to save having to mask it off.
Cheers
J
If the new dome is brass, have you considered polishing it up and leaving it in bare brass rather than painting it? I think it would look very impressive that way. Just a thought.
Mick
That's exactly what I'm going to do with it (hence levaing it off until after painting the loco). Nowt looks more like brass than brass!
Cheers
J
Good man! I misinterpreted "until after painting it" as after painting the dome rather than after painting the loco. All is well!
Mick
As I wrote on the other forum, well done, James. Now for the paint shop!
Just a quick update, the loco is now ready for painting, all bits fitted including couplings so its time to open the window and get some rattle-cans out (for the primer and undercoats at least!)
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Cheers
J
After a coat of grey undercoat my plan was to post some 'works grey' photos, but then I got to thinking that there is never just grey on a loco, the smokebok at the very least would be black, so I set about adding a bit of colour. The bright red parts have been painted (buffer beams, cranks, wheels, and inner frames) and then I started double checking reference photos for which bits should be black and have ended up adding some detail bits instead. These include the tool hooks on the tank, a bit of relief detail on the springs and something to represennt the boiler under the tank, the coal bunker, the whistle, the (what I presume is) guard bar at the front and the pipe and actuation gear for the vacuum brakes.
So here are a few pictures to illustrate said additions
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Full side profile with vacuum brake gear under cab, regulator between cab and smokebox, whistle on smokebox and spring/gap filling.
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The brake gear in close up, made from offcuts of N/S sprue and some brass wire, the regulator was also made from the same N/S fret, from a 'Knightswork' kit
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The guard bar from a piece of Evergreen square section and the brass wire vacuum pipe are visible here
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Into the cab showing the coal bunker, which may not be 100% correct, but the best I could do from the photos I could find. The tool hooks are als visible, also from a fret from a 'Knightswork' kit, they started life as rings, but had a section cut out, and I'm rather pleased with them, as I don't know how I would've made them otherwise!
I've also painted the driver figure, and here he is ready for action, although what sort of action with a pose like that, I'm not sire. He is designed to fit into the cab with his hand on the regulator, and does so splendidly, and looks much more comfortable there too!
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So now it's time to get some black paint on and maybe press Velinheli into some test services, rather than posing on my photo plank!
Cheers
J
This is looking really good - difficult to believe how small it actually is!
You will have a really great model at the end of this.
Keep up the good work!
Frank
As I wrote on the other forum, this is a very good model of a very small prototype in a very small scale. Anything I would add to that is useless! ;)
Thanks very much for the kind words!
I've taken a few photos of Velinheli in works grey livery, although not yet in service, as the dome is yet to be fitted! I also intend to order some worksplates from Narrow Planet (but not the nameplates as these are in the kit, and very good they are too!)
The more observant may notice the firebox that has been fabricated below the footplate, this is just three bits of plasticard to represent the three more visible sides of the firebox and glued to the underside of the footplate, carefully avoiding the drive mechanism and still allowing removal of the drive unit.
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I think a brass smokebox door dart will be fitted once I've got one, but that can wait as it's do-able after everything else!
I gave it a bit of a run again this afternoon and since painting (although I'm sure not related) the loco has developed a limp when running forwards. I'm not sure how to fathom why it's almost sticking in one direction and not the other, I've checked the cranks and the quartering doesn't seem to've shifted at all so I don't think it's that. If anyone has any ideas, I'd be glad to hear them!
Cheers
J
It's a lovely little loco, James. Regarding the sticking, it may be the paint. What you could look at is the coupling rods. If they seem to move not quite horizontally it may be the quartering. But if it came on after the painting I'm sure it's the paint. I've had similar troubles with one engine or the other. I'd check the slidebars and the cranks first, maybe put a little light oil or fine graphite on them and I'm sure it will improve. And see if a rod was bent when you held the loco during painting. They sometimes do!
Thanks Ted, I shall have a proper investigate over the weekend (hopefully)
Brian also suggested that the lack of piston rod might be part of the issue, so I'll try fitting them as well!
Cheers
J