A freelance loco bash

[tedp]

On the NGRM forum I started describing another Jintybash which is quite different from the big 0-6-4 I built recently. I wondered whether to put it in the same thread on the 009 forum but since it is quite a different approach, I decided not to.

The idea was to produce a quick freelance loco without reference to a particular prototype, using whatever I had available. Well - I immediately ran into trouble because I used a chassis that could not lead to a convincing model whatever I did. The scale modellers on this forum will now say 'I told you so' and they probably are right. But I carried on doggedly, taking into account the critical notes I received on the other forum which were a considerable help.

I started by taking another damaged Jinty body and cutting away the section of boiler ahead of the tanks, thinking I could produce a stubby kind of industrial loco. The chassis I wanted to use was a battered but serviceable Roco 0-6-0 minus rodding and cylinders.



This is what resulted. The body by the way had been hacked about by a previous owner.



Immediately the slab-sided appearance and the small wheels were apparent. The Belpaire firebox of the Jinty obviously had to go as well. So I set about changing its appearance.



I thought this might work, but the general consensus of other forum members on NGRM seemed to be that the wheels were too small. So I decided to change the chassis for a Liliput 0-6-0, with the advantage of having the coupling rods installed. I lowered the body even further on the chassis, and this resulted - a short wheelbase, large wheeled long boiler appearance that might turn into a useful model.



To put this kind of work into perspective, it should be remembered that this is not scale modelling. It is a way of designing an imaginary locomotive ('imagineering') from available second-hand parts. You can only do so with some degree of success if you know something of locomotives and if you keep looking critically at the intermediate results. If you are one or two mm out, it can look all wrong. For instance, the loco may appear to sit to high on its chassis. In that case you will have to cut away something so it sits lower. Look at the position of the chassis relative to the smokebox and the firebox - a narrow gauge loco basically is of the 'long boiler' arrangement developed back around 1840, which allows a high capacity boiler to fit on a compact chassis.

Here is a photo showing how far the boiler centre line has been lowered compared to that of the 0-6-4 built earlier.



Critics may say the boiler is too large a diameter to produce a convincing narrow gauge locomotive. But we will see how it develops.

Next, I added a dome, cut down the Jinty dome into a sandbox, and removed the bunker which would be hanging far from the coupled wheelbase and add a lot of weight at the end of the loco. The side and end sheets, which are very thick, were left standing with the edges thinned out. I added a cab front and roof from the Dapol Pug - another bashing practice which may be frowned upon but which I intend to continue unashamedly!  ;D



Since I thought the cab back looked very bare like this, I decided to add a few mm of styrene sheet along the top edge to give the enginemen more rear protection. I think it is better for the loco's appearance as well.



Next I must go and look for cylinders and crossheads, and connecting rods!

[gtmspyder]

Another inspirational model bash Ted, which I'm sure will make a useful addition to your fleet.

My Chris Ward tram loco is stalled awaiting parts from Markits, but I had a very nice apologetic reply to my Email from Mark, and I can expect my bits and pieces to arrive very soon.

Keep up the good work.

Regards,

BrianT.

[tedp]

Thanks Brian. Anyway here is the sequel which I hope you like!

developments

Tonight I fitted cylinders, crossheads and connecting rods to the new loco. I also exchanged the motor, which ran hot, for another one. The additions to the model are 5mm plastic cylinders made from tube, crossheads I think from a Fleischmann 0-4-0, and the connecting rods from the Backwoods chassis I used under the Kitson. These are short L&B ones made for the Joy valve gear, so they have a hole in the centre. Well... they were the right size, so I used them anyway.

The crossheads were modified by sawing into the rear end to remove the plastic stud meant to click a plastic connecting rod to, then I drilled through them to use a dressmakers pin as the little end pin. The slidebars are integral with a nylon tube which exactly fits into the cylinder. More trial and error work, then.

Here are a few photos.





And... to show you it really works, here is a trial run on video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOhkHZPQkw0

Time for a well-deserved dram now, I think!

[tedp]

Tonight I had a better look at the Liliput chassis. It is the same chassis I have under Maid of the Loch - a 1970s chassis of the Waldenburg 0-6-0 loco. These have a narrow back to back and a particular wheel profile. If you set the BTB to 7.4mm, they are over gauge, and the intermediate gears nearly go out of mesh. The solution is to set them slightly under 7.4 BTB and make sure the gears mesh properly.

Here is the chassis with the wheels set to about 7.3mm BTB. Note the way the gear on the centre axle goes nearly out of mesh:



The three U-shaped wires will be used to reduce the play at the gear end of the axles. Just like in Maid of the Loch, these will be slipped between the wheels and the chassis at the non-gear side. Then the U is clipped shut around the axles. Note them fitted at the far side of the chassis block:



Following this, I made a 'jury rig' to fit the body on the chassis. A hole was drilled just in front of the screw hole seen in the photo above. An M2 screw is a tight fit against the inside of the thick smokebox door of the Tri-ang shell. For the moment this will hold the chassis in the body. At the rear end there is a notch on the chassis block that fits behind a styrene bridge glued inside the body shell.

Then I fitted couplings to the buffer beams, masked them and sprayed the body grey. Only the spray can is at the end of its life, so I had to finish the job using Revell matt grey from a can. Some blemishes still to be smoothed on the tanks, but I'm not displeased with the result.

[tedp]

I ran a few trial trains and I found the sprung rear coupler has too little side play on the sharp curves behind the backscenes. So I will have to swing it from the threaded hole in the rear end of the chassis - a few mm should be enough. Some re-thinking to do!

Later: I have been burning the midnight oil, with some success as the loco now hauls coal wagons through the sharp 9" curves. Sprung rear coupler on a swing arm:



Sprung front coupler in a fixed pocket. Note the fixing screw for the chassis.

[tedp]

I test ran the loco for some time today, hauling a 12-wagon coal train up and down the line, and it does so surprisingly well in view of its moderate weight of about 70g. Here it is, with its larger brother, at Inverlochan.



The standard gauge long boiler 0-6-0s had a reputation for being good hill crawlers, possibly because the weight of the firebox aft made the rear drivers 'dig in' on a gradient. I'm not sure whether to put it on the main line coal trains although it can handle 12 wagons easily. The coal capacity of the bunkers beside the firebox is limited, and I have enough bigger locos. Probably I'll open a coal pit on the branch...

[Tigger]

"If it looks right, then it IS right!"

Ted, this looks just right and yes I agree, the open cab works well. Reminds me of a loco I saw many years ago at Knebworth if I remember correctly.  A lovely piece of work and a great piece of inspiration and encouragement for the rest of us. Although content with operating the L&TR I keep reading these threads of yours and reminding myself that I really ought to DO something!

Well done with the Pug cab parts, by the way!   ;D

I'll look forward to seeing the end result.

[tedp]

Thanks, David - at the moment it doesn't go too well, see below, but we'll persevere! I find that when I look at it, it seems like a Varikit on steroids!

I detailed the cab interior (most of it, that is - I left the blower pipe off till the painting is completed) and botched the first chocolate brown paint job. Somehow the paint refused to flow properly even after thinning and stirring - it may have been an old tin. You'll see that Rae Bridge works has the odd setback as well as any other workbench!

Anyway, the tank sides and the cab back need to be repainted after a good job with fine wet-and-dry and water. I'll let it dry out first, then re-do it. Here you can see the result - the other side is worse. Note that some details are still lacking, notably the cab roof supports, before Fred has another word with me over that! And I missed the left side of the front buffer beam! Hasty work, I'd say.  ::)







The last view shows something of the cab interior. I fitted a steam manifold with various valves, a pressure gauge and some pipework (probably the injector feed pipes), a regulator, a reverser, and (out of view) two water gauge glasses. No brake stand yet, and the blower pipe is completed and ready to install after the paint job has been improved. The backhead was extended to match the motor end, using part of an old hypodermic syringe.

I also fitted brake pipes, and tank fillers and vents. And I notice I didn't fill the tiny holes in the cab back. I've had enough for tonight grrr!

[tedp]

Improvements

I managed to smooth the botched paint surface with no. 400 wet-and-dry and water. A session with well thinned paint and a brush resulted in this.







I also fitted the blower pipe and valve. No further detail and finishing yet - I won't touch the paint till it's thoroughly dried.

[Tigger]

What can I say?

Looking excellent!

[tedp]

Thanks, David - I think it has improved since yesterday, and after completion it may be a worthy branch engine. I considered a yellow livery, but the yellow I had was muddy, so I thought brown. On NGRM I spun them a yarn about making it dirty black with rust streaks. Anyway despite the attractive colour scheme it will work the branch coal trains once the colliery company has opened a second pit there. It's a nice powerful-looking model, and it will be named 'Brutus' as I think that is a fitting name.

[Krizzy]

Ted

'Brutus' is an apt name for the loco. The open backed cab is a pleasant change. Have you thought of fitting a pillar in each corner of the bunker?

Roger

[tedp]

Yes, Roger, there will be a post each side of the cab back. What used to be the bunker is now the back sheet of the cab. I fitted small bunkers to each side of the firebox. In addition there will be more detail work. In the front corners of the cab roof there will be curved supports, and the loco still lacks lanterns, an ashpan and a crew.

It has turned out a very attractive loco despite its unglamorous origins. I ran it over the layout for a long time and it turns out to be an excellent performer.

For the moment this will be my last Jintybash. I have one complete and undamaged body left - perhaps that will see a future use.

[MickT]

On NGRM I spun them a yarn about making it dirty black with rust streaks.

;D ::) :laugh:

Mick

[tedp]

Well, here are the latest developments. Tonight I fitted cab windows, support posts for the roof and coal in the bunkers. The coal was glued on to a patch of black foam plastic, using PVA glue, just to build up some body without having to use too much model coal. The support posts are brass rod. I fitted a brake stand made from aluminium tube with a handrail knob inserted and a piece of brass wire for the handle.

Then there are the ornate curved roof supports. These were initially made from wire and a piece of whitemetal scrap instead of doing it the right way from a scrap of styrene. They looked terrible and I had to hack them off due to the cyano glue used to fix them. Some damage will still have to be made good tomorrow. The supports were made that way to give the loco a more colonial look, but I'm not yet sure if this is the way to go. I'll sleep on it and decide tomorrow.

I made up an ash pan from styrene scrap with some rivet detail along the bottom edge similar to that on the big 0-6-4. Finally I fitted lamps front and rear and I did some detail paintwork.

Here are the latest photos, the last of which shows something of the cab detail.