Coal Tank test build

David Varley

Western Thunderer
Evening all.

Well, the 2mm etches that I ordered from London Road Models have arrived and I've found time this afternoon to make a start on the body.

Have hit a couple of issues so far, down to the slots from the 4mm version not having etched very well, but nothing insurmountable - all of the slots are going to have to be opened out slightly and the valances for the underneath of the running plate will have to be made from brass angle rather than using the parts on the etch.

This is primarily a build to see how the body goes together in readiness for preparing a master for the boiler - the 4mm kit has a resin one, but weight's going to be all important here so I want to try and get a cast metal one done if possible.

I'll post more photos as the build progresses but here's a couple of shots of the etches in their virgin state and the first bit of assembly ...

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Regards,

David
 

Ian Smith

Western Thunderer
David, I look forward to seeing how this progresses - don't have an awful lot of interest in LNWR really but always nice to see 2FS stuff being built rather than just re-wheeling a proprietary N gauge offering. Really must make a proper start on my GWR Buffalo (although it's a bit chilly out in the shed for milling the chassis yet)!

Ian
 

David Varley

Western Thunderer
Thanks Ian - I must admit that I'm really enthused by this. Won't be a quick build and I get the feeling that it's going to very interesting one but going to take my time and enjoy it.

Good luck with the Buffalo - will look forward to seeing some pictures.

David
 

David Varley

Western Thunderer
Doors for the coal bunker and toolboxes soldered to the inside of the back of the cab - made a bit of mess of the alignment of the coal bunker door but hopefully it won't show too much once the cab's been assembled and has a roof on.

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queensquare

Western Thunderer
Hi David, I saw John Redrup at the weekend and he said he had done these etches. I wonder if I could justify one on the NSLR! - will follow this with interest. Regarding the issues raised, a couple of comments;

Tabs, particularly on etches shot down from the larger scales inevitably need a bit of fettling, a bit of work with a fine file should sort the problem out.

With Coal tanks having a parallel boiler and round topped firebox I would simply go with appropriately sized brass tube filled with a lead slug.

If Chris Higgs is willing to do a bespoke chassis thats great but it looks from the etches in the picture that all the tricky bits, chassis sides and accurate rods, have been done for you.

I look forward to further progress.

Jerry
 

adrian

Flying Squad
If Chris Higgs is willing to do a bespoke chassis thats great but it looks from the etches in the picture that all the tricky bits, chassis sides and accurate rods, have been done for you.
That's something worth considering - I have to admit a vested interest as I have ordered a couple of etches! Presumably it would just need the frame spacers replacing with gapped PCB ones and some idler shafts for the gears and mounting for the motor. Would you recommend replacing the footplate with a thin PCB one or are there other tricks that would work to separate it from the split chassis?
 

queensquare

Western Thunderer
That's something worth considering - I have to admit a vested interest as I have ordered a couple of etches! Presumably it would just need the frame spacers replacing with gapped PCB ones and some idler shafts for the gears and mounting for the motor. Would you recommend replacing the footplate with a thin PCB one or are there other tricks that would work to separate it from the split chassis?

Hi Adrian, as usual I have some fiendishly complex schemes to isolate the chassis from the underside of the footplate! When gapping the PCB chassis spacers do them with tree gaps in such a way that a strip down the centre is isolated, fixing bolts can then pass through it without fear of shorting. On the top of the chassis, or underside of footplate where the two join I simply put small pads of 5 thou plasticard, insulating tape or cyano soaked cigarette paper. I also use the cigarette paper dodge to line the area a chip is to be located, either in the body or, with the advent of the tiny CT chips, between the frames.

Jerry
 

queensquare

Western Thunderer
Doors for the coal bunker and toolboxes soldered to the inside of the back of the cab - made a bit of mess of the alignment of the coal bunker door but hopefully it won't show too much once the cab's been assembled and has a roof on.

David, the joy of soldering is that the joint is easily undone. I would unsolder that coal bunker door and straighten it up - it will always annoy you otherwise.

Jerry
 

David Varley

Western Thunderer
Hi David, I saw John Redrup at the weekend and he said he had done these etches. I wonder if I could justify one on the NSLR! - will follow this with interest. Regarding the issues raised, a couple of comments;

Tabs, particularly on etches shot down from the larger scales inevitably need a bit of fettling, a bit of work with a fine file should sort the problem out.

With Coal tanks having a parallel boiler and round topped firebox I would simply go with appropriately sized brass tube filled with a lead slug.

If Chris Higgs is willing to do a bespoke chassis thats great but it looks from the etches in the picture that all the tricky bits, chassis sides and accurate rods, have been done for you.

I look forward to further progress.

Jerry

Thanks for your interest Jerry.

I'm sure one might have found it's way to Somerset!

The tabs got thinned down and the slots got opened up slightly with a chisel made from some spare etch (a tip from Bob Jones) and my thinnest broach and got there in the end.

9mm diameter tube is the right size for the boiler ... lucky enough to get hold of the master that Mike Bryant did for some castings at some point but it's lacking a saddle so going to have to make a new one anyway - was thinking cast whitemetal would be good for weight but a lead filled brass tube might be even better.

Chris is definitely doing a chassis etch but I'm going to have a go at building the kit etch as well - see how it comes out.

Cigarette paper was my thinking for isolation of the footplate from the chassis ... and as for the coal bunker door I think I made too good a job of sweating it on as it won't budge now! Can live with it for the test build but will take a bit more care with further builds - will eventually be doing three or four - one as originally built, one late per-grouping with the various modifications, one LMS and one BR. Build one to find out the pitfalls and modifications required and then hopefully make a better job of the rest.

David
 

adrian

Flying Squad
9mm diameter tube is the right size for the boiler ... lucky enough to get hold of the master that Mike Bryant did for some castings at some point but it's lacking a saddle so going to have to make a new one anyway - was thinking cast whitemetal would be good for weight but a lead filled brass tube might be even better.
How much of the saddle is actually visible? From looking at the etches we have the front of the smokebox with the front of the saddle on one piece. Looking at the second photo on this page petesworkshop: Coal Tank; construction complete.
I'd look at just making a riveted smokebox wrapper from a strip of nickel-silver rather than any cast saddle. As for getting weight into the loco I've had a look at the N-gauge brass Coal tank fittings, although they look like resin/plastic castings they say they are metal. So I'll probably use the chimney and dome, however I think I'll be able file my own front splasher sandboxes from 3/64" or 1/16" brass strip. If I make up the front buffer beam from a thick piece of nickel or brass then I would hope it would get enough weight on the loco.
 

David Varley

Western Thunderer
Got a bit more done today - cab window surrounds soldered to the rear spectacle plate, and the bunker and spectacle plate folded up and soldered to the running plate. I've also added a representation of the framing for the door from the cab to the bunker on the rear of the spectacle plate but need to do some work on it to make it a bit less prominent. This is something that isn't on the etch and doesn't appear to be represented in the 4mm kits but look at photos it's quite a distinctive feature.

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David Varley

Western Thunderer
First head-scratching moment which I be grateful for comments on ...

Having added the rear of the bunker this morning, it now strikes me that there's going to be quite a bit of empty space in the bunker once the lid goes on (9oo cubic mm or thereabouts). At this stage of the build, I've got no idea what the weight of the completed loco's going to be or where else I'm going to be able to add weight (boiler and side tanks are the obvious locations) but it seems sensible to get some weight into the bunker.

Question is do I add some now and then balance things up later on or do I wait until I've got a bit more of the build done? Over the driving wheels seems to be the best place for weight and by putting weight in the bunker space I could be making the loco tail heavy but access to the bunker space is going to be restricted once the lid goes on and the lid's going to have to go on to be able to add the cab handrails and the toolboxes and coal rails.

Thanks,

David
 

David Varley

Western Thunderer
Bunker back plate soldered in place, 14BA nuts added if required, cab window surrounds soldered to the front spectacle plate and side tanks formed and soldered to the running plate ... and then couldn't resist trying Mike Byrant's master for the boiler for size. Nice snug fit :)

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David Varley

Western Thunderer
With having a day off work, I had planned on doing quite a bit on the build today, but a trip to the local health centre for some blood tests (part of my annual MOT) and then some shopping got in the way, especially as one of my purchases was the latest MRJ which I then lost an hour or so to (nice one Jerry :thumbs:).

Couple that with a battle to fit the cab floor - mucho fettling required to clear the tank trunks and the slot for the front spectacle plate and then a juggling act to get the fettled floor soldered in place (ended up skewering it with a pair of tweezers ... sliding it into place ... holding the whole assembly upright with said tweezers ... and then applying flux, solder and a hot iron with the other hand to tack solder the floor edge so that I could then solder the side panels in place on the back of the side tanks) - and the only other job I had time for was to drill the handrail holes in the tank tops ready for soldering those in place at a later date.

Broke one drill in the process and down to my last 0.3mm bit and then realised that I was out of 0.3mm wire so put orders in for both.

Did a very quick trial fit of the front spectacle plate and it's looking like there might be some more fettling required there as it's sitting a wee bit too high, but that's a job for another day!

Full frontal showing the floor finally in place ...

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... side on view showing the side panels cut back to accommodate the front spectacle plate ...

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... and the tank tops with the handrail holes drilled out.

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Before I go too much further I'm going to have find out when the real thing's out on the Worth Valley and have a stroll down to Haworth and dangle off the footbridge and see if I can get a decent shot from above ... not been able to find one anywhere yet and would quite like to know what goes on on the top of those tanks :confused:

Regards,

David
 

David Varley

Western Thunderer
A busy week at work precluded much modelling during the week, but I managed to get a bit done yesterday evening with the result that the coal bunker lid has been fixed in place and had the toolboxes and coal rails added, and the rear cab step handrails and the brake wheel have been added as well (cheated a bit with the latter and used a 2mm crankpin washer to sit it on rather than wire through the rear spectacle plate (partly because I thought it would give a more solid construction but mainly because I forgot to open up the locating hole before adding the side tanks and the rear of the bunker!)

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David Varley

Western Thunderer
OK ... tank filler (N Brass casting) affixed to bunker ... tops fitted to side tanks (handrails soldered in place first and left tong, tops slid down them to locate, tanks tinned and tops seamed and sweated on ... and then cab sides joined to front spectacle plate and sides and front soldered in place on the side tanks.

Need to strengthen the cab corners and tops and the starting thinking about trying to do a backhead.

Don't think I got the side tanks in exactly the right position as there's very little clearance on the front handrails, but everything's looking square which is the main thing - not going to be a pristine loco but one that's lived a bit!!

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David Varley

Western Thunderer
More progress today - rear buffer beam, front splashers and sandboxes added and then started playing around with the boiler - the Mike Bryant casting is a very good fit but I'm beginning to lean towards building it using brass tube and N Brass fittings.

Getting to the stage where I need to crack on with the chassis as well.

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