Wheels for 03 & 04 shunters?

SteadyRed

Western Thunderer
Just a little update on Little Loco Co. I've now had over 2700 website views and several confirmed reservations for the 03 and 04 kits. Some good contacts were made at Kettering with one supplier agreeing to do all my white metal castings (two types of exhaust stack plus reservoir tanks) for a very reasonable price that would not make it worthwhile for me to buy the equipment necessary to do it myself.

Very wise to outsource the white metal castings, if someone with the necessary experiance & equipment to do a good job can run the castings for you go for it.

Good also that you are adding brass to the kit.

Dave
 
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SteveO

Guest
I'm also trying to find an article by Gerald Wingrove - the car modeller - on the tool he uses to do louvres. I think he started with one which stamped individual louvres but I think he progressed onto one which used a hardened wheel cutter which moved along the louvres like a guillotine wheel, cutting and shaping as it went. The advantage of the second type was that it could be used for any length of louvre, whereas a separate stamping tool had to be made for each different length of louvre.

Jim.

My mouth was gaping open browsing through the galleries of this chap and this video sums it up pretty well. Amazing.
http://www.wworkshop.net/Dis-Cord/Video.html
 

adrian

Flying Squad
My mouth was gaping open browsing through the galleries of this chap and this video sums it up pretty well.

I've been a long time admirer of his work and skills. He's written a couple of books, "The complete car modeller" in which he explains how he builds the models, with loads of workshop techniques which are equally applicable to railway models just as much as car modelling. IIRC he started as a pattern maker for corgi, so the Corgi Joe 90 car is one of his as well I think.
 
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SteveO

Guest
I've been researching my prototypes more thoroughly, so I've bought a couple books and a few mags. One of those mags is MRJ No.3, which has a scarily good feature on the 04 (I had genuine nightmares after reading this!) but I was wondering if there was a similar - exhaustive - feature on the 03?

What I have featuring the 03 currently don't get anywhere close to the detail of the MRJ article. Any pointers?
 

Osgood

Western Thunderer
Oi, you haven't finished studying your 04 module yet!

As soon as I can get an uncooperative scanner to fire up, you'll receive a further study pack on the prototype 04 supplied to the N.East Region - that'll throw your louvre plans into turmoil!! :p
 
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SteveO

Guest
Can't wait! I've got the maintenance manual somewhere - that's an interesting read!
 

Osgood

Western Thunderer
Right here you go:

If you've not already got it, I'd also recommend Modern Locomotives Illustrated No.195 The Small Shunters, in which you'll learn more of the prototype which eventually left Departmental Service in 1967 and became D2341.

As a kit producer you now have no excuse not to offer options to enable the prototype to be built - being (as far as I can see) double louvres, different front window profile, and central exhaust.

It will be the responsibility of all WT members to constantly hound you until you make these options available :D

Class 04 Prototype 1.jpgClass 04 Prototype 2.jpg
 
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SteveO

Guest
Wow, that's brilliant! The exhaust port is in a totally different place to the others. Gulp...

Love the clock in the cab!
 

SimonT

Western Thunderer
So how many had the odd louvres? The demonstrator , later DS1173/D2341 is shown in The Diesel Shunter (OPC) as having the twin louvres shown in the photo of 2217 above. All the other photos that I have seen show a single column of louvres to each panel. The photo of 2217 looks very very similar to the one of the demonstrator and 11217 has single louvres. So how few had this variation? Not that we're letting you off the option, of course!

Simon
 

Osgood

Western Thunderer
Just the demonstrator it seems Simon, as the first two production units in 1952 went to Wisbech & Upwell and they were single louvred. According to MLI 195 the 1947 vintage demo was known by its works number 2217 for some months before being put into departmental stock as DS1173, only being given D2341 when transferred into capital stock in 1967. It was scrapped in Aug 69.

MLI 105 is also useful in revealing that only the first few - maybe 3 or 4? - locos had the early side window (being the locos fitted with tramway skirts - the tram gear later being removed), suggesting that any other small window locos in preservation will have come from industrial use.

Tony
 

Osgood

Western Thunderer
Note also the lower photo ("on a Drewry shunter") - whilst showing the same front screen shape as the early BR locos with small side windows - shows the later larger windows of the BR build, so this might be a view of an industrial loco.

The evidence (in the form of photos of BR locos) still all points to the few early small side window cabs having the dog-leg front screen, and the later big window cabs having the sloping front screens.

Still pleased you decided to become a kit manufacturer? :thumbs:
 

Overseer

Western Thunderer
The cab shot will be one of the narrow gauge export locos. I first thought of New Zealand because their locos have a lower more curved roof as seen in the photo but they use air not vacuum brakes, Tasmanian V class locos have full height cabs so not one of them, South Fremantle power station had at least one vacuum fitted low roof loco but it had smaller side windows. The answer seems to be shown in a 1960s Drewry advertisement, a vacuum fitted narrow gauge Drewry in British Guiana, on the railtasmania website. I know nothing about railways, or anything else, in British Guiana.
 

alcazar

Guest
Diesels70sand80s200_zpsefd60a2a.jpg

Part of the cab of an 03, left invitingly open at Kings Lynn........it would have been churlish not to........

Note the speed chart, I've got some decals of it in 7mm scale.

They were made for me by Martin (Pugsley) of this parish, he probably still has the artwork.
 
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SteveO

Guest
Do you know when those speed charts were introduced Jeff? Also, that instrument panel is probably the third or fourth version I've seen. I must admit I'm starting to get a little confused with all the options!

A couple new suppliers have been confirmed for some lovely lost-wax castings replacing white metal. I've also included some new parts too. Have a look at the website to save cluttering this thread.
www.littleloco.co.uk
 

Dog Star

Western Thunderer
... some lovely lost-wax castings replacing white metal...
Why? In the correct paws a w/m casting is as good as a brass casting... possibly better definition with w/m.

I do not hear anyone suggesting that replacement of the pewter castings from MMP is a necessary step in the building of Mk.1s or Dogfish. On the other hand, some of the brass castings from 7mm kit suppliers dos need throwing in the scrap bin.

regards,Graham
 

alcazar

Guest
People like and respect brass? Whereas they are suspicious of the more difficult to solder and more brittle whitemetal?

I'm sorry Steve, I have no idea when those speed charts were introduced. That one dates from around 1977, blue era. The loco was one of King's Lynn's March-allocated regulars.
 
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SteveO

Guest
The main reason being twofold: 1. The masters and/or moulds were not very good so needed remastering/moulding, and 2. Some parts that were supplied as white metal were delicate and were commonly replaced by builders (the horn and vac pipes being the most obvious).

If a supplied part is mostly thrown out it would be cheaper to not supply it, or more convenient to supply it as the modeller prefers. Eventually, every single part will be remastered and every etch redrawn, but this will take a year or two.
 
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SteveO

Guest
People like and respect brass? Whereas they are suspicious of the more difficult to solder and more brittle whitemetal?

That is another good point. I have read so many comments around the web about not being confident enough to solder white metal. Which reminds me, when I update my vans thread about soldering my reservoir tanks I have a calamitous story to tell...
 
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