Dan's S7 Workbench - 7028 Cadbury Castle

Overseer

Overseer

Western Thunderer
Dan,
Looks very nice from here and will be very impressive when finished. I think the sheet metal has an edge over cast resin for capturing the subtleties of thin sheet metal cladding. Looking at prototype photos I think you need to increase the radius a bit more - there shouldn't be any vertical face on the firebox front above the boiler top, the radius starts where they meet. Then this radius continues around the shoulders and down the sides to near where the boiler meets the firebox. Not sure if this is a clear description.. I am sure there was plenty of variety but the GWR would have used the same press tool to form this part of the cladding so they would mostly be consistent.
 
Dan Randall

Dan Randall

Western Thunderer
Overseer said:
Dan,
Looks very nice from here and will be very impressive when finished. I think the sheet metal has an edge over cast resin for capturing the subtleties of thin sheet metal cladding. Looking at prototype photos I think you need to increase the radius a bit more - there shouldn't be any vertical face on the firebox front above the boiler top, the radius starts where they meet. Then this radius continues around the shoulders and down the sides to near where the boiler meets the firebox. Not sure if this is a clear description.. I am sure there was plenty of variety but the GWR would have used the same press tool to form this part of the cladding so they would mostly be consistent.
Click to expand...


I think you're right and appreciate the feedback. :thumbs:

Ironically, as a reference, I was using a picture I found on the internet, of (I believe), a Hornby rtr "Castle"! The shape looked right to me and being painted in a semi-matt finish, I found it easier to see the contours involved, compared with glossy prototype shots and even pictures on Malcolm Mitchell's "A" Shop web site of "Castles" under contruction.

On the Hornby firebox, the top front edge comes down to meet the boiler as you describe, but between the top corners and the lower part of the firebox, this relatively large radius needs to decrease in order not to undercut the end of the boiler cladding, if you get my meaning? I was erring on the side of caution again I suppose, but I might have another bash tomorrow. For now though, it's off to bed - I have to be up at 06:00. :confused:


Regards

Dan
 
Dan Randall

Dan Randall

Western Thunderer
5th September 2016

Suitably inspired after a weekend at Telford, I attempted some work on the Castle on Sunday evening. Being somewhat knackered though after driving for over 2 1/2 hours, all I managed to do, was to clean-up the chimney casting and remove six rivets from the top of the smokebox that would prevent it sitting properly. (I also coloured it in with a marker pen, to get a taste of the finished article!). :))

Tonight was more productive and I managed to enlarge the three holes in the rear firebox former and corresponding holes in the cab front, which enable them to be bolted together using 8BA bolts, into nuts soldered inside the rear firebox former. Here's what it looks like now....

20160905_231307.jpg

After that, I decided to remove the somewhat 2-dimensional representation of the inside motion casting....

20160905_232155.jpg

20160906_004504.jpg

In the foreground can be seen a very nice lost-wax casting kindly made available to me by Pete Silvester of 82G fame. Pete also supplied me with the inside cranks, motion, eccentrics etc., so that'll keep me busy when I get back to the chassis again. :)

Next job will probably be fitting the lovely rivetted footplate overlays, followed by the splasher tops, but right now, it's time for bed.


Regards

Dan
 
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Dan Randall

Dan Randall

Western Thunderer
12th September 2016

A little more progress over the past few evenings has seen the rear portion of the rivetted footplate overlay attached to the fireman's side, along with the front and rear splasher tops on that side. The splasher tops were a real pain to do, as they have no means of location - the instructions simply tell you they should "overhang the splasher front complete with overlays by a small amount". In fairness, because the tops are half-etched (leaving just a small ridge at the outer edges to represent the brass beading), there is no way to etch a groove on the underside, to locate onto the splasher fronts.

I took the Castle round to show my friend Richard on Friday evening and explained the fun and games I was having with them. He suggested working out the required overhang, then scribing a line on the underside of the splasher tops and soldering some thin strip to form a rebate, which would then butt up against the rear face of the splasher fronts - brilliant and so simple! :thumbs: That brings us up to this evening and I set to work on the middle splasher top and here (at last), are some pictures....

20160912_222732.jpg
Two pieces of strip soldered in position, with the rebate formed by the strip nearest the camera. I used a piece at the rear too, as I didn't want to end up with a tapered splasher top, when I rolled it.


20160912_224840.jpg
The rebate is easier to see after rolling.


20160912_224850.jpg
What I DID end up with though, after rolling, was a slight depression in the area with no strip beneath it. I don't think it'll show when painted, especially with a nameplate in front of it, but for the remaining splasher tops, I'll eliminate the unsupported areas by using one wider piece of strip, or butting strips up tight to each other.

Forming the curve was actually a bit tough on the thighs - I think I might pop in Richard's on my way home from work tomorrow and ask to borrow his rolling bars for the other side!


20160912_231734.jpg
Soldered in place.


20160912_232427.jpg
Looking more like a loco every time I add a piece, though in comparison with Richard's almost finished Finney 28xx which I saw on Friday, my Castle looks like I've only just started! The splasher front overlays are just there temporarily - the instructions suggest they're best glued in after painting and lining, which I can't argue with.

The gap in front of the cab is due to the upperworks being bolted to each other - I can't slide the assembly any further forward at the moment, as the internal firebox formers are catching on something. Once the cab is soldered to the footplate, I'll be able to sort the smokebox/boiler/firebox out. :)


20160913_010141.jpg Edit - Just tidying up the workbench and found the bits for the fire-iron tunnel above the middle and rear splashers. :thumbs:


That's all for now - happy modelling!


Regards

Dan
 
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OzzyO

OzzyO

Western Thunderer
Hello Dan,

have you thought about how you are going to fill in the space between the firebox and the fireiron tunnel?
castle 5067 1955.jpg

Don't forget to add the brackets for the nameplates, or the oil pots!

OzzyO.
 
Yorkshire Dave

Yorkshire Dave

Western Thunderer
Dan Randall said:
(I also coloured it in with a marker pen, to get a taste of the finished article!). :))
Click to expand...

Now there's an idea instead of painting :).

I also like your dates at the head of each post. Reminds me of Star Trek... 'Captain's log. Stardate....' except mine would read 'Captain's log. Stardate.... just purchased XYZ kit and now entered a black hole. Maximum warp speed insufficient to escape gravitational pull'. To the strains of 'the engines canno' take it cap'n'.

Although I'm not a fan of the GW I admire the nice clean build :thumbs:.
 
Dan Randall

Dan Randall

Western Thunderer
OzzyO said:
Hello Dan,

have you thought about how you are going to fill in the space between the firebox and the fireiron tunnel?
View attachment 59191

Don't forget to add the brackets for the nameplates, or the oil pots!

OzzyO.
Click to expand...

Funnily enough Ozzy, I only discovered that the fireiron tunnel had a "top" about a month ago whilst browsing on Malcolm Mitchell's "A" Shop web site!

Malcolm Mitchell's "A" Shop

Malcolm had taken a picture of one of his "Castle" builds (without the boiler and firebox fitted), from the driver's side, that clearly showed a piece of brass strip soldered along the top of the upright laminated sections, thus linking them to each other. Then, at Telford, whilst looking through a book about Barry scrapyard, I came across a very good picture of (I think), 7027 Thornbury Castle, clearly showing this feature.

As soon as the smokebox/boiler/ firebox assembly is correctly located on my model, I'll be able to put a top on my fireiron tunnel too. :)

The nameplate brackets and oil pots are already on the "to do" list and thanks also, for the photograph. :thumbs:


Regards

Dan
 
Dan Randall

Dan Randall

Western Thunderer
23rd October 2016

It's been a while since my last update, with tiredness and rubbish shift patterns taking their toll on the free time front. I have managed to make progress on some 2D and 3D CAD work here and there though, so that's a bonus. :thumbs:

Anyway, I got round to fitting the rivetted footplate overlay and front splasher top on the driver's side a couple of weeks ago, with today's session seeing the remaining two splasher tops fitted as well....

SNV35203.JPG

You may have noticed part of the splasher top nearest the camera has a portion filed from its inside edge? This is to provide clearance for the smokebox/boiler/firebox to sit at the correct height, though I'm not sure if I've taken enough off yet. It's opposite number plus the two middle splashers will have to be dealt with in a similar fashion.

I also managed to fit the fireman's side drop footplate section under the cab. I formed the etch to the approximate shape, but there were still some gaps apparent where it abutted the valance. Here it is before soldering....

SNV35205.JPG


I decided soldering the etch (whilst forcing it hard against the valance), without either burning myself or damaging something, would be next to impossible and with a very handy gap in the footplate former, decided to fashion a wedge from an iced-lolly stick....

SNV35206.JPG


With the wedge in place, the fit is much improved, the part is held securely and soldering can commence....

SNV35207.JPG

SNV35208.JPG

The cab and firebox are levitating due to the afforementioned need to remove parts of the splasher tops. I hope to get around to this in the not too distant future, but will most likely do the cab steps, driver's side drop footplate section and drag beam overlay first.

That's all for now, happy modelling!


Regards

Dan
 
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Dan Randall

Dan Randall

Western Thunderer

29th October 2016

A little more work on the "Castle" has seen the driver's side drop footplate section, drag beam overlay and cab steps fitted to both sides...

SNV35209.JPG

SNV35210.JPG

The small rectangular etches in the foreground need to be soldered to the corresponding plain areas on the drag beam overlay. I assume they're supposed to be the same size as the patches on the drag beam overlay, but after I'd removed the cusps from them, they were considerably smaller all round...

No matter, I'll fabricate some correctly sized replacements made from black styrene and Araldite them in place. I'm not sure what the plan is yet with regard to pick-ups, but with the sprung buffers between the loco and tender, the styrene may well come in handy in preventing shorts and a ruined DCC decoder anyway!

I don't imagine there'll be any more progress for the next few days, as I'm working 17:00 - 03:00ish all week. :eek:


Regards

Dan
 
mickoo

mickoo

Western Thunderer
Dan,

Those plates look like additional strength plates for the intermediate buffers, the buffers are on the tender and the heads rub on those plates, so I expect they may not be the same size as the drag beam as they are sacrificial so could be any shape and size you want, so long as they buffer head stays in contact with it. I'd need to find a photo of a loco sans tender to be sure but they may even differ within the class.

MD
 
Dan Randall

Dan Randall

Western Thunderer
mickoo said:
Dan,

Those plates look like additional strength plates for the intermediate buffers, the buffers are on the tender and the heads rub on those plates, so I expect they may not be the same size as the drag beam as they are sacrificial so could be any shape and size you want, so long as they buffer head stays in contact with it. I'd need to find a photo of a loco sans tender to be sure but they may even differ within the class.

MD
Click to expand...

You could well be right about the relative size of the plates being smaller Mick. I have seen pictures of "Castles" minus tenders (one of them being Cadbury Castle, no less), but do you think I can find them now?.....


Regards

Dan
 
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bogusman

bogusman

Western Thunderer
Dan
The photo of Cadbury castle is in "The book of the castle 4-6-0 s by Ian Sixsmith on page 316 and by the looks of it the plates supplied in the kit are the correct size.

Pete
 
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