7mm On Heather's Workbench - North Western Commuter Power

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
The old black dog was much in evidence today. I don’t invite it in, it just turns up and makes things more difficult than they need to be.

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Once I’d persuaded Muttley to shift over a bit, I set about making the roof fit so it can be removed. I think that made sense. A little measurement, and some thin brass strip, and I’m happy the roof now fits in place, stays there once fitted, and is in pretty much the right orientation.

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Next job was to tackle the reverser reach rod. It disappears behind the tank at a fair old angle of attack. I think the builder is expected to fit the lever and rod to the footplate, but with a bespoke inner gubbins that wouldn’t be feasible. So, I found some NS scrap etch, set about it with files and drills, and made it so it could be tack-soldered to a stretcher on the frames. The b*gger was then making it so it didn’t interfere with the boiler, and didn’t make it any harder to fit the frames to the body than it already is. It’s a bit tight, and you have to thread the reversing lever through so it aligns with the slot in the footplate.

The only other real annoyance, but not anything that can be helped, is the rear fixing screw is slap bang in line with the rear truck. To take the frames out, one has to remove the truck first.

Now, how can I work out how much extra weight to add to this model so the springs are compressed properly?
 
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simond

Western Thunderer
The only other real annoyance, but not anything that can be helped, is the rear fixing screw is slap bang in line with the rear truck. To take the frames out, one has to remove the truck first.

I sympathise. I hate that. Especially if you then have to put it back on to do whatever it was that you took the chassis out for in the first place.

Weight? How about some suitable boxes (visiting cards, slide boxes, sort of thing) balanced on the chassis, and put loose change in them til it’s about right, then weigh them, subtract weight of body, make suitable lumps of lead to appropriate weights.

Best
Simon
 

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
Weight? How about some suitable boxes (visiting cards, slide boxes, sort of thing) balanced on the chassis, and put loose change in them til it’s about right, then weigh them, subtract weight of body, make suitable lumps of lead to appropriate weights.

I think that’s what I’ll have to do. Thanks, Simon.

(I hope I don’t need to add more weight so it fills all the gaps inside, leaving nowhere to install electronics and speaker… )

I did entertain the possibility of using softer springs on the driven axles - but the truck springing is phosphor bronze transverse leafs which probably won’t adjust to compensate, if you see what I mean.
 

simond

Western Thunderer
Yep, understood, and if you soften the driver springs, you’ll reduce the load on them, and it’ll slip.

And you’ll have to refit the truck after you’ve taken it off to access the screw to remove the body...

Good luck
Simon
 

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
I’ve had a weigh-in.

The frames alone, to compress the springs adequately, needed 320g.
The frames weigh 280g, body and fittings 313g, an all-up weight of 593g.

So, the loco on its own has sufficient weight to compress the springs. The model's service life will probably see it pottering about the client's layout, with occasional frenzied bursts visiting clubs and so on where it may haul up to three bogie coaches. Running in real world pull-push mode, a maximum of two coaches seems to have been the norm.

The question, then, is really what an ideal weight for such a model loco would be to give adequate haulage power for a short train? I’m thinking adding some lead in the smokebox and bunker to bring the model up to about 650g or thereabouts. What does the team think?
 

simond

Western Thunderer
If it needs 320g plus the frames to compress the springs to the right ride height, and the body weighs 313g, I’d suggest you add 7g and see how it performs.

If it sits there, wheels spinning, you’ll need to do something to increase the load on the drivers, if it falls off at every opportunity, you might need to increase the load on the trucks, and if it pulls 3 or 4 bogie coaches and stays on the rails, I’d call it a win.

I don’t see any benefit in adding loads of extra weight, it simply wears the bearings out more quickly and makes the motor work harder.

Best
Simon
 

Peter Cross

Western Thunderer
Being sprung it won't need to be to heavy. I would leave it at 650 and see how it performs. My little 1262 0-4-4T comes in at 670 and will manage 2 coaches on the level with ease.

Anyway the loco is looking very nice. Mind you I am biased as I like small 4 coupled locos.
 

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
Simon and Peter, thank you. I have to bear in mind previous loco builds here have all tended to have solid cast resin boilers with a slug of steel in them, and ballast hasn’t even been an issue.

I’ve done some track tests on my plank. It has a 5ft 6in radius, and just for larks a 5ft. My reasoning has always been I aim to get good running through the former, with the latter a nice bonus if it can do it. The short four-coupled chassis manages the very tight curve just about, but the rear truck struggles. I call that a win.

Now, as to weight, I’ve decided to try and fit the weight in the tanks so it’s over the drivers. The alternative is for half in the bunker and half in the smokebox, but I think it would be better over the driven wheels.

Muttley has reappeared this afternoon, so I’m going to tidy the bench and sweep the floor.
 

Peter Cross

Western Thunderer
Heather am I right in thinking the front and rear axles are in radial boxes. If so the springs do not need to put much pressure on them. This automatically adds weight to where it's needed.
 

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
Heather am I right in thinking the front and rear axles are in radial boxes. If so the springs do not need to put much pressure on them. This automatically adds weight to where it's needed.

Indeed. By that score I think adding the weight over the drivers seems the best course of action. :thumbs:
 

simond

Western Thunderer
In principle, it doesn’t matter where you put the weight, as long as the centre of gravity ends up between the drivers. So a big lump in the middle or two little lumps at the ends, it’s all the same. And you can check it’s level if the buffers look ok vs a known wagon or whatever. But I’d not add more weight than you need.

Atb
Simon
 

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
Right. Final stretch before paint? Might be.

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Boiler bands, chimney, dome and the reverser in the cab have been fitted. The vacuum gear on the smokebox has been installed. Once the 5-minute epoxy has set, I’ll fit the smokebox door.

I really need to sort out the number and works plates. Think I’ll do that next.
 

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
Which livery will the radial carry?

Black with red lining. It’ll look smart. :thumbs:

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The sanding gear appears to have been upgraded to steam about the same time as the Belpaire boilers were fitted.

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Because the sand boxes have been fitted further out than they ought to be, as explained back up this thread somewhere, the pipes take a slightly awkward route to the wheels. They are also, currently, stuck out a bit further than they should be because I need to be able to extract the chassis. A gentle tweak later will fix that - hopefully.

Time for painting? The paint shop temperature seems favourable, so, yes.
 

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
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Well, that makes a difference. Seeing the model in a single flat colour shows up all kinds of things.

I’ll let that initial primer coat harden off for a while, then see what needs attention. I can already see some areas that need a spot of filler, and others that need attention with fine emery papers.
 

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
No photos, but I did some spot repairs and rubbing down.

Serendipity smiled on me, as the cylinder inspection cover I’d not been very happy about fell off. I took the opportunity to make a new one from some suitable strip styrene and brass wire handles.

A second grey primer coat went on, followed by my favourite red oxide as the base coat before black. I’ve just closed up the paint shop after a tack coat of gloss black. I’ll now let it dry for a while before inspecting and, if necessary, doing some grollie clearance.

Perhaps I should attend to getting paint on the underframes.
 

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
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As so often happens, the bodywork painting may have gone awry. While I let the paint dry so I can assess the situation, I did some chores round the chassis.

The plunger pickups on the drivers are Fourtrack items. Somehow - and don’t ask me how - one of the coiled springs had come away from the PCB plate. It was, of course, in the most inaccessible place, right by the gearbox. Having spares for the pickups, I decided the only option was to take the motor and gearbox out so I could get at it properly.

While things were disassembled, I degreased the frames, gave them a once over with a wire wheel in the whizzydisc, and daubed some Casey Metal Black on things. The chemical blackening is in lieu of being able to conveniently prime the chassis, and I’ve used it before as a fair undercoat to brushed paintwork. Brushing satin black enamel followed fairly quickly. It may need a further coat. Brushmarks don’t worry me as this is the underframe, where things were generally oily and grotty. The wheels were also given the whizzydisc treatment to clean the backs of the tyres and the treads in the vain hope it might make current collection more reliable ;), and then treated to a coat of the satin black.

I’ll check the body paint tomorrow and make a decision about whether to rub down problems, or go right ahead and simply strip it back. I ought to learn my lesson and get things done by a pro!
 
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