Loco Paint and Pipework
Heather Kay
Western Thunderer
Progress has sort of stalled a little. I blame watching paint dry - on the inside motion and inside frames.
I got a base coat of matt red on most things last week, and to ensure it dried nice and hard for a couple of gloss top coats I attended the ScaleSeven Group AGM up in the Midlands over the weekend. Happily, paint didn't gum up the works, so I've started applying the top coat in stages. The inside of the frames is in a similar state. The odd castings are from rummaging in the Bits Box for suitable sandboxes to go under the cab. Thereby hangs a tale, which I'll cover in a moment. The other bits are the injectors, the layout of which I am trying to divine from the photos.
I don't believe - and I stand to be corrected - the 2251 class was built with sandboxes for the rear wheelset. The drawing I have doesn't show sandboxes or associated gear under the cab. However, the remit here is to build 3205 as she is preserved, and it's fairly obvious there are sandboxes. The Bits Box gave up some castings, and I added filler necks from brass tube and odd bits. The fly in the ointment is the preserved loco exhibits access holes in the lower step back that align with the injectors as fitted today. The kit has holes where the injectors ought to be. I fear I missed this detail earlier, so I am lumbered, as it were. My assumption is sanding gear was fitted at some point in the loco's service career, or possibly once it entered preservation. While in GWR and BR service, working mostly chimney first on trains, front sandpipes would probably be sufficient in most circumstances. Working in preservation, where the likelihood of being able to turn the loco and tender is rare, rear sanding would be a useful modification.
I wonder if anyone can fill in the history for this mod.
With the sandboxes installed, I could make up and fit the lagged steam pipe along the driver's hanging bar.
Another job done. More paint next, then to consider the injectors and representation of the plumbing.
I got a base coat of matt red on most things last week, and to ensure it dried nice and hard for a couple of gloss top coats I attended the ScaleSeven Group AGM up in the Midlands over the weekend. Happily, paint didn't gum up the works, so I've started applying the top coat in stages. The inside of the frames is in a similar state. The odd castings are from rummaging in the Bits Box for suitable sandboxes to go under the cab. Thereby hangs a tale, which I'll cover in a moment. The other bits are the injectors, the layout of which I am trying to divine from the photos.
I don't believe - and I stand to be corrected - the 2251 class was built with sandboxes for the rear wheelset. The drawing I have doesn't show sandboxes or associated gear under the cab. However, the remit here is to build 3205 as she is preserved, and it's fairly obvious there are sandboxes. The Bits Box gave up some castings, and I added filler necks from brass tube and odd bits. The fly in the ointment is the preserved loco exhibits access holes in the lower step back that align with the injectors as fitted today. The kit has holes where the injectors ought to be. I fear I missed this detail earlier, so I am lumbered, as it were. My assumption is sanding gear was fitted at some point in the loco's service career, or possibly once it entered preservation. While in GWR and BR service, working mostly chimney first on trains, front sandpipes would probably be sufficient in most circumstances. Working in preservation, where the likelihood of being able to turn the loco and tender is rare, rear sanding would be a useful modification.
I wonder if anyone can fill in the history for this mod.
With the sandboxes installed, I could make up and fit the lagged steam pipe along the driver's hanging bar.
Another job done. More paint next, then to consider the injectors and representation of the plumbing.