Brassmasters J17 test build

[Jim smith-wright]

Over the last week or so Ive embarked on another test build for Brassmasters. This time a J17 kit thats been designed by David Barham. Its not really any use for Brettell Road but it would fit North Elmham (which I have been know to help out with).


The basic chassis build with a High level Loadhauler gearbox. The loco and tender use CSBs throughout. The kit will be supplied with both printed and etched brake shoes.


The tender subframe - Again with options on the brake shoes.


Chassis and footplate.


Tender with its outer frame.


The cab


Pretty much everything above the footplate and forward of the cab is catered for by a 3D print. Here I've made a start on the basic detailing


The tender body, like the loco, is a 3D print.


The detailed up chassis


The finished loco - More pictures below. This has been a pleasure to put together.

 

[AJC]

That looks superb (allowing for the modest stepping on the boiler). Among the more handsome British 0-6-0s I've always thought.

Adam

 

[Joe's Garage]

That is rather nice Jim, always welcome and exGE loco!!
Interesting that the dome and chimney are all in, very clever this 3d printing me thinks.
Cheers Julian

 

[DavidB]

Very nice, Jim. I hope that on the production kits the striations on the boiler will have been cured. At the moment, this draws the eye and looks more like the Rocket with its boiler cladding of wood strips. This is a shame on an otherwise cracking looking kit.

 

[Jim smith-wright]

Very nice, Jim. I hope that on the production kits the striations on the boiler will have been cured. At the moment, this draws the eye and looks more like the Rocket with its boiler cladding of wood strips. This is a shame on an otherwise cracking looking kit.

It looks worse in the picture because I primed the print and lightly sanded it back. The primer and print are quite close colourwise so it's given a highlighted effect that isn't actually there

 

[Dave Holt]

Looks very good, Jim, but you're going to have to do something about those over-scale crank pin retainers.
Dave.

 

[Jim smith-wright]

Sorry all. Put this on my Brettell Road thread but forgot id set up a separate thread for it

Earlier in the year I showed progress on a test build of the Brassmasters J17 kit test build. What follows is progress since then.


To be fair there wasn't a huge amount left to do as I left it. One of the jobs was the business end of the brake gear on both the loco and tender.




The other little job on the tender was the guard irons which had been missed off the test etch. These were fashioned up from scrap using a scaled image of the production etch as a guide.


When I showed the side on view before I had managed to get the sanding linkages all wrong. This was subsequently corrected.

(Video © Tim Horn and used with permission) Then it was off to Tim's for a few days work blocking in the basic greenery on North Elmham which was also an ideal opportunity to give the J17 a chance to stretch its legs. It was unweighted at this point except for a few pound coins in the tender. Attention then switched to getting Brettell Road ready for Scalefour Crewe and besides I thought it would be good for the loco to be displayed on the Brassmasters stand in the raw so to speak. However since then it's now been finished off with the exception of a crew and some coal in the tender.

 

[Joe's Garage]

That is a lovely model Jim

 

[Jim smith-wright]

Popped over to Tim's for a few days work on North Elmham. Took the J17 along for a few pics in its more appropriate surroundings.