7mm Buckjumper's Workbench - Latest: GCR D8 open wagons

[Eastsidepilot]

Real BLUE Peter stuff... please tell us how you made the retainers, thank you.

Graham,
These were turned on the lathe from some round steel rod I had hanging around, before I part them off I centre drill and bore 1.4mm for 10 B.A. tap. Once parted off they are put in the machine vice, center pop for the cotter, drilled 0.45mm very carfully by hand right through, 0.4mm wire ( nickel is ideal) passed through and soldered. Before taking the length of wire out file the two flats using the wire to guide, by sight.
It's then just a matter of nipping off the cotter pins to size.

ATB, Col.

 

[Eastsidepilot]

........... I feel for the Coffee Pot, not necessarily a good future.

regards, Graham

Should be in the NRM museum I reckon, maybe even restored to steam.

Col.

 

[Dog Star]

69621 was always Westinghouse braked. Slightly surprised there was no activity at all from the pump - I'd expect there to be a very leisurely pant to make up for any leakage.

Thank you for the info. - as I said earlier, no noise either from the pump or the engine... steam and air tight.

 

[Buckjumper]

Probably topped off the cylinder with Imodium.

 

[adrian]

This time yesterday I was lost on the Preston ring escape road. I say "escape" because whichever direction I went I seemed to be leaving town! A thought for Adrian of Preston... trying to find the Ribble Steam Railway is a nightmare, there are not enough brown signs and the only one which appeared to be useful was one for pedestrian access . If you want some sport, then organise a treasure hunt with the Ribble Railway as the ulitmate destination.

Well it's fair to say there are some fairly repellant features in the centre of Preston so the escape road is probably there by design. It's a good job you didn't end up on the Penwortham bypass - as it doesn't! It seems to be yet another way to confuse foreigners, the Penwortham bypass starts going round Penwortham and then about halfway round gives up and veers off to the South-East towards Leyland!

As for the Ribble Steam signs - to be honest I've never noticed the lack of signs as I know where it is!! Not that it helps now!

 

[Dog Star]

It's a good job you didn't end up on the Penwortham bypass - as it doesn't! It seems to be yet another way to confuse foreigners, the Penwortham bypass starts going round Penwortham and then about halfway round gives up and veers off to the South-East towards Leyland!!

Oh yes I did... with exactly the effect which you describe.

 

[Dog Star]

Come to think of it, Adrian... you could have warned me about the thoroughfares being "Roads to No-where", no-where in the sense that the direction was no-where near where I wanted to go.

 

[Buckjumper]

Well it's been a busy few weeks...nose to the grindstone and all that. The R24 is now busy on the Tottenham & Hampstead Joint Railway.



And a grimy 65389 is pottering around on an extension to the Mid-Suffolk Light.


More to come...

Edit: Spellink.

 

[Buckjumper]

I had an O....M....G....Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! moment with the J15, twelve hours before delivery.

I had just emailed and confirmed that I'd be making the trip out into deepest Suffolk and thought that I'd pop down to the workshop for a final run and oiling. Everything was running lovely, so I turned the loco upside down, and placed a single drop of clock oil on each of the bearings and had got to the last one when I heard some rumbly, ominous music. In slo-mo I turned and saw one golden drop of oil catching the light as it fell and hit the underside of the boiler. Quickly turning it over I watched as the insidious liquid spread over the first ring of the boiler, around the handrail pillars and up to the dome.

"Oh blow!" I said, as time returned to normal with a cacophony of sound, and then spent till 3.30am rubbing the stain away, but not the weathering, with IPA soaked cotton buds.

Next morning I was up early and sprayed on some more weathering which some oil residue promptly broke through. More IPA and elbow grease, more weathering mix, and more, and more...until I got the all clear. Out came the hairdryer, and I was in Suffolk by midday.

There's a moral in there somewhere.

 

[Pugsley]

There's a moral in there somewhere.

Lubricate before weathering?

 

[Eastsidepilot]

There's a moral in there someware.

Lay on your back and lubricate....

Col.

 

[Phill Dyson]

Isn't sewing machine oil supposed to be good as it tends to cling to the surfaces it's applied to ?

 

[Wagonman]

Lay on your back and lubricate....

Col.

Let the client lubricate...?

 

[Eastsidepilot]

Let the client lubricate...?

From what I've seen when they come back for servicing not always a good idea

Col.

 

[Buckjumper]

Isn't sewing machine oil supposed to be good as it tends to cling to the surfaces it's applied to ?

Probably no different to the stuff I use - I think it was Malc Mitchell who put me onto it - 'Apollo Southerns Superfine Oil for Mechanical Precision Instrument, Watches, Clocks and Meters' (sic).

It came in a 500cc bottle and will probably last me until 2072. Unless I keep lubricating boilers...

 

[Buckjumper]

From what I've seen when they come back for servicing not always a good idea

You betcha.

"It's a bit squeaky."

"It's a bit ruddy dry."

 

[Dikitriki]

Can I point out that in 'liking' post 72 above, I am admiring the loco, and not exhibiting schadenfreude

Richard

 

[Buckjumper]

Thanks Richard - I was beginning to wonder

Still, all's well that ends well - as Shakespeare once opined. Or was it Bacon, or de Vere, or Marlow or the 5th Earl of Rutland (and no, I don't mean Squire Dunkley...)

 

[Buckjumper]

Now that R24 no.414 has gone, here are some more photos.

Based on an old Connoisseur kit from the late 80s for the J67, there was quite a bit or work to backdate it to the pre-Grouping style and bring it up to modern standards. For example the roof profile was changed, a new 'wooden' roof made, Stephenson's motion added, and a cab built and installed (there were no cabs in his early kits!). The crew were supplied pre-painted and are fantastic. Wheels are AGH and an ABC gearbox is installed.

No.414 was built in 1891 and lasted until 1961, so had quite a good innings.

 

[Stevesopwith]

She's beautiful Adrian...... I don't know how you can bear to part with her.