Elmham Market in EM
- Thread starter James Spooner
- Start date
NHY 581
Western Thunderer
I was looking over these in work today, they arrived with us on Tuesday. The finish is quite exceptional and demonstrates just how good Hornby can be when they put their minds to it. Combined, they'll make up into a fabulous rake.
Hornby have only sent out the first two, we have the next twin coaches due to arrive tomorrow. Hopefully, the beaver tail will be with them but I suspect we may have to wait a little longer for them.
Rob
Hornby have only sent out the first two, we have the next twin coaches due to arrive tomorrow. Hopefully, the beaver tail will be with them but I suspect we may have to wait a little longer for them.
Rob
James Spooner
Western Thunderer
in terms of couplings Hornby have supplied both. Tension lock are fitted but magnets supplied. I have been lazy and left the tension locks on the ends…
Nigel
James Spooner
Western Thunderer
Nothing much done over the weekend as it was Mrs B’s birthday and the family came home for an extended weekend. However, back to the mucky duck now and I have finished the coupling rods, cut out the slots in the frames for the LRM hornblocks and soldered in the rear axle bearings. I also drilled the holes for the Flexichas crossbeam to fit into.
There has then been a lot of messing around and trying to figure things out to get something that works. That has involved a trial assembly of the frames (which showed that with the Branchlines multibox I was going to have to redesign/move the spacers at the rear). I dug out some EM spacers but, of course, they were too wide as the frames are 1mm thick each, so had to be trimmed down. Not really a problem as I had the frames firmly fixed in place with the Millholme spacers so a spacer was soldered in place before the Millholme one was removed.
I then figured I had to sort out the multibox positioning and see what size of motor I could actually fit into the smokebox, keeping the power unit and train invisible. That meant fettling the boiler castings and soldering them together. As Dave did on his version, I have cleaned back the boiler bands, which were quite obtrusive. I think I can get a Mashima 14/20 into the firebox space.
On that basis my next steps are to make up the gearbox, make up and fit the hornblocks (using my blank axle jig) then trial assembly of gearbox and motor into the firebox. If that all goes well I can move on to wheeling the chassis, adding the Flexichas beams and ensuring everything runs sweetly.
A couple of photos attached.
Nigel
There has then been a lot of messing around and trying to figure things out to get something that works. That has involved a trial assembly of the frames (which showed that with the Branchlines multibox I was going to have to redesign/move the spacers at the rear). I dug out some EM spacers but, of course, they were too wide as the frames are 1mm thick each, so had to be trimmed down. Not really a problem as I had the frames firmly fixed in place with the Millholme spacers so a spacer was soldered in place before the Millholme one was removed.
I then figured I had to sort out the multibox positioning and see what size of motor I could actually fit into the smokebox, keeping the power unit and train invisible. That meant fettling the boiler castings and soldering them together. As Dave did on his version, I have cleaned back the boiler bands, which were quite obtrusive. I think I can get a Mashima 14/20 into the firebox space.
On that basis my next steps are to make up the gearbox, make up and fit the hornblocks (using my blank axle jig) then trial assembly of gearbox and motor into the firebox. If that all goes well I can move on to wheeling the chassis, adding the Flexichas beams and ensuring everything runs sweetly.
A couple of photos attached.
Nigel
Chris Veitch
Western Thunderer
I did the joint FR/WHR one a couple of years ago and it was a good weekend - plenty of good company and an interesting opportunity to see some lineside FR archeology up close.
James Spooner
Western Thunderer
Well, I’d be lying if I tried to claim it hasn’t been carnage on the workbench this afternoon. Over the last few days I have been making some reasonable progress on the chassis. Hornblocks made and fitted, compensation beam ditto.
Today, after a brief foray into Guildford to see some of the marvellous work done by people in the senior scale, I hit the workbench again and made up a multibox gearbox, fitted it to a Mashima 14/20 and… no, it wouldn’t fit inside the firebox. Much scratching of head, consumption of tea, muttering, cursing and contemplation of putting it into a box and picking up another project all took place.
After about the third cup of tea I went back to it and identified the bits that needed to come off if I stood any chance of getting the motor and gearbox to fit. The 2mm (very hard) motor shaft was first to go, then the wings at the side of the motor mount and then a couple of lumps of the frames… et voila! It now fits (very snugly I have to admit!) and the next step is to prime and paint the chassis, then wheels and trial running…. Some photos attached.
Nigel
Today, after a brief foray into Guildford to see some of the marvellous work done by people in the senior scale, I hit the workbench again and made up a multibox gearbox, fitted it to a Mashima 14/20 and… no, it wouldn’t fit inside the firebox. Much scratching of head, consumption of tea, muttering, cursing and contemplation of putting it into a box and picking up another project all took place.
After about the third cup of tea I went back to it and identified the bits that needed to come off if I stood any chance of getting the motor and gearbox to fit. The 2mm (very hard) motor shaft was first to go, then the wings at the side of the motor mount and then a couple of lumps of the frames… et voila! It now fits (very snugly I have to admit!) and the next step is to prime and paint the chassis, then wheels and trial running…. Some photos attached.
Nigel
timbowales
Western Thunderer
Ooh that is snug!
Perhaps a thin smear of epoxy or some kapton tape inside the firebox in case there are any stray strands of wire about?
Perhaps a thin smear of epoxy or some kapton tape inside the firebox in case there are any stray strands of wire about?
James Spooner
Western Thunderer
Oh yes, there’ll be plenty of kapton tape spread liberally around!
James Spooner
Western Thunderer
Having overcome (one of - I think the valve gear will be next) a hard bit I have followed the instructions and put the cab together… relatively simple in comparison.
Nigel
Nigel
Dave Holt
Western Thunderer
Nigel,
With a fixed rear axle and central rocking beam on the front two axles, you will need to ensure the CoG is well back to avoid the risk of lifting the rear inside wheel on curves - no need to ask how I know this. The problem will be exacerbated by the weight of the cast W/M cylinders and saddle up front.
For stability, the CoG should be 2/3 the way back from the compensating beam pivot and the rear fixed axle. However, that will result in very poor weight distribution.
For a 2-6-0, I would have a central rocker on the front axle and twin beams for the centre and rear axles. That way, the 2/3 position roughly coincides with the centre drivers - ideal for both stability and weight distribution.
Dave.
With a fixed rear axle and central rocking beam on the front two axles, you will need to ensure the CoG is well back to avoid the risk of lifting the rear inside wheel on curves - no need to ask how I know this. The problem will be exacerbated by the weight of the cast W/M cylinders and saddle up front.
For stability, the CoG should be 2/3 the way back from the compensating beam pivot and the rear fixed axle. However, that will result in very poor weight distribution.
For a 2-6-0, I would have a central rocker on the front axle and twin beams for the centre and rear axles. That way, the 2/3 position roughly coincides with the centre drivers - ideal for both stability and weight distribution.
Dave.
James Spooner
Western Thunderer
Thanks for that Dave and your post has sent me scurrying back to Mike Sharman’s book on Flexichas! Having just read the relevant sections, I think (unless I am missing something) I am following the principles he set out. He strongly recommends fixing the rear axle and floating the front two. The thing I haven’t done is bring the pony truck into the equation, which would spread the weight back but it is quite complicated to fit a set of beams in around the cylinder castings, hence my going for the free bogie on the front of the tender and hanging a lot of weight onto the rear drawbar of the loco. I’m hoping that will stabilise things sufficiently. As you have already made one, do you think that will work or not?
cheers
Nigel
simond
Western Thunderer
I equally strongly suggest not fixing any axle! (but I’m not famous like wot ee is)
Fixed axles create sudden and unrealistic wobbles, with the accompanying thumps and bangs.
Of course if you do float all axles, the motor has to have room to rock and rise & fall which given the clearance issues, might be a challenge.
Fixed axles create sudden and unrealistic wobbles, with the accompanying thumps and bangs.
Of course if you do float all axles, the motor has to have room to rock and rise & fall which given the clearance issues, might be a challenge.
James Spooner
Western Thunderer
Hi Simon,
Many thanks, as always, for your sound advice. My problem (the only one I hear you all say!) is that I have never got on with springing in 4mm scale. I know there are people (mostly P/S4 modellers) who can do it with their eyes shut, but I model in EM because I can cope with the slightly more relaxed standards and tolerances that come with that approach (as I think I wrote somewhere many pages ago, I’m a bodger).
As an example many years ago I built an Alan Gibson J15 (and it never ran very well) using the Gibson springing system. I then built a new chassis, totally fixed and that didn’t run much better. I finally built a flexichas chassis and that runs perfectly. Now, some of this may be down to me improving as I go along, but also an element may be down to flexichas accommodating my inadequate modelling skills. Either way, having found something that works for me, I’ll stick with it (and accept the unprototypical wobbles!).
As a further disincentive, your observation about lack of space around the motor is spot on. There is precious little space there and I was cutting more off different bits than I felt comfortable with! I’ve probably had too much alcohol today to do anything sensible in terms of modelling but will report back as and when things progress.
cheers
Nigel
AJC
Western Thunderer
Ditto stuffing the rear dragbox with lead and/or some more lead under the cab roof. You can't really see much inside the cab on these so there's scope.
James Spooner
Western Thunderer
Thanks Adam and Phil. I have placed the cylinders on and balanced the loco on my finger (motor and gearbox not in) and the COG is just forward of the middle driving axle so I’m not anticipating significant problems. The thing already weighs a couple of tons (metaphorically!), certainly a lot more than many of my other locos…
Nigel
James Spooner
Western Thunderer
Quiet evening this evening. I needed to prime the loco frames so took the opportunity to prime the three ABS whitemetal six plank wagons and then started the tender lining (and glazed the windows with Micro Kristal Klear - don’t you just love those American spellings?!). Photo attached.
Nigel
Nigel
