Latest project: ex-LNER C13, No. 67421

[Dave Holt]

Thanks, Mike.
Not much visible progress but it seems to have taken an inordinate amount of work. I had intended the brake cross-shaft to be a permanent fixture but it has become apparent that it needs to be removable to access the rear keeper screws and get the pony truck in and out. The cross-shaft consists of etched levers and various lengths of brass tube, all aligned using a 1 mm drill bit. Mounting brackets for screw fixing to the chassis are bits of brass angle with suitable packing pieces. The redundant holes in the frames will be plugged later.

Dave.

 

[Dave Holt]

A taste of things to come......

The body parts (sounds a bit gruesome!) are from the set of profile milled items made by Jeremy Suter and the alignment jigs from the extra etched parts I had made. The other end of the jig plates locate the footplate valances/hanging bars.
Dave.

 

[Dave Holt]

...and perched on the chassis.

Dave.

 

[Dave Holt]

A friend kindly supplied me with a length of steel bar to act as a restraint during soldering of the valances and body sides to the footplate, which saved me a trip to the GWSR to borrow a parallel bar. The footplate was held to the restraint using a set of small magnets and the valences soldered on, tacking first and then completing the joints. The valences were positioned and held square to the footplate using the etched assembly jigs previously mentioned.
Here the footplate is held on the jig as the second valence is positioned ready for tacking.

After completing the joints and cleaning up, the buffer beams were tacked in place (I hope to replace them with etched versions showing the extensive snap-head rivets that the loco had acquired in BR 1950s era) and the chassis mountings made (using enormous 12 BA screws!).
Here are chassis and footplate fixed together for the first time. Despite the clamping to the restraint bar, the footplate did have a slight bow after fully soldering (expansion and contraction rules OK?) but this has been eased out to give a flat top surface and a good fit on top of the chassis.

Dave.

 

[Dave Holt]

A start has been made on the body with the two sides and bunker rear tack soldered together. The bunker internals and front plate have been formed and tried in place. This has revealed a fairly fundamental problem caused by my poor design integration between chassis and body. The cab floor, part of the bunker front plate, would not sit down properly and was found to interfere with the frame spacer over the driving axle. The only solution was to cut the floor back and accept that the spacer is going to protrude above the cab floor. Hopefully, in the deep gloom at the bottom of the cab and with a suitable crew, it won't be too visible on the finished model. Bad error though.
Here the bunker front/cab floor and the bunker internals are tried in place inside the body which is located sideways using two of the assembly jigs previously used to locate the valences,

and the bunker front with the centre floor shortened and the coal hole shutter and hand brake column fitted.

Dave.

 

[Dave Holt]

The bunker and cab internals have now been fixed in place together with the rear spectacle plate.

Thr cab roof was lossely positioned. just to get an idea of the final look.

Dave.

 

[Dog Star]

Do tell, how have you got such a delightful roof?

 

[Dave Holt]

Yes, it is rather nice isn't it? I can claim no credit whatsoever - it came with the set of profile milled parts made for me by Jeremy Suter (Scalefour Soc Trade Officer). It consists of N/S base layer with a thick brass raised portion with a very fine, inverted "T" section central stiffener.

I'll need to add the four corner vent pipes, whistles and the (defunct by the 1950s?) front whistle cord guide frame. The rear one seems to have been removed by then.
Dave.

 

[Dave Holt]

Actually, on closer inspection, the raised central portion is laminated from two layers - you can make out the joint line in the photo.
Dave.

 

[Dave Holt]

Work has moved on to the inner tank sides. These were included in the custom etches and are seen here after fixing the tops and splashers. The straight top, part of the original profile milled parts was not quite long enough so it was cut and a fillet spiced in with an internal backing strip.

The insides of the tanks have been filled with lead sheet.

Epoxy was used and,after curing, the inner tanks were fixed inside the body, trapping the cab doors in place. The brass angles inside the tanks support the firebox at the correct height above the footplate.

Dave.

 

[Dave Holt]

Front spectacle plate and driver stands fitted to the cab and the boiler and firebox loosely tried in place.

Dave.

 

[45609]

You’re really cracking on with this Dave. Looking very nice and no outside valve gear to worry about.

Cheer…Morgan

 

[Dave Holt]

Thanks, Morgan.
Yes, I'm a bit concerned at the lack of outside valvegear. Might add some, just to maintain my equanimity.
Dave.

 

[Mark Tatlow]

A nice stanier dome too?

 

[Dave Holt]

A start has been made with fitting the tank top beading using narrow strip supplied with the profile milled parts. I set out with the good intention of measuring the beading projection from the tank surface but gave it up as a bad job and just relied on setting it by eye. Quite happy with the results so far. I've also made an effort to clean up the tanks and cab to remove excess solder residues.

Dave.

 

[Dave Holt]

Beading now fitted to the bunker and cab back-plate.

Note how I've cunningly left the hardest bits till last - round the cab openings.
Dave.

 

[adrian]

Note how I've cunningly left the hardest bits till last - round the cab openings.

You've managed such a neat job with the bunkers and tanks I'm sure it won't be a problem for you. Personally when do similar jobs I would start with an annealed straight strip over length and solder in along the top straight edge, then treat the front and rear curved sections as 2 separate jobs. Using a small round wooden dowel to push the strip into the required curve and solder as I went along. Then cut to length and file with the overhang for vertical cab handrails if fitted.

 

[Dave Holt]

Thanks, Adrian. That's almost exactly what I did, although I used a selection of pin vice and needle file handles to hold the beading strip into the corners. In fact, after roughly forming the shape, I was able to wedge the beading in position and then hold the top straight with tweezers to get the first tack solder, thus making it easier than the straighter sections, which were quite hard to hold in position to get started.

Both sides fitted and cleaned up.
As Adrian said, the beading overlaps the cab opening to locate the top of the handrails, as it does at the front of the tanks.
Attempting to make tapered handrails, 0.5 to 0.3 mm, next.
Dave.

 

[Dave Holt]

The tapered handrails have been made and fitted at the cab and tank fronts, and the extended beading trimmed back to suit.

Bunker extension sheets next? On the Ffestiniog, these are referred to as "greedy boards".
Dave.

 

[45609]

The tapered handrails have been made and fitted at the cab and tank fronts, and the extended beading trimmed back to suit.
View attachment 200161
Bunker extension sheets next? On the Ffestiniog, these are referred to as "greedy boards".
Dave.

Those handrails do look tapered Dave. What have you used? Bought in or tapered yourself?