7mm On Heather's Workbench - raising the Standard
- Thread starter Heather Kay
- Start date
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- coaches jltrt mk1 coaches
Dog Star
Western Thunderer
The internal parts (girders / bolster / transoms) look or maybe are the same as those for Gresley 8'6" bogies and maybe there has been economy of pattern making.
Heather Kay
Western Thunderer
Sounds about right.
Heather Kay
Western Thunderer
This past week has been one of distractions and disappointments.
My little car needed to go to the menders to fit a new exhaust pipe, after the old one decided to part company with us on a motorway journey the other day. While they had the car in the air, they were supposed to see if they could rectify a petrol leak from the newly-installed fuel tank. Let's just say it took two trips to the garage to sort that one out.
My other job - the one I don't want to do any more - also reared its ugly fizzog. I had a meeting with a client to introduce them to a friend and colleague who is willing to take on the maintenance and updates of their web site. I now just have the chore of finalising one or two outstanding things, then I'll begin the process of getting it to my friend. I suspect there'll be a hand-holding period, but then I'll be free to get on with the modelling stuff.
So, in between all the to-ing and fro-ing, I found precious little time to get any workbench time. The updates this week are mainly about completing the underframe and bogies for the BSK. I then set about preparing to fit the interior, only to hit a slight snag.
The compartment partitions are not wide enough.
There's a gap between the partitions and the corridor panel. I can't simply bodge this to fit - and I suspect this was the point the previous builder had reached before throwing in the towel! I wish I'd found this out before I'd painted things, but I guess I shall be on the phone to my Friend in the North tomorrow to get a new sheet of parts. I can only guess the laser cutting process also involved a slight but inadvertent shift in the plastic sheet, and no-one noticed. Ho-hum.
Rather than get all depressed about it, I decided to get on and make the security bars for the van section. I still can't make out why they don't have an etch for these parts.
The BSK has four door windows and two "daylight" windows in the van section. All four door droplights have the security bars, but only the cage side of the van has bars on the "daylight" window.
Many moons ago I bought a ceramic tile with thousands of holes in it, and a box of steel pins. I'm sure the tile was stolen from NASA at some point, as it's very light and heat resistant! Anyway, it lets me make little jigs for soldering up things like grilles and so on.
Only the larger grille needs slight modification to the top of the window area to get it to fit neatly. You'll see that when I come to do the glazing.
While I wait for the replacement interior sheet, I'll crack on with the TSO. I've got to face those bogies some time, and it might as well be now. Deep breath…
My little car needed to go to the menders to fit a new exhaust pipe, after the old one decided to part company with us on a motorway journey the other day. While they had the car in the air, they were supposed to see if they could rectify a petrol leak from the newly-installed fuel tank. Let's just say it took two trips to the garage to sort that one out.
My other job - the one I don't want to do any more - also reared its ugly fizzog. I had a meeting with a client to introduce them to a friend and colleague who is willing to take on the maintenance and updates of their web site. I now just have the chore of finalising one or two outstanding things, then I'll begin the process of getting it to my friend. I suspect there'll be a hand-holding period, but then I'll be free to get on with the modelling stuff.
So, in between all the to-ing and fro-ing, I found precious little time to get any workbench time. The updates this week are mainly about completing the underframe and bogies for the BSK. I then set about preparing to fit the interior, only to hit a slight snag.
The compartment partitions are not wide enough.
There's a gap between the partitions and the corridor panel. I can't simply bodge this to fit - and I suspect this was the point the previous builder had reached before throwing in the towel! I wish I'd found this out before I'd painted things, but I guess I shall be on the phone to my Friend in the North tomorrow to get a new sheet of parts. I can only guess the laser cutting process also involved a slight but inadvertent shift in the plastic sheet, and no-one noticed. Ho-hum.
Rather than get all depressed about it, I decided to get on and make the security bars for the van section. I still can't make out why they don't have an etch for these parts.
The BSK has four door windows and two "daylight" windows in the van section. All four door droplights have the security bars, but only the cage side of the van has bars on the "daylight" window.
Many moons ago I bought a ceramic tile with thousands of holes in it, and a box of steel pins. I'm sure the tile was stolen from NASA at some point, as it's very light and heat resistant! Anyway, it lets me make little jigs for soldering up things like grilles and so on.
Only the larger grille needs slight modification to the top of the window area to get it to fit neatly. You'll see that when I come to do the glazing.
While I wait for the replacement interior sheet, I'll crack on with the TSO. I've got to face those bogies some time, and it might as well be now. Deep breath…
Heather Kay
Western Thunderer
It was a trader at a Chatham Show back in the 1990s. I'm afraid that's all I can recall.
Heather Kay
Western Thunderer
It's probably no help - it's not helped me at all - but the box of pins is labelled for a Swiss company called Wemoba. They make model trains, apparently, but their web site seems to be off line at the moment.
Pugsley
Western Thunderer
Heather Kay
Western Thunderer
That's close. Mine is only about 10mm thick and about 200mm square. The hole pitch is quite tight, too, about a millimetre or so.
Good find, though.
Steph Dale
Western Thunderer
Yep, honeycomb board. Mine came from here:
http://www.cooksongold.com/category_select.jsp?query=honeycomb
It's worth picking up some of the soft iron binding wire too...
Steph
http://www.cooksongold.com/category_select.jsp?query=honeycomb
It's worth picking up some of the soft iron binding wire too...
Steph
Intercity126
Western Thunderer
Excellent finds all - I look forward to the smell of charred softwood being banished from the work room.
Steph Dale
Western Thunderer
Heather Kay
Western Thunderer
Progress on the TSO, but first a lightbulb moment.
I've built a few of these Mk1 kits from JLTRT now, although this is the first pair in near as-built condition. Building the kits to represent coaches that ran in the 1970s and 1980s means there are several parts left off, end steps being a case in point.
On the etches for the kits there's usually a selection of footboards. There are also two footboards that have little fold-out supports. I could never really understand where these were supposed to be on the coach, until I realised exactly what they were for. You recall I needed to put a footboard above the gangway at each end?
I'm all for belt and braces. If a component is likely to be vulnerable to handling damage, I like to make sure it can't be knocked off by accident. You really have to mean it. On the left, two step boards in unfolded state; top right, the folded up board, and below it with additional fixing pins from brass wire. These are cut back before fitting into holes drilled in the coach end moulding.
I wondered why the brackets folded out and left a gap, but thinking about it a gap would let rainwater run off. If I was relying solely on the brackets to hold the board, it would not be long before it would be knocked off. The pins help fix it pretty permanently.
Since this photo, the missed steps at the bottom left hand corner of the ends have been fitted, and all new fittings have been painted in matt black and satin varnished. Ready to fit.
Laurie tells me he's sending a replacement sheet of BSK interior parts and will be investigating what might have happened to cause the shrinkage in one direction.
Having got the ends out of the way, I set about the TSO underframe. Yesterday I fitted the buckeyes, and drilled out the buffer stocks. I also fettled a lot of the underframe parts so things could just be glued together in short order. My last job was to clean up and fit the cast whitemetal cross trusses.
Luckily, Laurie had sent me plenty of spares, because the castings are a little fragile around the slot for the longitudinal beams. I had to spend a fair while filing down casting misregistration and a fair amount of flash, but eventually I had a set I could glue into pre-drilled holes in the floor moulding.
I took the opportunity of getting paint into all the awkward corners first thing this morning. If you compare the cast version to the BSK etched version, I think you'll agree this version is chunkier and better matches the real thing. This underframe will also be the correct depth - I think I mentioned the brass version is a scale six inches or so too small in depth.
The steeper angle of the cross trusses, though, means you can't sit the regulator cradle so the box on the end overlaps the truss as it does on the real thing. D'oh!
Anyway, here's a view of probably my favourite part of the whole coach. Nobody is quite sure what it is, or where it goes, so it lives under the middle of the floor. (Actually, we think it's probably a pressure relief valve for the steam heating circuit.)
Everything now has a coat of grunge on it, which I am letting dry before I fold up the longitudinal beams, which in turn will allow me to fit the vacuum brake cylinders and associated bits and bobs.
I've built a few of these Mk1 kits from JLTRT now, although this is the first pair in near as-built condition. Building the kits to represent coaches that ran in the 1970s and 1980s means there are several parts left off, end steps being a case in point.
On the etches for the kits there's usually a selection of footboards. There are also two footboards that have little fold-out supports. I could never really understand where these were supposed to be on the coach, until I realised exactly what they were for. You recall I needed to put a footboard above the gangway at each end?
I'm all for belt and braces. If a component is likely to be vulnerable to handling damage, I like to make sure it can't be knocked off by accident. You really have to mean it. On the left, two step boards in unfolded state; top right, the folded up board, and below it with additional fixing pins from brass wire. These are cut back before fitting into holes drilled in the coach end moulding.
I wondered why the brackets folded out and left a gap, but thinking about it a gap would let rainwater run off. If I was relying solely on the brackets to hold the board, it would not be long before it would be knocked off. The pins help fix it pretty permanently.
Since this photo, the missed steps at the bottom left hand corner of the ends have been fitted, and all new fittings have been painted in matt black and satin varnished. Ready to fit.
Laurie tells me he's sending a replacement sheet of BSK interior parts and will be investigating what might have happened to cause the shrinkage in one direction.
Having got the ends out of the way, I set about the TSO underframe. Yesterday I fitted the buckeyes, and drilled out the buffer stocks. I also fettled a lot of the underframe parts so things could just be glued together in short order. My last job was to clean up and fit the cast whitemetal cross trusses.
Luckily, Laurie had sent me plenty of spares, because the castings are a little fragile around the slot for the longitudinal beams. I had to spend a fair while filing down casting misregistration and a fair amount of flash, but eventually I had a set I could glue into pre-drilled holes in the floor moulding.
I took the opportunity of getting paint into all the awkward corners first thing this morning. If you compare the cast version to the BSK etched version, I think you'll agree this version is chunkier and better matches the real thing. This underframe will also be the correct depth - I think I mentioned the brass version is a scale six inches or so too small in depth.
The steeper angle of the cross trusses, though, means you can't sit the regulator cradle so the box on the end overlaps the truss as it does on the real thing.
D'oh!Anyway, here's a view of probably my favourite part of the whole coach. Nobody is quite sure what it is, or where it goes, so it lives under the middle of the floor. (Actually, we think it's probably a pressure relief valve for the steam heating circuit.)
Everything now has a coat of grunge on it, which I am letting dry before I fold up the longitudinal beams, which in turn will allow me to fit the vacuum brake cylinders and associated bits and bobs.
Bob Reid
Western Thunderer
Sorry Heather, I hadn't picked up on an earlier question about that spurious valve - I say spurious because I'm not sure it represents anything like the thing I assume it's supposed to be!
I think it's meant to be the main steam separator that sat in the middle of the main steam pipe and from which the auxiliary steam pipe was fed however that said if it is (and there's no other valve I can think - and not a pressure relief valve - that it could possibly be).
A wee explanation is maybe required first - In order to keep the front and rear vehicles in the set supplied with steam at much the same pressure. Mark 1 passenger vehicles had a single large main steam pipe (1-1/2" bore pre-53 & 2" bore post 53) running from one end of the vehicle to the other between the steam heat coupling pipes but with no direct connections to the individual heaters From around the centre of the vehicle, a smaller bore feed was taken from the main steam pipe into a smaller 1" bore auxiliary steam pipe, and it was from this that each individual heater was fed.
When the vehicles were first built, some - certainly the BTK/BSK's - were fitted with a large steam separator that sat in the middle of the underframe, well offset about 8-12" to one side of the centreline, whose sole purpose was to trap any condensate in the steam, automatically blowing it out to the track once it reached a set level. On vehicles that were equipped, it also fed the Auxiliary steam pipe. From around 1953, the new build vehicles were modified to improve the rather poor heating and along with increasing the main steam pipe bore from 1-1/2"to 2" it appears that all vehicles - not just the BSK's were fitted with steam separators in the main steam pipe and at the connection to the auxiliary steam pipe.
No here's the kicker! If that is meant to be the steam separator it is grossly undernourished - the valve was about 18" tall by about 7 or 8" wide, sat between two large flanges (it was often colloquially known as the Sheep's Head) for once it was insulated that's what it looked like!
A trawl of t'internet did turn up one not so clear photo
http://www.flickr.com/photos/transrail/8437185781/
In answer to Graham's question - the main steam pipe sat a variable 5 - 7" below the top of the solebar e.g. about level with the bottom of the solebar and sloping down to the centre - which of course is fortunate if it's being modelled on JLTRT Mk1!
Personally I'd throw that valve in the "maybe it'll come in handy one day" box....
Regards
p.s. Out of interest doesn't Laurie know what it's meant to be?
I think it's meant to be the main steam separator that sat in the middle of the main steam pipe and from which the auxiliary steam pipe was fed however that said if it is (and there's no other valve I can think - and not a pressure relief valve - that it could possibly be).
A wee explanation is maybe required first - In order to keep the front and rear vehicles in the set supplied with steam at much the same pressure. Mark 1 passenger vehicles had a single large main steam pipe (1-1/2" bore pre-53 & 2" bore post 53) running from one end of the vehicle to the other between the steam heat coupling pipes but with no direct connections to the individual heaters From around the centre of the vehicle, a smaller bore feed was taken from the main steam pipe into a smaller 1" bore auxiliary steam pipe, and it was from this that each individual heater was fed.
When the vehicles were first built, some - certainly the BTK/BSK's - were fitted with a large steam separator that sat in the middle of the underframe, well offset about 8-12" to one side of the centreline, whose sole purpose was to trap any condensate in the steam, automatically blowing it out to the track once it reached a set level. On vehicles that were equipped, it also fed the Auxiliary steam pipe. From around 1953, the new build vehicles were modified to improve the rather poor heating and along with increasing the main steam pipe bore from 1-1/2"to 2" it appears that all vehicles - not just the BSK's were fitted with steam separators in the main steam pipe and at the connection to the auxiliary steam pipe.
No here's the kicker! If that is meant to be the steam separator it is grossly undernourished - the valve was about 18" tall by about 7 or 8" wide, sat between two large flanges (it was often colloquially known as the Sheep's Head) for once it was insulated that's what it looked like!
A trawl of t'internet did turn up one not so clear photo
http://www.flickr.com/photos/transrail/8437185781/
In answer to Graham's question - the main steam pipe sat a variable 5 - 7" below the top of the solebar e.g. about level with the bottom of the solebar and sloping down to the centre - which of course is fortunate if it's being modelled on JLTRT Mk1!
Personally I'd throw that valve in the "maybe it'll come in handy one day" box....
Regards
p.s. Out of interest doesn't Laurie know what it's meant to be?
Heather Kay
Western Thunderer
Thanks Bob. That's pretty much the explanation that Best Beloved came up with when we first encountered this in earlier builds. As you say, though, it doesn't actually seem to represent anything in particular. I'll try and get a good detailed shot of the casting so you can see what it looks like. That might help identify if it's meant to be anything in particular.
I know what you mean. It's lost in the gloom anyway, so no-one will miss it.
Not wishing to be rude, but Laurie really isn't that clued up about railway stuff.
Heather Kay
Western Thunderer
Here's the casting from the BSK kit, that I was going to fit later but now don't think I'll bother!
