7mm On Heather's Workbench - the answer to life, the universe and…

Lyndhurstman

Western Thunderer
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The condenser - I'm sure someone told me its purpose once - and the whistle chains, of course. There's also a rudimentary ventilator grab handle. The roof now has four brass wire peggy-springy-thingies to hold it on the body.

Hi Heather.

Smashing work.
Compact and bijou places, the GWR tank footplates (unless you were the driver, gurning out of your gap for all the photo ops, only coming back in to bend your firemans back still further as you lifted into second valve... :) ). Not the place for lanky sods (I lost count of the number of times I crunched my head on the roof as I stuck my swede out looking for signals). For the fireman, there was lots of stuff to footle with, and all within easy reach. Your wonderful attention to detail certainly brings it to life.

The condensing coil (apart from doing what it says on the tin) supplies water to the hydrostatic lubricator, and serves to displace the oil into the sight glasses and on to the cylinders. There's a very handy and informative interactive figure on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway (We sing Hosanna to its Name :) ) here:

The GWR Virtual Footplate

Cheers

Jan
 

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
Today, although it oughtn't have been a 4250 day, I finished up most of the cab detailing.

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The backhead is currently missing the 3-chamber lubricator. It pinged off into the stratosphere while I was cleaning it up, and it hasn't returned to Earth yet. I've requested a replacement, along with the Castle pattern regulator lever to replace the weedy item the box shipped with. I know there's a three-way valve affair just above the fire hole missing. I didn't get one, and the packing list doesn't mention it, and I can't be bothered to ask JLTRT to locate one for me. Personally, I don't think it'll be missed in the gloom. There's been the usual interpretation of the prototype fittings on the preserved locos. They have all been retrofitted with carriage warming, so I've missed off the Mason's valve and associated gauge. I think this attempt at gubbins will pass muster with the roof on.

There has been an update on the boiler. Having had some discussions with Laurie, it turns out I may have got something intended for another loco. It's one of those cases of being very nearly right, so he's shipping me what ought to be the right one, and we'll see if it fits better.

Watch this space!
 

Lyndhurstman

Western Thunderer
Again; smashing.

The 'W' valve? Pretty important, methinks. If you want to everything shipshape and Swindon fashion in the cylinders :) And it has (yet more :) ) pipework spraying out across the backhead. Still - as you say - it will be lost in the Stygian darkness.

Cheers

Jan
 

Scale7JB

Western Thunderer
Ah, just checking ;)

I'll reckon that the 42's had a 3 gallery hydrostatic? Saying that, the 41's had a 5 chamber version, or at least ours has..

JB.
 

Scale7JB

Western Thunderer
Heather, I've just taken a load of photos of our 41xx and the Lubricator pipe routing if they're of interest..?

PM me your email address and I'll send 'em over..

JB.
 

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
Progress report. Well, sort of.

Laurie of JLTRT sent me a new boiler casting. At first glance it wasn't any different to the old one. A quick test fit showed a small difference in the location of the rivets versus saddle, so perhaps there was more on offer.

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It's difficult to compare with a photo. An obvious difference, apart from colour and material, is the flange around the back of the firebox.

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So I got stuck in with the vernier. There is, in fact, a 0.5mm difference overall on the coned and parallel parts of the boiler. How does that look on the loco?

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Now we are getting somewhere. This photo shows the saddle after a slight modification that involved filing a recess across the bottom front so it could be shuffled forwards about a millimetre. The plan is to "do a Beeson" and adjust the chimney and steam pipes so they match the saddle and smokebox. I think I'm happy with the new boiler, which meant I could get on with fitting things.

Just one thing, though…

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What the hoohah am I supposed to do with this gap at the bottom of the top feed pipes? I understand some sheeting was fitted, but wouldn't it be fitted around the pipes as they duck behind the tanks? Until I get some clearer evidence of what this is supposed to look like, I shall leave well alone.

Anyway, I've reported my findings back to HQ.

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Meanwhile, we now have a replacement lubricator. JB's photos are very useful, but I have elected to ignore attaching pipework on this build. The reasons are mainly I can't work it out clearly, and you won't see it with the lid on anyway. The new regulator lever looks the biz, although the stuffing box is entirely wrong. Again, the gloom factor will have to suffice. That's the cab complete, aside from some paint and the spectacles.

Work is now progressing fitting handrails and various detail castings round the front of the running plate. If I'm not careful I'll have to get the paint shop warmed up soon.
 

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
Ah, yes, front details.

A couple of nice big castings go in ahead of the tanks. I think they're something to do with the valve gear mechanism, and look like they ought to have a shaft between them - though I can find no sign of such a shaft in any photos!

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You can just see the cast bolted plate behind the front splasher. I guess that'll need to be filed away, because it is absolutely definitely going to cause a short by touching the back of the leading driving wheel! I think there ought to be an oil box tucked in behind the splasher, too. Time to study some more photos!
 

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
13364205374_de2431e204_b.jpgP8030279 by gbendell, on Flickr

Hmm. It appears I would be better off simply sanding the cast top feed pipes off the boiler and substituting something better from the top feed cover down. Who knew the top feeds ran along the tank tops to the cab? Oh, it was only me that didn't know that. I see.
 

SimonT

Western Thunderer
Heather,
as you now realise the top feed pipes ran under the bit of casing on some locos. The pipes disappear into the top of the tank just ahead of the mushroom vent on most locos. 5224 has the vent further back. This is known as Swindon standardisation.

The big castings on the footplate ahead of the tanks do not have a shaft between them. Instead there is an arm that drops down which is moved by the valve gear; the top of the casting holds a shaft which has an arm at either end both inside and outside the frames. The arm outside the frames moves the valve rod backwards and forwards. It is visible on the GA but scarcely in the gloom under the boiler. The casting should rest on an extension of the main frames which would avoid the shorting issue.

Do you think the replacement boiler is worth the effort? I am considering my first attempt at a making a coned boiler from NS sheet, partly because the resin smokebox is a bigger diameter than my two DA 52XX.

Nice cab!
Simon
 

Scale7JB

Western Thunderer
Heather, the big castings are for the valve timing off of the eccentrics between the frames..

They transfer the eccentric motion from the inside of the frames on the axles to the outside of the frames and then on to the steam chests above the cylinders..

JB.
 

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
as you now realise the top feed pipes ran under the bit of casing on some locos. The pipes disappear into the top of the tank just ahead of the mushroom vent on most locos. 5224 has the vent further back. This is known as Swindon standardisation.

Thanks Simon. Yes, I now understand how the top feed pipework runs, so I'm merrily setting about the new casting with various drills!

I think it might be worth tapping Laurie for a replacement boiler. You never know. Mind the flange strip on the firebox though. It's a little fragile. Ask me how I know this!

JB, Simon, thanks for the explanation of the mechanics of the valve gear. I had sort of worked most of it out from the frame drawing I have and the various photos. If one were to be fitting full inside gubbins, then the castings would let the machinery fit nicely, I would think.

I think I have fitted the incorrect mushroom vents, but they'll stay that way now. In most other respects, once I've done the boiler fittings, sorted out how to mount the injectors, and knocked up something resembling the brake operating mechanism under the bunker, run an ATC conduit down the driver's side hanging bar, added coupling storage hooks, brake pipework and couplings, I ought to be nearly ready for paint.

I'll keep saying that until it happens! Plain BR black, late crest, ex-works for the client to weather as he sees fit.
 

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
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Most of the tank top and boiler fittings are done. The front handrail, chimney, steam pipes remain to be fitted, but there is still some fiddling about going on around that area.

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I have decided those etched lamp brackets have to go. The brackets on the bunker are brass castings, so it seems a shame to spoil things while I have the castings to hand. While opening out the buffer housings for a nice sliding fit of the steel heads three of them came adrift. The fourth remained resolutely stuck to the buffer plank, as you can see. Obviously, this was the one I refitted earlier in the build after it had come adrift… heigh-ho. The coupling stowage hook ought to be fitted on the bottom right bolt of the housing, but I drew a line at attempting that. Somewhere in the vicinity will be a vacuum bag stowage connector, but the ATC shoe and vac brake pipe has been fitted. Ah, the ATC shoe casting. Thereby hangs a tale.

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I merrily soldered the shoe in place on the back of the buffer plank. Of course, when I tried to fit the chassis, it fouled the shoe by jamming the pony truck into it. Some whizzy disc action shaved some of the casting back, so at least the truck now swings, but not quite "like a pendulum do".

Meanwhile, at t'other end…

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A spot of hole drilling had to be undertaken for the grab rails and lamp brackets. With the vac pipe and coupling stowage hook, just the buffers to refit. I have also refitted the various foot steps that had come off during the initial inspection and cleaning up.

So, what's left to do? Not a great deal, if I'm honest, so I've decided the rest of this week should be devoted to attempting to finish the beast and get it ready for the paint shop.

Things left to do:
  • Fit driving wheel balance weights
  • Fit smokebox stays
  • Make up and fit screw couplings
  • Refit buffer housings and heads
  • Make up something believable for the under-cab vac brake mechanism
  • Make up and fit injectors
  • Make up and fit sanding pipes
  • Fit whistles (not quite as simple as it sounds)
  • Fit an ATC conduit and find out where the battery box lived
  • Paint the crew
  • Paint the loco
  • Running trials
 

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
Thank you both.

I had to say I've grown quite fond of this loco. It's a hulking great beast, even more so in the 2-8-2 form. It has a definite presence about it.

In a way, I'm rather pleased there will be a real one pottering up and down on the Kent & East Sussex one day.

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