7mm The Derby Line - Rolling Stock Gladiator Crab
dibateg
Western Thunderer
The B16 kit comes with a pre rolled boiler of the original Diagram 94 boiler. In this kit it formed out of Nickle/silver and is pretty unyielding, anyway I fancied doing the replacement 94A boiler which has a 6 inch longer firebox and different dome position. I was originally going model 61413, but 61412 had the later boiler, so if this works, that's the one I'll do...
@Rob Pulham was your kit in etched brass?
I riveted and rolled up the firebox, but I've run out of sheet brass for the boiler..
@Rob Pulham was your kit in etched brass?
I riveted and rolled up the firebox, but I've run out of sheet brass for the boiler..
Rob Pulham
Western Thunderer
I am pretty sure that it is Tony, but I will check and confirm after breakfast.
Rob Pulham
Western Thunderer
Yes, mine is one of yours David, and I can confirm that it has a brass body and nickel chassis.
dibateg
Western Thunderer
I had a right game with the brakes - trying to set the right distance out from the frames - then hanger position relative to the wheels. Went round in several circles... The cross beams never seem to be long enough, although they are a nice chunky thickness. I scratched up the compensator and clevises. Not a 100% accurate, but will look fine in profile...
Now it's back to the boiler.....
Now it's back to the boiler.....
Dave Holt
Western Thunderer
Don't worry, Tony, it's not just you. I had the exact same problem with the brakes on my 4 mm B1. In my case, I think the cross beams were too short because the kit accommodates EM (and 00 with mods) as well as P4. So, round and round making minor adjustments to try to get the hangers and brake blocks in just the right place.
Your loco is coming along nicely, despite the frustrations.
Dave.
Your loco is coming along nicely, despite the frustrations.
Dave.
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dibateg
Western Thunderer
Thanks Dave
It's the same with all brakes, they flop about in all directions until you get some solder dabbed on!
The new boiler material has arrived thanks to a prompt deliver from Barry at Metalsmith, it's been marked out and the smokebox rivetted...
Tomorrow... ( or today now ) .... the rolling bars.............
It's the same with all brakes, they flop about in all directions until you get some solder dabbed on!
The new boiler material has arrived thanks to a prompt deliver from Barry at Metalsmith, it's been marked out and the smokebox rivetted...
Tomorrow... ( or today now ) .... the rolling bars.............
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Dave Holt
Western Thunderer
That looks to match up very well indeed. Would have been much harder without the bending rolls.
Just noticed the intriguing looking ballance weights on the driving wheels, and made to look solid. I have to admit to only putting the etched fronts on my 4 mm stuff.
Dave.
Just noticed the intriguing looking ballance weights on the driving wheels, and made to look solid. I have to admit to only putting the etched fronts on my 4 mm stuff.
Dave.
simond
Western Thunderer
3DP is brilliant for balance weights!
dibateg
Western Thunderer
Hi Dave -
I wouldn't begin to attempt it without the rollers..
yes - I think the LNER rebalanced the B16s at some stage and added some extra segments to the traditional segments. I mix up some Milliput to fill in between the spokes and tidy it up with fine files afterwards. In 7mm it does add to the mass of the weights - although in some cases the cavities are not always filled to the top...
Regards
Tony
dibateg
Western Thunderer
It's been daily sessions to get to this stage.
Washout plug covers ( Finney7 ) , mudhole covers ( can't remember - maybe MOK ) - including that tricky one on the front corner of the firebox, which is probably a little undersize.
Sandpipes, which I alway hate fitting, I found some spare sandboxes - not quite NER ones, but they are hidden behind the step and just create some bulk there to fill the gap and provide an outlet for the pipe.
Relief valve operating rods at the front of the cylinders made up from 4mm scale signalling components!
The back of the cylinders was a little bare, but I found some glands on some spare whitemetal cylinder covers, so cut them of with a piercing saw and glued them in place. I'm sure if they are quite right, but look close enough. There is also a single outlet oiler - which might be off a Sanpareil sprue to feed the gland.
It looks like these engines lost the exhaust steam injector by BR days, so there is just some vague pipework, most of which will be hidden by the cab step - more of those later.
Boiler mountings plonked in place. Firebox noticibly longer than the diag 94 one.
It will be back to the boiler next when some bits come in the post...
Washout plug covers ( Finney7 ) , mudhole covers ( can't remember - maybe MOK ) - including that tricky one on the front corner of the firebox, which is probably a little undersize.
Sandpipes, which I alway hate fitting, I found some spare sandboxes - not quite NER ones, but they are hidden behind the step and just create some bulk there to fill the gap and provide an outlet for the pipe.
Relief valve operating rods at the front of the cylinders made up from 4mm scale signalling components!
The back of the cylinders was a little bare, but I found some glands on some spare whitemetal cylinder covers, so cut them of with a piercing saw and glued them in place. I'm sure if they are quite right, but look close enough. There is also a single outlet oiler - which might be off a Sanpareil sprue to feed the gland.
It looks like these engines lost the exhaust steam injector by BR days, so there is just some vague pipework, most of which will be hidden by the cab step - more of those later.
Boiler mountings plonked in place. Firebox noticibly longer than the diag 94 one.
It will be back to the boiler next when some bits come in the post...
dibateg
Western Thunderer
Work progresses, I turned up some new sand fillers on the lathe.
The 94A boiler was an LNER build, so there are numerous differences on the backhead when you compare it with the D94. So the first thing was to file off all the moulded detail and re-instate the firehole door which has that distinct oval shape, scratched up from various bits and pieces. I'm just waiting on some bits from Ragstone for the other details.
A rather cruel enlargement, but it will be tucked away in the cab behind a crew...
The 94A boiler was an LNER build, so there are numerous differences on the backhead when you compare it with the D94. So the first thing was to file off all the moulded detail and re-instate the firehole door which has that distinct oval shape, scratched up from various bits and pieces. I'm just waiting on some bits from Ragstone for the other details.
A rather cruel enlargement, but it will be tucked away in the cab behind a crew...
dibateg
Western Thunderer
The arrangement of the boiler protruding in to the cab in a prototypical manner is a good idea, but it relies on accurate shaping of the rear end of the firebox, which I didn't quite achieve - the rear former taking me off in the wrong direction to a degree. The answer was to unsolder the worst side from the former and allow the firebox to 'expand' into the gap. I find copper wire a great material for gap filling and re-enforcing, it can be bent easily in to shape to fit a complicated contour..
In fitting out the boiler, I found I didn't have enough room to fit the ejector pipe above the handrail where theyboth enter the cab. That led me to study the spectacles more closely to find that they are too tall and far too narrow at the bottom. So I torched them off the completed cab and cut them down.
I cut the bottoms off after some carefull measuring and made up new bottom piece from the discarded cab beading...
They are still a bit narrow at the bottom, but without comissioning a new etch I'll live with it. I made up a filler patch from some discarded half etch parts from the kit.
The second attempt at the ejector pipe is installed and the spectacles look more proportionate.
The piano front was made up from some 18thou sheet - the full thickness N/S would have been a battle...
In fitting out the boiler, I found I didn't have enough room to fit the ejector pipe above the handrail where theyboth enter the cab. That led me to study the spectacles more closely to find that they are too tall and far too narrow at the bottom. So I torched them off the completed cab and cut them down.
I cut the bottoms off after some carefull measuring and made up new bottom piece from the discarded cab beading...
They are still a bit narrow at the bottom, but without comissioning a new etch I'll live with it. I made up a filler patch from some discarded half etch parts from the kit.
The second attempt at the ejector pipe is installed and the spectacles look more proportionate.
The piano front was made up from some 18thou sheet - the full thickness N/S would have been a battle...