Nick Dunhill
Western Thunderer
Looks good so far....
dibateg
Western Thunderer
So ... moving on and beginning to fit out the tender detail. You could drive a tube train through the holes for the handrail knobs, so these were all plugged with short lengths of fine brass tube. Everything sort of fits, but location slots are somewhat wide, so it does allow for adjustment.. I also fitted Griffin lamp irons and MOK self contained buffers. The fire iron tunnel is not quite right and the coal divider took a bit of fettling to fit. I also relocated the forward lifting eyes from the bunker sides to the back of the bulkhead and scratched up some mounting plates. Oh - and I also made a new toolbox roof as it was noticed at the Heyside gathering on Wednesday that my first attempt, was well, lumpy really...
dibateg
Western Thunderer
What to do on a rainy Sunday? - Ah yes, finish the Crostie tender. Well, nearly, I just need brake pull rods and crank from Ragstone ( I forgot those in the last order ) .Items of note:-
The ladder had huge holes for the rungs, so each was plugged with brass tube and filed up clean, then 0.7mm rings fitted.
Coal spray protective angle on the back of the bulkhead. Yep - I've left the pipe off...
Modified Ragstone brake gear ( as the hangers are designed to fit to the outside frames as per prototype ), each assembly has the hanger mounting pips soldered into the ends of brass tube, which is then soldered to the frames.
The axlebox castings have slightly more detail than the DJH ones, as they have the mounting plate represented for the spring hangers.
I also added the little 2 port oiler on the frames just behind the front steps - I think they are Griffin castings.
The underframe stretchers screw to angle section on the inside of the frames - the rear one is trapped by the scoop lifting rods, so rattles around loose until it's screwed in place.
Not the neatest view underneath, but only you and I have seen that..
The ladder had huge holes for the rungs, so each was plugged with brass tube and filed up clean, then 0.7mm rings fitted.
Coal spray protective angle on the back of the bulkhead. Yep - I've left the pipe off...
Modified Ragstone brake gear ( as the hangers are designed to fit to the outside frames as per prototype ), each assembly has the hanger mounting pips soldered into the ends of brass tube, which is then soldered to the frames.
The axlebox castings have slightly more detail than the DJH ones, as they have the mounting plate represented for the spring hangers.
I also added the little 2 port oiler on the frames just behind the front steps - I think they are Griffin castings.
The underframe stretchers screw to angle section on the inside of the frames - the rear one is trapped by the scoop lifting rods, so rattles around loose until it's screwed in place.
Not the neatest view underneath, but only you and I have seen that..
john lewsey
Western Thunderer
Looks pretty good to me
adrian
Flying Squad
It's certainly clean enough to be a Beeson loco - the bodywork at least. Not so sure about the chassis - although the coupling rods are correctly fluted the bosses aren't as neat as I'd expect them to be.
I've been lucky enough to handle a couple of Beeson loco's when working for my Dad - it's the internal details that impressed me. A lot of the details were fixed with screws so they could easily be removed and quite of the few complex shapes were formed using copper sheet which is slightly unusual for scratch building in this scale.
I've been lucky enough to handle a couple of Beeson loco's when working for my Dad - it's the internal details that impressed me. A lot of the details were fixed with screws so they could easily be removed and quite of the few complex shapes were formed using copper sheet which is slightly unusual for scratch building in this scale.
richard carr
Western Thunderer
If it a Beeson loco the wheels should have white metal centres
Richard
Richard
warren haywood
Western Thunderer
And the lettering will be hand painted
dibateg
Western Thunderer
Loco Chassis:- I toyed with the idea of fitting Slaters hornblocks, but decided to go with the compensation as designed in the kit - it work ok on the MOK Ivatts, yes with fewer wheels I know. As designed it seemed to take up a lot of space and have the potential to be wobbly, so I changed it so that the axle compensation beams are flush against the frames. They were blackened so that when soldering in the bearings it didn't all stick together. lets see if it works.
pete waterman
Western Thunderer
Sorry to say its not a Beeson. We know must of the locos he made and the one give away as Richard pointed out is the wheels.
warren haywood
Western Thunderer
Pete, could it be built by the bloke who made your T9 which I painted.
Looks very simolar
pete waterman
Western Thunderer
That's what I thought I cant remember his name.
pete waterman
Western Thunderer
Warren I've just looked at mine your spot on it is. It was built by a model shop in Guildford a lad who worked for me it was his Dad shop.
dibateg
Western Thunderer
The chassis work continues, I used the Hobby Holidays jig to assemble the frames - not easy when the bearing positions are already fixed in place, but it helps get things square. I don't like motion arrangements that are permanently attached to the chassis. Giving it some thought overnight, I decided the cylinders don't need to come off as long as the slide bars can. So the slidebar bracket is bolted to the frame via a screw which being in the darker recesses won't be seen. I shortened the cylinder wrappers - they don't need to go all the way to the frames and it makes them far easier to fit. There is some cleaning up to do now on those cylinder ends. I'm using Ragstone slidebars and crossheads, they are crisper castings than those in the kit.
dibateg
Western Thunderer
After a week away working, its back on with the Crostie to get the frames progressed. Unfortunately after cleaning up, the cast brass cylinder covers are too small and are a bit rough in places, so it's Ragstone to the rescue again..
The two motion brackets are now on the frames. Roger had warned me that the drivers side one is too wide, so the whole thing was trimmed by about 2mm. I also thought that the vertical triangular bit that sticks up was outside the running plate flange, but on closer observation of the photos there is actually a cut out in the flange to accommodate it......
The slots to mount the firemans side were in the wrong place, but that was easily remedied using an old .6mm drill as a slot cutter. The instructions missed out the internal web that's sits just inside the big oval hole. With a bit of trimming it fitted ok. I also notice that the expansion link bracket should 'droop' down - for want of a better word rather than it's lower surface being horizontal. So that was tweaked.
So whilst I'm waiting for Telford and more Ragstone bits I began work on the running plate - nothing to report so far except that I broke the fold where the front plates drop away from the horizontal running plate to get a better join and the position better.
The two motion brackets are now on the frames. Roger had warned me that the drivers side one is too wide, so the whole thing was trimmed by about 2mm. I also thought that the vertical triangular bit that sticks up was outside the running plate flange, but on closer observation of the photos there is actually a cut out in the flange to accommodate it......
The slots to mount the firemans side were in the wrong place, but that was easily remedied using an old .6mm drill as a slot cutter. The instructions missed out the internal web that's sits just inside the big oval hole. With a bit of trimming it fitted ok. I also notice that the expansion link bracket should 'droop' down - for want of a better word rather than it's lower surface being horizontal. So that was tweaked.
So whilst I'm waiting for Telford and more Ragstone bits I began work on the running plate - nothing to report so far except that I broke the fold where the front plates drop away from the horizontal running plate to get a better join and the position better.
dibateg
Western Thunderer
Monsoon season in Wales meant a whole day on the firebox. Making up the former and shaping the cladding sheets. I put the washout plugs on the insides of the sheets instead of outside as per instructions. Photos show them as behind the cladding. Layers of etching are used to create the insets for the mud holes, which is quite effective. Apart from having to grind away clearances for stuff soldered on the insides of the sheets I rather like the way it goes together.
richard carr
Western Thunderer
I have to say that it is rather neat, but I find making those bends in the firebox cladding the difficult part, especially with those holes in the way.
Richard
Richard
dibateg
Western Thunderer
Thanks Richard, just finger pressure and the two sizes of Xacto handles that I use, taking time and constantly checking that the shape is going right..
One advantage (?) of the rubbish weather is that I've been able to crack on with the Crostie boiler. The firebox cladding went on ok, with a bit of persuasion. I made a cock up of the smokebox, opening out the slots where the 'wings' go to accept the interior former, except that the former doesn't go into the slots, they are merely a cut to allow the flair. So the remedy was to solder in some 0.6mm copper wire in to the gap to replace what I'd taken away and clean it up. The boiler took quite a lot of work as there are several inset cut outs and these are created by layers of etchings soldered in place internally. At least all the fittings can be soldered on from the inside. This is something that the one piece DJH boiler rather lacks, the cut outs for the clacks being under represented.
There's been some hefty filing in places, 'cos things sort of fit in most cases, but not always. I don't mind that, it just takes a bit more care in the assembly and it is a fascinating prototype, one I'd never build for myself. The instructions are comprehensive almost amounting to a small book and I am following them as there are several places where one could go off on completely the wrong course...
I've placed the smokebox, boiler and firebox together for the photo, but the firebox/boiler interface is going to be 'interesting' to get right and neat... that is the next job, hopefully Heyside, new bike and good weather will put that task off for a bit...
One advantage (?) of the rubbish weather is that I've been able to crack on with the Crostie boiler. The firebox cladding went on ok, with a bit of persuasion. I made a cock up of the smokebox, opening out the slots where the 'wings' go to accept the interior former, except that the former doesn't go into the slots, they are merely a cut to allow the flair. So the remedy was to solder in some 0.6mm copper wire in to the gap to replace what I'd taken away and clean it up. The boiler took quite a lot of work as there are several inset cut outs and these are created by layers of etchings soldered in place internally. At least all the fittings can be soldered on from the inside. This is something that the one piece DJH boiler rather lacks, the cut outs for the clacks being under represented.
There's been some hefty filing in places, 'cos things sort of fit in most cases, but not always. I don't mind that, it just takes a bit more care in the assembly and it is a fascinating prototype, one I'd never build for myself. The instructions are comprehensive almost amounting to a small book and I am following them as there are several places where one could go off on completely the wrong course...
I've placed the smokebox, boiler and firebox together for the photo, but the firebox/boiler interface is going to be 'interesting' to get right and neat... that is the next job, hopefully Heyside, new bike and good weather will put that task off for a bit...