Yorkshire Dave
Western Thunderer
I'll dig my model out and have a look see..... and take some photos which may assist.
USATC S100
- Thread starter spikey faz
- Start date
I'll dig my model out and have a look see..... and take some photos which may assist.
spikey faz
Western Thunderer
Yorkshire Dave
Western Thunderer
Okeeee... I've been all over my model and can't see that I've used that part.... sorry 
. In my instructions it just says 'Form bar which supports floor and solder in place'.
However all is not lost........ I backtracked to one of your earlier photos and think is this part (arrowed). I'll come back the the area the bottom of the bunker I have circled.
And in true BBC News fashion.... 'Please look away from your screen now if you don't want to seethe results dodgy soldering'.
I ditched that part in the end and replaced it with a less deep piece of brass bar as the cab floor is at top step level rather than and bottom of cab level and did the same and the rear of the steps.
The cab floor is arrowed in orange and the replacement brass bar I used instead is arrowed white.
Now returning to the rear bunker base I noted earlier I filled the incorrect cut away with a piece of brass bar and filed the corners to shape. The photos below (also one cropped from t'interweb) shows the additional pieces I soldered on. One was a thin strip along the top of the steps and the other was two short sections of brass strip under each cab side which protrudes slighty at the front to support the tanks.
And finally one of the rear of the cab with the deeper window.
I trust this assists....
. In my instructions it just says 'Form bar which supports floor and solder in place'.However all is not lost........ I backtracked to one of your earlier photos and think is this part (arrowed). I'll come back the the area the bottom of the bunker I have circled.
And in true BBC News fashion.... 'Please look away from your screen now if you don't want to see
I ditched that part in the end and replaced it with a less deep piece of brass bar as the cab floor is at top step level rather than and bottom of cab level and did the same and the rear of the steps.
The cab floor is arrowed in orange and the replacement brass bar I used instead is arrowed white.
Now returning to the rear bunker base I noted earlier I filled the incorrect cut away with a piece of brass bar and filed the corners to shape. The photos below (also one cropped from t'interweb) shows the additional pieces I soldered on. One was a thin strip along the top of the steps and the other was two short sections of brass strip under each cab side which protrudes slighty at the front to support the tanks.
And finally one of the rear of the cab with the deeper window.
I trust this assists....
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spikey faz
Western Thunderer
Brilliant stuff Dave! 
The pictures in the kit instructions are terrible, so your photos are very helpful.
Cheers
Mike
The pictures in the kit instructions are terrible, so your photos are very helpful.
Cheers
Mike
spikey faz
Western Thunderer
I spent a few hours this afternoon trying to get the cab soldered together. @Yorkshire Dave provided me with the impetus to get this done and I don't think I could have done it without his pictures!
Half the time was spent unsoldering and then resoldering parts in an effort to try and line everything up. Currently it looks like it's being cut up in a breakers yard, but I'm confident that I can make more progress.
Boiler assembly is just in placed in position, but not fixed as yet.
Mike
Half the time was spent unsoldering and then resoldering parts in an effort to try and line everything up. Currently it looks like it's being cut up in a breakers yard, but I'm confident that I can make more progress.
Boiler assembly is just in placed in position, but not fixed as yet.
Mike
Yorkshire Dave
Western Thunderer
I can empathise - putting the cab together is like working in zero gravity as eveything appears to be floating away from you. At the time it felt like hold parts A and B while solding part C and adding parts D and E at the same time - making sure everything is square..... I needed about three pairs of hands!
. It's a typical US loco as there is no running plate as a solid foundation or datum.Good going though Mike - you're making a better job than I did with mine - especially with less than helpful instructions. This kit would have been a good test for The Krypton Factor or The Crystal Maze
.I presume the connecting rods on final assembly will be the correct way round with the jointed section at the front.
Yorkshire Dave
Western Thunderer
Mine was built for 32mm gauge and one thing I ended up doing was using a countersunk screw for the coupling rod screw on the leading driver as I found there wasn't enough clearance when using the normal fixing - it kept knocking.
As your models is S7 with yet tighter clearances it may be something you might wish to consider.
Edited for correction to terminology.
As your models is S7 with yet tighter clearances it may be something you might wish to consider.
Edited for correction to terminology.
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Overseer
Western Thunderer
To avoid confusion amongst readers it helps to use the correct names for the rods - connecting rods connect the pistons to the wheels, coupling rods couple the wheels together.
I was going to apologise for being pedantic but I think this is a fundamental that is often muddled. Nice model btw.
Yorkshire Dave
Western Thunderer
Thanks for the correction to a schoolboy error. Now edited for correct terminology.
Just shows how long I've been put of touch building steam locos.
Just shows how long I've been put of touch building steam locos.
spikey faz
Western Thunderer
Hi @Yorkshire Dave
Thanks for pointing out that I'd got the coupling rods back to front.
Sadly, as I found out last night, simply reversing them led to the whole thing locking up solid! 
My fault for not paying attention (at school I was always the one gazing out the window when I should have been listening to how algebra was going to solve everything!). But, I have a cunning plan, so watch this space.
I totally agree that many extra hands would have helped with the cab construction. I ended up tack-soldering the various bits in place to allow for the inevitable repositioning. Not helped by part of the etching breaking off, although to be fair the instructions do refer to the fragility of these particular parts.
The bunker sides are still awaiting proper alignment, and who knows what other mysteries await me!
Mike
Thanks for pointing out that I'd got the coupling rods back to front.
Sadly, as I found out last night, simply reversing them led to the whole thing locking up solid! My fault for not paying attention (at school I was always the one gazing out the window when I should have been listening to how algebra was going to solve everything!). But, I have a cunning plan, so watch this space.I totally agree that many extra hands would have helped with the cab construction. I ended up tack-soldering the various bits in place to allow for the inevitable repositioning. Not helped by part of the etching breaking off, although to be fair the instructions do refer to the fragility of these particular parts.
The bunker sides are still awaiting proper alignment, and who knows what other mysteries await me!
Mike
spikey faz
Western Thunderer
My cunning plan (see above) was simply to do a cut 'n shut on the coupling rods.
That's a win for me!
I also found time to start shaping the back of the bunker.
Mike
That's a win for me!
I also found time to start shaping the back of the bunker.
Mike
spikey faz
Western Thunderer
The cast cylinder block was still annoying me, so I've had a go at making my own.
Time will tell if it's better than the kit casting.
Mike
Time will tell if it's better than the kit casting.
Mike
spikey faz
Western Thunderer
Unless I've misread the instructions it appears I need to cut a few mil out of the mainframes to allow the cylinder block to move back its correct place.
The picture below should indicate how far out it is at the mo!
Mike
The picture below should indicate how far out it is at the mo!
Mike
spikey faz
Western Thunderer
Cheers Rob!
spikey faz
Western Thunderer
It's another voyage of discovery!
I tapped all the way through the crosshead and con-rod with a 14ba tap.
A 14ba screw holds it all together and a smidge of Loctite 243 stops it coming undone.
The screw heads have since been ground off.
Mike
Yorkshire Dave
Western Thunderer
Unless I've misread the instructions it appears I need to cut a few mil out of the mainframes to allow the cylinder block to move back its correct place.
The picture below should indicate how far out it is at the mo!
Yes you will have to remove a few mm from the chassis to locate the cylinders in the correct place.
I've just compared the chassis which was in my kit......
.......with yours from a photo earlier in the thread.
It looks like the new kit owners (Acorn) either revised the etching requirments or this was the original and mine was a modified one and the owners (Oakville) at this time did not document the etching revision notes to pass on.
spikey faz
Western Thunderer
As @Yorkshire Dave has previously mentioned, lining the cab/boiler/chassis up is far from easy.
I'll be taking 2.5mm off the front and back of the chassis in an effort to get everything properly aligned.
I can find no sign of a cast backhead in the box, and nothing is mentioned about this in the instructions. Comparison of the assembled boiler to published plans clearly shows there should be something there!
So, looks like I'll have to make one from scratch. I've failed to find any photos of the backhead or the general cab interior. If anyone has any pictures they'd care to share with me, that would be great.
Mike
I'll be taking 2.5mm off the front and back of the chassis in an effort to get everything properly aligned.
I can find no sign of a cast backhead in the box, and nothing is mentioned about this in the instructions. Comparison of the assembled boiler to published plans clearly shows there should be something there!
So, looks like I'll have to make one from scratch. I've failed to find any photos of the backhead or the general cab interior. If anyone has any pictures they'd care to share with me, that would be great.
Mike