Galteemore

As a member of the Gauge O Guild, I can rootle around the electronic archives of their publication. In the early 70s the late Drew Donaldson, whom I can just about remember, wrote some articles in his inimitable style regarding his clockwork empire. In one piece he refers to his plan to build an SLNC small tank. Given that Drew’s interests tended to lie in the southern direction, this was a new one on me. Does anyone know if he actually built it? thanks, David

Great work Tony. Impressive work in bringing it all together. Modelling a real place brings certain challenges but you’ve really captured the look of Omagh ( I speak as one who spent much of his childhood poring over my dad’s 1960s Derry road photos and his collection of Irish railway books...

I do like this one .....

Thanks Eoin - I tried the tissue paper and it worked! Loco cruises up and down nicely - albeit with sparks flying off the pickups! I suspect the p/b strip is shorting off the chassis. I’ll possibly replace with wire ones....short vid attached. Many of the problems associated with this loco are down to a single factor - the decision to regauge after the chassis was built and squared off. I didn’t want to disrupt it by removing and refitting the bearings that I had solidly soldered in, so packed out the difference with washers, which I will now adjust. The main driving axle was more complex, being a tapered fit on a tapered axle - and Slaters don’t supply the tapered axle in 36.75....I got a friendly engineer to make a new axle and he did warn me that it would require a bit of permanent fixing in the final stage of construction. In retrospect I should probably have just built the loco to 32mm gauge and sold it! After all, Shakespeare’s Titania is a proud fairy who gets her comeuppance.... But for all her quirks, she is a genuine Irish loco, with that distinctive MGWR cab and smokebox door, so a fitting way to start as an Irish modeller. It has also been a very useful test bed for techniques I can use again. Let’s just say, though, that any future loco will have at least 2 driven -or certainly coupled - axles ! IMG_1215.MOV

She’s back together. All the pickups are delivering power and the motor turns over. The only remaining problem is the single driver. The wheels are a press fit on the axles and one of them refuses to press home. So although the loco is on the rails and nicely balanced, only one wheel is actually doing any work. So the little beast just sits there with one wheel spinning. Loctite should sort it. She is already loaded with more lead than a Chicago gangster’s vocabulary so adhesion shouldn’t be a problem once both wheels turn!

Titania went on the bench tonight for stripping down. Two axles off, motor and gearbox off. Reamed out the bearings with a 4.8mm parallel broach to ensure smoothest possible surface. Solder/repaired the spring and laminated a strip of brass on top to reinforce the joint. Took off some sticky pickups and replaced with finer gauge p/b strip. Hopefully this will do the trick!

Yes, here’s that pic of 409. Shenanigans is right...the unusual numbering font, apparent right hand running, and deflectors made me think I was looking at a French loco at first!

Inspiring to see some examples of real old school modelling here. Also fascinating to see how various GB locos can be subtly altered to give the Irish look. I saw a photo in Clements/McMahon of the unique 400 class loco that got a huge Lemaitre chimney and smoke deflectors - looked a bit like a Fowler Scot!

Nice work there, always satisfying when a project draws towards a close and you get a sense of what the hard work has achieved! Handsome locos they were and yours is looking suitably purposeful.

Thanks Eoin - that’s a very helpful illustration! Starting with a single wheeler probably wasn’t the most sensible choice for my first ever loco build but on the plus side I’m learning a lot. The rear axle slides as you suggest so I hope that some kind of spring arrangement as you describe will resolve the issue. Another plus is that I have actually seen the loco running - with all the wheels touching the track and taking power. So I know that it isn’t hopeless!

I spoke too soon! Through repeated testing and adjusting since the chassis was built earlier this year, the bracket in question has weakened and tonight it snapped - you can just glimpse the bright metal to the right of the gear wheel. Too late to tackle tonight. But will strip the loco tomorrow and clean the joint area with a fibreglass pencil before soldering back together....I did also use the opportunity of having the loco upside down to stick more lead over the front axle so hopefully when all does go back together it will work better....thankfully I know at least one other builder - who is incredibly skilled and can make such beasts as 8Fs from scratch - who has really struggled with this little kit!

Thanks David - it does indeed pivot on that axle. The rear carrying axle is movable on a springy brass bracket meaning that small adjustments can change the downward pressure on the front axle.

Just a quick update. I tried a little fettling of the bearings and have taken some pressure off the pickups. I also gave her a cab floor made of lead! A small roll of lead has also been araldited inside the white metal boiler backhead. This gravity enhancement has helped a little and she seems a bit more responsive now. Just as well she’s only intended to handle a brace of 6 wheelers at most! And I know the rear buffer is missing - thankfully I know where it’s gone!

Not my scale, Richard, but a most interesting development - and fairly reasonably priced. Thanks for posting - I can see these vehicles making an appearance on the forum in various guises!

Thanks for posting, David - looks good. Gives the impression of the real thing: and those prototype pictures are delightful! And I am discovering for myself what an amazing scenic tool talc is....

Hi Dave - prob best to look here to start with...

Lovely job, Eoin. I love those small GNRI 4-4-0s -so elegant !

Thanks! And you’re right, if Eoin says that it must be right....

Thanks David - I splashed out on a decent parallel broach so may try that on the bearings. I am very fortunate to work 5 minutes away from a professional loco builder who has agreed to look at it tomorrow. I know that this wheel arrangement can be problematic, and Richard Chown’s version of this loco was driven on the carrying axles rather than the single wheel. Many of the key issues are already in place - the loco seems to pick up current from each wheel, all the wheels touch the track, and the driving wheel turns quite happily at low speed. So I’m hoping only a little fettling is required...I do like that idea about the compensated axle.

Looks really effective !

Also beginning to envisage building the layout now....

Thanks David! Sounds like a good plan for the track. I’ve managed to get the loco to move but the front and rear wheels stick a bit - not sure how to sort that. But you will probably be pleased to see another 36.75 loco on the rails! Short vid enclosed.... IMG_1171.MOV

A huge leap in progress today - by tackling two jobs that I’d been avoiding....track and a working loco. Both fairly key elements in a model railway... Permanent way first. The soldering is rather dodgy but that will get better. I made the mistake of using too large an iron and the joints are solid but not neat. Smaller iron next time. Excuses over, I give you...my first panel of 36.75mm track. One of the frustrations of not doing a sensible RTR project is that, well, nothing is RTR, so everything takes a bit of time to get things together. I’d put off doing track due to a bit of a hassle experienced when cutting out the jig a few months ago. But I can’t put it off for ever. So I promised/threatened myself that as soon as the station building was done I’d start on the track. And it’s the standard SLNC 45’ length so at least I know that’s right! And to cap it all off I managed to motorise my first ever Irish loco today....the prospect of fitting pickups etc rather spooked me but here’s this afternoon’s work - including a short video.... IMG_1167.MOV

Thanks Eoin - it did seem a bit of a coincidence!

Intriguingly, a similar model appeared this very week in an online O gauge mag I subscribe to....and I do agree, Eoin, it’s a very impressive loco. I do have a soft spot too for those 4-4-0s with the outside framed bogies...