David's Workbench

[Galteemore]

Straight and level on the track is always good! Looking good with that bogie and rear truck detailing 

[David Holman]

Starting to look like an engine

 

 First job this time was to fit the motor and pickups. Normally make up the latter as I go along, but this time I actually thought about it first and soldered both the pickup and electrical wires on [2 different temperature solders], before gluing the copper clad to the frames. A frame spacer means the latter is split in two for each side, with a further piece on the frame spacer to take the electrical wires on their way to the motor. This part meant that when I got the polarity wrong [only 50-50, so why do I do it every time?], I didn't need to unsolder the wires from the motor terminals and risk damage. I've also used the wire runs to hold the motor in place, as seen below.

 The pick ups still need adjusting, but the chassis runs ok now under its own power.

 So, back to the bodywork. 

 No boiler is supplied as part of the etches, so it was a case of rolling my own. This is where a GW Models Rolling Machine comes in so useful. In the scrap box, I also found two brass discs of exactly the right size to use as inner formers for the boiler. Soldered some brass strip in the centre to take an 8ba bolt for lining the firebox end up with the cab front.

 Next was making the inner sides for the water tanks. Just rectangle of 15thou brass, though I added a couple of additional bits of brass to the inside faces to rest the tank tops on. A piece of round brass rod went in the inside front corners too, so these could be rounded like the outer corners. The tank tops won't be fitted until after I know how much lead will need adding to help adhesion.

 The latest piece to be done is the smokebox. This is a single fold up etch, plus the wrapper, which needs rolling to shape. Happily the latter is just a half circle with straight sides - so no nasty reverse curves to form. Soldered up, it proved to be slightly bigger than the boiler, but by adding a wrapper to the end of the boiler [one millimetre longer than the smokebox, so it protrudes slightly, it works out pretty well.

 Nothing is fixed in place yet, but the main superstructure is shaping up. A long way to go yet though, with the firebox and cab details, coal bunker and a host of other details including all the boiler fittings too.

[Tullygrainey]

Lovely lovely!

[David Holman]

 Pretty much used up all the etches this week, so everything else on the loco is now scrapbox or scratch building. There were two small square etches that I had no idea about until I finally came across a picture of No 10's bunker and there they were.

 Other etches make up the firebox, sandboxes and cab steps, while the bunker extension etch includes some neat  points for using the rivet press.

 Inspired by Galteemore's  recent post on the PP's cab, I spent a mostly happy morning today, cobbling together bits and pieces for the firebox and other controls. Nothing fancy, as only a representation is needed, given that it will be a pretty enclosed space, especially once the crew and roof are in place.

 I found a few useful castings in the scrap box, while a brass washer was used to make one of the gauges. Copper wire from multi strand cable makes the pipework, while a cut down point lever suffices as the reversing lever. Looking through photos, it appears that Swilly locos were right hand drive, with lever, rather than screw reverse, though am happy to stand corrected.

 The list of details runs to at least 30 odd items, so lots still to do!

[Mol_PMB]

Superb! lovely work there. A bit of improvisation from bits in stock is always very rewarding, and the result is excellent.

[Galteemore]

Very tidy backhead David. Something rather lovely about glimpsing that worn copper and brass through the cab doorway. The firebox door looks like it could work ! 

Edited Friday at 21:14 by Galteemore

[Paul 34F]

David,

There is a picture of the cab of the LLSR No. 12, the big 4-8-0, on the Irish Railway section of the transportsofdelights.smugmug.com website.

It might be of interest.

Paul

 

[David Holman]

Thanks Paul. Not a million miles away, but if I ever do a 4-8-0, there will be no excuses!