GSR Class 551 / J26 ECMbuild in 7mm

[murrayec]

So a very nice man gave me a Leinster Models Gauge O J26 'Bat' kit, its stamped out tinplate and brass kit old style- amazing! I'm eventually building something for me and I want to complete it soon in appreciation to the chap whom gave it to me.

Wheels, motor, and chassis fittings were ordered last week, the wheels and bearings arrived yesterday from Slaters- I was a bit limited on choice they only had 14 spoke in 4' 6'', it should be 16 spoke but only option for that was a bigger wheel so I stuck to wheel size. Today I set about preparing the drive rods to use as a jig to set the axle bearing centres in the chassis frames.

After working out a chassis drawing I started to mark up the rods for machining , the rods are supplied pre drilled! the blue one in the photo. While marking out I found the drilled holes were way over size for the Slater crank-pin bushes and realised that the hole centres between each rod did not line up! So I bit the bullet and made a new set, drilled to the correct centres and the drilled hole size a nice fit for the bushes - they are the two above the blue one in the photo.

So marked out again, the rods have a slight bow shape and I hope to replicate this, its very slight, hence the double lines in the markings. The oil cups will be there also- if that's what their called?

All bolted up and ready for a bit of milling to remove the waste and then its down to files to get the shape.

Eoin

Edited November 8, 2017 by murrayec

[jhb171achill]

ooooohhh!!

[murrayec]

Yes Jhb,

I said the same when the bag of bits was given to me

Eoin

[Garfield]

Nice one, Eoin! @Warbonnet is slowly working his way through one of those kits, too. 

[Weshty]

You have a mill??   V. impressed.

[murrayec]

23 minutes ago, Weshty said:

You have a mill??   V. impressed.

Weshty

You got to get one of these, it transforms the workshop capabilities

Eoin

[murrayec]

27 minutes ago, Garfield said:

Nice one, Eoin! @Warbonnet is slowly working his way through one of those kits, too. 

Hi Pat

He was posting stuff up, but not seen anything of recent, get him to post it up

Eoin

[Warbonnet]

20 minutes ago, murrayec said:

Hi Pat

He was posting stuff up, but not seen anything of recent, get him to post it up

Eoin

Yes, long stalled, but am awaiting a much improved chassis from Jeremy which I asked about when I saw him at Blackrock so once I secure that I’ll be on the home stretch

[Weshty]

Oh dear lord, that's just so....desirable.

[Georgeconna]

Gonna follow this one Eoin. The rod a fishbelly type I think there called. Nice few evenings work in front of you. Do you need an apprentice by any chance

 

[Mike 84C]

Oh dear, severe workshop envy I have,  makes a very ancient Unimat, look,  very ancient! and such an organized work place. Must start a major re tidy! 

[Broithe]

30 minutes ago, Mike 84C said:

such an organized work place.

The card-index filing cabinet - well worth looking out for - enough drawers to organise stuff logically, and shallow enough to find things in - perfect.

I have a few, of varying depths, and they are just the best way to store tools.

[murrayec]

Hi

I have a card-index A4 one, it's as you say very handy but they are very expensive, even second hand they are.

Lidl, every so often do a metal A4 under office desk unit, with 6 drawers and wheels , its for about €35.00, I've got two of them and I need more! it's a more economical option....

Eoin

[Broithe]

They do turn up - as offices computerised, I got two free ones and another tall one for £25 last year.

[murrayec]

The motor, gearbox and buffers arrived today, so I was able to finalise decisions on the chassis make-up

So time to bash some metal, first the chassis frame .8mm tinplate parts were soldered together and sized up in line with my chassis drawing, 145 deg solder for this and just around the edges

After marking up the position of the central axle one of the drive rods was set up on the frames to spot the holes through for drilling the frame bearing holes

and then drilling the bearing holes

After drilling the holes the rest of the marking out was done with reference to these holes, then more drilling, milling, hand cutting, filing, and I ended up with all these parts

The frame spacers are cut from .4mm tinplate, scored and folded 90deg for extra strength. The tinplate buffer beams were 10mm deep which is way two large according to the drawing- should be 6mm deep, so I reduced them down to 7mm the same size as the buffer shank plates- not to sure about those buffers their a tad short so may revisit that!

A few holes needed to be drilled in the frame spacers, separate the frames and then I'm soldering it up

Eoin

 

Edited November 11, 2017 by murrayec

[murrayec]

Frames parted and cleaned up with files n emery paper on a stick

Axle bearing holes were checked for fit

The frame spacers 90 deg folds were treated to a nice fillet of solder

and then soldering the frames commenced, working with tacking the spacers to the frames first, checking the angles and then soldered complete, front n rear spacers first with one to each frame

All done except the fire grate and grate sides inside the frames- hard to photo on the phone- shiny thing.....

Setting up the axle jig to solder the axle bearings in

All jigged up with the drive rods installed

Sit the jig axles on something straight n level- very tiny rock across the jig diagonally, shall remove that as the bearings are soldered in this set up- jiggery-poke stuff again

Have to put it away now- looks cool- I like doing stuff like this, especially if it works

Eoin

 

Edited November 11, 2017 by murrayec

[RedRich]

Truly amazing work sir. It's so interesting as well as it makes you think, surely that's the essence of model making having someone watch and say I would love to have a go.

Rich,

 

[murrayec]

Thanks Rich

That's how it all started for me- one of my uncials had a workshop/garage- he'd potter about with the lawn mower, car, and a funny looking machine mounted on a table that hinged down to allow the car in. He made lock mechanisms on this machine- it was a lathe, I found out many years later when it was given to me. He did a lot of pipe smoking, the girls of the house did not allow that indoors, so he was out there all the time. When we used to visit there I watched and listening to him, what he was doing I thought - I would love to have a go....

Eoin

Edited November 13, 2017 by murrayec

[RedRich]

You obviously learned from a master Eoin.

Rich,

[Georgeconna]

This modelling Makes plastic a resin kits look like girls stuff. Love these threads.

[RedRich]

4 minutes ago, Georgeconna said:

This modelling Makes plastic a resin kits look like girls stuff. Love these threads.

TBH George having seen your recent work especially on Des's ploughs and flats it has been really inspiring too.                                                                                   Rich

[Georgeconna]

Cheers Rich. I'd have to tackle frames and wheel set up again for me Bandon tank and finally get that running so these picture are definately a kick in the Arse. I might get a Quartering jig though to help me with that. This stuff is the good few steps above Meccano but I was only mucking about with that last week and forgot how therapeutic it was!.

Just heard one of my friends is after winning a gold Medal in IPMS Scale Model World in Telford for a Model Car today, thing is he only started modelling a few months back and produces some excellent stuff. I seem to be threading Water!!

 

[Mayner]

3 hours ago, murrayec said:

Frames parted and cleaned up with files n emery paper on a stick

Axle bearing holes were checked for fit

The frame spacers 90 deg folds were treated to a nice fillet of solder

and then soldering the frames commenced, working with tacking the spacers to the frames first, checking the angles and then soldered complete, front n rear spacers first with one to each frame

All done except the fire grate and grate sides inside the frames- hard to photo on the phone- shiny thing.....

Setting up the axle jig to solder the axle bearings in

All jigged up with the drive rods installed

Sit the jig axles on something straight n level- very tiny rock across the jig diagonally, shall remove that as the bearings are soldered in this set up- jiggery-poke stuff again

Have to put it away now- looks cool- I like doing stuff like this, especially if it works

Eoin

 

Nice to see a good step by step guide in chassis assembly, the Leinster Models kits were just a step removed from scratchbuilding.

Its good to see that you milled out the chassis to the correct profile, the lightning holes in the frames are such a distinctive feature of the smaller MGWR locos.

Traditional method was to solder the two frame blanks together and cut the frames to shape using a Piercing Saw and needle files.

 

[murrayec]

Thanks guys

There was a bit of traditional in there also

Eoin

[murrayec]

Next was to solder in the axle bushes and do a test fit of the Slater axles n wheels

Then the drive rods n crank pin bushes to see if everything lines up, rolls across the bench beautifully

Gearbox all soldered up

Test fitted the motor and gearbox to chassis to work out spacers required to keep the wheel gear in line with the pinion gear on the motor

Spacer arrangement and a little flat milled on the axle for the grub screw to seat on

OOOH nice little thing

First run of motor and gearbox, a bit noisy at first, with slight adjustment of the gears it runs smooth

Drive rods back on, bolt it up and oil it and on to the rolling road

Opening the regulator

It runs beautifully and no adjustment needed- amazing

Eoin

[RedRich]

Superb Eoin, also it's the pace that the build is moving at that really has you say wow. Those that model the steam era and build locos are among the best of all modellers irrespective of gauge.

Rich,

[David Holman]

Not surprised to see the model going together well, Eoin. Did my one using the Tyrconnel/Alphagraphix kit. A relatively simple affair [like me], seem to remember it only took about 40 hours start to finish - painting & weathering included. Runs extremely well, which still surprises me as the chassis was a single fold up etch, several levels below your workshop practice!

[murrayec]

Hi David

Great photo for reference

What is the tube beside the cab door for? I see it on some of the photos of this and other class...

Eoin

[Mayner]

5 hours ago, murrayec said:

Hi David

Great photo for reference

What is the tube beside the cab door for? I see it on some of the photos of this and other class...

Eoin

The tube seems to have been a common feature on the drivers side of MGWR locos, possibly as a holder for the section staff on single lines.

John

[minister_for_hardship]

5 hours ago, Mayner said:

The tube seems to have been a common feature on the drivers side of MGWR locos, possibly as a holder for the section staff on single lines.

John

Oddly enough, there's a similar sized tube attached to the inside of the cab of 'Merlin'.

[Glenderg]

Fabulous stuff Eoin, my first real opportunity to properly catch up with stuff folk are at. Your workshop is immaculate (unlike my Somme-esque landscape in Crumlin  ) Have to say I love all the jigs and helpers - are they all home-brew or picked up over time, they certainly look careworn and top quality. Rich. 

[murrayec]

Hi Rich

Thanks

The jigs are home spun- the soldering clamp unit is a new one in hardwood, the old mdf one started to bloat with the flux getting into the mdf!!. The rolling road was built at the time of the Scot chassis build. I reckon spending the time to jig something is time well spent if the work can be put together accurately, and saves time in avoiding undoing or tidying up a mess if things go wrong without jigging

Eoin

[Glenderg]

Totally agreed. The only ones I've ever made were for Bredin MK2 roof profiles at 10'3" (i think?) and though they took weeks to build, they've served well , and still do. Keep on trucking, these are inspiring posts. R 

[David Holman]

By the way - is it the right gauge?

[murrayec]

Sorry David!

I fustered over this question for a number of days! eventually I decided to stick with standard Gauge O, the reasoning is that all my other Gauge O stuff is standard and all the track I've bought for the garden is standard......

I'm not eliminating broad gauge- I have plans for a display shunting layout and that will be 'The Right Gauge'

Eoin