Genghis's WR builds

simond

Western Thunderer
2010, Pune, Kingfisher... There wasn't a fat lot of choice but it was palatable. I particularly liked the ability to ring the bottle shop and the wallah would arrive 10 minutes later by scooter with 12 bottles of cold beer. Rs65 per bottle iirc.
 

Focalplane

Western Thunderer
I visited Burma in 1979 and stayed at the Inya Lake Hotel in Rangoon. We ordered Mandalay beer and were surprised when they brought two bottles each. The reason was simple, the bottles had lumps of white soda in the glass which allowed the beer to go flat. The waiters knew this so brought insurance with them rather than make two journeys.
 

Genghis

Western Thunderer
Progress has been a bit slow of late. Although I am supposed to be working half time, and in theory more time for modelling, paid work hours are now back over 40 a week so not much time to enjoy myself.

No pictures today.

I am happy with the cylinder arrangement and have completed the pony truck (degree in origami a useful asset for assembly). Returning to the main frames I have done the dummy valve gear. It seems that the same gear could be made to oscillate if you had the cranks for the driving axle. I did try to fit the eccentric rods but found that clearances with the compensation beam were close to non-existent so gave up. If you are building this kit with working gear, I would recommend using sprung hornblocks.

The axle bearings are retained by the springs which are three part laminations. It took me ages to decide how to fit them. I worked forward from the back as the front spring is special to accommodate the pony compensation beam (haven't a clue yet how that is supposed to work: it might be cosmetic). What I should have done was work backwards from the front, then it would have been clearer!

With that done I drilled out the holes for the pick ups. They were already in the main frames but not in the overlay.

Then onto the brake gear. I removed the remaining 15 brake shoes from the fret. The first one had been removed with the springs. I then looked for the first shoe. Strange - not in the box of as-yet-not-needed bits. Check again: still not there. Check the kit boxes. Look in depth at the now depleted etches. Not there. Check the spares box again: not there. Check the kit boxes and other containers of odds and ends with no luck. Spend an hour clearing the workbench and looking under boxes, work surface etc. Spend another 30 minutes scouring the floor without success.

Decide in despair that a new shoe will have to be fashioned from scrap etch, so put the 15 shoes into the box of as-yet-not-needed parts, where the 16th is now clearly visible.............At this point decide that some higher authority is telling me that I need to be somewhere other than the workbench, so go out. Hopefully this evening will be better.
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
Look on the bright side, it was only one brake shoe, I've managed to bag up all the inside motion castings for the Armstrong and put them some where safe, so safe that after four hours of up ending the work shop I've given in and bought some new castings from Dave at MOK.

I didnt take them off the sprue and now even questioning I had them, but reason I must as I'd have noticed before now.

There is one sure way to find your missing brake shoe, walk around the work shop bare foot, bound to find it then!
 

Genghis

Western Thunderer
.

There is one sure way to find your missing brake shoe, walk around the work shop bare foot, bound to find it then!

What really galls me is that it turned up exactly where I thought I had put it, after looking there at least 4 times............

Trisha says that there is a black hole in the crafts universe where important bits are sucked in to be spewed out later at times of maximum buggeration.

At least the workbench is a lot tidier than it was...............

Dave
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
Actually, I think its phase shifting, I scour the desk for my go to file, the one that gets used the most, and as such I take care to always put it back in the same place and its not there. So I turn around and check the desk behind, then rummage on the main desk and then look again in the usual place and lo, it has returned.

If I drop some etch part or casting theres a 90% chance it will head for the left side of my bench between the lathe bench and work bench, both have solid uprights. It's not the most direct or easiest flight path but statistically that's where it will go.

It's that spooky that I actually started jotting down how many bits got lost and how many end up there, hence the 90% figure.
 
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paulc

Western Thunderer
Actually, I think its phase shifting, I scour the desk for my go to file, the one that gets used the most, and as such I take care to always put it back in the same place and its not there. So I turn around and check the desk behind, then rummage on the main desk and then look again in the usual place and lo, it has returned.

If I drop some merch part or casting theres a 90% chance it will head for the left side of my bench between the lathe bench and work bench, both have solid uprights. It's not the most direct or easiest flight path but statistically that's where it will go.

It's that spooky that I actually started jotting down how many bits got lost and how many end up there, hence the 90% figure.
Suggestion Mick , fill the bl$$dy gap between lathe and workbench and no , not with all the lost bits as that will take too long .
Cheers Paul
 

P A D

Western Thunderer
Seems like we have all been there.
Many years ago I took my part built Acorn Britannia on a business trip to show a customer who had asked to see it. Later in the build when I came to put the smoke deflectors on, one was missing. I did all the stuff you and Mick did but still could not find it. I assumed it must have been lost at the customer's and in the end I had to modify one of the later types to match the one I still had. Two days later I found the missing one in the box! As to gaps between workbench and lathe bench, I've taped over the joint so there's not even a crack for tiny bits to fall through. Six months ago I also bough a work apron which catches most of the bits that drop off the front of the bench and would otherwise drop between my legs. It's not fool proof though.

Cheers,
Peter
 

Focalplane

Western Thunderer
Mick “loses” solder all the time! And we are not much help, none if us can ever see it.

The bare foot idea is a good one, I use it most of the time. I have also considered using the jeweller’s trick of a leather apron fixed to the front of the bench.
 

Genghis

Western Thunderer
For a variety of reasons it has been an age since I posted anything. Main reason is slow progress but the mojo has been re harnessed and now that the day job is back to 50% I will be able to model in the mornings and work for money in the afternoons.

So progress with the frames:

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I now need to work out where precisely the ATC shoe goes, injector fitting and how the pony truck attaches.

Work has started on the upper bits:
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Apologies for the tarnish: I have cleaned a bit since then but it's a thankless task here.

So onto the firebox. I discovered that I didn't have any suitably long screws or studding here and you need these for form the firebox. Gladiator supplies some spacers and I had hoped I would still have some here but I think I have recycled the ones I had. So I made some spaces from tube and 6BA fixings.

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The firebox forming was easier than I dared hope. A testament to a well-drawn kit.

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The forming spacers were removed by unsoldering the joint between screw and tube.

Then I shaped the front and added the fiddly bits.

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Will it re complete by Bristol I wonder? Half a chance I think.
 

Genghis

Western Thunderer
Reference to some photos (thanks Daifly) shows that I have got the motion bracket above the footplate wrong. The top cover should be flush with the front of the bracket not central, so I have some rework to do.

I would strongly advise fitting the reverser rod before the sanding levers. Getting to put the pin in the rod where it passes through the support bracket was rather fiddly with the sanding lever in the way.

I'll post photos later but the cab front and firebox are now fixed in place as are the sanding rods and reverser.

I am having some difficulties with location of the whitemetal castings for the valve rod support and have come to the conclusion that they are a little tall. Two reasons: they stand above the etched support and the axis of the valve rod support is above that on the chassis. Not difficult to put right. I was not sure of the orientation of the front sandbox lids until I had the bright idea of looking at the 47XX project website. This has works drawing of the GA and frames which will be an invaluable aid to anybody building this excellent kit.
 

Genghis

Western Thunderer
Boiler rolling happened before I went out to see in the New Year. Considering how I feel this morning, it was probably just as well......Anyway, once through the rollers and this was the outcome:

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Nearly the correct diameter and minimal end to end distortion. I call that a result!

Happy New Year!
 

Genghis

Western Thunderer
After a relatively quiet period the last week certainly has seen progress, even if New Year day was a wipeout caused by a lack of functioning brain cells.

I like the boiler construction with the closure piece containing the boiler band cleats. I should probably have shaped the piece before fitting it but all was well. I have discovered that the rear former is on inside out, but I think that will not be an issue.

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Smokebox next.
 

Genghis

Western Thunderer
A bout of the lurgy has slowed things down a bit, but I am at the stage of adding boiler furniture.

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Now:

HELP PLEASE!!!

There are some holes in the front section of the footplate and I have no idea what they might be for:

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Whilst it is conceivable that the two larger ones might be drain holes(???) the smaller ones look like they should be for pipe runs but I can see nothing on any drawing or photo. Any suggestions please?

While I am still in 'display my ignorance' mode, where do the cast whitemetal firebox side covers (WM17) fit? No prizes for suggesting the side of the firebox............
Dave
edit for typos
 

SimonT

Western Thunderer
Dave,
both are easy. First, the firebox side covers go on the firebox/footplate joint in front of the rear spasher. The front edge of the cover should align with the front edge of the firebox cladding after the fillet to the front of the firebox. Not all locos had them, so a photo is a must. Second, the holes in the front drop plate - no idea! I've found a photo of a fire shovle in that position but nothing else. Nothing shows in that position on the original Swindon GA.
Simon
 

Genghis

Western Thunderer
The aftermath of the lurgy is still taking its toll but the upper body works forward of the spectacle plate are probably complete (bar cleaning....)

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I had been dreading the one piece handrail but it went better than I expected. some final smoothing required around the smokebox door. The cruel lens of the camera is great for showing what the eye doesn't see.
I still have to fill the spurious holes.
Cab sides etc have been cut out ready so I am hoping that this week will see completion of the body works. Will it be ready for Bristol? Still 50:50 I think.
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
Try two pieces of hand rail and join inside the smoke box centre fixing, a dab of solder will easily hold the two halves in place, or, break it into three, smoke box front and the two side pieces. I rarely form handrails in one piece now.....life's too short :p

I've got a 47xx in the stash to do shortly, so watching this with interest :thumbs:
 
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