Nick Dunhill's workshop NGG16 Garratt

Nick Dunhill

Western Thunderer
.....Back in the workshop. I have added the vacuum tanks, some delay valves and the pipework to the brake system. Just a bit more to add when the boiler is fitted up. The tanks were made from tube and plate!

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Attention turned to the cab. The cab etching is nearly correct (!) but did need a few holes and vents filling that were in the wrong place. The strapping and cab window sliders were added and it was folded up.

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More cab and footplate next.......
 

Martin Shaw

Western Thunderer
Nick
Stunning work as always, if I may be allowed a comment about brakes and specifically WHR brakes. I don't think 87 has been converted to air at all, from the WHR/ Festiniog operational matters all passenger rolling stock and at least some WHR goods stock is vacuum braked as are all the locos, I can see no sense, nor a pump, to change 87. I wonder if differences are more to 87 being Cockerill built in the 30's and the rest by Beyer Garrett in the 50's.
Regards
Martin
 

Nick Dunhill

Western Thunderer
Sorry Martin it was my mistake. I was a bit confused by the absence of a Westing house pump or similar. I saw a pic of the underside of 87 in Dinas and I mistook the very small vac cylinder for an air brake item. The model is actually of 138 (I changed loco early in when someone pointed out the kit was nearer to 138 than 87, it hasn't turned out to be the case!)
 
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Nick Dunhill

Western Thunderer
Does anyone have a picture of the cab interior of 87, 138, 143 or similar? I'd like a bit more info about what the controls look like and how they're arranged. And what's in the rear of the cab.

Thanks

Nick
 

Nick Dunhill

Western Thunderer
....moving on, the kit has very little in the way of cab interior parts, so I sent a shopping list off to Laurie Griffin. While we await a bag of goodies, and with Brexitcast on the BBC Sounds app, I decided to fix some chequer plate to the footplate. A very helpful Aussie bloke called Brian Millar contacted me through Messenger. He offered some etches for sandboxes and oil tanks. He also offered to make some chequer plate etches as I had discovered that the footplate of 138 isn't plain, a week later they arrived from Queensland. Massive thanks Brian. Also about half way down the overlays change pattern from old fashioned diamond to a modern chequer pattern and Brian had taken care of that too.

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Here's the cradle with the cab fitted up. If you look carefully you can see where the pattern changes, here:

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Still waiting for cab castings I made up the sand boxes, oil tanks, lubricators and lamps for the front panels. Also the fromt deck has more Chequer plate.

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Next some tedious lube pipe activity..........
 

Nick Dunhill

Western Thunderer
....I have caught up the bunker end of the garratt model, and all was well with that. I have also made the linkage from the lever attached to the expansion link pivot on the lubricator side of each unit to the lubricator operating arm below the footplate. In this way it will gently reciprocate.

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At this stage both units are complete and ready for paint, so on to the cab.

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The backhead was made taller, by soldering on a strip of scrap whitemetal, and thicker by soldering a strip of brass round the perimeter. Some improvements were made to the firehole door.

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The cab roof on 138 is wooden with a canvas skin. I made the model roof from 0.2 mm brass sheet so I could get the compound curves made easily. Guttering was added, a sliding sunshine roof and some lifting eyes. The underside of the roof was covered in venir to represent the planking.

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I think it worked out well as the planking strengthened the paper thin brass and the roof now fits nicely like a box lid.

Next I think I'll have a go at a the boiler/smokebox and firebox. I suspect I'll be scratchbuilding.......
 

Nick Dunhill

Western Thunderer
....well where are we up to? Since making the boiler attention turned to the smokebox support. The boiler was temporarily soldered to the cradle and the support plates cut and fitted. The steam pipe covers required the use of a paper template and were a bit of a faff to make!

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The next logical step was to make the ashpan. It's made from rectangles of nickel-silver soldered into a box with a tunnel for the brake rigging.

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And here's part of the damper operating mechanism.

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Finally a package arrived today with some windows and beading parts, and here they are on the cab side. Big thanks Mick D.

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Here's a picture of the thing at the close of play today. Eagle eyed watchers will spot that the chimney has been reprofiled to match WHR specifications.

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Next we decorate the boiler.......
 

Nick Dunhill

Western Thunderer
...lots of pipework this week.....and other bits and pieces too. Basically the inside of the cab is done. The boiler has been fitted with bands, chimney, dome etc., washout plugs and mudhole covers. Wash out plugs are 4 mm scale wagon axle bearings, drilled and fitted with 1 mm square rod. The cab has had a lot of work. All the fittings were scratchbuilt, except the control panel and hand wheels were etched for me by Brian Millar in Queensland. Cheers Brian. The pipe work is added pipe by pipe, it's a bit tedious but looks well when done. I have just got to finish the vacuum ejector and the blower pipe...I think.

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The water gauges have been modified with perspex rod and the floor of the cab has been planked.

Next, I finish the bl***y thing.........
 
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