Simple loco to fill a space!

Ian@StEnochs

Western Thunderer
Ian,
thanks for the explanation. Now to work out how to fit them to the 8750!
Simon

Hi Simon,

I have built a couple of JLTRT 57xx panniers, here is photo of the underside showing the pickups. Sorry about poor picture but it is very gloomy here today and a black engine!
image.jpeg
I painted the front one black as you can just see it from track level.
Hope this helps.

Ian.
 

SimonT

Western Thunderer
Thank you Ian, I'm just going through the offcuts tin looking for suitable tube/rod! Somewhere I've got some suitable plastic tube - saw it yesterday but can I find it today?
 

Ian@StEnochs

Western Thunderer
I bit more progress.
I have got the boiler mountings fixed and made the smoke box door and handles. The cab beading is a bit of 1/2 round brass wire with a couple of handrail knobs for the ends. The rails are LG castings which needed a lot of fettling to get half decent effect but easier than turning from rod. The reversing lever/brake is loose and won't be fixed until after painting.
image.jpeg
image.jpeg
Next job will be cab fittings and injector.
 

Overseer

Western Thunderer
I bit more progress.
I have got the boiler mountings fixed and made the smoke box door and handles. The cab beading is a bit of 1/2 round brass wire with a couple of handrail knobs for the ends. The rails are LG castings which needed a lot of fettling to get half decent effect but easier than turning from rod. The reversing lever/brake is loose and won't be fixed until after painting.
View attachment 51253
View attachment 51254
Next job will be cab fittings and injector.
Ian
Have you tried brass or steel taper pins for the vertical handrails? A search for 'brass taper pins' or 'clock pins' should find plenty of online options. They come in a range of sizes, varying diameters and lengths, some of which are just right for this application. I bought mine from a jewellers supplier in Hatton Gardens years ago but it is easier to find a wider range now with the specialist suppliers selling online.
 

JimG

Western Thunderer
Ian,

I remember building a G&SWR 0-4-2 many years ago in S scale and it had the same style of cab and rails as your loco. I turned the vertical rails in a rather ancient Super Adept and made use of the deflection of the rod while cutting to generate the taper. A lot of help was provided by my finger acting as a steady against the back of the material to control the deflection and the taper. :) So maybe not a recommended way to turn with current H&S rules, but it did work. :)

Jim.
 

Ian@StEnochs

Western Thunderer
Fraser,

I have a stock of NS taper pins which I got Welch clock supplies but I also had the cast LG ones as spares from a Highland kit I built for someone a while ago. There were 4 on the sprue and I had used two so no sense in wasting them.

Jim,

Turning them is not easy, I set over the top slide and do a wee bit at a time with only about 5 mm out of the chuck at a time. It takes time and I still need to work on the blank with a file and emery paper to get a good finish. H&S is the users responsibility and as grown ups we should know the risks.

I remember you S stuff at the Maclellan Galleries show, and that was a while ago!

Ian.
 

Ian@StEnochs

Western Thunderer
I have been busy on other projects and the 'fowler wheeler' has been neglected but I did manage to get a bit of time this afternoon.

I have got the smoke box door and fittings completed. The door is a turning from sheet NS with strips of 10 though shaped for the hinges. The door is held in place by a screw in the centre which has the end shaped to take the handles. The lamp irons are from brass castings from my own patterns and are the standard G&SW type.

image.jpeg

I will have no time in the workshop this week so she is going back on the shelf.

Ian
 

7mmMick

Western Thunderer
Hi Ian,

The smoke box door hinges and straps are very nice indeed. I'm currently on with this on a model of my own and intended to use 10thou N/S for the straps also. To date I have struggled to work this effectively as the material is very thin and the size of the straps seems to compound issues. I have been using a piercing saw with a number 6 blade to cut out. Could you please explain your process and maybe post a photo or two of how you achieve your wonderful results please?

Many thanks Mick
 

Ian@StEnochs

Western Thunderer
Hi Mick,

I cut the hinges from sheet on my guilotine to the width required. The hinge ends I form with a pair of fine pliers to get the curve started and then use a smooth flat pair to work it round the wire I use for the hinge pin. When the the hinges are formed I cut the straps to length and shape the ends. I then solder them onto a bit of wire for the pin leaving it over length to grip.

The straps are teased into shape so that they lie on the surface of the door usually needs a bit of a twist put in and the backs tinned. I then tack solder the door, by the edge away from the hinge pin, not a piece of 28 thou NS plate which I keep for the job. The hinges are positioned and held in place with another solder tack at each end of the overlength wire. Solder the hinges to the door, easier if the door is NS but can be a bit of a pain with brass as the heat spreads so quickly.

Clean up the solder before removing from jig. The part of the hinges which fix to the smoke box I make from brass flat filed to shape and left overlong at the back until soldered onto the pins, then Cut off flush with the back.

I am writing this on the train and will be away from home until Friday so cannot post a picture but I hope that is of use.

Ian,

On his way, with others, to a bit of a pub crawl in Leeds!
 

7mmMick

Western Thunderer
Thats great Ian thank you. I hope the pub crawl went well, I do like Leeds on the pop.

Could you please advise the source of your guillotine as I'm in the market for one?

The main difficulty i'm having is my smoke box door straps have forked ends and cutting the fork in the 10thou N/S is proving a pain, can you recommend a method for this please. Here's the loco I'm talking about, which should hopefully show what I mean;
J73 68363 Dairycoates[1].jpg
Copyright sits with my mate Mick Nicholson,

Cheers Mick
 

oldravendale

Western Thunderer
Hi Mick.

I note from an earlier post that you refer to using size 6/0 piercing saw blades for cutting thin metal. However, there is a finer, if more expensive blade available. I buy 8/0 blades which I use very rarely but which are indispensable if you have no alternative when cutting really thin metal. The disadvantage is that these cost £5.36 incl VAT for a bundle of 12 compared with £4.62 for size 6/0. These are Vallorbe blades and of fine quality so no doubt there will be cheaper versions available on ebay but proceed to anything of lesser quality very cautiously. Try Vallorbe Glardon Saw Blades Grade 6/0, Bundle 12 and my own experience with Cookson Gold for tool supplies has always been excellent.

Sorry that doesn't deal directly with your problem but may help if you are finally reduced to actually cutting out those hinge straps.

Brian
 

Stevesopwith

Western Thunderer
For small, awkward shapes in thin metal, I solder the thin stock to a sacrificial sheet of thicker material, say .015".

This makes the cutting and filing much easier, and you can do the job in stages, leaving handling areas while you tackle the tricky bits.
 

7mmMick

Western Thunderer
Thanks for the tips fellas, i'll give it a go. I'll try and pick up some finer blades at the Bristol show on Sunday and have a crack at it next week,

Cheers Mick
 
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