Elmham Market in EM

[James Spooner]

This afternoon I have been working on a replacement smokebox front and door. The real things had quite a domed smokebox door but the kit comes with a smokebox front that has an almost flat door. I know we all have our own pet likes and dislikes and what one person would be happy with is an anathema to another. One of my pet dislikes is a poorly formed smokebox door; perhaps it goes back to my childhood and the Thomas the tank engine stories but the smokebox door is the ‘face’ of an engine. I have gouged another one out of different thicknesses of plasticard and trial fitted it to the loco. The spinning process caused a black ring to form (where I had a dirty sanding stick) so I think, belt and braces, I will give it a waft of primer in the morning to make sure I am happy with it, before gluing into place.

I have also formed the fireman’s side handrail wire and I think that is the above footplate stuff done on the fireman’s side.

Still to do on this side is the brake blocks and rigging, the lubricator, cylinder drain pipes and the non moving bits of the valve gear. I am planning to finish the pipe work on the driver’s side before going back down below and finishing the chassis. Photo attached.

Nigel

 

[Herb Garden]

I completely agree on the importance of a great smoke box door. To tell the truth I haven't used a kit built one yet. They are all my own scratch jobs

 

[James Spooner]

The wet weather hereabouts meant I spent most of the day indoors, with a lump of the afternoon and evening being taken up with watching the Six Nations matches (the second one, in my humble opinion, being an absolute cracker of a match!). In between I continued plumbing up the Ivatt as well as giving the smokebox front a quick spray with primer. I think I am happy with the new door; it is a much better shape than the one supplied with the kit.

I think I have now done the body assembly apart from sticking on some 3M tape for the boiler bands. It will be back to the chassis detailing tomorrow.

Nigel

 

[James Spooner]

Today I took a look at the remaining etches and castings in the box and, as is the way of these things, found that I was over optimistic yesterday. I had left off the sliding hatch on the cab roof, reverser, some more pipe work and the boiler backhead detail. All has now been added and I gave the boiler/cab assembly a waft of primer principally to get it to one uniform tone and see better what more, if anything, needs doing. Whilst I mull that over I’ll crack on with the chassis detailing. A photo of the primed body is attached.

Nigel

 

[D6356]

That does look very good and smokebox door looks the part, with just a smidge of filler a coat in Riddles improved engine black ready for boiler test!
W