Elmham Market in EM

[Scale7JB]

And in answer to your quarry regarding the push-pull apparatus, I seem to recall that 67322 had vacuum operated equipment hence the lack of ‘bits’ on the drivers side of the smokebox.

Major edit after a look at the Yeadons. 7322 was one of the 3 locos to be fitted out with air operated regulator. As you say all the bits are hidden somewhere. I’d love to know how it worked.

JB.

 

[James Spooner]

And in answer to your quarry regarding the push-pull apparatus, I seem to recall that 67322 had vacuum operated equipment hence the lack of ‘bits’ on the drivers side of the smokebox.

Major edit after a look at the Yeadons. 7322 was one of the 3 locos to be fitted out with air operated regulator. As you say all the bits are hidden somewhere. I’d love to know how it worked.

Reading the Great Eastern Album it says the GER borrowed Billinton’s plans as he had perfected air operated push pull on the Brighton line. A fellow member of my EM area group, Gerry Bixley, is something of a specialist on matters Brighton and kindly provided me with the attached diagram showing how the system operated. It looks as though the regulator linkage drops down, presumably beneath the footplate. I wonder whether the main and back pressure cylinders also fitted between the frames and were therefore hidden from view? Also, were these cylinders separate from the air brake cylinder (I guess probably yes as otherwise there might be doubt over the integrity of the air pressure available for braking)? On none of the photos I have seen of 67322 can I trace any air cylinders (unlike, for example the Isle of Wight O2’s, which had a cylinder sitting on the side tank), so assume the NER or Stratford, in fitting the gear, hid them between the frames. If that is the case, happy days and easy modelling!

Nigel

 

[James Spooner]

Work has temporarily ground to a halt on the G5. I fired up my hitherto trusty Atten soldering iron, the red light came on but no heat came out of the soldering tip. According to the manual it is either a break in the cord or the element has broken. €10 for a new complete sub assembly with both parts so an order was placed this evening. I did file some oversized castings down to fit and trial fitted them this evening, photos below. Normal service will resume when the replacement components arrive!

Nigel

 

[James Spooner]

So, almost a month later, I once again have a working soldering iron. Bit of a saga really as I ordered two sub assemblies from the Netherlands, which eventually arrived last week. Unfortunately the connectors were totally incompatible and the sub assemblies also looked quite different, despite clearly carrying the same component number. The Netherlands are still trying to sort that out.

On the off chance I rang DCC Concepts, who seemed to have been a UK distributor for Atten and they fortunately had a used but working sub assembly, which they quickly dispatched south. I spent some time just reacquainting myself with all the bits on the G5 and eventually got some soldering done. Photos are attached.

In the meantime, whilst waiting for the iron to arrive, I got around to glazing and adding internal handrails to a Comet Gresley composite, which is now pretty much finished and ready to go into traffic. Again, photo attached.

Nigel

 

[Herb Garden]

Good to see you are up and running again Nigel!

 

[James Spooner]

I’ve been back working on the G5 over the weekend and have now fitted the motor, pick ups etc. I tested it on DC on my rolling road and am very glad I did as there were some quite spectacular sparks that would have fried a chip quite successfully (I think that is why they are commonly known as chips instead of decoders…?). Careful investigation underneath revealed some elements of the body were possibly more designed for P4 than EM. Once these were identified some careful filing was indulged in, followed by a second test. This time all seems well and I took a short video, which I’m hoping to attach below (or a link to YouTube - I’m not very savvy with this sort of technology!).

Nigel

 

[Mick LNER]

Video and Loco very good !!.

 

[john lewsey]

Very nice Nigel

 

[john lewsey]

James

 

[James Spooner]

James

Actually, you were right first time! James Spooner is my nom de plume (not quite sure why really, except to promote my favourite narrow gauge railway…)

Nigel

 

[James Spooner]

Last night was spent building the brakes and rigging, then giving it a coat of primer. A first coat of dirty black was applied this morning and electrical surfaces cleaned at lunchtime. The good news is it still runs! On to finishing the body next…

Nigel

 

[James Spooner]

Over the last few evenings I have been slowly progressing with the bits that seem to take the time: all of the details. I have added the bunker rails (67322 had a rather strange hybrid in that the back rails were retained but the sloping rails on the side were removed; presumably to assist with ‘hand balling’ the coal at Saffron Walden shed). I have also had a crack at trying to replicate the plumbing around the Westinghouse pump, which seems to have had additions to cope with the air operated push pull gear. Handrails and vacuum pipe also added.

Nigel

 

[John Duffy]

That looks lovely Nigel.

John

 

[James Spooner]

The fiddly bits always seem to take up most of the time in a build and this is no different. An evening spent adding the steps to the footplate and the buffer beam etches as well as the buffers. Photos attached.

Nigel

 

[James Spooner]

More detailing added over the weekend and I have added in a DCC decoder and stay alive. It has had a quick test run around Elmham Market and early indications are positive. I think there may be an intermittent short when it is running in reverse so will need to investigate that. Video attached.

Nigel

 

[Herb Garden]

Well it looks like that articulated chassis works a treat Nigel!

 

[James Spooner]

Well it looks like that articulated chassis works a treat Nigel!

Yes, it does seem to and it copes with the imperfections of Elmham Market’s track quite well. I’ve just got to sort out a niggling intermittent short, which is probably linked to so many DCC wires inside the body!

 

[James Spooner]

Some more gentle progress with the G5 (slowed down by a succession of family visits over the last couple of weeks and building work starting on the kitchen…). I have finished the cab interior detailing, primed and painted it prior to soldering the roof on. Big question now is how many crew to provide? As it will be operating the Stratford St James push pull, half the time it will have just the fireman and half the time both a driver and fireman so whatever I do will be 50% wrong! Any suggestions? Photos of progress attached.

Nigel

 

[David Waite]

Hi Nigel
I recon you could get away with two crew one could always be a trainee fireman along with the actual fireman when the driver was at the other end or someone being transferred riding along in the cab with the fireman, food for thought.
David.

 

[Herb Garden]

Have you thought about mounting a servo in the tank that raises a second crew member from a hidden compartment. You could activate this from a function output on the decoder

You could even do this at the other end of the push pull coaches.....