A Hornby standard 4mt in em.

[34091 Weymouth]

I'm on a mission at present to clear all of my partially finished projects. Having cleared off a couple of locos I'm now working my way through whats left.

This morning I was meant to be doing a shift for a agency driving but after a 4am start I arrived to find they had nothing planned for me. After a drive home I had a few hours & made a start finishing off some Bradwell Ncb hoppers. I've lost a few vital parts but I have most of the bits to complete them reasonably. In typical Yorkshire fashion I am being a tight arse & using parts I have to hand to finish them off. Originally I used some gibson buffers along with some castings from wizard models (I think).
I had a load of bits from rumney models to add castings to some of there sprung chassis kits for 16t wagons. I've used the axleboxes & some buffers to complete the project. Whilst not correct they won't be out of place when complete & it saves a few bob.



I've got a High level RSH which my wife bought me as a Christmas gift some years ago. I set off to build it & got stalled & it ended up in the cupboard for a long time. I'm going to replace a motor I stole from the kit for another gearbox & then finish off the project.
I've found a picture in a book of the larger RSH at Ravensworth Park near the team valley trading estate in Newcastle. I'm going to use this as the basis of my model although with a different number.



She needs some serious work as the chassis is currently in p4 & will need splitting & rebuilding in EM. After having a bit of a mare with gibson wheels I decided to have a play. I've a couple of axles of driving wheels I was given that won't suit any of my models that I could experiment on. After a bit of a fiddle I think I've finally cracked it. I wanted to have a play before I rebuilt the rsh as it uses gibson wheels that are in the box ready for its rebuild.

I've only the big hunslet diesel & a couple of ncb hudson hoppers to finish & I'm up to date woth no unfinished kits sat around the workshop.

I am hoping to finish off the hoppers tomorrow ready for painting.

Music today as always is belting from Radio X, this was one of them.

Si

 

[Paul Tomlinson]

Si, when you say you've "cracked it", have you discovered a repeatable, successful method, or do you find it's a bit hit-and-miss? I ask as I've a couple of Airfix/Branchlines Drewry 04's to build, and I've not done 4mm for years. Wondering whether to go for Gibsons or Markits. I've got the GW tool waiting. Cheers

+1 vote for the Buzzcocks.

 

[Osgood]

Suitable finish for the YE?

https://flic.kr/p/2mAFQ5f

 

[34091 Weymouth]

Si, when you say you've "cracked it", have you discovered a repeatable, successful method, or do you find it's a bit hit-and-miss? I ask as I've a couple of Airfix/Branchlines Drewry 04's to build, and I've not done 4mm for years. Wondering whether to go for Gibsons or Markits. I've got the GW tool waiting. Cheers

+1 vote for the Buzzcocks.

Honestly if you've not done it for years I would go with markits wheels. You can take them on & off as many times as you like for testing. Gibson are sometimes hit & miss. I've used an oversized drill bit that's sharp & rubbed it around between my fingers on the rear of the wheel boss where your fitting the axle into. It de burrs the hole & gives it a slight taper. I've also tapered & polished woth polishing paper the axle. I finally saw it in woth a bit of spit for good luck. I'll report back when I re build the chassis to see if it is a thing or just a double fluke.

Buzzcocks are superb by the way.

Si

 

[34091 Weymouth]

Suitable finish for the YE?

https://flic.kr/p/2mAFQ5f

Good grief!

That's a old hudswell I think, that's rougher than what the preserved DE2 at Kelham island was in. The later has been cosmetically tarted up since.

Si

 

[34091 Weymouth]

Had a nice little sesh today & finished the hoppers off.ive a few last transfers to add before weathering & some coal loads.



A nice kit from Mr Bradwell, I'm going to order some more at some point as I would like another 3 or 4.
Next up the RSH, once this is complete I am going to build the screens & pit buildings before I start making anymore models. I am hoping to add a high level Hawthorn Leslie to my kit pile though which I think would be hard to resist building.

No music today I've had a quiet one in the workshop.

Si

 

[34091 Weymouth]

A few more from this evening. I couldn't resist a photoshoot of the ncb wagons I've made of the north eastern area.



A quick video of some movements too.

Si

 

[34091 Weymouth]

I've been putting off weathering for a long time now. I had a mental breakdown last year & I felt I lost a lot of myself & my modelling mojo disappeared. I've come through the otherside but I have lost a lot of confidence & so the weathering I've really put off.

This evening however I took the plunge & weathered my austerity.



I am super happy with how it's come out. I was nervous to touch one of my favourite models but I think it's turned out well.

Music today comes from one of my musical hero's, possibly the greatest of them all.

His new track released on Monday.

Si

 

[Gadgie]

You’ve done a really good job on the weathering — it’s grubby without being filthy.

In case you haven’t seen it already, there’s some great weathering inspiration in Gordon Edgar’s Flickr pages fo industrial steam in NE England — everything from completely pristine to virtually derelict.

Richard
—

 

[34091 Weymouth]

You’ve done a really good job on the weathering — it’s grubby without being filthy.

In case you haven’t seen it already, there’s some great weathering inspiration in Gordon Edgar’s Flickr pages fo industrial steam in NE England — everything from completely pristine to virtually derelict.

Richard
—

Thanks Richard, I have all of his books & regularly check his flickr for inspiration. He has some amazing photos.

Si

 

[34091 Weymouth]

I've cleared the bench & started to finish off this RSH I started about 18 months ago. The goal is to complete the body & get it painted. The chassis I'm going to work on alongside the body as it needs splitting & em spacers fitting. It's currently in p4.



I'm hoping I can get this one completed in the next few weeks so I've another loco from the North East pottering about the colliery.

A friend of mine is going to laser cut me the screens for the colliery & I've been tasked with designing it. I've had to really good think on what it's going to be as such. My models reflect the ncb in Durham & Northumberland more than the Yorkshire side so with this in mind I've cast my eyes north. I've decided to do it as Ravensworth park drift mine of which the buildings survive at Beamish. With a bit of luck & tweaking it should fit nicely.

I'll keep you posted on all the projects as they come.

Music today is a belter, I've been playing it a lot recently, a true Manchester classic. One of my favourite songs, that guitar riff is great.

Si

 

[34091 Weymouth]

I had a little session this evening on the plumbing on the saddle tank & got one side done. I'm not a fan of plumbing boilers it's always a faff.



Both the steps were fitted to either side of the loco & I took a few thou off the curvature of the front of the cab as the roof wasn't sitting straight. Hopefully another session should see the body complete & then I can get that chassis tackled.

I caved in this afternoon too & bought a high level Barclay, I fancy doing some Scottish region ncb locos too & that barclay looks a beast.

Si

 

[34091 Weymouth]

This evening I've started to tackle the chassis. I used a slitting disk & cut down the middle of each of the P4 spacers to make the rebuild a little easier.
When I got all the spacers off & cleaned up the frames I noticed that a hornblock was slightly adrift. I give it a touch of the iron & straightened it up. With bated breath I rebuilt the chassis to em & fit the p4 wheels back on em axles to test the chassis. It was a lovely rolling chassis straight for the off so I fixed the compensation beam in to the frame spacer & got it to sit level.



It doesn't look like I've done anything but it's now sat level & rolls nicely & most importantly it's in em.

Si

 

[34091 Weymouth]

Last night I had an hour to assemble the gearbox.




It went together easy enough however I did find 1 part slightly baffling. This is a very wide gearbox & the spacer for one of the gears didn't hold it in place properly so I cut some brass tube & fitted it in place. It works a treat now so hopefully it's cured that.

Next big job is brakes & cylinders. I think I may need some tube to finish the brakes off & it's one part of building I don't like so I think the cylinders are the next part to assemble.

Music last night came from these timeless rockers.

 

[Paul Tomlinson]

Last night I had an hour to assemble the gearbox.

View attachment 174105


It went together easy enough however I did find 1 part slightly baffling. This is a very wide gearbox & the spacer for one of the gears didn't hold it in place properly so I cut some brass tube & fitted it in place. It works a treat now so hopefully it's cured that.

Next big job is brakes & cylinders. I think I may need some tube to finish the brakes off & it's one part of building I don't like so I think the cylinders are the next part to assemble.

Music last night came from these timeless rockers.

Si, I looked for that gearbox and couldn't find it - is it one designed specifically for the RSH or Barclay? Cheers.

 

[34091 Weymouth]

Si, I looked for that gearbox and couldn't find it - is it one designed specifically for the RSH or Barclay? Cheers.

Hey up Paul,

This is one specifically designed for the RSH. the big barclay uses a low loader stock box ( I think ) its not a gearbox as part of the kit etches like this one. I will check what the barlcay takes this evening.

Si

 

[34091 Weymouth]

Only a little session this evening. I'm absolutely cream crackered but I wanted to get some of the cylinder assembly made. I've got the basic cylinder etch folded up & the sidebars attached. I have given up following the instructions as the text is very in depth & it looses me at some points. Thankfully high level kits have superb isometric drawings so I can follow them like a book & build the kit my own way. I find text instructions a pain a lot of the time. I much prefer a drawing of what I'm assembling.





A few bits left to add to the cylinders & sidebars before it's a finished assembly. I'm again doing the brakes my own way. They won't be removable but again once built I shouldn't need to remove anything anyway. I nearly caved in this evening & started another judith edge kit for a 4 wheel hunslet diesel but I must finish this first.

With a bit of luck I should have this finished in the next few weeks. It's a lovely kit fiddly in places but enjoyable to put together. Please excuse the muck it needs a right good clean.

I've had an album on today by a local band who live just down the road from me. This is a superb record.

Si

 

[34091 Weymouth]

This morning escapades was to get the cylinders built up & finished. I said to my wife I wasn't spending all morning in the workshop because she's given me a mountain of chores. I still need to fit a few final parts to the cylinders to finish them off but they are 95% done. I don't think I'm a million miles off painting the chassis which could potentially be Monday or Tuesday.




It's going to need a good clean up because it's got filth all over at the minute but as I know everything is sound I'm not to fussed. It's nice to finally see the finish line with this model & with a bit of luck it should all work out well in the end. I'm praying those gibson wheels stay in position & true.

Next build is going to be a sole project to completion rather than leaving them for years. It doesn't work out.

Si

 

[34091 Weymouth]

The frames have now been completed & are currently in primer. Hopefully the next picture will be a completed chassis & fingers crossed its running. I'm dreading fitting those gibsons as Im have nothing buy trouble with them at the minute.

Fingers crossed.

Si.

 

[34091 Weymouth]

Well it's time for the fun part, clearances!

Having assembled the chassis this evening & thankfully got all the wheels on true its time to do battle with crosshead clearances. This is exceptionally tight to say the least. I thought I would use a ultrascale crankpin because it gives a very good clearance compared to gibsons but even at this point its tight to the point the rods won't clear the sidebars.



I'm going to thin the crankpin down further as it still has some slop & possibly remove the washer from the whole set up to see if this will help. I'll bag the sucker in the end, I usually do.
I think I might have also found my issues with gibson wheels. I don't think it's an issue with me more specifically the 4844p wheel. It's not very tight on the axle & I'm certain it's this wheel Mike Edge warned me about many moons ago. He did say one was loose on the axle. This wheel for the rah went on true & tight to the axle. I didn't do anything to the wheel I just added a taper on the axle ends.




Anyway it's getting close to the finish line & I'm going to give it my full attention the next couple of days until its running.

Between workshop stints I've been lugging bookcases from the garage in a room re jig for the kids & I discovered a long lost project.





It's a Manning Wardle I think from the Isle of white railway. I was building this as a clapped out victorian contraption for my Salts wharf project what the layout was originally going to be. It's nearly there too so I think this is the next build to finish it off. It should have a cab roof but I thought it was interesting without & just weatherboard instead. It's not sat on the correct wheels neither as I wanted to lower it a little. This little critter was to be named Sir Titus & I'm sure I have the plates for it somewhere.

Music today came courtesy of one of the greatest bands ever.

Si