Some further work on decorating the body before moving back to the chassis. First I soldered the fixing brackets to the ejector pipe. Here it is after removal for cleaning up.
The small inspection door in front of the 1st boiler band had a moulded handle on the resin casting. I centre popped it and drilled through 0.5mm. I then added a small rivet fixed with super glue, but not pushed all the way home, to represent the handle.
When the resin boiler casing was glued to the brass running plate, there was a gap on the left hand side between the bottom edge of the casting and the etch beading. This was due to an inward bow in the casting , not much but enough to show. I have filled it with some cellulose filler and rubbed down. After painting it won't show.
Moving back to the chassis, the front driving wheel compensation needed some attention. This axle pivots on a length of steel rod, whilst the middle and rear axles are on beams. I noticed that the loco appeared to be nose diving and this was due to a slight bend in the rod. Easy to correct, but I don't think it's strong enough to stand the test of time, so I added a strengthener/adjuster to take up any wear that may occur. You can see the rod extending from the spacer behind the front sandboxes. I have added a spacer over the horn box made from a laminate of waste etch. This has been drilled and tapped 8BA and a screw and lock nut inserted. The ride height was then corrected with the screw and locked in place with the nut.
And looking from the rear forwards.
I have been putting off adding the front buffer beam as the dummy spring castings were missing. I sent a mail to F7, but I know the chaps have day jobs and as yet I have not received them. Being an impatient sod, I thought " are we not men?", just make some. So, after coiling and soldering some 0.6mm copper wire, and fiddling about with some bits of brass tube and 16BA bolts and nuts, we have this. That's a picture of the missing castings behinds the buffer beam.
Here's the beam soldered to the frames. There was quite a gap in the slots above the beam, so I added some waste etch either side, rather than just trying to bridge it with solder. When the buffers are compressed the 14BA nut passes into the coil. It would be nice by the way, if other kit makers dispensed with the 8BA fastenings on buffers and went with smaller nuts which are less obtrusive, or in this case hidden.
Here's what they look like with the body on.
And t'other side.
The cartazzi truck also received some further attention to the springing. After getting the heads up from Richard Lambert on how he changed from a single central spring, to two side springs on his A3 to improve the performance on the curves, I did the same on the A4. Having tested the chassis on my brother's railway, if works a treat. However, the NS wire didn't cut the mustard, being not resilient enough, so I replaced it with steel wire. To fit it to the inner frames I first soldered some brass tube in place, into which the steel wire can be inserted. For now they are just loose, but after painting, a drop of super glue will keep them in place. To reduce friction and achieve free side to side movement, all the sliding surfaces have been highly polished. This is after fitting the tube and steel wire. The wire has subsequently been polished and oiled.
And with the slider in place before polishing. In this condition it would not slide under it's own weight. After polishing and oiling it moves freely. The dummy cartazzi axle box keeps have also been added.
The mud hole covers, wash out plugs and blow down tap have also been added to the lower firebox.
And a couple of broadsides with the tender.
Cheers,
Peter