Mike G's Workspace.

[Mike Garwood]

It's been a good day today...
Apart from the physio terrorist visit first thing this morning, then a final fitting for the wedding suit - which should be ready and finished in 2 weeks. So by 12:30 I was sat at the bench.

I cleaned up the roof and sides yesterday evening.

1. Air vents then glued in (MJT).
2. Soldered on some of the handrails to the sides - those that would not interfere with lining the coach.
3. Painted the bogie castings. These are still awful lumps of white metal, the alternatives from MJT don't come with steps and I can't see 'steps' in their catalogue that will / would be used, probably an etch. Which is a real pity as their casting are always quality.
4. Finished installing the interior - what a PIA this was! The seats have changed to the awful ratio hollow affairs (I know this because they have Ratio printed on the back - in previous kits the seats were solid and a piece of cake to glue and install, these, not so much. Being hollow it meant that I had to fill the gaps (or the side elevation was going to look really daft). And I'm going to have to clean up the filler...now if only I had a silhouette cutter.

Believe it or not that lot took me 3 hours.







Still to do:

Attach bogie castings, give the body and chassis a really good clean, fill the gap between the roof and the ends, arrange for my wife to go on holiday so I can do the paint job and have peace and quiet while I do the lining , not all in this order!

And even more good news, the wife is wedding shopping with my daughter tomorrow, the downside to that is my credit card is going with them!
(I really must remember to give her the PIN number).

Stay safe and have a great weekend.

Mike

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

These 12 coaches were converted from diagram D117 and when the conversion took place this is when the bogie centres were brought in board to 38 ft. The GWR assigned these as A44 and were a push/pull type of auto coach...the drivers compartment at the end of the guards compartment being 3 ft wide!

Just curious as to why the GW reduced the bogie centres from their original centres? Was it due to the curves on the lines they were intended for?

Seems odd - as reducing the bogie centres, although reducing the central overhang, it increases the buffer beam hang at the ends on curves.

 

[AJC]

Just curious as to why the GW reduced the bogie centres from their original centres? Was it due to the curves on the lines they were intended for?

Seems odd - as reducing the bogie centres, although reducing the central overhang, it increases the buffer beam hang at the ends on curves.

I suspect it was to make room fit the auto gear and bogie swing around those fairly substantial mechanical linkages. I must admit that I hadn’t realised that this was something that had been done until I read Mike’s notes!

Adam

 

[simond]

Mike,

your free-rolling brakevan. A bit of soft foam rubber arranged to run on a flange…?

atb
Simon

 

[Mike Garwood]

Mike,

your free-rolling brakevan. A bit of soft foam rubber arranged to run on a flange…?

atb
Simon

That looks a better solution, thanks Simon. A thought to develop on...

Getting back to the coach...the bogies on this are 9 footers, and when I built the bogies - despite the centres being moved in, they still missed battery boxes etc when they rotated. Alas, I hadn't counted on the castings being another 2 or 3 mm longer than the actual bogies. TBH I should have remembered this I've built enough of them! They still rotate but the battery boxes act as a stop. Before I do something I know I'll regret later, I'm going to take it thru some curves at Barrow Road tomorrow evening and see if this is a problem that doesn't really exist, if you know what I mean.

Mike

 

[Dave Holt]

Mike.
I seem to recall that the late Ray Hammond used small foam pads rubbing on the fixed axle of his stock to prevent shuttling between vehicles when running and to provide some slight resistance to ensure reliable operation of Alec Jackson couplings.
Dave.

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

I suspect it was to make room fit the auto gear and bogie swing around those fairly substantial mechanical linkages. I must admit that I hadn’t realised that this was something that had been done until I read Mike’s notes!

I never thought about it - just so used to Southern air operated auto-train system adopted from the LBSCR where no bogie centre adjustment was necessary. Compared to the SR it appears to me (from photos) all other auto-train systems look clumsy.

 

[AJC]

I never thought about it - just so used to Southern air operated auto-train system adopted from the LBSCR where no bogie centre adjustment was necessary. Compared to the SR it appears to me (from photos) all other auto-train systems look clumsy.

I suspect that’s because they are. Not that the SR one was perfect, either.

Adam

 

[Mike Garwood]

Back from Tewkesbury.

If the coach was being hauled by a HST doing HST speeds then there isn’t a problem. Unfortunately it’s being hauled by a steam engine doing about 40 mph! And the castings catching on the battery boxes causes a problem at each end.

So this morning I’ve had the bogies off, unsoldered the boxes, thinned the ends of the battery boxes and moved them closer to the sole bar. Checked that the bogies would completely rotate without catching and then re-soldered in place.
Problem cured!

And a big thank you to Tony Williams of the Glevum Scale 4 group who helped identify a couple of buses I found in a photo parked up in the High Street Bargoed ( taken in 1960).
But these buses would have roamed around Ystrad and Hengoed. One bus stop in Hengoed was just at the end of Park Road so having an authentic replica was a bit of a must. So thank you Tony for all your help last night and also introducing me to a topic I hadn’t given a lot of consideration to…until now.

Stay safe

Mike

 

[LarryG]

The GWR alone hung onto mechanical linkage when the LNER and LMS converted to auto-vac equipment in the mid 1930s. Mechanical linkage required space behind the bufferbeam, which meant pushing the bogies back or fitting shorter bogies.

Replica Railways offer complete seat units from r-t-r coaches, the non-corridor seating being from BR Mk.I stock. I simply sawed the floors to give me individual back-to-back seats that I mounted on a strip of 60 thou plastikard 'floor' to match the windows spacing.

 

[Mike Garwood]

Busy couple of weeks have culminated in a finished engine...it's not the 51xx - but that's getting there. When I say finished, it works, but needs running trials to complete the plank test. Where it's going to run is anybodies guess as I built this for a now defunct project. This engine would have run through Little Mill from Shrewsbury. Post 544, shows the completed additions that went onto County of Middlesex.

I've also added more weight to the middle & rear of the engine and in my view this additional weight has been repaid with a smoother performance. I completed this in matt varnish but now I think I'm going to add some satin prior to a light chassis weathering.

I have to say I'm rather pleased with all the effort that has gone in to getting this to perform properly.

I'm still bevearing away with the 51xx - my problem child - it runs smoothly, very smoothly, when it wants to. Most of the time it doesn't want to start and when running cocks it's front wheels in the air...but continues to run smoothly - go figure - I should point out that it only does this as a chassis. I suspect this is something to do with the gearbox or the compensation beams, or the wheels or a hundred other things. So it's a process of elimination to find out why this happens.

Stay safe

Mike

 

[Herb Garden]

Busy couple of weeks have culminated in a finished engine...it's not the 51xx - but that's getting there. When I say finished, it works, but needs running trials to complete the plank test. Where it's going to run is anybodies guess as I built this for a now defunct project. This engine would have run through Little Mill from Shrewsbury. Post 544, shows the completed additions that went onto County of Middlesex.

I've also added more weight to the middle & rear of the engine and in my view this additional weight has been repaid with a smoother performance. I completed this in matt varnish but now I think I'm going to add some satin prior to a light chassis weathering.

I have to say I'm rather pleased with all the effort that has gone in to getting this to perform properly.

I'm still bevearing away with the 51xx - my problem child - it runs smoothly, very smoothly, when it wants to. Most of the time it doesn't want to start and when running cocks it's front wheels in the air...but continues to run smoothly - go figure - I should point out that it only does this as a chassis. I suspect this is something to do with the gearbox or the compensation beams, or the wheels or a hundred other things. So it's a process of elimination to find out why this happens.

Stay safe

Mike

Splendid stuff Mike!

That runs rather well.

Of all the stable GWR 4-6-0s the Hawksworth counties stand out as something a bit different as if they are saying "I'm a bit modern and here to di a job with minimal fuss" in a way i quite like them and I'm a dyed in the wool GER fanatic!

Keep plugging away with the 51 I'm sure you will get there. At least your troublesome project ain't a 1846 2-2-2 with attitude....

Looking forward to developments

G

 

[David Waite]

Have you thought of putting a block of wood at each end of that test track it would be too late if the controller was turned the wrong way.
David

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

The GWR alone hung onto mechanical linkage when the LNER and LMS converted to auto-vac equipment in the mid 1930s. Mechanical linkage required space behind the bufferbeam, which meant pushing the bogies back or fitting shorter bogies.

Thanks for this snippet Larry as I went onto have a look at the GW auto train mechanical linkage system. I didn't realise it took up so much space and was 'handed' with vehicles having to be orientated correctly. It would appear GW/WR modellers will have to add extra detail to the underframes of their auto train fitted locos.

It seems and the SR were ahead of the curve when they quickly adopted the LBSCR air operated system for their auto train operations.

 

[Dave Holt]

Mike.

I agree wholeheartedly with Herb Garden. Having experienced the effects of hurling my Jubilee around the room, repeatedly, I strongly recommend fitting some end stops to avoid impact damage.
The County looks to run extremely well and will only improve with a bit of running. Did Counties ever appear at Barrow Road?
Sounds like your 51XX needs some further adjustments, so good luck with that.
Dave.

 

[Nick Rogers]

Hello Mike,

I can only echo what others have said. Very nice work on County of Middlesex. The additional weight has resulted in a good runner. What turn will she be allocated?

Best wishes,

Nick.

 

[simond]

Busy couple of weeks have culminated in a finished engine...it's not the 51xx - but that's getting there. When I say finished, it works, but needs running trials to complete the plank test. Where it's going to run is anybodies guess as I built this for a now defunct project. This engine would have run through Little Mill from Shrewsbury. Post 544, shows the completed additions that went onto County of Middlesex.

I've also added more weight to the middle & rear of the engine and in my view this additional weight has been repaid with a smoother performance. I completed this in matt varnish but now I think I'm going to add some satin prior to a light chassis weathering.

I have to say I'm rather pleased with all the effort that has gone in to getting this to perform properly.

I'm still bevearing away with the 51xx - my problem child - it runs smoothly, very smoothly, when it wants to. Most of the time it doesn't want to start and when running cocks it's front wheels in the air...but continues to run smoothly - go figure - I should point out that it only does this as a chassis. I suspect this is something to do with the gearbox or the compensation beams, or the wheels or a hundred other things. So it's a process of elimination to find out why this happens.

Stay safe

Mike

Mike

post a picture/ diagram of the problem child. We can then all mercilessly take the mickey make polite and helpful suggestions.

atb
Simon

 

[Mike Garwood]

Hello Mike,

I can only echo what others have said. Very nice work on County of Middlesex. The additional weight has resulted in a good runner. What turn will she be allocated?

Best wishes,

Nick.

Nick
Unless it goes on Newports ‘Abergavenny Black brook’ it hasn’t got a rota to make an appearence on.

Mike

 

[Andrewnummelin]

Planning for 21st September?

 

[Mike Garwood]

Planning for 21st September?

No one has asked about it so I assume not.

Mike