The Chronicles of Canary Sidings - the Tale of an Untidy Workbench

[Herb Garden]

Having grown up on a farm I seem to wake up with the sun... So this morning I was up at half 5 plenty of time to get some modelling done before work



So I've added the footplate on the other side

and filed it flush



I've also had a go at fitting the springs for the driving wheel.... The tricky but is that these slot through the footplate to attach to the frames.... Problem is these are visible so there is nothing for it but to drill and slot some holes.



Spring is not attached yet but you get the idea....

 

[Herb Garden]

So got the spring soldered in place this morning


And now the method works ive started drilling the holes for the other loco springs

 

[Herb Garden]

Another day another spring fitted.....



It's a pity this one won't be seen much as it goes inside the cab!

 

[Herb Garden]

Another cautionary tale.... Or rather 2...

So I have now got the majority of the loco springs in place



However I have two lessons to learn from this....

The first is don't dwell with the soldering iron or a spring ends up looking like this:





Secondly plan the loco better the cab is meant to fit on the outside of the springs..... Hmmmm



Here endeth the lesson.....

 

[Herb Garden]

So I thought my days of being a project engineer were over when I took on my current role but here I am back working long hours trying to defy the time space continuum and getting parts manufactured out of thin air.

It does however gave the opportunity that due to a delay I found myself with an unexpected evening free.... So.... I hit the workbench.

I still nee to get some springs fitted but it is deadly dull so I thought I would fix the cab issue....



So melted all the joints and put it back together with packing and that worked so well I got distracted in adding some frills



Trims, beadings, handrails and spectacle plates....



But the best thing is the little secret very few people will ever see is that you can see the springs when you look inside the cab


Yes the cab is slightly skew wiff but that's because I haven't soldered it in place yet.... Job for another day that

 

[Herb Garden]

So up early again so cracked on with another job. The cab roof.


The roofs on 73 & 74 were pretty basic things and how dry they kept the crew is debatable.... More weather board with benefits that actual cab.... Very Sam Johnson who as we know was responsible for the above deck rebuild of this pair of Locomotives



So it's just another piece of brass soldered on then dressed with a file.



I thought the build was nearing completion but then I wrote a to do list of everything I had left to do.....



Yikes!

 

[Herb Garden]

Do you ever find that you do one thing and it effects another?

So in widening the cab it's created more space around the firebox.... A little is ok but not this much



So got home early (that's a first) and set to work with some nickel silver scrap.

Presto!



Todays life lesson is: if you have to bodge something make it look intentional!





Well that's another thing to cross off the to do list

 

[Herb Garden]

Question is.....

Is wonky ok? Does it add character or does it just look like bad modelling?



So you may think what am I on about.... Well I was fitting tender springs this morning, finally, and if you look at the spring hanger on the left you will see it missaligned somewhat. I could straighten it..... But this is what happened on the one I did try and straighten....



Yeah.....

So I know I might get marked down for it but I'm going to leave it and point out that the poor old loco will be best part of 40 years old at the point I'm setting it potentially so it will have had some knocks and dents by this point.... Especially the tender as this was never rebuilt

Should I leave it or should I try and fix it? Thoughts on a post card....

I leave you with our loco gracing the test track this weekend at our EM gauge Soc AG meeting in the borders

 

[James Spooner]

Question is.....

Is wonky ok? Does it add character or does it just look like bad modelling?

View attachment 187255

So you may think what am I on about.... Well I was fitting tender springs this morning, finally, and if you look at the spring hanger on the left you will see it missaligned somewhat. I could straighten it..... But this is what happened on the one I did try and straighten....

View attachment 187256

Yeah.....

So I know I might get marked down for it but I'm going to leave it and point out that the poor old loco will be best part of 40 years old at the point I'm setting it potentially so it will have had some knocks and dents by this point.... Especially the tender as this was never rebuilt

Should I leave it or should I try and fix it? Thoughts on a post card....

I leave you with our loco gracing the test track this weekend at our EM gauge Soc AG meeting in the borders

View attachment 187257

George,

In answer to your question, from the photo it doesn’t look misaligned, so I think you are perfectly within your rights to keep it as it is. I still think this is a lovely project and you are doing great guns with it.

Nigel

 

[Richard Gawler]

Question is.....

Is wonky ok? Does it add character or does it just look like bad modelling?

I can't see a problem on your model, maybe it is going to look like it was made by a craftsman and not churned out of an injection moulding machine.

I haven't done this myself yet, but light coats of etch primer during the build can help to highlight anything which is actually wrong. This tip came to me at Kempton, from a professional who posts consistently very fine work here.

 

[Herb Garden]

Well more progress this morning.... I've repaired the damaged spring, straightened the damaged one and added the rest





The tender is so nearly finished!!

 

[Herb Garden]

So the last spring is finally in place!!!!!



I'm glad that's over and I can move on to another task

 

[Heather Kay]

I am enjoying seeing this little engine slowly come together.

 

[Herb Garden]

Hi Heather,

I'm glad someone else is as well.... In the most part it's a fun process but as you say it's a slow one.....

It's probs taking this long because this is my first scratch build and it's a steep learning curve ...

Oh and I was foolish to choose as my first project a prototype that had the challenges of fitting a motor getting any form of traction and was built before the time when the Edwardian loco engineers started hiding everything

 

[James Spooner]

Hi Heather,

I'm glad someone else is as well.... In the most part it's a fun process but as you say it's a slow one.....

It's probs taking this long because this is my first scratch build and it's a steep learning curve ...

Oh and I was foolish to choose as my first project a prototype that had the challenges of fitting a motor getting any form of traction and was built before the time when the Edwardian loco engineers started hiding everything

I’m not sure you are foolish George, but certainly brave and I think your bravery is bringing some lovely rewards in this little beauty.

Nigel

 

[Herb Garden]

I’m not sure you are foolish George, but certainly brave and I think your bravery is bringing some lovely rewards in this little beauty.

Nigel

Thanks Nigel,

Here's hoping a year and bits effort is worth while.

Saying that though I did take a risk with this project and could have well been put off given the issues with the complex prototype. I would certainly advise someone else starting out to try a simpler machine to start with. I did do the drawings for a 204 class at the same time as this one but went for the single. Maybe that could be next .... But I fear the crampton beckons.

On a side note if anyone does what a copy of the scratch aid drawings for this or others that I have I'm more than happy to send you a copy

George (Herbie)

 

[john lewsey]

Hi George, this looks lovely and I am really enjoying your thread
John

 

[Herb Garden]

Thanks to all for your comments, I'm glad you are enjoying the thread. Anything you want to see more of etc etc please do suggest stuff

Anyhoo after all the fun making springs it was back to axleboxes.... I've allready covered how I did the tender ones so won't cover this in too much detail








And there they are in place. I've made them chunkier than the tender ones as I figured the bearings would have to be bigger due to the weight of the loco compared to the tender


Another new feature is the sandbox that I've added to the side of the splasher



So that's a few more items off the to do list.... It's getting closer to being finished every day

 

[Heather Kay]

It's getting closer to being finished every day

Doesn’t it have to spend a statutory number of years in a box unpainted before it is deemed officially finished?

 

[Herb Garden]

Doesn’t it have to spend a statutory number of years in a box unpainted before it is deemed officially finished?

Funnily enough this is one loco in my life that has as yet to spend any time in a box......

I also have had my arm twisted to do a demo at workshopwise in October - painting stock with acrylics so this loco might end up getting done remarkably quickly