7mm The Derby Line - Rolling Stock

[dibateg]

Thanks! I have more GW stuff coming up...

I've been going in circles trying to get the 40 finished and had various issues with the bogies, mostly due to my bad planning and assumptions ( what did I say about making assumptions? ) . I'm hopefully nearly there after spending an hour or so a day painting odd little bits, which seems to have gone on for weeks.. I finally got to adding the prominent pipes on the bogie. I hate parts that 'float', i.e have no mounting point. So they fit in to holes drilled in the resin frame and will be glued behind the buffer beam. I discarded the whitemetal parts and made them up from copper wire with drilled out 12BA nuts for the unions. All I need to do now is glue back on all the bits I've knocked off getting the ride height set up... Still, I do like the ABC power units.

 

[P A D]

Nice work Tony,

I also hate pipes that float, but could not work out where to anchor the ends of the lubricator pipes from the valve cross head etc. on the 4MT. Do recall what you did on yours? In the end I just soldered the 4 ends together and pointed them upwards so they are hidden behing the hanging plate. The only time they will be vulnerable is when the cylinders are off for painting.
Cheers,
Peter

 

[dibateg]

Excuse the rather distorted picture Peter - I thinks that's what I did too. Just soldered them together to end under the running plate:-


Regards
Tony

 

[P A D]

Thanks Tony.

I see that you also cut back the cylinder drain cocks where they extend rearward.
They look much better that way in my opinion.
Cheers,
Peter

 

[dibateg]

I've been away on hols, but now back to work and Shirenewton Hall is back after being painted by Alan Brackenborough. It's been re-assembled and is running in on Curzon Street. I have to say, it is rather nice!

 

[dibateg]

At last the 4th horsebox is well under way. This is a CPL kit of the GWR N16 Horsebox. It comes with a nice little etch for a lot of the side detail, so it was out with the resistance tool to apply them. All the bump stops are etched fittings! Its only tacked together here, I took it apart again to fit the door handle plates and add the label clips among other things.



The 40 has been having test runs, but getting those plate frame bogies around 6 foot curves has shown up a few minor issues. Clearance for the wheelset in the leading radial truck needed attention. I think they are stately looking machines. Once she's running properly I can get on and finish her - fitting the decoder etc...

 

[Cliff Williams]

I found that a plate of 20thou black plastikard on the full width of one brass bogie pivot, and a smaller washer sized version on the other end helped immensely.
It lifts the body a tad giving a little more clearance for the nose to the buffer beam and allows a little torsional movement on undulating track.

 

[dibateg]

Thanks Cliff - good idea, it's a long wheelbase that for sure...

 

[dibateg]

Anyway - whilst talking about character forming, I thought I'd knock up the Connoissoir Tube Wagon that I'd borrowed some bit from for the horsebox project. The resistance soldering unit was still on the bench. I was inspired to do one of these after seeing a lovely job done on one by 7mm Mick. And I did a lovely job too, the sides were fitted upside down absolutely perfectly by me. I only noticed when I started to put the strapping on. Time for some colourful language.... and the blow torch.


Anyway - after a clean up and tinning the strapping.


We are back on track, just awaiting a cleanup:-


I also knocked up these rather nice Southwark bridge LSWR sack trucks:-



I can't do anything else wrong... yes I can - I can bash my head on the partly open garage door on my way to get the chainsaw to cut some logs..... stars and blood. Good effort!

 

[2-Bil]

Least you didn't bash yer bonce on the chain saw................................................................................................................................................................

 

[dibateg]

It wasn't a good omen - however, 4 barrow loads of logs were cut successfully!

I'm often humbled by the generosity of fellow modellers, and an appeal for some information on the N16 horsebox led to me being sent a set of photos and a comprehensive set of information on GWR brake gear! There are some very decent chaps out there willing to share their knowledge.

So armed with that information I have set to with the N16, fitted the springs and axleboxes. The kit is designed to have a set of rocking 'W' irons, but the axleboxes are hard up against the springs. I don't think it's essential in any case on a vehicle this length. I had to do some fabrication to mount the brakes on the floating axleset. Slaters wheels rusting nicely...but they need to be in there...



A days work sees the mysteries of GWR brake gear resolved and some progress. The 'V' hangers were too high and in the wrong position, so they were moved. Maybe there was some variation, but the photos I have show it in this position. The brake cylinder is a Sidelines LMS coach one... it looks the right size. Remaining safety hoops, steps, pipes and gas cylinder with it's associated pipe work to add.

 

[dibateg]

The GW Horsebox is almost complete - I just need to source the roof fittings. Laurie Griffin for those I think. My thread is quiet, but I have multiple projects on the go at the moment. I'm going to round those up and concentrate on the next loco build.

 

[dibateg]

I'm not going to document this build as Richard has already done so exceedingly well here:-
Richard's Workbench - Adams' Radial Tank

It's more just to report progress. Six laminated springs take a little while to clean up and prepare, otherwise its going well...

 

[dibateg]

So I've managed to crack on this week, copying Richards idea of the removable inside motion.


Yes there was quite some filing to get the slidebars right. The weighshaft area will be cleaned up once I get the inside motion progressed.

 

[dibateg]

So I am working on the loco body, and scrutinising as many pictures as I could find, I determined that 30583 was not a Radial with smaller bunker windows. It had/has the large windows, which from what I can tell were plated over, which actually created a smaller window. The full size frame can be seen on the inside of the cab. Here cab rear etchings are side by side for comparison. Photos of the modified version show a full three bars below the bottom edge of the window.


May the engine picking continue!

 

[dibateg]

All the sub assemblies are just plonked together for the moment. From what I can tell from the photos, there were no visible rivets on any of the horizontal surfaces on this loco. The sand fillers are all flat top ones, so I turned a couple up for the cab.

 

[2-Bil]

Railway Roundabout-BBC TV SERIES 1960__YOUTUBE--------Six and a half minutes ( in colour ) of 30583 doing its thing twix Axminster & Lyme Regis------worth a look if you've a spare six and a half minutes BW

 

[dibateg]

Which turns in to an hour as you get drawn in to the whole programme.......

 

[dibateg]

One of the distinctive features of 30583 is a large patch on the rear of the bunker. I can only assume that this was a repair carried out at some stage. This was replicated with some thin brass sheet. There is a mixture of Drummond and SR lamp irons to add to the interest. The right hand plug in iron seems to be missing in the photos..


There are also some nicely tapered handrails. I'm preparing one of the Griffin ones here using a hardwood block to support it. Starting with a file and then progressing to finer grade emery sticks.

 

[adrian]

There are also some nicely tapered handrails. I'm preparing one of the Griffin ones here using a hardwood block to support it. Starting with a file and then progressing to finer grade emery sticks.

Whilst I'm all for supporting small scale suppliers but if you're going to this effort why not just make your own from a bit of nickel-silver wire? To be honest I prefer making them from wire as it tends to be straighter than the cast items and easier to get a smooth finish on them.