7mm The Derby Line - Rolling Stock

dibateg

Western Thunderer
Well, there's nowt to do but build trains so I'm pushing on with the Stanier tank, and we are getting there with most of the body work complete. I shall have to add some stops inside the roof to stop it sliding off!
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It looks scrappy underneath, but features of note are Griffin Ivatt buffer beam brackets, Front step stiffeners on the inside. Step plates with half etched for the steps are inherently weak, so they need beefing up. Top feed pipes have to stop short to allow the frames to come out..
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I don't like whitemetal injectors, so these are Ragstone G&C 13 ones with the outlet cut off and moved and fitted upside down! Pipe arrangements seem to vary. I still manage to reverse the rear step as I cut off some of the extension pebind the buffer beam on the wrong side. There is also a little re enforcing web behind it.
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Being stuck at home means loco production will increase dramatically! Stay safe everyone.
 

P A D

Western Thunderer
Hi Tony,
Looking good. I like the Griffin buffer beam brackets but decided to scratch some up for my 4P and the 3P. Don't forget there's a bracket on the frame above the bogie.

Apart from clumsy handling on my part, I've not found the need to add stops to the roof on the 3P. The 4P seems fine as well but that's not been handled since the roof was altered as it's complete. The magnet fixing was fine in theory but not really up to keeping the slight overhangs tight all around and was very prone to getting flicked off when handling.
Cheers,
Peter
 

dibateg

Western Thunderer
Thanks Peter - I'm not sure if the Griffin brackets are fully accurate, but they will do.

I was making good progress, the Griffin expansion links fitted nicely and the radius rods can slide up and down in the slot. I also narrowed down the slotted end of the radius rod as it looked a little chunky, but this over confidence was not to last.. Tops of the combination levers are blackened to prevent solder spill.
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I then found that the expansion links would not fit inside the valence.... that resulted in some pretty colourful language. So I had to take off the motion brackets of the stretcher and re-mount them inboard by a mill and a half or so. I rivetted brass angle to the ends of the stretcher and soldered the brackets in place - holding three pieces of material together won't work... hence the rivets - made from 0.7mm brass pins.
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This also cured something else that I had noticed - looking from the top the radius rod was angled in, which looked a little odd. So something is odd about the motion bracket dimensions as I also had to widen the slots for the slidebars, but I'll live with that compromise.
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So now it all tucks nicely inside the valence. The lifting link screw is just temporary, it will be replaced with a grub screw from the inside. This enables the motion to be detached from the weighshaft and frames.
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This kit has been a case of one step forward and two back.. or perhaps I'm just getting more and more fussy!
 

Dave Holt

Western Thunderer
Tony.
This loco is looking superb as a result of your attention to detail and various kit modifications. Quite inspirational.
You're quite right that, generally, radius rods lie parallel with the main frames, as do connecting rods. However, it's not uncommon for the eccentric rods to be at an angle (wider at the return crank), presumably to give clearance between the rods and the return crank securing studs.
Dave.
 

Scale7JB

Western Thunderer
There is another way around doing the reversing levers if you're interested, but the moment may have passed.

JB.
 

dibateg

Western Thunderer
I'm splitting my time between layout and locos.

I carried out a re-work of the pony truck using 8F springs and axleboxes and made up a side control spring from a 4BA bolt with washers and bits. I also scratched up that stretcher. It's not as good as PAD's one though, I'm more concerned about what can be seen... now who said that before?!
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The back head is sort of done, looks a bit sparse though, it could do with a sanding valve and a few other bits, although tucked inside a fully enclosed cab, not a lot will be seen. The regulator has a casting fault, I think I'll replace it. Manifold is Ragstone, wheels are from Warren Shepherd.
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dibateg

Western Thunderer
It was a grouchy day at the workbench yesterday, it was a days work to get the motion working smoothly and I ended up taking it apart multiple times as well as resorting to the slitting disk to grind areas away. That's what happens when you mix and match parts I guess. The Griffin expansion link is nicely chunky, but that brings it very close to the con rod. Also the motion bracket was sitting too low and causing all sorts of problems as well as pointing the centre line of the cylinder below the axle centre. The radius rods were too short and I found a pair 2mm longer in the spares box that now get the expansion link at the correct angle. I've temporarily soldered the weighshaft in position as the whole assembly was jumping about as it ran.
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Lancastrian

Western Thunderer
Hi,

I have yet to find a David Andrews designed kit where the cylinders/motion brackets etc ever fit correctly. Have had this issue with the DA Schools class and a Javelin Black 5. I wonder if his U and N class designs will have the same trait ! I think this may be why the etched holes for the cylinder/valve covers are always too far in so they never seem to line up with the cylinder wrapper edge.
Having said that, an Ace Kit D49 Hunt was fine in respect of cylinder position/fit/clearance, although it did have other "issues".

Ian
 

Isambarduk

Western Thunderer
I have yet to find a David Andrews designed kit where the cylinders/motion brackets etc ever fit correctly.
Perhaps I was fortunate with my only build of a DA kit so far, Ian. I always treat even the best of kits as an aid to scratch-build; I find that some kits are more of an aid than others and that some are no aid at all. I found the DA kit of Britsh Legion a very good aid/starting point with few 'anomalies', although I have significantly redesigned the assembly so that it'll come apart for painting, and I made a number of mods and new parts.

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Above was the state of play a couple of evenings ago - with apologies for the rather poor image.

David
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dibateg

Western Thunderer
I always find sand pipes a trial, but it wasn't too bad this time, I had some left over MOK castings. I drilled them right through so that I could use one piece of wire. Brackets are always difficult They are not 100% accurate, but I used brass strip with a 90 degree twist. This then acts as a universal joint to a degree so that angle, height etc. can be adjusted. The valve gear can be put in back gear, so the stub of the reversing rod has holes that locate on that stub of wire soldered to the frames. If I was any good, I'd hook a servo up to it and have it automatically reverse off the decoder... I made the curved bracket for the drain pipes from redundant curved cab beading from the kit.
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So just some cleaning up and testing to do... and sort that wonky front step.
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Not much is outstanding on the O1, but like the Stanier I wanted to improve the valve gear, which has led to a few challenges. To make the whole motion dismountable I made the motion brackets demountable and had to modify the bracket to fit the Griffin expansion link. The radius rod was a single etch, but I found something in the spare valve gear box to make it into the split section . It is also reversible.
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dibateg

Western Thunderer
After a lot of grinding and adjusting I managed to get the valve gear to work.
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I've managed to re-assemble the frames after painting, and pre-weathering. It always takes ages and never works first time despite making sure everything goes back in the same place. I had to go for a change of number as 63591 didn't have a roller bearing fitted eccentric rod, so have gone for 63854, also of Annesley shed.
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Even though the backhead is tucked away in cab, I thought it looked to bare so added Ragstone sanding and blowdown valves. Cab dials are from David Amias. My cutting out doesn't look so good with it blown up so large..
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dibateg

Western Thunderer
The O1 did get painted, here it is before it was weathered, I'm still waiting for the front number to finish it off. It's been running test trains on the layout.
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I'm having a little break from the layout, so I've dug out one of the oldest kits in the cupboard, a Four Track J6 to be 64219 of Colwick shed. The etches are blown up from the George Norton kit designed back in 1992...
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Rob Pulham and Heather have both made excellent J6 models I've been using their threads as a building guide.
https://www.gaugeoguild.com/xenforo...ms-workbench-gladiator-lner-br-j6.1030/page-2
I've made a start on the mainframes, fitted Slaters hornblocks and made up the springs from Ragstone castings. I turned up the shock absorbers on the lathe. The centre spring can be dropped to allow fitting the crank axle. I've used the P4 spacers ( with a smidge filed off them ) to make the frames as wide as possible for fitting the inside motion.
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I've made a start on the mainframes, fitted Slaters hornblocks and made up the springs from Ragstone castings. I turned up the shock absorbers on the lathe. The centre spring can be dropped to allow fitting the crank axle. I've used the P4 spacers ( with a smidge filed off them ) to make the frames as wide as possible for fitting the inside motion.
 
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