Gladiator B16/1 A North Eastern Workhorse

[Robpulham]

As mentioned briefly elsewhere the detailing of the B16 is coming along nicely but not without minor frustrations.

This is where I have got to so far -





On to the frustrations, earlier I had made the oil boxes that sit on the front splasher tops, the first one on the right hand splasher too about 10 attempts to solder it on, I would get it positioned and then clamped with self locking tweezers but each time I reached for the soldering iron to solder it from the back the blessed thing either moved or fell off. Finally I got it soldered in place and decided to do the other one. This was even worse, after three failed attempts to solder it on, it flew off into space and despite a good grovel I couldn't find it. So I set to and made another, blow me if the same thing didn't happen again. A couple or three failed attempts then twang.....
With the third iteration I filed a slight hollow in the base front to back so that it sat better on the splasher top and I managed to solder it on first go.







Next I made up and fitted the operating rod on the right hand side that was fitted to some locos. The casting was provided in the kit but I scratched the level from some scrap etch. This was all fairly straight forward as was drilling the foot plate and rear splashers and fitting the other oil boxes with the pipes. The boiler furniture again all went smoothly apart from the dome.










My dome casting was ever so slightly misshapen so that the oval of the dome when viewed from the top was at odds with the curvature of the boiler. As I said it was only marginally out but enough to make the dome sit slightly out of square (if a round object can sit square....) As it turns out it was a blessing in disguise because as designed the kit only caters for the earlier type of boiler. As I understand it the main visible difference between them being the position of the dome either astride a boiler band or between them.

To remedy the misshape I cut of the threaded spigot from the bottom and then using a ball shaped burr I ground out the remnants of it mounting and then I wrapped a strips of sanding belt around the boiler and twisting ever so slightly I rubbed away at the casting until it sat down 'squarely' the added bonus was that I was then able to move it back quite a way so that it only just covered the etched hole in the boiler. While ot 100% in the right place it's a lot better visually than had I just fitted it through the etched hole and moved on

[Atlantic 3279]

Lovely detailing Rob. Cleaning irregularities and mis-shapes from brass castings isn't one of the easy tasks, is it?

[Robpulham]

Lovely detailing Rob. Cleaning irregularities and mis-shapes from brass castings isn't one of the easy tasks, is it?

Thanks Graham,

I have to agree with your summations of the preparation of brass castings - but they have compensations in other ways of course.

[Robpulham]

This week work on the B16 has continued to flow.

The lubricators are on and although you get plain castings I drilled them out to add the pipework inside some microbore tube that I picked up earlier in the year from Barry of MetalSmiths fame(@lankytank).



There was a thread on the Guild site discussing drilling brass castings and one of the suggestions (besides buying proper drill bits) was to heat to a cherry red heat and let the casting cool naturally. I have used this method before and it has to be said without much success. I decided to try again and I have come to the conclusion that previously I just didn't get it red enough - this time the cheapo Microbox type drills went through it like butter. I did you my Proxxon Mini Pillar drill though.







You know when something niggles at you that there's something not quite right? Well I had the feeling and finally pinned it down to the fact that the chimney was just not quite on square so I heated it up and attempted to nudge it. I must have been a bit vigorous because the next second it was on the floor. The good news is that in knocking it off I had spread the solder a little in the right direction and putting it on square was a simple matter of putting it in place and then heating it with the microflame until it sank down in the solder. A little cleaning up and I was happy

[Daddyman]

Very nice work. Thanks for posting.

[Atso]

Incredible detail there Rob. Whoever said 7mm scale was easier to work in than 2mm or 4mm needs their head examining - so many more tiny details to add as they are all so noticeable. Fantastic work!

[Robpulham]

Thanks Gents,

It's the small details that make the build so much more enjoyable for me Steve.

[Robpulham]

In between popping along to Keighley show where I had a great time chatting to many people I have made much progress on the B16.

Unless something else jumps out at me while working on the chassis, the body is finished. Now it's onto the electrics plus the final details on the chassis. At this rate I may have to change plans and take it for a run on the test track at Shildon On Saturday afternoon.

While studying the one photo that I have of 61450, I noted that I had missed an oiler on the right rear splasher. I had made it but can't recall why I didn't fit it when I fitted the others but it's corrected now.

[Robpulham]

After my mistake with the wheels on Saturday, I sorted them out and with the weather being not too bad we cleaned up part of the circuit on the garden line and gave it a try.

Sadly, the rigid chassis doesn't take well to my less than generous curves but it is alive and now just needs final detailing.

https://youtu.be/GS0lEnoHSXs

Chris also took a few photos of it in the sunshine. Just a few more details to add before it goes of to Warren for painting.

[Dave]

Very nice Rob, we are spoilt on here what with your B16 and Micks B15.

[Robpulham]

Thanks Dave,

This one will be leaving me soon when I have the final details completed but I do plan to build one of my own at some point.

[Atso]

Wow Rob, that is one impressive looking beast!

I think that I've very much got the easier job in N gauge judging by the sheer amount of detail you've managed to incorporate into the B16/1 - while I'm very much a modeller of the Southern Section of the LNER, I believe that the B16s were occasionally seen down there and your excellent model has convinced me that I need on of my own now!

Just think, with everything you've learnt from this one, I can't imagine just how good your own one will be when you build it!

[Robpulham]

Thanks Steve,

It isn't quite finished yet either, I still have the rear sand pipes to add.

For my own, the main changes that I would make would be some form of springing/compensation and changing the etched lamp irons for castings.

[john coffin]

Very nice work Rob, but also an interesting comment at the end.

I realise this is 7mm, but, why would you prefer cast lamp iron brackets to etched ones, surely the etched ones are both
more to scale, and stronger? As someone who designs in 4mm it is an interesting hypothesis for me.

Paul

[Robpulham]

Very nice work Rob, but also an interesting comment at the end.

I realise this is 7mm, but, why would you prefer cast lamp iron brackets to etched ones, surely the etched ones are both
more to scale, and stronger? As someone who designs in 4mm it is an interesting hypothesis for me.

Paul

Thanks Paul,

In my experience the etched lamp brackets are very vulnerable to bending/snapping off and because in most cases they have an half etched bend point where the blade meets the base, that creates a weakness too. Etched fold up rolling stock lamp iron are a bit less fragile because the folding and soldering gives them more strength.