Atlantic's works: Portable layout update

[earlswood nob]

Afternoon all

WOW......thanks Atlantic for your explanation. I can see more research needs to be done before I build my J3.

I have just measured my Kays J3 boiler (bare and not rubbed down) and it varies between almost correct and over 1mm undersize.

I don't have a drawing for the J4, but the barrel is quoted a 3ins less, which equates to 1mm.

My J6 has not been started, but the boiler looks fractionally undersize.

Such things are sent to try us.

Earlswood nob

[Pebbles]

Isinglass drawings quote the boiler diameters in the region of 5ft 2-1/4inchs. I say in the region of as the J3 drawing quotes 1/8inch larger in diameter. My K's boiler in the horizontal plane comes out at 20.85mm and in the vertical plane 19.95mm. I make these figures a scale 5ft 2-1/2inches and 4ft 11-7/8inches. A slight squeeze in a padded vice should bring these into general scale 5ft 1inch or about 0.4mm under size.

[Atlantic 3279]

The development phase of the variant of the GNR resin tender, to suit "lesser" locos than those considered fit for the most modern version of the Ivatt class B tender, is now as complete as it is going to get. I've gone well beyond the point of "having seen enough" of this particular item, but considering firstly the changes above soleplate level, here's what I've achieved as a basis for some suitable resin parts.

Before anybody considers it necessary to point out the errors, I'll make it clear that I realise there are a number of persistent wrong features in the final interpretation which is, of necessity, at present based on an altered moulding for the most modern type of class B. I plan to produce the toolboxes and the rectangular water filler, but anybody wishing to use some or all of the parts as I have done will have to cut off the integrally moulded circular water filler and the adjacent dome over the pick-up chute, cover up or re-model the self trimming bunker space, and then decide whether to be so brave and thorough as to mill/drill/cut/carve/re-detail the whole front of the tender to better represent the different coal gate and shovelling "hole". I almost didn't bother with that aspect and I'm not sure I'd spend time on it if I were altering another example. Just reshaping the top of the coal plate, cutting back the coal rails and adding the tool boxes does a lot to change the look around the front. If and when the mould for the tender top requires renewal I may replace it with one that facilitates the alterations to the horseshoe type of bunker and associate front plate as well as making the change of water filler painless, but that's for the future.

Below the soleplate I've ditched the idea of a single-piece underframe. It will be far easier to produce good side frames with good representations of steps and axleboxes, both with equally divided and unequally divided wheelbase if the underframe is made in four parts, i.e. the two sideframes with details, the drag beam and the buffer beam. Decent rebate joints at the corners, with a healthy block at each corner for strength and squareness should make assembly easy enough. In my test piece I've used the moulded soleplate that usually forms part of the resin tender top, but as this is very fragile and variably cast, I'd suggest its routine removal and replacement by a rectangle of plasticard 84 x 32mm with a central hole 70 x 22mm for wheel clearance and access to the interior of the assembled tender.

[deltico12]

Evening All, just been looking at the Fast Goods engine,it is looking very nice. Were they ever painted in green? A question, what is the best way to
model an LNER C12 with square water tanks and extended coal bunker as 67352 had and possibly one or two others as well at the end of the 1950"s.A couple of these engines will probably be needed on my "Rutland Chronicles" project for pilot and branch line duties. Looking at the details for a J3 kit, the description of a GNR "horseshoe" tender was seen, what is meant by this?

[Atlantic 3279]

London Road Models kit LOCO89 builds into a C12, with, I believe, square edged tanks and bunker. If etched kits make you turn pale and start trembling, then I suppose the whitemetal Finecast C12 could be modified by building up the rounded edges with solder or good hard epoxy, filed to shape, &/or fitted with a thin overlay.

I think horseshoe in this context refers to a tender whose "rear" tank also extends forward either side of a central coal space with flat vertical sides, i.e. surrounded by the tank in "horseshoe" fashion. The later development of course is the self-trimming tender with hopper-shaped coal space within the forward part of the tank.

I think a Stirling class D tender would be more typical for a J3 in LNER days, although many J3s ran with other old tenders and even the class D varied considerably between individual examples.

[Atlantic 3279]

With some time off work this week I've been able to crack on a bit.

Master parts, moulding boxes, rubber moulds and first resin castings;

Parts cleaned up and fitted to previously modified tender top, now with substitute plasticard soleplate as per my previous comments;

Underside, showing the substantial blocks moulded as part of the front and rear beams, providing a good rebate joint at the corners. Also two pieces of plasticard blanking off the original middle axle holes moulded into the inner underframe, new holes having been drilled 2mm further forward. The additional part to provide an NEM coupling mount is de rigeur for locos destined for general service on Grantham where Kadees rule, much as my preferences for couplings may differ!

Here paired with the J2 instead of the J6 in previous pictures. Thanks to enlightenment via a borrowed Yeadon, the J2 now boasts full size cab numbers, unlike nearly every other kind of ex-GN 0-6-0 (and many other ex-GN types). Given that the Ivatt series of J6s also had longer cabs than the Gresley series, I'm now curious regarding their cabside number sizes in the 1930s, but that's another matter entirely.

[earlswood nob]

Evenin' all

I've just had a quick look at Yeadon 37B and every Ivatt J6 with cab numbers used 10in numbers in 1930's, which is strange with the J2s (except 3075 for a couple of years) using 12in numbers.

Earlswood nob

[mick b]

Re images, I use the dark side free image app to reduce the image and then save to documents. Very simple to use and no dodgy messages.

Nice Tenders, not my part of the LNER area sadly.

[manna]

G'day Gents

Very well done Graeme, such a rare sight, a GN tender !!

Maybe that's why the RTR boys don't make any GN loco's, there scared of the tenders

manna

[Horsetan]

The resin moulding process never fails to fascinate. Gives me hope for trying out stuff to correct the Kitmaster Beyer-Garratt and the Prototype Deltic kits.....

[swhite01]

The attached shows J6 numbering in the LNER period, the drawings show 9" numbers, with loco number ranges, also shows the different cab widths. The drawing copy isn't mine, these were photos used by an ebay seller some time ago,

Hope they are of help,

Steve

http://www.gnrsociety.com

[Atlantic 3279]

Curiouser still! At a glance, at least as much room for big numbers on the 521 series J6 locos as on the J2s. I can see the sense in keeping all the J6 locos "dressed" in the same way, but why not extend that logic to the J2s when all of the other GN 0-6-0s needed the smaller numerals?

[earlswood nob]

Good morning all

Curiouser and more curiouser, the size of GNR loco numbers in LNER days.

Whilst burning the midnight oil reading railway books, much better than watching TV, I came across the following:

J1/3/4 had 9in cabside numbers
J2 had 12 in cabside numbers
J5/6 had 10in cabside numbers
Q3 had 7.5 in cabside numbers
K2 had 9 in cabside numbers

Just to be different, 3279 had 12 in cabside numbers added after its cab extension was fitted.

Earlswood nob

[deltico12]

Thank you for the reply to my questions on C12s and the GN tender, very useful information.

[Atlantic 3279]

19th March 2016 - note for guidance of interested parties:

Production and supply of resin parts etc. is strictly a hobby-time activity for me and has to fit around the rest of life. As the range has expanded, delivery times have become impossible to forecast accurately or to guarantee. At present there is a severe limitation on stock levels and on my ability to produce other items, for perhaps the next three months or so. The reason for this is that I must now direct my limited time to the long promised production of K2 and J6 parts from moulds that I already have, after which I also need to produce some moulds for P2 modification parts, these having been promised for even longer.

In order to catch up as quickly as possible, I regret that I will not be able to devote time and attention to accepting or keeping note of new orders for non-stock items until this production backlog has been cleared.