James' workbench- ex-GC locos and stock in OO

[auldreekie]

I'm enjoying this.

I recognise what you say about "nothing new...", because that's equally applicable to my numerous and varied recent excursions into narrow-gauge locomotive building. But what I find interesting there (as clearly do others from the following which my thread there attracts) is the application of old techniques - not necessarily with very great finesse - to types of locomotive otherwise un-built as 4mm scale models. The application of the techniques to the solution of "new" problems as posed by different real-world types is what may be original.

That said, for reasons unknown to me, I have yet to pluck up the courage or energy or whatever to transfer this experience to the modelling of better-known and better-documented standard gauge locomotives etc.

So your example (amongst others on this forum) is of considerable interest.....


auldreekie

[James Harrison]

Thanks guys

The conversions aren't by any means finescale but they look the part from a few feet away and to me that's what matters.

I found a load of bearings in my spares box last night- though typically the one type that I found actually fitted, I have only one of! So before I can do anything about the ropey running of the chassis I need to find some more...

Glad you're enjoying the build- I certainly am.

[James Harrison]

Well, I have the new bearings for the chassis.... they just need a little filing down (one for when I can get into the shed, and get hold of my small vice, tomorrow....)

In the meantime I've begin repainting my GCR carriages....

.... brake third no. 5277 was first to undergo the process, and composite no. 5084 is following suit.

[James Harrison]

Ah. Oh dear.

Merely fitting bearings didn't improve running qualities- as the loco is tender driven, and considering the amount of surgery already carried out on the chassis to no effect, I think that maybe building a new chassis would be the way forward.

This leads onto a new problem- lack of materials to do so- and considering I've ordered a couple of locos these last few months ('Marne' and 251)- I've not the funds at the moment to go out and buy them....

... so to keep myself occupied I've started work on another of my stashed-away projects- a Jaycraft D10 which I shall be finishing as 5430 Purdon Viccars, as she (he?) appeared in June 1928 (lined black livery with loco number on the tender- according to the Green Bible).

Of course, having built one of these before the challenge is to get the new model looking, as close as possible, identical to the first- this means a lot of surgery to the tender.



After the first bout of surgery the tender looked like this. Basically there was a huge thick bulkhead separating the coal space from the footplate, which sadly was set far too far back into the tender- using a small saw and a pair of plier much of this was removed, and then a new bulkhead built up in plastic sheet. Probably not 100% accurate but it matches my previous D10 so I'm happy with it. Not visible in this photo are the holes drilled into the rear face for the fitting of handrails.

I then looked to fitting the wheels (not supplied with the kit)- and here I ran into problems. Those chassis sides moulded in are very thick and you can't slip axles into them easily! Thinking maybe the 1980s kit was designed for 1980s axles, I tried some old Triang-Hornby moulded wheels in there (the ones with the metal axle which the wheels slip over as a form of sleeve). These fitted well, but were too long to be able to fit the axle boxes over. Another problem then presented itself- sitting on these axles the tender sat too low on the rails (most obvious when compared to the tender from my 'Sir Clement Royds').

Now looking at that tender what I saw was that the body had been mounted on the chassis from a Triang 2P tender- not surprising as the whole kit was designed for the Triang 2P chassis. I saw that replacing the tender chassis entirely was probably the only way forward. Luckily I had a suitable tender in my spares box, and the chassis was readily freed and made ready for use.

Unfortunately removing the moulded chassis from the tender body proved an exercise in frustration, pain and neccesitated the employment of some good old Anglo-Saxon but it all came right in the end I'm glad to say and I now have a tender which, with a bit of finishing off, looks the part.

[auldreekie]

Jaycraft...... There's a blast from the past! I'd even forgotten what they were called.

Somewhere in the depths I have several of their products stashed away, including a D10 finished to such standards as I felt able to attain some (I should think) 25 to 30 years ago.

So your experiences with the D10 tender are particularly to the point. I can see the D10, and perhaps the similarly-aged BEC Models D11, may come due for a very serious remake....


auldreekie

[James Harrison]

The D10 body (I think, so am probably woefully wrong) is quite a nice moulding. Quite sharp and defined and with a bit of work (such as removing the boiler bands, replacing the chimney and dome with whitemetal castings and thinning down the material thickness of the cab- and adding a backhead), it has the potential to be a very good model.

The tender alas very much less so- the alterations I've made to mine do bring it up a little however to make a really top notch model out of it would require so much work that you may as well scratchbuild.

Were I not trying to get a model identical to my other D10 (also a Jaycraft example) I would have done all of the above....

These shortcomings aside it is possible to get a nice model out of it... a little rough and ready of course but still a nice model:



This is my 'Sir Clement Royds' which I finished about 18 months ago- since the photo was taken the curved handrail has been added around the smokebox. It's certainly no PDK kit but I think at least looks the part.

[auldreekie]

Yes, I recognise that! And it is attractive.

Enormously thick boiler bands WERE a major feature of the Jaycraft products, indeed probably the worst aspect.....

Scratchbuilding a D10 tender (in my case, out of styrene, I fear) would be perfectly feasible and quite fun.....

auldreekie

[James Harrison]

Well, Purdon Viccars is finished!



I'm quite pleased with it- it needs only the cab glazing, a crew and some coal and then it's 'ready for the road'....

[Manxman1831]

Very nice model. Are you sure that the nameplate is supposed to be below the top beading? Every picture I've seen puts the 'plates as being a part of that.

[James Harrison]

The 'plates should be a part of the beading, however it is part of the resin moulding and I felt that an attempt to cut or file away the central part of it to fit the 'plates at the right height would be doomed to failure... one slip and the model could have been quite badly damaged. (Actually I wouldn't be at all surprised to find the beading moulded far too fine- photographs of the prototype suggest it should be a bit more prominent on the model).

Fitting them so that they butt right up against the beading still looks right to my eye- or at least a reasonable compromise. Of course, an ideal solution would be etched brass beading!

[auldreekie]

Looks good in black. I shall definitely have to revisit the oldies in the stock drawer.......


auldreekie

[James Harrison]

Payday came and went, and with it I was able to lay in new stocks of plastic sheet, rod and tube...

... so I've been able to carry on with the D6.

When I left this I had the beginnings of a body and a chassis that refused to run.

I bought some 8mm square plastic tube and through this I drilled four 5mm holes. Into these holes I then inserted some brass bearings, bought as spares for the Triang/ Hornby 9F, and then I slotted the 2P axles through. The result? A very sweet rolling chassis...

[James Harrison]

It's been a while, but there is finally progress worth reporting with my 11A/ D6.

Firstly, I found a spare 2P chassis in my bits box (I forget what bits I do and don't have) and decided to use that for my model instead of a scratchbuilt example. I then made new cabsheets and splashers and added brass handrail knobs to the boiler.

At the moment then the model looks like this...



I'm also experimenting with replacing my tension lock couplings with homebrew three-links. I have plenty of brass wire to make the links from, turning it around a screwdriver piece, and then to make the hook I use the back (usually hidden) part of the Hornby tension lock hook.

It still needs a bit of work to perfect but holds promise I think.

[James Harrison]

The pace has slowed down a lot over the last month or so (not that that is entirely a bad thing).

Work has been getting done on the D6, just not a lot of it!

Anyway I've finally managed to get the splashers and boiler to my liking and primed so from here on in (at least until I reach the lining stage) it should be fairly easy, for a given value of 'easy'.







I ran out of model filler a few weeks ago and it was only in the last week I was able to buy some more. The new tube is a different product from what I have previously used and seems to work a little better. An interesting thing I have found with this is that you can use plastic solvent to sculpt it once it has been applied- which has helped me get a smooth finish no end.

I will next be adding the frames under the smokebox and the cab roof; then into the paint shop for more primer and eventually into apple green livery.

[earlswood nob]

G'day all

I use Isopon P38 filler, after someone on here recommended it (Atlantic3279??). It's a lot cheaper and ready to sand in about 20 mins.

I like the D6, and have one to build. However, I will fit mine with a flowerpot chimney as that's how they ran in LNER days.

I'd like to build a D7 at sometime as I don't think any RTR D7 will be produced.

Earlswood nob