Paul's workbench

[mick b]

Never manged to get my Finecast to go around bends without the rear hanging out by miles and was sold on.
May I suggest you invest in Graemes Hornby conversion kit for the chassis and use that on a Hornby A3/4 chassis much much better running and cornering. The Hornby Tender is light years ahead of the Battleship weight and low level of detail on the Finecast version as well.

[Manxman1831]

Looking at the base body picture, I think it will manage to get around Hornby 3rd radius curves. Chassis is good and solid when built up. So long as the body isn't twisted along its length, so as to force the chassis out of true, you should have a good solid express loco for your fleet.

[nzpaul]

Hi All
I hear what your saying Mick with regard to using an adapted Hornby chassis to power the W1. I'm committed to building the supplied chassis now as I've just splashed out for a Mashima 1628 and Comet 2 stage gearbox. I was going to use a 1624 and gearbox the same as in my V4, but given the amount of space available I figured why not put the biggest motor in. The tightest radius I'd expect it to negotiate will be about 24" so chassis flexibility shouldn't be an issue, my home made P1 can just make a 22" curve with its longer coupled wheelbase but the W1 does have significant overhang behind the rear coupled axle so I can see the potential for an issue. One thing about kit chassis' I prefer is that the laminated coupling rods look like they should last forever, the Hornby rods would be lucky to be equal to one side of the kits rods.
I'm going to use Tamiya sea grey, close to the shade that LH Loveless use for their W1 (I assume that for £2500 odd, they should be right), certainly darker that the one in Manxman's pic, although not to late to change if someone has better idea for a colour match.
Loco will be on hold until the Motor turns up so I'll get on with the tender, I'll put it together and see how it works out. Maybe I'll have to track down a second hand A3 to butcher for bits.

Cheers
Paul

[earlswood nob]

Good morning all

I like the Mashima 1628 for powering locos.

However the W1 loco body has room for large motors.

I've tested a Mashima 1830 fitted to a W1 chassis. It is coupled to a High Level Roadrunner Plus 30:1 with a Drive Extender. The mounting holes in the gearbox had to enlarged to fit the motor.

The chassis runs well, but I only have 5ft radius curves on my test track, so I cannot comment on its cornering ability.

The chassis was put to one side to await a large flywheel, which I now have, so I may continue the build when I've finished the current crop of dirty, grimy freight locos.

The original idea of the chassis was for the rebuilt W1, but it will fit the Hush_Hush loco, a Nu-Cast P2, and a Hornby A1 body for a P1 conversion.

I am aiming for the twenty coach capability that P2's and the rebuilt W1 had. I seem to recall that Atlantic 3279 built a GCR 4-4-0 with that capability.

Earlswood nob

(now back to a grimy collection of O4's and other freight locos).

I have no connection with any supplier mentioned, other than that of a satisfied customer.

[nzpaul]

Hi all
Earlswood, that really is a big motor you've got there, just a thought, but if you hang the gearbox off the rear axle, you could get an evev bigger one in there.
Reminds me, how's your P1 coming along ,is it on the workbench or back burner ?

Cheers
Paul

[earlswood nob]

Good morning all

The motor is a Mashima 1830. I am aiming to use one in the P1 to give excess of power.

The P1 is filed onto the "roundtuit" shelf. There are a few hiccups; the biggest one concerns the footplate. The covers for the long travel valve gear need removing, the height of the footplate is less than the A1/3, the boiler saddle is taller, and the steam pipes are at a steeper angle.

When Atlantic 3279 built his P1, he made a new footplate. I can foresee that I will have to do the same.

I am currently messing about with O4 rebuilds. I picked up several Kays/NuCast O4 kits cheaply, and am trying to build a O4/4, a O4/5, a O4/6, and an O5. I am also scratching around with a couple of 0-8-0's.

There just isn't enough hours in the day, but I enjoy being busy.


Earlswood nob

[nzpaul]

Hi All
Just a couple of pics of recent work on the W1. For the first time I've managed to build a chassis that runs smoothly with only a couple of minutes of running. With all previous models I've had to make adjustment to coupling rod in some way but this one is a pearl, I guess that means the SE Finecast etches are extremely accurate.

The tender is soldered together and the end result could anchor a battleship, it's nearly as heavy as the loco so I've been careful to build a free running chassis. I didn't have any proper 2mm axle bearing so I've soldered some top hat bearings into the outer axle holes and then drilled them. The wheels are Hornby from the spares box, they have the advantage of having a plastic boss for the axle so no need for washers and no risk of short circuits.

Cheers
Paul

[nzpaul]

Hi All
W1 valve gear built and fitted to the chassis, not sure I'm all that keen on the SEF way of the cylinders being permanently attached to the chassis, if something goes wrong with the valve gear it will make it difficult to repair, not that I'm expecting a problem but if....
One point I should make is that I've not built the valve gear as instructed. I found that if assembled using the parts indicated in the instructions the combination lever would crash into the cylinder front, so I used alternative parts provided on the fret, I assume for making normal A3 valve gear, and all worked out well. Just the radius rod lifting lever/link to fit now and again the instructions a not clear as to how this should be achieved.

Body sat on chassis with tender to see how it looks nearing completion. I'll do something about the flat sided cylinders as well, they should have a bulbous bottom.

Cheers
Paul

[Manxman1831]

Hi Paul, I've just been looking at the pictures I have of the real thing and the apprentice model at Darlington. The link you mention should attach to the radius bar in front of the expansion link. On the apprentice model, this joint is made using a nut and bolt. I believe the kit expects you to butt the piece against the bar, with the arm being sited to take a rod through from the other side, but this must itself fit between the splasher and casing above the expansion die-block.

May sound like gobbledygook, so I'll a picture of the Darlington model for clarification.

[nzpaul]

Hi All
Given that Daytona61 has raised the subject of the W1's colour, I thought it might be a good time to update progress on my own model. So, here it is, all but finished. I'm not too impressed with the shape of my handrails and I'm very wary of the tender coupling arrangement so there could well be some alterations yet, to correct some things.
Apart from a few diversions from the instructions it's built pretty much as SEF say it should be with the addition of what I guess is a rocking grate mechanism on the right side trailing frames, I think they could improve the valve gear assembly instructions and provide a bit more detail as to what to do with the radius rod and lifting link, other that that I don't have any complaints.
I've only run it on the rolling road so far and its very smooth so hopefully that will convert to real world layout performance. With regard to colour, Tamiya XF82 Sea Grey, Humbrol 11 boiler bands and Fox Transfers.

Just some coal in the tender, crew and couplings to finish of now really.

Cheers
Paul

edit: Change photos.

[manna]

G'day gents

Your W1, has turned out well, have you run it yet ??? Beautiful.

manna

[nzpaul]

Thanks Manna
Don't want to blow my own trumpet (cornet in my case) but yea, it's not too shabby. Inexcusable I know, but I haven't run it on a layout yet but will get around to it soon I'm sure. All going well I might have a go at making a YouTube clip of it.

Cheers
Paul.

[Daddyman]

I think the PDK kit would be less stressful, maybe someone who's built one of PDKs kits might care to comment on the quality, I'd like to get one of their J36 kits so I'm interested to know.

I have been building a PDK J36 on and off for some time. It needs a lot of work, and is only slightly easier than scratchbuilding. First problem was the boiler, which had been rolled "cold", meaning that at all the apertures for the chimney, dome, etc, the boiler is "swollen", with bulges around all the holes. I haven't quite worked out a solution for this yet, or for the seeming impossibility of getting the right "step-up" between boiler and smokebox at the rear of the latter. The boiler diameter as it stands, combined with the diameter of the smokebox front etching doesn't allow one to get the necessary difference in diameter between the two, and without an accurate drawing, I don't know which diameter is wrong. That's sort of why my build has stalled. In any case I'll probably have to scratchbuild the boiler (I doubt the thing that came with the kit can be saved) - and possibly the smokebox front if the diameter turns out to be wrong.

Another issue is the splasher and cab widths. The ratio between these is wrong on the model, and I don't quite recall where this inaccuracy comes in, but remember that the cab certainly makes up about 1mm too narrow. The characteristic NBR window surrounds on the cabsides also fail to capture the look of the prototype.

The chassis is a joke, with absolutely zero detail and with all the designer's thought seemingly having gone in to a daft compensation system, seemingly designed with the purpose of allowing the loco to work on sand dunes. You will need to replace this, and this will add £35 to the cost: http://www.nbr4mm.co.uk/locochassis/9203.htm Note that this J36 chassis (a beautiful etch by the way, and includes tender chassis) always shows "unavailable" on the website, but I've had one from the proprietor despite this status - just email him.

So basically, I've paid £95 for some castings I couldn't make myself (though the smokebox door is badly pitted) and for NBR valances, which I hate cutting myself. I'm not 100% sure that's a waste of money (I really really hate cutting valances) but it certainly stings a bit. This is what gives me pause when I think about buying a PDK D30 or D34. I have a Gem D30 lying around and am considering scratchbuilding using their castings. It'll have to wait until after the J35 though - more guided scratchbuilding with the DJH travesty.

[nzpaul]

Thanks Daddyman, that's a useful heads up. I assumed that the £95 odd price tag would purchase a fairly high end kit, maybe not. Gets me thinking that something like Bachmann's Wainwright C might be a candidate for some remodelling, I'll have to do some measuring.

Cheers
Paul

[mick b]

I think the PDK kit would be less stressful, maybe someone who's built one of PDKs kits might care to comment on the quality, I'd like to get one of their J36 kits so I'm interested to know.

I have been building a PDK J36 on and off for some time. It needs a lot of work, and is only slightly easier than scratchbuilding. First problem was the boiler, which had been rolled "cold", meaning that at all the apertures for the chimney, dome, etc, the boiler is "swollen", with bulges around all the holes. I haven't quite worked out a solution for this yet, or for the seeming impossibility of getting the right "step-up" between boiler and smokebox at the rear of the latter. The boiler diameter as it stands, combined with the diameter of the smokebox front etching doesn't allow one to get the necessary difference in diameter between the two, and without an accurate drawing, I don't know which diameter is wrong. That's sort of why my build has stalled. In any case I'll probably have to scratchbuild the boiler (I doubt the thing that came with the kit can be saved) - and possibly the smokebox front if the diameter turns out to be wrong.

Another issue is the splasher and cab widths. The ratio between these is wrong on the model, and I don't quite recall where this inaccuracy comes in, but remember that the cab certainly makes up about 1mm too narrow. The characteristic NBR window surrounds on the cabsides also fail to capture the look of the prototype.

The chassis is a joke, with absolutely zero detail and with all the designer's thought seemingly having gone in to a daft compensation system, seemingly designed with the purpose of allowing the loco to work on sand dunes. You will need to replace this, and this will add £35 to the cost: http://www.nbr4mm.co.uk/locochassis/9203.htm Note that this J36 chassis (a beautiful etch by the way, and includes tender chassis) always shows "unavailable" on the website, but I've had one from the proprietor despite this status - just email him.

So basically, I've paid £95 for some castings I couldn't make myself (though the smokebox door is badly pitted) and for NBR valances, which I hate cutting myself. I'm not 100% sure that's a waste of money (I really really hate cutting valances) but it certainly stings a bit. This is what gives me pause when I think about buying a PDK D30 or D34. I have a Gem D30 lying around and am considering scratchbuilding using their castings. It'll have to wait until after the J35 though - more guided scratchbuilding with the DJH travesty.

A bit late now perhaps, I would have sent it back to PDK and request/demand a new Boiler at the minimum option. The only PDK I have ever built is their A1/1 a lot of work and the awful fold up chassis when done left zero clearance between the wheels and the chassis , I had to file the bearings flat to get around any sort of free play to get it around any kind of curve. It also had the Bonio compensation system which I ignored. Body detail was wrong as well on that one at least that had a resin boiler. I won't be buying another one !!