Atlantic's works: Portable layout - Scenic details next

[Atlantic 3279]

Well that clears up the mystery of the edge damage on that smokebox front - only one cut which easily sealed with some solvent, a squeeze, and a clean-up.

How much would need to be done at this point to turn the A2 into the A2/2 variant? Not much I'll wager...?

Mick may be about to show us, if he is willing to post a few blow-by-blow images as well as his more usual, attractive, "finished job" images. Mick????

[S.A.C. Martin]

Go on Mick - I have the 60506 plates in a little jiffy bag, stuck to the wall above me...!

Just in case!

[Atlantic 3279]

I believe Mick has been otherwise engaged over the weekend, but I'm still hoping he might show us the way once he's back at his workbench this week.....

Before I push on with some A2/3 update notes and images, here's something that links in a way with remarks on the "Upgraded Bachmann A4, B1 & V2" thread. If Bill is reading this, I apologise for the digression from matters LNER, and this image isn't a Ford or a BMW either, but I suppose if it were a commercial vehicle it might have been a Bedford......
Yes, it's my long serving and still fully active, entirely non-electronic/non-digital Vauxhall:

A Cavalier GLS Coupe, for those unable to remember/recognise/identify the model.
(NOT a Chevette as often seems to be suggested by some who both ask what it is, and try to answer their own question.....)

[Atlantic 3279]

My excuse for the above is that others were posting up images of their long serving motors a while ago.......

So, on with the updates.

After a bit of careful filing to ensure that the two would go together with top faces truly level, and with all jointing surfaces suitably keyed, epoxy provided a good bond between the old and new pieces of running plate, some clamps/pegs and a piece of straight alumium angle ensuring that I got a nice straight joint:



Once well cured this needs to be tried on the chassis, and the fit carefully studied (from the side especially, like this) to ensure that the running plate sits down fully at the front to give a level bufferbeam at the right height. Patience, and thorough adjustment by filing or other means of trimming at this stage pays dividends if a good final result is desired.

At this same stage, checking and manipulating the whole running plate again to ensure that it is flat and straight wherever it should be, and that the typically sagging rear end is sorted out, is also adviseable.

[Atlantic 3279]

A couple of holes need to be drilled at this stage, the first to allow the new extended running plate to be screwed to the chassis at the front. The previously tapped hole in the chassis block for the cylinder stretcher can easily be opened out to clear a 10BA screw, and a slightly smaller hole drilled up through the running plate resin in the same position. The screw will then cut its own thread in the resin as it is driven in from below:


The running plate also needs to screw to the underside of the smokebox. A blind hole moulded in the running plate needs to be drilled out to clear 8BA, and the hole in the boiler weight needs to be re-tapped by some means. I don't have a proper tap, but a steel screw with some slots filed down its sides and a slight taper to its nose does the job, with care:

[Atlantic 3279]

Further checking that everything fits straight, level, at the right height, and strain-free when the screws are all done up is prudent at this stage:


I found that a slip of 10 thou plasticard between the front of the resin saddle and the base of the smokebox allowed everything to stay straight even when the screws were fully tightened. You may just see it in this picture.


As you may also see, the joints in the smokebox and firebox have been largely scraped/filed down flush and had a first rub down at this stage too. The double chimney has also taken the place of the single, which was cut and filed away. Work on the smokebox is much easier once the brackets for the smoke-deflectors have been eased out of their holes. These have to be removed and re-sited further forward anyway.

[Atlantic 3279]

The bogie can be dealt with next. After releasing the double-ended screw arrangement that connects the bogie to the mounting plate, the plate initiallylooks like this:


Some cutting and filing is needed to create a flat top


This can then be glued (my choice was Evostick) directly to the underside of the chassis

The decision to measure from the hind bogie axle to the MIDDLE coupled axle of the loco (rather than the first) came about after considering the fact that Bachmann have increased the coupled wheelbase and I'd had some difficulty with getting the bogie too far forward for clearances around the steps on Simon's prototype loco.

[S.A.C. Martin]

All looking rather superb there Graeme - and may I say, your Vauxhill is splendid. My grandfather bought one after selling on his ex-army Ford Granada - same model, same colour, I think! That was replaced subsequently with a more modern Vauxhill Cavalier in a similar colour in 1994 and was the last car he ever owned.

I don't remember much of the original Cavalier other than I fell asleep in it as a nipper regularly on the way home from school!

[Atlantic 3279]

With the bogie in place the overlays for the front frames can be trimmed as necessary at the rear edges and glued to the sides of the chassis block, lining up the cut-outs with the bogie wheels


I considered that it would also be expedient during construction and painting, plus giving good final security, if I were to screw the smoke-deflectors to the running plate. On the left side of the loco, shown in my picture, the resin deflector won't fit correctly unless you do something to reduce the projection of the elbow & flange at the front end of the ejector pipe (or conversely make a recess in the back of the deflector, which could be tricky). As the pipe is hidden by the deflector, my answer was to simply file it down a bit.

You can also see the head of the10BA chassis-to-body screw in this image.

So here's how the loco looks at present, complete in outline, one might say, but much detailing still to be done. Since taking these pictures I have also drilled/cleared the necessary holes for handrail pillars, lamp irons, buffers, coupling etc. Reaching this stage, from raw castings and out-of-the-box standard loco, has taken about 13 hours of my work, if I've accounted for things correctly - and I doubt that I am the world's most rapid model maker>



By the way, the cab is still a loose fit at this stage. I can see no sense in fixing it in place until the joint in the firebox has been "passed" as completely invisible after as many coats of primer and further rubbing down as may be necessary. Why restrict access before this work is finished? It is just worth mentioning however, that in gluing the firebox extension into the back of the boiler, it should be aligned with great care to ensure that its surface all round comes out level with, or just slightly proud of, the main surface of the firebox cladding (NOT the raised boiler band on its rear edge). If you get too much of a step at the joint, you'll start losing moulded features such as washout plugs as you try to scrape/file/fill/sand/paint the joint to make it invisible. Don't worry about getting the new rear edge perfectly upright at the gluing-on stage, file it true when the bond is well set, with the aid of a square standing next to the assmbled loco on a flat surface. Then also make sure that the bottom of the cab sidesheets lies square to their vertical edges, again filing (gently) until all is correct. Providing you've made the tail end of the running plate level, your handy square should then confirm that the cab stands perfectly upright when fitted, AND it will lie snug against the rear of the firebox, with no 'orrible gaps .

[mick b]

As said earlier by Graeme back from a weekend break.
I will post some pics of A2/2 progress in due course.Start has been made on the cab area and the Comet Valve gear has arrived for future use.
I will post on my LNER Models thread of anything different from the A2/3 build

[Atlantic 3279]

I reckon I'm about 16.5 hours into this A2/3 now. Various trimmings have now been fitted, either temporarily (to prove that they'll fit after painting) or permanently, viz:
Fallplate, cab handrails, steam elbow access patch on left smoke deflector (a disc of 5 thou plastikard), smoke deflector handrails, some small upright plates of black plastikard to cover the ends of the new cylinder stretcher and "complete" the upper parts of the cylinder wrappers, the front lower lamp irons, front (sprung, Smiths) coupling hook + vac pipe + buffers, and front steps. The steps and bogie clear one-another.
I've also re-located the brackets that go behind the smoke deflectors and sprayed-up the deflectors (the only bit of painting so far).
Both to show the current position, and in view of the evident interest in applying the resin parts to an A2/2 (in suitable condition), I've taken some pictures with the deflectors still off while paint hardens. As you'll see, For A2/2 application, consideration would have to be given to filling the holes and removing all evidence of the original main steam pipes, and to tidying the edges of the saddle, probably by simply sticking a thin cover-piece over each side of it:




16/2/12 As I am now obliged to either "pay up" for a "premium account", or selectively reduce my pictures hosted on imageshack, or just let them wipe off all of the older ones at the end of this month, I have now deleted all of the pictures showing the assembly of the second A2/3 from my resin parts. I can however supply all of the necessary pictures with captions/text as an e-mail attachment should anybody want to see them again.

[S.A.C. Martin]

It's looking terrific Graeme - the one question I have, for A2/2 application, where do you get the windcutter cab from? Neither the Peppercorn A2 nor the Gresley flat fronted cab are suitable for the P2 rebuilds. Would an A4 cab - say, from SE finecast, do the job?

Although Mick, I've noticed you say you've started on the cab area - what are you using?

Overall Graeme, your work needs to be more recognised for doing us ER modellers a significant failure - owning a convincing Thompson Pacific no longer in the hands of the kit builders and the wealthy!

[Atlantic 3279]

Please don't edit it out, as I like it for humour, but would that failure be a favour by any chance

Yes, I imagine you'd need an A4 or V2 cab for the A2/2 if you want to use a complete cab. I believe Mick is modifying a spare DJH cab or similar.

[S.A.C. Martin]

Please don't edit it out, as I like it for humour, but would that failure be a favour by any chance

Sorry Graeme - yes, favour!

Yes, I imagine you'd need an A4 or V2 cab for the A2/2 if you want to use a complete cab. I believe Mick is modifying a spare DJH cab or similar.

Fair enough, and my sincerest apologies for my favour!

[Atlantic 3279]

Touché!