Atlantic 3279 wrote: A tighter radius, or any marked undulations in level or bad rail joints would spell trouble, along with any ideas of having 2 foot radius reverse curves with no eased transition or straight track between the curves.
Lord...my planned new layout has two reverse curves similar to that. I think some level of testing may have to occur sooner rather than later with the W1
Simon of course finds that the loco I built for him in 2010, in which I may have spread the rear frames a bit wider to try to suit his layout, copes with "third radius" which I believe is around 19". The resin frames will also be a touch further apart than my own original Finecast whitemetal frames, but I wouldn't bank on any ideas that this will result in the ability to negotiate much sharper curves.
I could take a measurement if you need one Graeme. Happy to help.
Hi Graeme - sorry to double post. Just seen these on eBay (Thompson L1 Valve Gear), was reminded of your superb article on building the K1 in the most recent Model Rail. Would Thompson L1 valve gear be an exact match for the K1? Or was the connecting rod longer on the L1?
EDIT:
And after delivery of the Bachmann V2 donor this morning, I can happily state categorically that the Bachmann V2 valve gear will fit perfectly into the cylinder and centre driving wheel pin. The valve gear appears to have been designed with fitting into the A2 cylinders in mind - it has the same fittings at the same height - it literally slots in perfectly. I will take photographs shortly.
That's more or less made my mind up on building this A2/1 now.
After a bit of thought, maybe reverse curves at minimum radius wouldn't be any worse for the W1 chassis than would a single curve, although you'd have to set the tender-coupling with enough length and side-swing to accomodate the reversal of overthrow at the rear end.
I suspect the L1 has a more compact coupled wheelbase than the K1 and probably therefore a shorter con-rod.
Tea or tae, I'll have one. What about the rest of you? Awwww, go on go on go on, you know you want one.
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Although I mentioned it recently, when I looked back through my postings and amongst my imageshack pictures, I couldn't see where I'd put a picture of that simple and effective "springy A-frame" replacement rear truck that I'd fitted to my A2/3 chassis, greatly improving its rearward running through curves and (especially) crossover pointwork, as well as freeing up the option to remove the projections above the running plate that get in the way when you want to alter the firebox or cab. So here I hope I've made a proper job of producing an explanatory picture. For the "steering" effect to work, rmemeber that the spring wires must be fixed further apart at the rear than they are at the front:
Obviously you can bend the wires to create the amount of downforce that you want. You shouldn't need much, and you need to keep as much loco weight as possible on the coupled wheels anyway.
Here's a look at the options for rear axles on the W1. You can cut out the chassis block at the dotted green line to create space for a hidden "working" bogie, within a rear frame unit screwed to the chassis where you cut away the block. Alternatively, just unscrew the keeper plate to drop the flangeless Cartazzi wheels of the pacifics then hang some non-functional wheelsets in the positions shown in red. The leading one could go in a piece of 1/8th or 3mm O/D brass tube, glued to the front of that little block, the 2mm axle being a slightly sloppy fit in tube which might just be enough to allow you to make this wheelset a normal flaged one that follows the track and rotates properly. Other options include fitting a longer keeper plate than was supplied for the original single axle, and supporting the new axles in slotted blocks on top of that keeper plate, the rear wheels being flangeless and/or free to lift clear of trouble - but they may visibly fail to rotate. Or two lengths of wire, formed with suitable loops on the ends could instead be glued on, one either side of the little block, and the new dummy wheelsets supported in the looped ends of those wires.
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To ponder on Graeme - yay or nay? Have managed to keep the rear coupling peg intact and managed to fit everything in too. The latest Bachmann V2 valve gear needs some clipping on the piston rod and slidebar to fit properly but works well enough for me. Simply screws onto the existing pin as per the A2 Valve gear.
Bodyshell needs a lot of cleaning up and putty/sanding etc but I think it's a good start for a half decent A2/1.
Thank you for the photos above, I will try that arrangement out tomorrow on the A2/1 if I get time.
It certainly looks like that is coming together Simon. I can definitely see that some will feel more comfortable with the idea of starting froma V2 shell.
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Very nice A2/1 conversion. Will you be keeping the six-wheel tender or swapping it for an eight-wheeler? Were any other modifications needed to be made to get the V2 body to fit over the A2 chassis?
Brian
Anything weird or unusual will catch my interest, be it an express or locomotive
I'm also drawn to the commemorative, let's hope Bachmann will produce 6165 Valour.
Atlantic 3279 wrote:It certainly looks like that is coming together Simon. I can definitely see that some will feel more comfortable with the idea of starting from a V2 shell.
I don't think I'd have gone for it if the valve gear hadn't gone together so well. It was such a simple swap over that it felt like Bachmann had planned it that way.
Manxman1831 wrote:Very nice A2/1 conversion. Will you be keeping the six-wheel tender or swapping it for an eight-wheeler? Were any other modifications needed to be made to get the V2 body to fit over the A2 chassis?
Nope, six wheel tender, B1 tender as per the prototype. Click here for further work on it. Graeme - I've included in that blog post my work on the cartazzi (bar fitting the wheels, haven't had time to have a go yet. Sorry!)
I'm genuinely surprised that you got away with so little trimming of that area of the rear frames Simon. I'd imagined that there would have to be rather more work than that, but the result as seen so far seems to prove the value of keeping things simple! Given Ivan's cheery forecast, use of minimal effort is certainly no bad idea.
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S.A.C. Martin wrote:...it felt like Bachmann had planned it that way...
Yes, and Bachmann will probably come out with a whole family of Thompson Pacifics, just to annoy Graeme.
I hope not! I have thoroughly enjoyed these last two years watching Graeme build up his excellent range of components, and then using them to build my own models.
The only one likely to be made by any manufacturer is the A2/3 and even that unfortunately has something of a reputation against it purely because it's a Thompson Pacific locomotive.
Atlantic 3279 wrote:I'm genuinely surprised that you got away with so little trimming of that area of the rear frames Simon. I'd imagined that there would have to be rather more work than that, but the result as seen so far seems to prove the value of keeping things simple! Given Ivan's cheery forecast, use of minimal effort is certainly no bad idea.
Thank you kindly Graeme. It surprised me too! The best thing about doing this project was not doing my usual headless chicken running headlong into a slaughterhouse modelling mayhem but to check against drawings and to just plan ahead. More or less what you have been doing for as long as I've read your thread here.
I'm new to this "forum" game, and I seem to be having some trouble getting started. Three points.
- I'm keen to give Graeme's A2/3 parts a whirl, but I don't know how to contact Atlantic: can anyone enlighten me about how to use this forum to effect a personal message (pm)?
- Although not a practitioner of the "cut-and-shut" art on LNER locos, I have in my time constructed some half-dozen fairly heavy duty colonial Garratts in 4mm narrow-gauge (Oh dear?!), scratch built in plasticard as to superstructure, hacked proprietary chassis as to works. And I've been thinking about how to tackle the Thompson pacifics (and a P1) for several years without plucking up the courage to go it alone. So you can imagine the glee with which I have read this thread from start to finish! I also reckon my interest is not entirely without the possibility of giving rise to half-decent results, especially with Graeme's "trailblazing" already done. So , Graeme, this is a SERIOUS interest/enquiry.
- If Atlantic will forgive the intrusion, I'll admit to having started a thread on a not entirely unrelated subject - but with no overlap. Haymarket shed's coaling plant - the internal arrangement thereof. Anybody know anything useful about the specific internal structure and functioning of the Haymarket (or seemingly identical Kittybrewster) mechanical coaling plant, grateful if you'd respond on that thread!
Happy to help.
We love you really, Graeme.