Javelin Models Long wheelbase LMS Black V in O Gauge

[JeffP]

Very nice, those brake shoes look very neat.

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Yes, personally I prefer etched parts for the brake components. If not then cast brass or N/s with W/m last. Just noticed a minor fault in the kit. If you look at the ash pan, you will notice a joint.

 

 

The ash pan is part of the etch on the middle laminate of the loco springs between the middle and rear axles. For some reason, the spacing is set for a short wheel base loco, so it needs to be lengthened. You could cut it off and replace with a new piece of n/s, or as I did cut it and fill the gap with a piece of waste etch. The other joint line is out of site behind the break hanger and shoes.

[georgeT]

Very nice build, will be following with interest..

 

GT

[JeffP]

Well I never.....a fault on the loco?

 

I'd never have seen it.

[ozzyo]

Well I never.....a fault on the loco?

 

I'd never have seen it.

 

A fault in the loco kit, yes, a fault in the build. No.

One thing about building kits is knowing how to solve the problems that kits can through at you. I may have tried to put the two joints behind the two wheels, but it may not have been possible on this kit. PAD will be able to let us all know. 

I'm sure that when a coat of paint is applied to the ash pan it will not be seen.

Nice looking build,

 

OzzyO.

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Thanks Ozzy. You are right I could have opted to put the joint behind the wheels but I figured it was as broad as it was long, which ever way I did it. I decided to cut it in the middle as I marked on the drawing below, solder a piece across the gap on the inside with a piece of waste fret between the gap (about 6 mm as I recall) with the joints filled will solder. The result before paining was not as good as I would have liked, but I did not consider the joint would show after painting. Fortunately it was OK.

 

As it happens, it was the inner laminate for the springs not the middle one as I wrote earlier. See diagram.

 

 

And after painting.

 

[JeffP]

Give over.........that last picture is a real one...isn't it?

If it were on rails, I'd argue with you.

[Mallard60022]

Well mate, I thought your Duke was class, so what am I going to say about this? 

Superb and I really admire your clean and crisp work; very smart and as JeffP says (well almost), that's the real thing.....

Cracking job and I'm really looking forward to seeing this progress.

P

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Thanks gents. Have a look at dibateg's thread on his Ivatt class 4 builds. They might end up flying, but they are definitely not pigs. More like some part of a dog's anatomy.

[Horsetan]

.... More like some part of a dog's anatomy.

Surely a pig's would be more appropriate?

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No it's definitely a dog in this neck of the woods. don't think being likened to the pig's b*ll*cks is quite the same thing.

[Horsetan]

No it's definitely a dog in this neck of the woods. don't think being likened to the pig's b*ll*cks is quite the same thing.

You've clearly not seen the size of a pig's.

[Kev_Lewis]

But pigs have a long association with ears.

[3 link]

You've clearly not seen the size of a pig's.

 

You certainly wouldn't want them as a set of ear muffs .

[Horsetan]

But pigs have a long association with ears.

It's not the ears I'm worried about.

[Kev_Lewis]

It's not the ears I'm worried about.

I got that.

 

Actually the Tuberous bushcricket have the biggest cajoles relative to it's body size of any creature on the planet. It's balls make up 14% of it's body weight. For QI fans the Blue Whale's are only 1% of it's body weight.

 

So surely it should be the Tuberous Bushcricket's balls?

 

Apologies to PAD for us wandering well off topic.

[dibateg]

Post 31.... I reckon thats a real one thats been Photoshopped to look like a model !!

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With the chassis on its wheels I moved on to the  footplate. Used the  GW rollers to bend the  drop plates at the  front  and  back of the  footplate.

 

 

It went  together without  problems and  here's the  end result.

 

 

There's a fair few rivets to punch out on the footplate and  this was done  using an automatic centre punch with the  etch place  on some 2mm aluminium sheet. The aluminium sheet prevents distortion and  with the  auto punch you  get a consistent hit with each rivets.  For larger rivets I give  two hits/rivet but  again it  is  consistent. Much better than using  a punch and hammer and  a  lot cheaper than a rivet press. The rivet press is  of  course much better for  punching rivets in virgin metal but  for  half etch this  gives  a good  result. You  do need to find a  punch that exerts the  right  amount  of  force though. 

 

After that I started on the  boiler, smoke box and  firebox. The  firebox is  built up around spacers and  6 ba nuts. You set up the  front  and  rear of  the  firebox

with the  spacers, then form and  fix the firebox wrapper around this  structure and  solder. The wash out plugs are half etched and  need to be fitted before  the  wrapper is  added. For my chosen loco, I needed to drill an extra hole low down on each side  to add an extra washout plug and  there  were some  spares for  this  in the  kit.

 

 

Unfortunately I did not take an pics of  the  firebox after assembly before it was in place on the  footplate. The boiler comes pre rolled but  the smoke box requires rolling by the  builder. This was the  first time I had used the  GW rollers and they  worked very well. I have  the  6 inch set but  I believe a 10 inch option is also available. The 6 inch should be fine  for  most boilers in 7 mm scale. Here's the  boiler and smoke box in place on the frames.

 

 

The cab has the  half etch detail for the  rivets and side window beading in place so that saves a lot of time  and effort. The metal is quite thick even half etched so it is still robust. In fact this kit has some of  the  thickest etchings I have come across and I broke a pair of side cutters removing parts from the  chassis fret. That said, this  does not show in areas that matter and does not  detract from the  fidelity of the  model.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Before shaping the  cab roof I beefed up the  etched cross member at the  rear of  the  cab with some  square section brass and  also added 2 additional cross members from the  rear one  to the  cab front. This  was then quite rigid and allowed me to use this  as a template for  shaping the  roof before fitting. The cab rivet detail is  all half etched as is  the  window  beading.

 

 

One other  error in the  kit  is  that the  smoke box door ring casting is  too small in diameter by about  4 mm and  also it  does not  have  the  required rivet detail on either  side. To correct the  diameter, I cut the  ring at the  bottom with a razor saw and then splayed the  casting until it fit the smoke box etching. I then wedged a piece of  white  metal cut  from a casting  in my spares box into the  gap and  fixed with low temperature solder. After cleaning up  it looked fine.

The rivets were added by marking with the  punch and  then counter sinking the  punch marks  with a 6mm drill. I then added some small glass beads that I got  from Hobbycraft, into the  recesses and  fixed with super glue. You have  to be  carful to get the  depth right  otherwise when you put the  bead in it sinks too far and  you  don't end  up with a dome showing to represent  the  rivet.  I was a bit  remiss in not  taking any photos of  the  fixing of  the boiler smoke box and  firebox, but  as can be  seen, the  smoke box saddle  is  a  white metal casting.

 

 

 

[Mallard60022]

Just brilliant.......looks superb.

P

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Thanks Mallard.

 

One of the really good design features of the kit is that the cylinders, slide bars and motion brackets build up into one demountable unit. They are assembled on the frames to get everything lined up and one it's all soldered together, it simply slides out upwards. It is fixed back in place with a couple of 6ba screws. I seem to be missing a number of pictures from the build so I hope this pic of the assembly of the unit will explain.

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Whoops1 No picture. Here it is.

 

 

The unit may then be removed from the frames to add the valve gear and detail. much easier than having to do it with the frames and wheels in the way. Here's some shots of the valve gear under construction.

 

 

First the cross head, connecting rod and union link. As mentioned earlier, the union link is for a short wheelbase loco so I had to lengthen it using the etches supplied. You can see the joint here but it's not noticeable after weathering.

 

 

Here's the left hand side with some of the gear in place.

 

 

And the other side completed further advanced. Notice the holes just above the front sandbox filler backing plates. The original etching to represent the cover plate over the pipes coming from the top feed is too long. I did not realise until after I fitted it and drilled the holes to exit at the bottom. I had to remove the etches, make some replacements then refit and re-drill the holes higher up. I subsequently covered the lower holes with thin pieces of shim brass, and with the pipes in place they are disguised.

 

 

And here the right hand return crank which screws on and off the centre crank pin bolt. Once you unscrew this (both sides of course), you can take the coupling rods off the crank pin, and after removing the retaining screws on top of the unit, remove it en-mass.

 

 

A close up of the left hand cross head. At this point I still had to add the oil box to the etched drop link. Now that would have been nicer as a casting!

[JeffP]

Superb modelling.

What's it all held together with? Bolts?

 

And would you care to go into how you made the return crank so easily demountable?

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Hi Jeff, I tend to vary the method slightly depending on the kit. To be honest I can't remember the exact method I used on the class 5. I will screw it off and take a pic when I get the chance. It involves the use of two Slaters top hat bushes. One normal and one filed down so that the overall length just clears the thickness of the coupling rod and connecting rods.You need a means of holding a thread in the return crank etch so that it will screw on and off. Then when it's screwed up tight, you need to adjust the throw buy turning the bolt at the rear of the wheel with a screwdriver. You need the wheel off to do this. When I have a picture I might be able to explain it more clearly.

[JeffP]

I think I get the idea, but if you get a pic or two, I'd be grateful.