Rannoch Moor

Tony and Mark,

Many thanks, should have thought of that (reversed crankpins)!  I've done it before and that will also help with the clearances behind the motion bracket.  I did, however, remember to ensure there is no sideplay on the leading drivers, but thanks for the reminder Mark! 

Colin,

Being a secret  admirer of Billington and Marsh (as I work in Hampshire!) I was a little unsure of your observation until I checked and saw this.  Like non identical twins who have slightly different figures but very similar faces (if you see what I mean!) 

Cheers,

Gus

Did some more work on easing the slidebar clearances yesterday afternoon.  Managed to skim a little more off the front crankpins (but that really is it now...!) and a little more from the rear of the bars.  I also (after removing the bars from the cylinders) filed gently the mounting holes outwards - I initiallly found that this was putting pressure onto the soldered joints holding the cylinder section together so after annealing the wrappers, these were fitted too to increase structural strength.  This collectively has helped and the cylinders do fit but I think easing a little more will be required.  We will see next weekend...1

Intention is to get the cylinders and motion bracket sorted out and then look at running quality with the body and tender fitted.  That should help me decide on weighting the loco and whether or not to have a "floating tender" bearing down on the loco drawbar in order to spread weight around the rear driven axle.

Gus

Take a look at options for alternative wheels, as the tread thickness can be different.  Failing that, I think you will be stuck with easing with at lease the slide bars out further (I have not always also moved the cylinders as you can not really see if the piston rod hits the centre of the cylinder exactly).

 Thanks Mark - I think easing out the cylinder centres and slidebars (which are all one NS casting so that helps) on the rear cylinder face plate is the way ahead.  I may get away with leaving the motion bracket as it is but if the worst comes to the worst I may be able to split the spacer and make anew one - that will depend on not (obviously anyway) compromising the relationship between the outer edge of the motion bracket and the footplate.  (But things have to work - I DO so love a challenge!) 

For various reasons (work, the layout, Sea Balliol, trips to the mountains etc!) progress has been a bit slow although have fitted the footplate and reversing lever as well as the piston tail rod covers.  The latter have been mounted to the footplate so that their rears butt up against the front of the cylinders when they are slid in from below when mounted on the chassis.  I think doing it any other way would prevent the cylinders being fitted accurately or necessitate fitting them semi-permanently to the body, which would probably make the valve gear impossible!

The cylinder frame was completed earlier and the slide bar castings fettled and mounted (see above) but on mounting them and the motion bracket to the frames showed trouble ahead, even after filing down the front wheelset's crankpins...

I have skimmed off some of the rear face of the slidebars but am slightly reluctant to do more in case I introduce too much slop into the crosshead/slidebar system.  I think I may have to ease out the piston/slidebar centres but the motion bracket (which also fouls the front wheels) is another challenge.  Thinking cap on....!  

Tim,

Looking fabulous!  How are you planning to ballast and colour the track?  I have gone through a few hoops with this on my layout but have settled on Woodland Scenics Fine Brown (Fine Cinders for sidings).  I take a pinch between index finger and thumb and gently sprinkle along the line of the track until the required depth is required - slow, but much quicked than overdoing it with a spoon or other pouring device - at least for me!  Haven't settled on my paint scheme though... 

Gus

JB,

Good spot - I actually could only find 2 of the stays on the etch - no doubt they will leap out at me when I get home next week!  I will probably add the  other 2 (2 were included but cant be seen in my IPhone photos) from scrap.  As you correctly state though, they are hardly visible even on the prototype so I may not bother.  Having said that - you are my conscience!  (For which I genuinely thank you!)

Gus

And, so getting back to the bench after a week in Navy Command HQ, I ran out of excuses not to get on with one of the scariest bits of the build - construction of the smokebox saddle and then, mounting the boiler.  I was slightly nervous as Tony Wright had been a bit dismissive of the etched approach to the former - especially the sides which he found to thick to form.  The pieces are seen arranged here after forming...

The base and side pieces were annealed (heated to red hot and allowed to cool naturally) before rolling.  The base plate (upon which the smokebox rests) was formed by rolling using my X-Acto knife handle against my thigh and the sides (which were reasonably easy as it turned out...) by placing in a V Block and by pressing a needle file handle against them to form the curve.  I then soldered the front and rear to the base...

before attaching the side plates between them using the half etched area as a guide - a bit fiddly but not excessively so.  There was then a bit of fettling to allow the ends to snugly drop between the frames and, using round nose pliers, to ensure that the edges of the base plate were flush against the curve of the smokebox.  Dry fitting ensured success and I was impressed with how well the boiler settled into place - a tribute to the kit's design I hasten to add...

Accuracy of attachment in the instructions as described in the instructions involves marking the cab and boiler top centres and aligning - I wasn't sure if I could crack this accurately enough so instead I fitted some wire through the rear hand-rail knob holes and, by eye, aligned both sides to the handrail holes in the cab front sheet.  Using my trusty scorched peg to hold the rear of the boiler snugly into the half-etched guide in the front of the front cab sheet (thumb pressing the boiler front), and after ensuring interior scrupulous cleanliness, I tacked the top of the boiler to the cab from the inside.  I left it an hour, came back, stared at it from all angles, and happy, seamed all round with no drama.  Having first tinned the inside of the baseplate, the smokebox was soldered to the saddle and all was complete - reasonably simples!  Having finished and removed the jig now that the shebang was very rigid - I decided it was time to quit whilst ahead after also making good progress on ballasting and my Sea Balliol!.  The photos below will also hopefully show that the boiler bands are reasonably refined.

Continued progress this weekend past with the boiler shaped and made ready for mounting on the footplate once the smokebox saddle is constructed (next weekend's job in between ballasting sessions on Kilbrannan Ferry).

First job was to solder up the seam on the pre-rolled boiler barrel which was successfully achieved even using my 25W Antex (with lots of Carrs Green label flux) and then roll the smokebox wrapper.  The latter was done using my X-Acto knife handle (blade removed!) against my thigh.  I first annealed the wrapper using a blow-torch (blasted till cherry red then left to cool naturally - NOT quenched in water!) which made the process easy.  I did avoid rolling the centre section with the the holes flor the chimney and snifter valve and instead formed this using my thumbs against the boiler in order to avoid distortion.  This worked pretty well and I then positioned it accurately against the boiler (did not pre-tin with solder to allow it to remain flexible and lie flat) using a couple of broaches through the handrail holes and by securing it by wrapping wire round and twisting as shown below... 

Again using penty of flux, solder was run into the joins at front and rear, making sure the wrapper had a tiny overlap ahead of the boiler to permit the smokebox front to sit correctly half in, half out as shown below (I hope!)

You will note that I first secured the smokebox wrapper by securing the seam at the bottom before continuing the seams at the front and rear...

The key to securing the smokebox front accurately I think will be to align the hand rail holes so they are matched on each side - my plan is to use a wire running through the 2 steam pipe holes (or handrail holes on the boiler side and mount 2 stantions in the holes on the smokebox front with a single wire through them and then tack the front in place ensuring the wires are parallel:

I also formed the firebox flare (more easily than expected) using long nose pliers

Final jobs were to fit the washout plugs and mudhole/inspection covers.  After a bit of indecision, I also fitted the supplied boiler bands as they refined the join between the smokebox and boiler and sanded them down once they were on - don't think they look too bad even given the originals were quite refined.  Pics next week!

Cheers Alan - I'm content with it for now.  I tend to agree that rolling roads are only part of the story (mainly useful for proving pick-up connectivity I think) but I also always feel that you need to have the body reasonably complete and mounted on the chassis (correctly weighted) and the tender attached before you can be fully confident.  I will now progress to that point and road test through my layout as a simple 2-6-0 before mounting the valve gear.

Given the location of the motor on the rear wheel, I think I will also now set up the tender as a floating type, weighted forward and bearing down onto the rear loco drawbar.  So much to do, so little leave left!  (Domestics, Special Hobby Sea Balliol to build too, layout to ballast!)

Gus

Ho Hum...     Set up the chassis on the rolling road for a session of diagnostics and correction, after taping the wires connecting the pick-ups' busbars to the motors' connecting tabs to the body of the motor, and...

... a smoothly running 0-6-0 chassis.  Fate gratefully accepted - no investigation into why or how intended (other than I suspect that stabilising the motor's movement helped...!)

Jol,

Many thanks - will try loosening and re-tightening the nuts on the middle axle crankpins as well.  If I can't nail it (the nuts at least aren't self loosening!) then I may leave it and get back to the body. 

An alternate startegy may be to investigate mounting the motor on the middle axle - this may be possible and may also actually help if the loading on the rods can be spread out (although equally it may also be grasping at straws...!)

Gus

Nearly there I think.  Despite everything, and the chassis running smoothly as a powered 0-4-0 as shown here (ignore the jerky start - too much welly caused by poor multi-tasking - it runs equally well ahead as in reverse really):

http://youtu.be/PVIHNRdujyA

BUT!  As an 0-6-0  there remains a very slight tight spot that causes the motor to rise once a revolution of each wheel when running forward (but not reverse...!).  If I hold the motor it is actually virtually un-noticeable and I have tweaked the quartering ad nauseam.  Loosening the rear axle gear wheel allows it to run very smoothly as a push along or by rotating the rear wheelset - the tightspot is undetectable like this.  Here is the symptom under power - any thoughts -shuld I leave it until it has a bit more weight:

http://youtu.be/5yegTpHL7y4

Testing continues...   Chassis rolling well but possibly a bit tight as the extension piece on the High Level extended gearbox keeps stretching and the motor seem to be running a bit hot - even after refining the quartering.  May ease the rear axle holes a tiny bit although it all rolls reasonably freely without the gear tightened on the axle - I'm now certain 3 point compensation is so much easier!

Gus

New rods fitted (extremely carefully!) - these were made up by measuring using screw dividers set against the tips of London Road tapered axle jigs (seen below) which I then used to trim each individual half section.  These were then clamped using aluminium dinky clips and deftly (!) matched up to the axle jigs set in their holes. 

These were then tack soldered together, offered up as a double check (on both sides and treble checking there are no tiny gaps between the holes and ends of the jig-axles, particularly fore and aft!).  In retrospect, I think that as well as the over-sizing the rear axle-bearing, I had probably over done the clearances on the bearing holes on the rods themselves. A check of the originals against both the LRM and Jamieson rods rather suggested that this was the case - do beware!  The photos below show the new rods before fettling and tidying up.

Despite a bit of a break from posting, work has continued on the chassis.  Got everything set up and connected for first powered running trials but despite an encoragingly free running push along 0-6-0 chassis, this was not so successful when under power.  Things would run pretty well for a few moments but then a dreaded stiff spot started to appear and this was exacerbated by things seeming to get stiffer as time wore on.

I reckoned that maybe my rod/chassis relationship might not have been as exactly matched as hoped so removed the wheels, gearbox and motor and re-inserted the jig axles.  This indicated that the crankpin holes in the rods may have been a bit oversized, but probably more critically, the rear (driven) axle bearings were allowing a smidgeon too much play (ie I'd reamed them too much and they were oversized...).

After a (not so) entertaining time removing and replacing them, I have decided that I will also make up new coupling rods from an Alan Gibson Universal set. 

Steady (but not sexy) progress today and yesterday.  Cleaned up the tender coal rails and fitted the rear coal plate and the tender body is now substantially complete.  The rear view below shows the join in the rails before I had tidied up the joint using wet and dry and a fibreglass brush...

The rest of the attention was spent on refitting the wheels and ensuring I still had a roller with the coupling rods fitted and secured (I did thankfully) so off they came and I set about fitting the brake gear, pick ups and painting the thing.  Alclad wite primer ( a stated above) did the honours which highlighted any issues as well as acting as a bright base for the inner frames' red coat (an old tin of Cherry Buffer Beam Red airbrushed on).

Although not captured, the outer frames now sport a tasteful mix of Phoenix finest Dirty Black mixed 2:1 with Frame Dirt.  A very superficial clean of the unmasked inner frames with a thinners dampened flat brush weathered these nicely...  Pics to follow.  You will also not the pickup arrangement although I think it may prove a little awkward for the front drivers, especially the lucky one that has a spring!  The paint was cleaned off the ends where the connections to the wheels will be effected with cellulose thinners after painting the outer "black".

You will note the missing spring which still lurks somewhere on my model room floor.  I may make a plasticard replacement although I doubt it will be noticeable behind the cylinders and slidebars - and it will be on the blind-side when it's running as Kilbrannan Ferry don't have a turntable...! 

PS I will straighten the rear tender footsteps.... ;-)

Agree Tony - despite my clanger (which isn't really noticeable for a layout loco) the half round coal rails really do make a difference - thanks for suggesting it.  I just need to insert the rear coal plate and the body will be ready for priming.  Back into the fray - can't waste a day off!

Gus

Went back and soldered the rear stanchions in the end - the ones above weren't quite in the right place.  They also helped align the butt jointed rails which are now a lot better although not perfect.  Also did some fine tuning for the chassis and cut out the main springs for attachment tomorrow although 1 was dropped whilst having the etched connections filed off.  And after 10 mins crawling around the floor I have given up...  Hopefully it will reappear tomorrow!

Got the basic chassis primed (Alclad White) and then the inners painted red. Brake blocks and hangers soldered together (remembering they're handed which the instructions forget to tell you!).  The 0.7mm half-round wire arrived so progress was made on the tender coal rails.  measured and shaped the ends od the shorter lower one first and then after tinning, sweated it in top of the half etched version...

Then, very carefully, shaped and checked the top one before doing the same - looked quite good....

Bending to shape (measure repeatedly before committing!) exposed the (anticipated to be honest) weakness, ie that there would be a subtle difference in lengths between the half-round wire and the etched part.  There was, and this caused a little separation on the rear parts, but I thought "No problem, just snip off the half etched backing", and then snipped once, and then again.  Trouble was, the second snip cut both rails - DOH! 

My thoughts were though, to fit and see if I could butt joint the ends - surprisingly, it seems to have worked...  I have, however, cyanoed the two rear stanchions as soldering may well have undone the success of rejoining the rails.  It all needs tidying up but here are the results.

The soldered joints are just to the right of the rearmost stanchion on the last picture above.  The front LH rail needs lowering too so that will be done after tea...

Gus

Have had a bit of a break from my Scottish bench as I was duty last week and my modelling time yesterday was spent painting PVA and sprinkling ballast between the sleepers on Kilbrannan Ferry.  However, the half round wire has been ordered from Eileen's and as I am working from home this week looking forward to resuming progress.  This afternoon will hopefully see some painting (or brake fitting) on the chassis.

Cheers Tony. I am slightly surprised that the coupling rods worked out. As you can see from above there was a point when it seemed one rod was out but I narrowed that down to having soldered the motion bracket support in such a way that it knocked the frames out of true. Other than that I'm not sure how it worked given the rigid approach, other than maybe I got lucky and/or just opened the crankpin holes out to the correct extent - but I still have the Alan Gibson Universals standing by for when I re-wheel just in case it was a one-off fluke!<br /><br />You will also be pleased to hear that I have sourced some halfround 0.7mm wire (Eileen's) for the tender coal rails - although I will probably solder them on top of the existing half etched ones to ensure alignment etc.<br /><br />Gus

This afternoon saw me getting the wheels on and after a bit of tweaking, got a cleanly rolling chassis. Although I had to open out the bearing holes on the coupling rods quite a bit (about 5-10 thou clearance on the crankpins) it wasn't too fiddly. Just quartered the front wheels (lining up the spokes from the rear) then the centre pair and got a running 0-4-0 first time. Then the rear pair. Despite being pretty sure I had got the quartering accurate by the spokes (which is quite easy as the chassis bottom is quite high) I had a bit of a tight spot but easing the bearing holes in the rod a bit further nailed it. The hardest bit was fiddling with the Alan Gibson crankpin nuts. The wheels have now been removed again as i am confident that the axle holes and coupling rod ones match...!<br /><br />Gus

A quick update from last weekend that was forgotten in the return to work...! As you will see from the photos below, I started to set up for getting a running chassis but noticed that as Tony Wright found, there seemed to be a discrepancy between coupling rod length and wheelbase... But only on one side and to an extent not seen before (this was not the first check! A comparison of the rods concerned showed they were the same length as each other too...

What had changed? I realised that adding the new spacewr (for the motion bracket) had possibly introduced a bend and sure enough a check with a ruler and a try square proved me right. I fitted the coupling rods, applied the iron to oe side of the new spacer. By magic:

To ensure absolute accuracy I used the square ended Jamieson (?) jigs to ensure that the by now laminated rods were exactly parallel to the line of the chassis. I also made up the High Level Loadhauler gearbox so all is ready to get things rolling hopefully tomorrow.

Gus

Got the motion bracket finished last night and after having had a long think about it, have decided to keep the slidebars and bracket separate.  I have arranged the motion bracket to be detachable and inserted a further stretcher between the frames to mount it upon  - these 2 phots should make things clear - the essential thing is to ensure the bracket is central so there is no misalignment of the slidebars and thus valvegear.

I soldered a 12BA nut exactly centrally under the stretcher after I ad marked up the position for the hole - the way to ensure this is to attach the bracket over the stretcher using a 0.7mm wire through the frames and bracket as described in the kit instructions and as is hopefully evident from the photos.  Use the marks on the top of the bracket (seen below) to ensure all is and remains central.  Check several times and drill once!

I then soldered the slidebars to the cylinders repeatedly checking all was parallel etc in all planes and the the crosshead continued to slide freely...  Reference to the mounted motion bracket I found was very helpful.

It all took a bit of observation and a return this afternnon but I am satisfied I have a working solution.  The CH screw may foul the boiler bottom but filing it down slightly, using a CSK screw or drilling a clearing hole in the boiler will all be valid options.  Time to set up a running 0-6-0 chassis next to see if the coupling rods are as bad as Tony Wright found them to be...  I must say that they don't look too far out when set up on my jig axles but the proof of the pudding will be in the running quality I think!

Thanks Tony and Jol - very helpful mid-week food for thought!  I am certainly inclined to make the cylinders and motion bracket up as one unit, secured through the cylinder spacer with the bracket resting on the top of the mainframes.  As a fall back, when I get home, I will look and see if an extra spacer is desireable once I complete the brass and solder origami that making the bracket looks like it might involve.  Once that is done and I've decided the best way ahead re the mounting of cylinders etc, the priority will be to set up the chassis to run as a powered 0-6-0 and start work on marrying the powered chassis to the body.

Gus

Edit - PS, that will be in between Model Rail Scotland of course on Saturday, not to mention my domestic duties...!