30368

Further update and completion of the chassis, more or less. The Millholme breakgear qas missing from the kit with the exception of the brake hanger/block castings. They are a bit cumbersome and require careful handling. The rest of the brake gear is made from brass and NS scraps, including some parts left over from the PDK MN kit. Note that I had to add a filler plate to cover the frame motor cut-out designed for an open framed motor. I should add that some of the blocks are very worn!! The Firemans side of the loco chassis assembled and painted. I still have to add sand pipes. Note the additional frame plates at the front of the chassis. These had large holes drilled in them to reduce overall weight on the first 10 locos. Drivers side, whoops! I've missed some of the brake hangers, that is where the coupling rod was I suspect! I might change my usual habit of painting loco's in a weathered condition and instead paint it as if it was ex works. We shall see. Kind regards, Richard B

To continue with the build. The valve gear all assembled - As supplied in the kit, the coupling rods are double thinckness but the connecting rods are not so some scrap pieces of nickel silver were used to double these up too. The motion plate has been bolted, using two 14BA set screws, to the frame bracket refered to earlier. The slidebars were also bolted (again 14BA) to the motion plate. One other thing to note, the cylinder casting needs modifying to extend the piston rod gland. For this I used brass wheel bearings! The view from the top of the chassis showing the motion plate etc. Clearance between the connecting rod and coupling rod securing washers on leading wheelset are tight requiring filing down the washers and slightly putting a "set" in the con rod. Another view of the motion plate etc. Chassis undergoing initial running in on my patented test rig! Kind regards, Richard B

I have, as mentioned, built original MNs before. In chronological order these are: 35030 a series three loco with the larger tender built over a long period which included many stops to bring up children. Finally finished about 10 years ago. It is a Millholme white metal kit. 35009 built about 3-4 years ago from a PDK kit which I really enjoyed building. I chose 35009 because it kept its original cab until January 1953 when it was shopped and received the "wedge" cab and was painted green 35030 has an open framed XT style motor with a single stage drive. It runs ok and pulls well enough. 35009 has a large can motor and a two stage Branchlines gearbox, it is very powerfull. So what about the next original MN then? The body had been part constructed but contained a few errors. For eaxample it was not possible to fit the boiler backplate casting because the cab had been completed so there was no room to fit it! The chassis frames had been fitted together and luckily checked out as square in my jig. Some parts were missing and the tender had been mostly completed but to a very late level of modification (I know one or two originals ran with cut down tenders) being cut down so that would need a lot of work more of which later. So I started with the chassis and purchased Markits wheels and a Mashima can motor with two stage gearbox from Branchlines. The motor and gearbox assembled with a wheelset ready for testing, pleased to say that after mesh adjustment ran very smoothly. All crankpins are locktighted (243). Motor and gearbox assembled in the chassis. Rather than paint the wheels I blackened them with Brass Black taking care NOT to flood the insulation on the insulated wheels. I had decided to return feed through the chassis and axles to simplify pick-up arrangements on a loc with complex brake gear. I could not use stud pickups owing to the various chassis cut outs on this kit. PS The motor/gearbox is mounted facing towards the bogie in fact I fitted it the other way around. It fits either way with such a large body space and no "under boiler" light to contend with. The kit has a cast stretcher to locate the valvegear slidebars and the mounting bracket for this can be seen just in front of the leading wheel. The cylinders are a single casing and this fits between the body "fairing". I decided to mount it onto an additional bracket that would provide fixture of the chassis to the body and location for the front bogie. I shall leave it there for now. Kind regards, Richard B

Hope this is not too pretentious, there are some very, very good loco modellers out there but rather than start a new topic each time I have a go at building a loco I've decided to put all future builds on here. As I have said before, I don't in any way count myself as a "guru" just someone that wants to improve their skills as much as possible before it's all too late! I really like the way that the real experts on this site are only too happy to wade in and offer advice. That's the way our knowledge moves forward so thanks. My view is that building a loco, coach, wagon or structures and scenery for a layout is to be encouraged. We do have some fabulous manufacturers supplying our hobby and, so it seems, new suppliers of rolling stock every month! All this is great but as many have said, you can't beat the satisfaction and reward of being able to say.. I built that! I, like many I am sure, have found the hobby a really good distraction from our Covid-19 straitjacket and have built, and continue to build, loco's etc. My latest is a part finished Millholme Models series 1 Merchant Navy kit purchased from Hattons for not a lot of money. I have built one of these kits before, a series 3 loco but that was a long time ago so I thought it would be interesting to compare my apparant "skill level" now with that of, what, 10 years ago?? I hope it has improved. Kind regards, Richard B

Yes I gathered that, I was just hopeful that's all! Class 87's are fine loco's but after teething troubles (of which there were many) were overcome the class 90 are better with excellent traction control. All the best with your plans. Kind regards, Richard B

Sorry I can't help, signals stuff way beyond my payscale. I'm sure someone will be able to help. Good luck and I hope you have either a P2 or an A2/2 - great name and at least the P2 version was a great locomotive. Kind regards, Richard B

Richard, I think 60506 is a really good effort, looks great and I hope the running issues now soerted. Good luck with the coach kits. I have some to build too but havn't started due to.... Followed your link and purchased a Crownline A1/1 and a DJH Urie S15 from WM. So now too busy for coaches! Many thanks a really useful tip! Kind regards, Richard B

Jack, Have emailed Ace Products and put my name down for a 4mm T14 kit. By the way, lovely picture of 443 in full flight as an opera soprano! Kind regards, Richard B

Thanks Jack. As we have discussed, I would certainly purchase a 4mm kit. Will contact directly. Kind regards, Richard B

I am building on Original Merchant Navy from a Millholme kit. The casing has been cut-away at the front of the cylinders and it has a "wedge" shaped cab. It will be one of 35003-5. Does anyone have any images or knowledge of the variations to the chimney? Various "streamlined" caps were fitted and I have a number of suitable etches left over from my earlier building of a PDK kit (35008) that I would like to use if possible. Many thanks. Kind regards, Richard B

Attractive and graceful 2-8-0? I think these are troublesome adjactive's when applied to a 2-8-0. I rather like the look of most of Gresley's designs and the O4/5 design had an almost classical simplicity of form appropriate to its job. The S&DJR 7F design is interesting but like a big 4F really - didn't they have the same size axle journals as the 4F?? Attractive and graceful for me (and I am no fan of the GWR but clearly Churchward was one of the truly great loco engineers) is best expressed by the 28XX class with the 47XX second because the boiler looks ungainly in my view. I have rejected the 2-8-0T's as not qualifying. Pity there is no SR contender, shame Mr Urie's 2-8-0 was not built, guess it would have been based on the S15? Kind regards, Richard B

Many thanks Tony, very helpful. Your loco looks very, very fine and Mr Rathbone's painting is first class. Something to aspire to certainly. My recollections of ex LNER pacifics was centred around Kings Cross and watching those wonderous (to us Southerners they were) eight wheeled tenders backing out of the tunnels into the station and trying to guess which class was attached. Is it a streak, an A1 or an A3 or (rarely) an A2? Tender identification came a little later. We did "bunk" KX shed once and that was tricky over the coal staves. Perhaps there was an easier route? All a bit risky really but it was all great fun and as Mr Coster would say ..."its all a long time ago now..." Kind regards, Richard B PS I have a DJH A2/3 to build too so maybe a tandum build?

Tony, I have just sourced a Crownline A1/1 kit to build as something completely different from my usual SR stuff. I am fully aware of the controversy surrounding this locomotive (Peter Coster's books on the LNER Pacifics are just superb) but I must confess a liking for its somewhat ungainly and unique appearance although this admiration does not run to the original attempt at a cab! I seem to remember that you built one of these a while back but can't find a link. It seems a good idea to learn from your experiences and avoid any pitfalls. Can you point me in the right direction if there is a blogg? Many thanks. Kind regards, Richard B PS - I do tend to agree with you that the A1/A10/A3 pacific was (is) perhaps the most graceful ever built.

I always thought that the various NER Atlantics were rather fine looking engines and the NBR Atlantics looked robust. Kind regards, Richard B

And now for something completely different! These locomotives have been responsible for many words forming many opinions about them but the brief time I had with a few drivers on the footplate at the end of steam on the SR (I had a footplate pass in 1965) suggests that they were never short of steam and that is what really matters to an engineman. This locomotive was the last to keep the original style of cab - PDK kit built by me about four years ago. It was converted to the wedge cab and painted green early in 1953. For all you LNER fans, thanks for the livery! I think it looks good on the MN. Kind regards, Richard B PS Something a bit smaller next time.

Jack, Downton would be a good choice, T9s, S11s, L12s lots of Drummond 4-4-0 although not the D15? You could even have a 2 car DEMU ? Re T14, yes I would love one, just missed a kit for same! managed to get a Urie version of the S15 though. Will stay safe and well as far as one can and the same goes for you two too, Kind regards, Richard

As has been said many times before, ugly but effective brutes! Whilst one wants to be as accurate to prototype as possible, I don't think your Q1 would suffer from a scriber approach! Kind regards, Richard B

Lovely work Jack, so back to the SR rather than the S&D? Wise choice in my book. I have contacted your suggested layout builder and as soon as > 70 lockdown is lifted we will meet up and make a start. Thanks for the contact. Kind regards, Richard B PS "Beattie" is now finished and running well but a real struggle ! Pleased with the result though.

Final final comment. A real devil to fit the chassis to the body so that it does not short out electrically - in particular the leading wheel touching the boiler barrel! This would not be a problem, I suspect, with EM/P4 versions. Runs very nicely and can pull four + Hornby Maunsells on my test track. More than enough TE they were only 4P! Kind regards, Richard B

Interesting prototype to model. Hope the kits come with interior moldings? I remeber these units at Waterloo back in the 1960s and had a trip or two whilst on route to check a unit fitted with an engineering experiment. I remember that the main weakness was the additional station dwell times to unload/load. Clever packaging but limited benefit due to the UK loading gauge. Good luck. Kind regards, Richard B

Great model I have 3 Hornby and a white metal 700 which is 30368. Can't help on the DCC probs sorry! Kind regards, Richard B

Lovely piece of work thanks for posting the pictures and all the best for the future. Kind regards, Richard B

Postscipt - A very helpful gent has pointed out that the Lion and Wheel on the tender is too large, most images surviving show 331 and her sisters with the smallest version affixed. This is quite correct and an error on my part which has now been rectified. In fact I do have an image of 329 "Stephenson" (Page 78, "Steam Around Eastleigh" - Kevin Robertson) that shows the largest BR Lion and Wheel fitted so the class may have had variation throughout the ten years or so of their BR ownership but the safest thing to do was to change "Beattie" to the smallest design as shown in all the surviving images of this loco. Kind regards, Richard B

I guess I should now add "Beattie" to the mix, just finished. Kind regards, Richard B

Sorry OldD but give me an Adams G6 any day! Kind regards, Richard B PS Tangential Alert!