Rob Pulham Posted May 19, 2012 Author Share Posted May 19, 2012 Work recommenced on the J63 yesterday, with more of the finer details and the cab added. Ideviated slightly from the instructions at this point, in so much as I built the brake standard as per. But used a casting from the spares box for the handle - it is sugested that you make one up from wire but no further detail than that. . The plan at the moment is to build all as per the instructions and then scratch build the condensing pipes last. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Pulham Posted May 21, 2012 Author Share Posted May 21, 2012 Yesterday, despite my "plan" referred to in the last post. Once I started to add the castings, I decided that while the chimney,etc just needed cleaning up other bits were not so good. The lubricator valves on the sides of the smoke box are quite prominent in the photos and while the castings are not bad they are quite plain. So I decided to see what I could come up with from some etched hand wheels and bits of rod and tube. Once I was happy with these I added the steps, coal rails, cupboard in the cab (to which I added some handles from brass pins with filed down heads), and the castings that came with the kit. In addition to these I also added a clack valve and vacuum ejector from a set of Connoissuer castings (I am not too happy with the lie of the pipe for this so I plan to take it off and do it again). On the shelf at the back of the cab were two unidentified holes which a further read of the instructions state are for sand box levers not provided so again I knocked some up from 0.8mm rod a handrail knob and a small washer - probably not quite prototypical but infinitely better than a hole.... Then while waiting for the glue on some of the castings to dry I took the chassis apart to add the final details to that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
N15class Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 Rob, looking good. The details you have made look extra special. Have you got a dink in the right hand tank? It looks as though there is one in a couple of photo's Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium DLT Posted May 21, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 21, 2012 Hi Rob, I've only just come across this thread. A very nice looking project, and well up to your usual standard. Cheers, Dave. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Pulham Posted May 21, 2012 Author Share Posted May 21, 2012 Rob, looking good. The details you have made look extra special. Have you got a dink in the right hand tank? It looks as though there is one in a couple of photo's Thanks Peter, the trouble with adding details is how far do you go.... with me it's probably too far but I do enjoy making them - the lubricators probably took me the best part of an hour each. Yes there is a bit of a dink in the tank side - I am not really sure how but having looked at lot's of photos it probably not out of place for the real thing on side tank engines. I plan to finish it in quite grotty condition so it should fit right in - I don't really fancy going to the trouble that OzzyO did to get it out but I will see once I get a coat of primer on. Hi Rob, I've only just come across this thread. A very nice looking project, and well up to your usual standard. Cheers, Dave. Cheers Dave, much appreciated. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Pulham Posted May 23, 2012 Author Share Posted May 23, 2012 More progress, the chassis is now finished and hope to have it primed and painted tonight. I fitted the front splashers to the chassis as shown in the photos in the instructions (the instructions do make comment that you might want to attach them to the body) then found that I couldn't get the wheels back on so I removed them again and attached them to the body. Gladiator came through with an offer to take a GCR smoke box door dart to Halifax for me so I will use the one from my Sam Fay kit to finish this one. . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Pulham Posted May 25, 2012 Author Share Posted May 25, 2012 A little more progress last night. The chassis is now painted black. Follwing on recomendations in the instructions I made a new roof from Nickel sheet and I also took the opportunity to add an inner skin that is scribed to represent the wood strips that many cabs were lined with/made from. The one on the right is the half etched roof that came with the kit. This is it fittted. I also took the opportunity to redo the vacuum ejector pipe that I wasn't satisfied with. Lastly I cleaned up the smoke box door and fitted the dart - I still need to fit the door itself but I will wait until I am completely happy with all the pipe work. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
N15class Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 I think the pipe looks better now it is tuck more out the way. Not long now untill the body is black too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Pulham Posted May 25, 2012 Author Share Posted May 25, 2012 I think the pipe looks better now it is tuck more out the way. I agree, as I said in an earlier post I wasn't happy with it once I had done it, but needed to think about it a bit more to work out what I wanted. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Pulham Posted May 27, 2012 Author Share Posted May 27, 2012 A busy weekend has seen the back broken on this build, albeit I still need reassemble the chassis and get it to move under it's own power. I raided the spares box and my stock of various sizes of brass rod to detail the backhead. I couldn't find any photos of either the J63 or J62 backheads so I have used a combination of bits and pieces of castings, hand rail knobs and square bar. I also made a representation of the vacuum ejector - not perfect by any means but with the enclosed cab I have probably gone overboard with what I have done. I added the oil can that I knocked up a while ago when I was waiting for some paint or glue to dry. Today I have concentrated on the condensing pipes and some other pipe work/valves that are quite visible on photos at the sides of the forward sand boxes. Not offered in the kit are the tank vents that a few of these locos had, these were made from brass rod and a rivetted washer. Lastly I added some fire iron holders. Not having a clear photo that shows the run of the condensing pipes at the firebox end I have had a guess at it. This will no doubt be the point where someone comes along to correct me - I do hope they don't dally as I want to get it painted in the next couple of days... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
N15class Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 It is getting very crowded on the top of your loco now. Looks very impressive. The cab details look ok too, especially the back sheet detail and oil can, is that the one you made a while ago? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Pulham Posted May 28, 2012 Author Share Posted May 28, 2012 It is getting very crowded on the top of your loco now. Looks very impressive. The cab details look ok too, especially the back sheet detail and oil can, is that the one you made a while ago? Thanks Peter, Yes it is I haven't been bonkers enough to make another oil can yet..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgeT Posted May 29, 2012 Share Posted May 29, 2012 Looking good Rob, the more pipe's the better for me, makes the loco look much more interesting, cracking job, well done......... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Pulham Posted May 29, 2012 Author Share Posted May 29, 2012 Thanks George, Since my posting above, a kind gent has come forward with more information and a GA that shows where the condensing pipes should actually run. It turns out I wasn't too far off the mark at the smoke box end I just need to adjust the tank top end. But before that I intend to get the chassis up and running and then I will do what ever I get time to do before taking it along to Halifax on Saturday for a run around the test track. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Pulham Posted June 1, 2012 Author Share Posted June 1, 2012 It's alive - after a frustrating few days messing about with plunger pickups she runs at last. http://youtu.be/Lc07WWnd1R4 http://youtu.be/3mojX8klI84 http://youtu.be/1XIaOQMdQJA http://youtu.be/UUcrN2VvyV0 The test track at Halifax here we come. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
N15class Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 That has come out very well. What is the livery going to be? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Pulham Posted June 2, 2012 Author Share Posted June 2, 2012 Hi Peter, Nothing too exotic, just plain LNER black. I plan to sort out the condensing pipes before painting and my planned loco 5061 had round buffers (the kit comes with oval heads) but luckily I found some suitable round heads in the spares box. I took her along to the Halifax show and had a few runs around the test track along with my tram engine and she didn't disgrace herself. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Pulham Posted June 4, 2012 Author Share Posted June 4, 2012 Last night thanks to information kindly supplied by David Green, I remade the condensing pipes giving to my mind a much better representation - I suspect that they may still be a little high but since I subsequently filled the side tanks with lead shot and superglue I will have to live with that because I doubt if they will come out again. The more observant amongst you may have noticed that the originals were not in line with each other. With the new ones I brought them forward inline with the boiler band to the rear of the dome (where they are shown on the drawing) and filled the original holes with small offcuts of the brass rod that I used for the pipes. I took some time today (while recovering from 4 hours of pressure washing 3 sections of decking. 2 paths and some garden furniture) to make up some round windows for the front of the loco. These have been soldered fixed but in an open position as per many of the photos of these engines. While at Halifax on Saturday one of my purchases from CPL was a glass cutting set which consisted of a Tungsten carbide scribe and some microscope cover slips. After trashing several of the cover slips (they are very thin and although I mastered cutting circles from them without breaking them when I tried to contain them within the frane for the windows I broke them) I resorted some 1mm slidesd that I got from Simon Varnham. And last but not least I painted some detail on the backhead ready for when I fit it. Now it's a good wash before I paint it tomorrow - unless I think of something else to add...... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
N15class Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 The condensing pipes look good with that flange. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Pulham Posted June 5, 2012 Author Share Posted June 5, 2012 Cheers Peter, I didn't get to the good wash last night but it's on the plan today along with a coat of paint (fingers crossed). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Pulham Posted June 11, 2012 Author Share Posted June 11, 2012 Since taking her for a run at Halifax I did find more details to add. Another small pipe that is visble on the left side of the smoke box and vacuum pipes. I have also got her painted and and ready for coaling. Que another photo overload! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
N15class Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 Looks very good. I do like your cab windows. Do they work? I take it they are in 2 parts to hold the glazing. Did you do any haulage tests at Halifax or was it just to stretch its legs? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Pulham Posted June 12, 2012 Author Share Posted June 12, 2012 Looks very good. I do like your cab windows. Do they work? I take it they are in 2 parts to hold the glazing. Did you do any haulage tests at Halifax or was it just to stretch its legs? Hi Peter, Sadly I didn't think about them early enough in the build to make them work (to be honest I didn't have a glass cutter at the relevant point either). If I had made them before assembling the cab I could have easily made them move but as it is they are soldered in the positions. They are made from 2 etched brass circles and a frame made from brass strip rolled around and soldered to the washers with the layer of glass in between they are a little on the thick side but each time I cut a circle of the thin cover slips they broke when i tried to assemble the frame around it to solder it all solid. I plan to get another one of these kits next year to backdate to the Pollitt saddle tank version so I will endeavour to remember the sequence and make the windows so that they rotate - no condensing pipes to worry about on that one though. I didn't manage any haulage tests at Halifax, to be honest it was touch and go whether it would run at all after the trouble with the plungers. It still doesn't run as well as I would like but I suspect it just needs a god running in. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrushType4 Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 It still doesn't run as well as I would like but I suspect it just needs a god running in. Sounds like you are looking for divine intervention! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.