Golden Arrow Bulleid 'Leader' kit build.

This kit is a little different from the usual "Golden Arrow" offerings, in that unlike many of their other kits, this one doesn't use a proprietary chassis from an existing RTR model, but has two complete bogies, one motorised and one unmotorised. However, as the motor used is a very small open framed one, I decided that since I'd prefer it to be able to pull more than just it's own bodyshell, I would motorise both bogies, using one DCC decoder for both motors, so although I now have both motors, I'm still awaiting wheelsets, bearings and other parts from Markits. On a couple of occasions in the past, I've had quick service from them, but the last twice, have taken longer than I'd like, but I guess winter is probably the time when modellers hunker down and get building, so they're likely pretty busy. Anyway, parts are not holding up bodyshell preparation, so after the usual 'flash' cleanup and filling/sanding operations, I was able to primer and finish coat the body, then fit glazing, lamp brackets, handrails etc, leaving it ready for decal application, as below.

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My usual decal/number/nameplate supplier is Fox Transfers, who are not only very fast at supplying any orders (usually by return of post), but make really excellent products. The "Leader" has five rectangular livery panels on each side, with three at each end, red/black lined, so the decal set to do this is quite comprehensive (and pricey at around £32). It takes the form of corners and straights, red with a grey outer line which goes on first, then after at least 24 hours, you apply the black lining over the grey. Five panels each with four corners and four straights means 40 decals per side, then the same again of the black lining on top, so that's 160 for the two sides, then a further 24+24 for each end, making 256, plus the two numbersets (36001) each side, totalling 260 decals, and that's a whole lotta decals!
I can see that I could very well lose the will to live with this build, just with decal application alone, but I've decided that since it's necessary to apply decals onto decals, as an 'insurance', I'll give the first layer a light spray of clear varnish to fix them, and it'll also give me a good smooth surface for the second black lining layer before a final satin varnish application. Here is just a part of the initial corners application, a long way to go yet!

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Managed to get all the decals plus a set of "Fox Transfers" smokebox numberplates fitted at each end, followed by a couple of coats of clear varnish to seal everything. For the moment at least, that's pretty much as far as I can go until I receive parts ordered from 'Markits'. Jeff (SR Man) remarked on one of his posts that "Leader" was only ever in 'Works Grey' or 'Photographic Grey', but in the books I have on these loco's, there is a photo of 36001 in Black, taken within the works, reputedly on the same day that it was presented in Grey outside the works to the BR 'Brasshats', obviously someone got the date (and the paint instructions) wrong, although since it was classified as 'Mixed Traffic', it would eventually have been painted in lined black I'd imagine, which would have looked quite smart I reckon. Anyway, here's where I'm at with the body presently.

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After 260 decals and hours chasing them around the bodywork with a small paintbrush 'persuading' them into position, I'm currently suffering from eyestrain and 'decal overload'! Hardest part bar none is getting the straight bits 'straight', or a least something approaching that. As I'm now 'waiting for parts' before I can make further progress, I've just started modifying a Bachmann Class 37 chassis which will be going under the "Silver Fox" LMS Twin kit I bought recently. It's nice to have a break from decal fixing, and there's nothing like a bit of "Chassis Butchery" to get the frustration out of your system!

Keith.

 

Hi Jeff.
It was apparently repainted several times in it's very short life! It started off in plain grey, then grey with 36001 central on each side, then went to black in the works but never saw the light of day outside, and was then immediately repainted in grey with red/black lining, BR 'Early logo' centrally on each side, 36001 adjacent to each of the 4 cab doors. I understand that BR then decided they didn't want to own up to whose loco it was, so the BR logo was painted out. Smokebox numberplates were fixed centrally at each end just above the buffer beam. None of the other loco's (36002/36005) ever got anywhere near final painting stages, although 36002 was virtually complete when the decision was taken to scrap the project, and this was after Bulleid's departure to the Irish state Railways, where he undertook design and construction of a rather similar loco nicknamed the "Turf Burner" which also was scrapped before completion after Bulleid's retirement. There are some excellent pictures of this unique loco in the two books I have, but unfortunately, copyrights prevent me from posting them.
When later testing took place on 36001, the Southern 'borrowed' the dynamometer coach and staff that was used on 'Mallard's' 126mph run. I am "considering the possibility" of pre-ordering the "Rails" commission of this coach (£125!!!) to create a 'cameo' of the testing, but I'll wait until I complete the model and see how powerful (or not!) it turns out to be, considering the very small motors within each bogie before I commit.
Keith.

 

At long last, my parts for this build (and others also begun) arrived yesterday, ordered on December 29th! I've had stuff delivered from China in half the time, but better late than never. Anyway, as a result, I've been able to get more work done on the bogies for "Leader". First up was to assemble the wheelsets, with bearings and spacing washers where necessary. These wheelsets are one side insulated, the other electrically connected to the axle, so it's important to make sure that all the insulated wheels are on the same side, not forgetting that the rear bogie works in the opposite direction ( as both are motorised). Once these were positioned and any needed spacer washers fitted to take out excess side play, the bottom plate was fixed, after some filing out of the slots to ensure clearance from the gears. Once fitted, a coat of paint to blend in, and ready for motor fitting. This pic shows bogies right way up, one motor in position, second ready to drop into place.

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You can see the two completely different top swivel plates, which fit onto the motor retaining plate shown in place on the right hand bogie. These screw onto lugs within the body (Instructions say this job is "Fiddly!"), but that's for another day! Each motor is held in place entirely by the retaining plate, so it's a bit of a 'faff' trying different thicknesses of plasticard to get just a small amount of free play between the two worms and gears, without jamming either one, but once done, the retaining plate is fitted to keep everything tight. Initially I soldered the first retaining plate in place (all white metal!) , but then found something had moved (possibly due to heat when soldering), so filed all smooth to release the plate again, and decided that superglue would be a safer option, and so it proved. With both motors fixed, a quick test run with a 9 volt battery showed both bogies to be ok, so next job was to fit the bogie swivel plates, easily done with a couple of suitable washers, using the screws provided. A quick coat of paint, and bogies upended again to sort out pickups.
I decided to use short pieces of Veroboard (stripboard), superglued under the bottom plate, with each copper strip centrally cut, then soldered lengths of 0.7mm brass wire along the length to form 'busbars' so I could solder phosphor bronze pickup wire at suitable intervals to bear onto the backs of the wheel rims. Although one side of the wheelsets were electrically connected to the axles and therefore via the bearings, also connected to one side of each bogie chassis, I decided that to ensure continuity, I would treat both sides of each wheelset identically with pickups, hopefully preventing any intermittent current loss, soldering wires to the end of each busbar, these will be connected to the DCC decoder which will control both motors simultaneously. This is how the two bogie undersides look now, with the completed pickup assemblies.

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Here is where the two bogies will be fitting into shortly. Both 'cabs' have been glued into place, and what would normally have been the 'trailing' cab at the 'coal and water' end was apparently the only one that the loco drivers would use, as the heat from the smokebox made the leading one too hot to be in. As a result, the loco was test driven with smokebox and chimney to the rear rather than the front, no help to the fireman, as his cab was so hot that at times he had to 'lag' his legs with sacking to prevent being burned! The ashpans have been fitted centrally, fireman's cab with a floor next to it, and my intention is to fit a strip of 'Plasticard' behind one cab to 'Blutak' the DCC decoder onto to keep it out of the way of the swivelling bogies. The 2 wires visible are from the 'flickering firebox' LED I fitted into a 'home-made' backhead in the fireman's cab.

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