MOK 8F - LMS 8425

Discussion in 'Loco Builds' started by Rob Pulham, Jan 1, 2018.

  1. Rob Pulham

    Rob Pulham Happily making models Staff Member Administrator Feature Contributor

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    Hi Pete,
    The many ranges that Jim Harris had a hand in are scattered to the four winds. I have a J94 kit that is in a Majestic Models box and when I queried George Dawson about it, he advised that it was one of Jim Harris's kits rather than one he had designed himself (which is a real shame because all the kit's that I have built from George's range have been excellent).
    George designed the locos in the Connoisseur Claymore range and he also did the artwork before he passed away for the 62C models Scottish loco kits.
    I think that the J94 may well be with Northants Model Railway Supplies now.
     
  2. Rob Pulham

    Rob Pulham Happily making models Staff Member Administrator Feature Contributor

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    I am having a little more one step forward and two back with this build and it's my own silly fault. In my eagerness to crack on I hadn't noticed a photo in the Wild Swan LMS Loco profiles book on the 8F's that shows the inside of the cab and more importantly the backhead. It seems that I have too much pipe work for my period so some of it needs to come off again.

    I am thanking myself in that I took the extra time and effort to make most of the parts removable because that will make redoing it much easier.


    This shows how the parts are removable

    [​IMG]

    Below is a crop of the cab photo in the Wild Swan book. The photo is credited to the National Railway Museum and is used here purely to illustrate the differences between what I have done and what I should have done.

    Attached files [​IMG]
     
  3. Rob Pulham

    Rob Pulham Happily making models Staff Member Administrator Feature Contributor

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    Although there are glaring gaps in the instructions, one part is explicit, that of forming the smokebox and boiler.

    The boiler comes pre rolled and according to the instructions so does the smokebox inner but mine wasn't. That wasn't an issue and I soon had it rolled.

    Now for the I'm a dummy bit, the instructions are quite explicit about using two of the formers for the x71 and x72 (sorry I can't remember if the preceding number is 1 or 3). Leaving x70 to go in the smaller end of the boiler. Because they all look identical (but aren't Grrr) I managed to pick up the wrong one and only discovered my error when I had it all nicely soldered together.

    My only saving grace was that I discovered the error (part x70 is slightly bigger than x71/x72) before I soldered the other wrong bit (x70) into the smokebox). At 11:15 on Tuesday night I didn't have the headspace to sort it out so I went to bed.

    This morning I set to and using a pointed scalpel and gentle heat from the micro flame I slowly worked my way around easing the boiler away from the former with regular quenching to take it out and replace it with part x70.

    Thankfully I got away with it, in part I think due to the fact that I had soldered it in initially using the microflame to chase around a tiny amount of solder which meant that although it was held very securely it was easy to break the bond from the thin layer of solder.
     
  4. Rob Pulham

    Rob Pulham Happily making models Staff Member Administrator Feature Contributor

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    This is the boiler and smokebox assembly after my recovery.

    [​IMG]


    Those with sharp eyes will not the piece of scrap protruding from the front of the smokebox.

    [​IMG]

    There is a clever bit of the etch designed to ensure that you get everything lined up by inserting a piece of scrap into a slot etched into each of the three forward formers

    [​IMG]

    I left it longer than suggested and used it to view down through all the apertures in the boiler top. In fact I left it in place as I soldered on the castings on top of the boiler. To solder these cleanly I flattened a couple of small bit's of 145 solder in some pliers, placed them either side of the chimney opening after using a taper broach to open the hole up to take the spigot from the casting as tightish fit. a squirt of flux and then I place the chimney on top ensuring that it was square I heated the casting with the microflame until the solder melted allowing the casting to sink into place. - Repeated for the next casting (which I have to be honest and say I have no idea of the name or purpose of it).

    At this point the Firebox, boiler and smoke box are all a nice tight push fit I won't make it more permanent until I am happy with everything.

    Finally, I had fitted the cab roof on Tuesday but I still need to sort out the subframe under the floor.


    [​IMG]


    [​IMG]


     
  5. Toto

    Toto I'm best ignored Staff Member Founder Administrator

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    Very neat job Rob. :thumbs:
     
  6. Rob Pulham

    Rob Pulham Happily making models Staff Member Administrator Feature Contributor

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    Mind the Gap, the age old saying on the railways.

    Mine was a little more fundamental as noted in my earlier query as to whether anyone else had, had the same issue with theirs.

    Because I didn't have the benefit of the updated instructions that a gent on Western Thunder kindly shared (I have emailed Dave to ask for a set of the updated instructions) I had previously added the cab front overlays and soldered all around the seams. This meant that tucking the front of the curved section up under the top layer of the cab front was not possible - I worked on the theory that if I tried to remove the thin overlay I would irreparably damage it.

    That left the alternative which was cut/file the front section down so that it sits just below the footplate rather than tucked in behind the front plate and to desolder and file down the sub frames until the curve better matched that of the sides of the cab.


    [​IMG]


    As you are looking at it, it took two goes at desoldering, filing down, before resoldering to test the fit for the left hand subframe and six goes for the right hand subframe. At each desoldering I carefully cleaned up before filing a little more off. You may wonder why I resoldered at each test, it was because I couldn't hold it in close enough proximity to accurately check the fit when trying to hold all the parts while they were


    I have to say that had I continued with the build to this point when I started back in 2011 or so, I would never have had the confidence to desolder and resolder the same part so many times to get the fit that I wanted. I would never have been happy with it either.


    [​IMG]


    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    The slight gap on the right hand in this view will close up when I solder it all in but I am triple checking all is right before taking the final step.
     
  7. Toto

    Toto I'm best ignored Staff Member Founder Administrator

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    Big improvement Rob.:thumbs:
     
  8. Keith M

    Keith M Staff Member Moderator

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    The phrase "Patience of a Saint" springs to mind! Beautiful job Rob.:thumbs:

    Keith.
     
  9. Rob Pulham

    Rob Pulham Happily making models Staff Member Administrator Feature Contributor

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    Thanks gents,
    I am determined to finish it this time but I don't want to bodge it to finish it because it's one that will never be sold on since Chris bought me the kit as a gift when she was really ill.
     
  10. Rob Pulham

    Rob Pulham Happily making models Staff Member Administrator Feature Contributor

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    Further work over the weekend has seen it start to look like a loco at long last.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    At the moment all except the cab, the reversing lever and it's housing are just sat in place and are held by the firm fit of the components. - The sand shields are just lent in place because I need to drill them yet for the sandbox fillers. I am slightly surprised that they don't have at least some semblance of a hole etched in them given how well everything else is portrayed.


    I also need to drill and put a self tapper in the top of the cab face of the firebox to close up the very slight gap on the drivers side before I solder it in place. The instructions suggest doing this but I thought that I had got away without the need until I put everything in place.
     
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  11. Ron

    Ron Full Member

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    That's looking really good Rob, your cracking on with it now!:)
     
  12. paul_l

    paul_l Staff Member Administrator

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    I'm really enjoying this, but thankfully the loco is too big for me to even consider needing one, but boy I think it would be a while before attempting one of these.

    Paul
     
  13. Toto

    Toto I'm best ignored Staff Member Founder Administrator

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    Fantastic Rob. Another lesson in how it should be done. These builds are great for throwing up idea's and tips on how to think outside the box. Great construction tips.

    Cheers

    Toto
     
  14. ianvolvo46

    ianvolvo46 Staff Member Moderator

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    Wow :faint: it's a great thread to follow Rob you've got some skill there

    Ian vt
     
  15. Rob Pulham

    Rob Pulham Happily making models Staff Member Administrator Feature Contributor

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    Thanks for the kind words Gents, I am really enjoying it this time around despite the schoolboy errors on my part.
     
  16. Rob Pulham

    Rob Pulham Happily making models Staff Member Administrator Feature Contributor

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    I would like to have said that I have made progress on this while the forum was out of action but the reality is that the progress shown in the photos was done a couple of weeks ago.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    I did have big plans to get more on this done yesterday but I spent the entire day browsing the internet reading nonsense.....
     
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  17. Rob Pulham

    Rob Pulham Happily making models Staff Member Administrator Feature Contributor

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    A few days off over Easter saw me make further progress on the 06.

    Shaping the curves of the inner tender sides was interesting because in my ignorance I had chopped off one end of the etch which contained the marked etched bend lines and although I still had the piece that I removed I couldn't realistically realign it. So some careful measuring was in order.

    I annealed the tops of the sides where the main bend was to be - I did this a couple of times during the process.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    In order to bend the front curves of the tender sides which were very close to the half etched line for the location of the front bulkhead I soldered in a couple of strips of scrap to stop it bending on the half etched line instead of where I wanted it to.

    Once happy I soldered in the rear bulkhead and started to add details.

    [​IMG]

     
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  18. Toto

    Toto I'm best ignored Staff Member Founder Administrator

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    It's these details that are invaluable for others who will be brave enough to tackle one. Not I I might add. :avatar: It looks really good Rob.:thumbs: Can I also show my ignorance and ask what all these slots / holes are for along the side of the tender. Is there a second skin to go on ?
     
  19. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    This is a great thread Rob and nice to follow what you are doing in this build, seeing the craftsmanship at work here is very inspiring.
     
  20. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    I was wondering what the slots were for too.
     

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