BR Standard Class 4 Loco Build

Discussion in 'Locomotives' started by York Paul, Mar 6, 2018.

  1. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    I had already received the etch smoke box number plate from Fox a while back... so here it is 75031, my apologies if I've put this image up before but I really cannot remember.

     
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  2. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    Finally also included is a reasonably comprehensive set of build instructions for both tender and locomotive, Scorpio say they have upgraded the kit from its former Transport Age guise and hope they have ironed out much of the previous issues although they do state that there may still be aspects which have shortcomings... we shall see. So here are the constrictions or destructions whichever way I'm going to have a read through and familiarise myself with the order before attempting the build process first.


    And finally all the bits put safe in sealed bags and in a box... as I said this kit comes in a flat pack form and once opened that's it.


    So now its off to Slaters for sprung pick ups and suspension hornblocks and a few more detailing pieces such as smokebox door handles and Silvertown mechanical lubricators.
     
    Last edited: Mar 9, 2018
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  3. paul_l

    paul_l Staff Member Administrator

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    mmmmmmm nice, looks like it was definitely worth the wait, bet you wished you had got rid of the 4mm kits un-built now :avatar:

    Paul
     
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  4. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    In a way yes ... but I can make the 4mm ones good and someone out there will enjoy them more. The first to finish will be the C12 when those new Gibson wheel sets and gear mount arrives. I'm at a stop until then even tho I've shifted the body on a bit more. The K3 tender is done and now it's time to turn to the loco chassis... hornblocks for this one and fit one of the Portescap motor and gear sets to it. I've a 5 pole Mashima with 40:1 gear box set coming for the J39 which I was thinking of putting in suspension but will make it rigid now. The J39 tender has half etches and looks as flimsy as anything, so maybe a bit of internal strengthening with weight is in order.
     
  5. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    Oh and I've just found an ABS Thompson L1 which I'd forgotten all about:scratchchin::avatar: its even got an etched 34D shed plate and North British makers plates by Kings Cross and a smokebox number 67743.
     
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  6. Rob Pulham

    Rob Pulham Happily making models Staff Member Administrator Feature Contributor

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    I occasionally have moments like that when I rediscover a kit that I had forgotten about. To date I haven't found any 4mm kits lurking anywhere but I do have three of the 4mm Hornby Live steam locos that I really need to decide what I should do with them. Hmmm sell or keep.....
     
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  7. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    To be honest Rob I only got these 4mm kits because about three maybe four years ago I thought I'd go back to that scale after a gap of 20 years away from the hobby. However as you know things have moved on and standards and expectations in the market changed and what with the glut of RTR 4mm on the available these kits seemed to have had their day, unless of course its a really obscure model such as from the London Road stable. So these are to go to help towards funding another 7mm loco, I don't mind letting them go I'm not precious about them.
    York Paul
     
  8. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    Well I was supposed to help son in law move his racing cycles to the new house but the snow came back with vengeance and a quick call to number two daughter to rearrange the move resulted in "don't worry Dad its too cold", so with that in mind there was no other choice but to crack the BR Standard 4 kit open after all it had been sat there laughing at me for the last few days. First job was to cut the main frames from the etches and mark up for drilling the compensation beam, now I've given the matter of sprung suspension some considerable though and asked advice and read other modellers write ups on this subject and the conclusion I came to was don't make things more complicated than they need be. So the BR Standard 4 will be built with the compensation beam and rigid front driving wheel for best centred weight distribution and stability.


    First job was to align the beam onto the frames with bearing sleeves as positioners and secure the loose assembly tight with duck tape, now I need to drill the pilot hole on the beam with a 2.4mm bit to accept the brass pivot studs and elongate the axle holes by 0.5mm each way on the vertical plane. I can then solder the pivot stud holding the beam in position. At this point the job must stop as I'm waiting for a new frame jig from Hobby Holidays before the main frames can be assembled.
     
    Last edited: Mar 18, 2018
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  9. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    So I focused attention to the tender frames, firstly I cut the centre axleway to accept a pair of sprung hornblocks as the better alternative, the kit suggest you can either leave the middle wheelset free or spring it. Next having shaped the inner tender frames and end stretchers in the folding bars and checked alignment the frames were tack soldered along with the outer wheelset axle bearings.


    The centre hornblocks and support piece for the water scoop were soldered on, having satisfied myself that everything was square and level I soldered up the whole frame assembly checking for levelness using a marble cutting block as a flat surface.
     
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  10. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    The hornblock assemblies were inserted into the guides and the keeps fitted using 0.5mm brass wire as a bolt which was soldered to hold the bearing in, the excess wire was trimmed and filed down so as not to catch on the wheels.


    The journals spring freely on the horn guides, so now to insert the wheelsets.

     
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  11. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    The tender wheels rotate much easier now as the inner bearing edges just needed reaming a little to remove burrs and all wheels are level on the track, a bit of added weight makes the centre wheels sit down nicely too. What a shame I took an out of focus image but never mind is does show sharp detail of my mug of tea and all the rest of the mess on the worktable.:avatar:


    And a view of the underside.


    A good few hours work done, next job is to drill the water scoop casting and fix in place then add in the brake push rods and rigging.
     
  12. jakesdad13

    jakesdad13 Staff Member Moderator

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    Nice and neat work Paul! Looking forward to the next episode :thumbs:.

    Cheer's, Pete.
     
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  13. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    Thanks Pete:thumbs: much appreciated, the next job on the tender is the water scoop assembly, this comprises of two whitemetal casts which come together as a hinge, the problem is they have to be drilled 0.5mm and the hinge bracket is so flimsy. It will be a challenge indeed. Now I really want to finish a couple of the 4mm models otherwise I know what will happen... there will be bits everywhere and nothing ever gets completed, so I'll get the BR Standard 4 tender frame complete and then return to finish the C12 and crack on with the J39. If I get the water scoop finished satisfactorily I'll post a few more pics up tonight.
     
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  14. Steve Fay

    Steve Fay Full Member

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    I’ll be watching this one with interest as I do like the Standard 4’s
    As Rob said PAD on Rmweb has made some lovely models out of the Scorpio range his Duke of Gloucester was superb. My condensing pannier is from the Scorpio stable and although I did buy better castings as long as the bases is right extras from either Lauri Griffin or Ragstone are easy to obtain if the supplier castings are a little iffy!!
     
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  15. Rob Pulham

    Rob Pulham Happily making models Staff Member Administrator Feature Contributor

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    Looking good Paul,

    For a mad second, due to the lighting of the photo, I thought that you had put one of the horn guides on the outside of the frames. The photo in the next post clarified it though.
     
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  16. danielb

    danielb Full Member

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    Certainly looks like an interesting build. I'll follow this with interest. :D
     
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  17. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    Thanks Steve I really do appreciate all your feedback comments etc, to be honest it was a toss up between this one or an 8F from Gladiator and I wanted to get my teeth into something with outside motion, so the 8F will have to come later as funds are available. Now Pat Ennis at Scorpio tells me he and his sons are bring out a couple of new models later this year and next year, he wants to bring out a Standard 4 tank, one of the 80XXX series and he is working on a Class 3 tender loco 77XXX series but is aiming to introduce a 78XXX Standard Mickey Mouse for later in the year. Anyway thanks for the tip about suppliers... some of the Scorpio ex Jim Harris castings are a bit on the clunky side but I think it will go together all right.
    Paul
     
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  18. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    Thanks Daniel, as I said earlier to Pete things may come to a slow soon as I want to finish other stuff on the bench and I've ordered a new 5 axle jig which won't come until late April... the one I had borrowed is currently in use and I darn't keep asking to use it.
     
  19. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    Thanks Rob, the photos are a bit confusing, particularly the one showing the main frame with comp beam aligned ready for drilling. The hornblocks spring perfectly on the tender centre axle and this afternoon I've been working on a hinge for the water scoop gear.
    Paul
     
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  20. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    So here is the water scoop assembly I have been working on, the whitemetal castings have a hinge system incorporated and instructions suggest soldering 0.5mm wire on to make the coupling... but solder to what! The answer was to remake with something a little more robust, so the inner hinge bracket on the retractable water collector shoe was filed away and a thin strap fashioned from a scrap Peter Harvey etch used. The strap was formed around a tiny piece of brass micro tube which made the new hinge and a piece of 0.5mm brass wire passed through to complete a moving connection... not that it actually ever needs to move.


    The other small pieces are the cross shaft for the tender parking brake and its small support hanger etch.
     
    Last edited: Mar 18, 2018
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