Ivatt 2-6-2 Mickey Mouse tank engine in 7mm scale

Discussion in 'Workshop Benches' started by York Paul, Nov 13, 2019.

  1. paul_l

    paul_l Staff Member Administrator

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    Ahhhh, so God's Worst Railway bought thier loco's from Acme as well :avatar:, all I can say is the Roadrunner got all his stuff from Acme and see how that turned out :whatever:

    Paul
     
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  2. Andy_Sollis

    Andy_Sollis Staff Member Moderator

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    Green BR Jubilee? :avatar:
     
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  3. Andy_Sollis

    Andy_Sollis Staff Member Moderator

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    Isn’t Bel 1 the LMS one that worked in London (actually differs from the Oakamoor Bel 2)??
     
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  4. Mr Porter

    Mr Porter Failure is always an option. Full Member

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    Sorry to upset you Yorkie, but Pre Grouping, GWR engines worked freight on that line all the way to Stoke.

    :headbanger:
    Jim
     
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  5. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    Yes I know they did Mr Porter and a photograph taken circa 1933 by my old friend the late Gordon Walwyn shows a GWR 4-4-0 tender loco standing in Leek station, so that must have worked to Leek along the Biddulph Valley line from Pratts and Milton Junction, but hey we know how Dundee just loves the Dark Green :avatar:. Seriously I do wonder if the LMS banned later wide cylinder GW classes onto the Knotty via the Market Drayton line because of subsidence in Newcastle and Brampton tunnels and the reduced clearances when the structural reinforcing was put in around that time to stop the vault from crowning in.
     
  6. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    Poplar Docks gas works I believe, BEL 1 differs from the Oakamoor one (BEL 2) in having wider front cab windows, different doorways and I think the control gear was different.
     
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  7. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    Your tempting me again Mr S... and ok so I'm old enough to remember seeing them on Manchester (London Road) Euston expresses at Stoke. I just don't know which Jubs they were but I do remember them to being rather nice and shiny clean... but I was just a kid and the legend died out long ago.:avatar:
     
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  8. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    Two major steps forward with this loco build has recently happened, the first being fitting of side rods and checking everything rotated freely which thankfully it does, then fitting of con rods and the remade cylinder block with additional side supports. These side supports will carry the motion bracket and are bolted to the mainframe at their ends with 12 BA screws.

    [​IMG]
     
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  9. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    The second step forward was to scratch build the motion brackets, the flimsy shape which came with this kit was neither use nor ornament and even if I'd followed the original etches I doubt it would have worked. So I scratched new ones using the original etch shape as the basis for modification, anyway the result consists of an offset fixing bracket and 0.45mm wire edging simulating the strengthening ribs found on the original ones. I fitted expansion link brackets and have dry fitted the expansion link and radius rod on one side ... this work took me most of the day today, tomorrow I'll make the other side up and finish dressing the cylinders with the valves and piston end covers and banding. I think the end result is a lot better and follows the design drawing much more consistently... I don't think Mr Acme or his assistant who drew up this original kit would have won any design awards for his work. Anyway here is the result of today's efforts.


    [​IMG]
     
  10. Andy_Sollis

    Andy_Sollis Staff Member Moderator

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    Splendid Paul.

    IM starting to wonder if Mr Acme actually ever looked at either any plans or real one or just drew the kit up from a photo:avatar:
     
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  11. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    I shouldn't really say this as a Mod here but I once rang Mr Acme at his home to ask about availability of etches after the closure of his model shop in Sileby, he told me he had some "old" stuff in a sack somewhere in the loft but couldn't get to them because his son had dumped a heap of rubbish up there, he promised to ring me back once he had undertaken an expedition into the roof space but never did. Toto also rang him and I believe was told said etches were kept in the garden shed. We deduced no such etches actually existed and that it was just artwork which was held at the etchers under some ownership ruling which didn't favour Mr Acme. Needless to say both Toto and I got on the next bus out of town never to return. :avatar:
     
  12. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    The actual etches for the frames and bodywork have dimensional accuracy, its just silly stuff like some of the positioning of the structure which lets it down and the fact that the body footplate comes in two section which I think is a major design flaw.
     
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  13. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    Quite a bit has happened to this build over the festive season, first off was to design and construct a suspension and support set up for the trucks, it was important they didn't bare all their weight on the swivel pins which hold them to the frames, so I made a sort of U shaped spring clip which has its own independent pivot pin allowing the truck to swing laterally but restrict overplay. This spring mechanism has a mild tension acting like a torsion bar to provide suspension whilst preventing the truck wheels climbing off the rails when passing through points. This view is looking up into the truck, the brass nut holds the spring in tension on the independent pivot, those nasty coupling rod etches came in very useful playing a new role as the truck harnessing frame.

    [​IMG]
     
  14. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    Next mod on the list was to look at the front footplate again, some of Laurie's lost wax castings have been put on, namely the front drawplate, side steps and the gusset strengthener plates behind the beam, I've yet to drill out the back of the castings to accept the buffers which I'll cut down the back thread... I think the buffers will then sit nicely behind the gussets with a couple of mill spring movement. I really wanted to add this feature as these gusset plates are prominent on the real Ivatt locos and would if omitted on this model look lacking I think. The vacuum pipe will be replaced with a better one more suited to the job... I just put it on for fun really, all these lost wax castings have been soldered on with 145 degree solder. The front footplate step needed modifying too as not only was it 2mm narrow width wise (recall I'd increased width of the front frames to look correct) but the length was also 3mm short, soon rectified with an additional piece of scrap etch but hey I'm beginning to see now why this kit range is called an aid to scratch building. I've also scratch build a three feed oil reservoir to the left hand bracket and the two feed grease point to the right hand one using 0.45 mm wire for piping and some copper filed to shape.

    [​IMG]
     
  15. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    And here is a better view of the gusset plate... I'm really sold on these lost wax castings and they will look great under paint I'm sure.

    [​IMG]
     
  16. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    So now I reached a point in the build where it became imperative to ensure these thin nickel silver etches hadn't distorted before completing the chassis. I have no datum points as yet to add on things like injector brackets and associate plumbing which run under the tanks, anyway I couldn't see the point of completing the valve assembly and motion brackets until the chassis was completely solid... only one thing for it now so lets crack on with the body fabrication. I spent quite some time ensuring the front upper footplate lined up correctly within the screw fixing and then started to tack solder the outer faces of the side tanks on, once satisfied I seamed them up to make a solid joint and checked the result against the chassis. Next was the rear footplate which is a separate item and in my view a design short fall as the fault here is weakness, anyway I've tack soldered the back half of the side tanks in place and the whole assembly lines up nicely on the front and rear screw fixings... this adds rigidity to the chassis and I have now my datum points when it comes to adding in the injectors and plumbing.

    [​IMG]
     
  17. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    Next was making things sit squarely so the front cab face was tacked in, I took the opportunity to solder a locating pin made fro 2mm wire onto the back of the cab, this will line up with the rear face of the firebox when built, I also want to make the boiler removable so the front fixing screw will pass through the forward footplate and into the smokebox. This will allow the loco to break down into three main components, a chassis with removable cylinder block, the main body comprising tanks, bunker and cab and lastly the boiler and firebox unit. Next job now is to glue lead into the tanks then fit the back faces of the side tanks, this will add some much needed adhesion weight. Once I know how the firebox / boiler assembly sits I can then insert the motor gearbox and mount. I'm satisfied now the whole body is level and square on the chassis frames... now I can go back to solder on the front footplate and buffer assembly.

    [​IMG]
     
  18. paul_l

    paul_l Staff Member Administrator

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    Phew ...... this is turning out to be some build

    Nice work

    Paul
     
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  19. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    Not half Dundee :facepalm: and thanks. I don't think I'll be doing another one of these "aide to scratch building" kits again, these things if built as they were originally designed belongs in a different century or the dustbin. :avatar:
     
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  20. jakesdad13

    jakesdad13 Staff Member Moderator

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    I have one of these kits, an LNER K3, sat in my naughty drawer. I keep looking at it and thinking, one day, maybe! The designer Jim Harris was a very good builder and I think he believed we were as good as him! I did manage to build one of his 08 kits but I had to farm out rolling the bonnet as it kept creasing where the vents were on the top, plus I had to reduce the thickness of the axle boxes, white metal, by half. It took for ever, and kept blocking up my file. Mind you once finished it was a lovely model and ran a dream so it pays to persevere!!

    Pete.
     

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