Rob Pulham's 2020 Shelf Queen Competition Entry

My shelf queen entry is the completion of the build of a Tower Models Streamlined Coronation Pacific which will be King George VI when finished.

I will be be completing the build, it will then go away to be professionally painted and then I will complete the final assembly when it's painted. Within the scope of my entry will be the completion of the build ready for painting. I doubt that it will be back from the painters within the timescale set out by Toto as the duration of the competition.

Just as a taster until I get the rest of it unpacked these are some of the sub assemblies completed so far.

 

This is the current state of play with the tender. Not too much left to do on this the tender axleboxes will be attached after painting because the tender frames arelined and it would be very difficult to make a decent job if they were in place.

 

Although I am itching to get started on this I need to finish the brake vans first or I will be creating another pair of shelf queens which doesn't help...

 

Well just to whet your appetite this is the current state of the body. Much detailing done but a long way to go yet.

It's a big bu**er and it weighs a ton when you are holding it to work on...

 

A little more in the way of teasers I was pleasantly surprised that I had already assembled much of the motion. It still needs one connecting rod attaching to the cross head and then the return cranks sorting before it can be tested.

The observant will note that I have deviated from the usual DJH/Tower method of screwing the cylinders to the frames and I have made the whole unit removable for painting and future servicing should it need it. It takes a bit of thought and a bit more work but worth it I think.

 

I still haven't managed to make much progress because the weather has allowed us to work on things outside and for the last few evenings I haven't had the energy to do any modelling after dinner.

What I have managed to do is to blacken all the axles and screws to stop them rusting. Sadly on this build I cannot blacken the wheels themselves because the Princess Coronations had them finished as polished steel. I have done them all but had only got these three out of the oil and dried off to take photos of. - they were done by hot blackening as opposed to using metal black or gun blue.

 

Hi Peter, yes I finished that one, this is a second build of a streamlined coronation.

 

Following on from my post on finishing the workshop I was able to get stuck in and assemble the Duchess chassis and fit the pick ups



As you can see the bench didn't stay tidy for long once I put the tools back.

 

Thanks Paul,

You should see a good bit more of it over the next couple of weeks I hope. I am very fortunate in having a Martin Finney kit for a an unstreamlined Duchess in my kit stash. It will be one of the original single chimney'd examples - Duchess of Buccleuch. Although I principally model the LNER, I have a soft spot for the Duchess.

 

Further progress this evening has seen the backhead completed.

All the pipework is removable in sections for painting and will be glued in place once that's done.

 

Today's task was to mount the backhead on the cab floor but make the whole thing removable for painting.

The white metal section that the backhead and the cab floor are screwed to will be soldered inside the cab and then the floor, backhead etc. will be screwed in after it comes back from the painter.