A Warren Shepard GWR Small Prairie Tank lockdown build.

Hi Folks ,

It`s been a couple of years since I used this forum. Seemed to have lost contact over a change of Laptop !!

I was planning to get on with my O gauge shed layout. I did make a start at the beginning of the year but then the Pandemic descended on us and this impacted greatly on my retired home life.

Especially as I aggravated an old back injury from 40 years back and have suffered the worst sciatica ever.

So being somewhat layed up and locked down I purchased this Warren Shepard loco kit which I recently have completed .

The kit has a different approach to building as it does`nt have any actual written assembly instructions but relies on copious photographic info plus a diagramatic booklet to follow.

The kit supplied is for a later ( more like the preserved 4566) example.

But I wanted to produce one in 1930`s condition.

So this is what I aimed to make :-




Warren`s kits seem to have very robust thick brass etchings so an 80watt soldering iron is the order of the day.

No faffing about with wimpish flux either..... this is the first soldering job since the 1970`s that I have reverted back to using Baker`s fluid. Solders everything from whitemetal to steel.... but you need to consider corroding everything in sight ...so meticulous cleaning after every session.

As always , I kicked off with the chassis build. Complicated a little bit with my desire to have sprung compensation using an old set of Slater`s nylon hornblocks.






After fettling them into smooth working condition as well as preparing Slaters wheels I used Birchwood Casey blackening products to save time with painting later on.


Then using a hornblock as datum for cutouts in the chassis side frames making sure the axle ride height remains the same as the kit design.






Unusually, the kit requires the builder to use a general arrangement drawing to mark and drill the brake hanger and for me, the plunger pickup positions





Then out with the slitting disc and soldering iron to produce a strong chassis frame.







The kit supplies Premier components coupling rods and these were made up and used as datum reference to accurately position the axle horn blocks assuring a trouble free running chassis build.





Then out with my mini roller set to fabricate the cylinder block to complete the basic chassis assembly.




Over in the body assembly corner I used the supplied rivet detailing sheets to mark out and then apply the rivets to body side and rear assemblies before soldering it all together.



The footplate was supplied with half etched rivet positions.

 

Then it`s the lengthy and enjoyable superstructure build.












Adding the detailing always takes ages but helped with excellent lost wax parts.






Then finally a completed build ready for the paint shop.

 

The painting stage takes almost as long as the build as I leave 72 hours between each colour application.

Starting with Clostermann black etch primer.




and on everything that moves..............................








Then over to the chassis re-assembly area.




Careful and methodical wiring in preparation for DCC sound application.







Then on with the airbrushing application of livery colours.

 

Then the final addition of a Zimo MX645 decoder with Digitrains small prairie sound file and a set up run on the rollers.