Connoisseur Models '02' tank loco build.

I decided it was high time I got back into some serious kit building yesterday, so pulled out this kit and made a start. My normal way of working if it's a tender engine is to build the tender first then the loco, starting with the chassis, tank loco's it's chassis first, but Big Jim advises to part build the body first to be able to check clearances between chassis and body, so body it was first. Jim's instructions are first rate, plenty of pictures (worth a thousand words they say!), and as he includes illustrations showing which part is on which etch, it's easy to find parts. I built up the footplate complete with front and rear buffer beams and soldered a 6ba nut at two points for chassis fixing, then soldered the cab doors (Jim suggests doing this whilst the cab sides are still attached to the etches, which makes it easier) to the cab sides, then folding and soldering the cab floor together. At this point I soldered in the cab opening beadings. Jim provides a choice of either one piece or two which are butt jointed at the top, me being me, I used the one piece option as I found it fairly easy.

 

This is the other side of the first parts.

 

Next was the cab front and rear spectacle plate, some fiddly bits on these, not just the 0.5 wire, the spectacle rings each side were fun but do-able. Then it was the various cupboards, coal plate and then the handbrake. Jim provides a choice once again, either assemble one from the etches (my choice) or use the excellent white metal casting provided.

 

Now time for actually assembling some parts together. It all went together nicely no problems, though now it needs a bit of a clean as I use plenty of Phosphoric acid flux which makes for easy soldering but mess to clean up. I use an Iroda microflame to do almost all my soldering as I find it so much easier and quicker as extra heat when needed means simply sliding a lever over with my thumb, much more adaptable than an electric soldering iron. Don't get me wrong, electric irons (and I have half a dozen of various wattages) have their uses, but I much prefer the gas torches flame. Here's where I'm up to presently, the body has had a dunk in boiling water to get rid of most of the flux, but not had a proper brush clean with Barkeepers Friend yet.

 

Now for the pre-rolled boiler. Jim provides a substantial white metal weight which needs to be a sliding fit in the boiler barrel, so I pushed the weight into the middle portion then tack soldered the seam either side of the weight. After removing the weight I then completed the full seam. Next is the boiler bands, and I found the best way to tackle this was to fit a screw through the boiler into a block of softwood to hold the boiler steady, then using a brass drawing pin to hold one end of a half band, solder it in place, following round the seam with a second pin holding the other end in place. With these 2 half bands done, the full bands were done by soldering one end first then using large stainless steel clips as 'heat shunts' to prevent other bands from unsoldering, I followed round the seams to complete them.

 

Smokebox is a separate item, after punching out the rivets, wrapper was formed by hand to shape then front and back formers soldered in. There is a 'U' shaped inner into which 2 white metal weights fit before soldering the smokebox to the footplate.

 

This shows where the weights fit into. Note that Jim even leaves a shaped gap between the smokebox weights to allow room for the 6ba nut which secures chassis to body/footplate assembly.......clever stuff!

 

Having checked the fit of boiler/smokebox to the footplate, I completed the soldering in of the inner side tanks previously only tack soldered until clearances checked, now the splashers/sandboxes were soldered up, quite a fiddly job, these were soldered into position and the 'operating rods/levers' made up and fitted into place ready for soldering up.

 

At this point, it's time to put the body to one side and start on the chassis. It's pretty straightforward and I soon had the 2 halves and spacers soldered up, followed by some fiddly bits, namely the non functioning dummy valve gear, then the motor mount. Unfortunately I had forgotten that this being my first 7mm build, I didn't have the larger diameter broaches needed for reaming out the bearing bush holes in the chassis sides. A quick spell on Ebay and I had one on the way, expected Monday, but I want to get on! Anyway, I had to make a quick trip to my nearby hometown of Chesterfield for other business, and then I realised that, being Thursday, it's the weekly 'Flea-Market', with a few secondhand tool stalls there, and indeed, 'Bingo!' I struck lucky at the second stall I visited with an up to 10mm diameter hand reamer, American made, none of your Chinese 'cheapo' rubbish, and only £3, bargain!

 

This did the job effortlessly, so I was able to progress further and I've now reached the stage where I need to start looking at trying wheels for a fit, but as I gather Slaters wheels rust extremely quickly once the pack is opened, I'll get them all blackened before they have a chance to rust, so next job tomorrow will be that.......and again I realised another tool I don't have is the 1.27mm AF Allen key for the wheel securing screws, so although I've speedily ordered some, they won't be here 'til Monday at the earliest.......Drat!
Anyway, here's the chassis so far, needs a clean but that's another job I can do in the meantime. The bracket to the left is just a tab to secure the motor when fitted as nothing is provided in the kit for this job.

 

Having got the wheels and axles blackened, I built up the bogie, a fairly straightforward job.

 

.....and the underside.

 

Progress on the chassis, getting there.

 

It would look much more 'balanced' with the bogie fitted, but all in good time.

 

Not much left now to fit, just sandboxes/pipes and the rear chassis weight before a flipping good cleanup and etch primer. That's the only snag with Phosphoric acid flux, it does the business but it looks very messy until cleaned up!