Peter's 2022 loco build entry.

Now I always like an excuse for a scratch built loco. Maybe it's time to have a go at one I've wanted to do for a few years.
I think this will just be a place holder for a few days while I see what I have and what I need to get. As we are coming to the UK in June it probably makes it possible, as I can get the wheels etc then. I know I have enough sheet material, 8 probably also have a few cast parts. But I'm not sure about the most important part, the drawing. But before I can start I have few models to finish painting.

 

Right according to the rules, this post needs to include the parts in an inbuilt state.
To start, I think I ought to say what it is I'm by oing to make.
Well, it's a loco that there is a kit for, but why make things easy. I will be scratch building, an ex LSWR Adam's T1 class 0-4-4t. It is the predecessor to Drummond's M7 class. It is of a similar size.
This is what it should look like....



It's also in the lined livery I'll finish it in. But not sure of number as yet.

Right let's start with what's not in the box, here this what we start with. Two very poor drawings, supposedly, of the two versions of the loco, but as you can see straight away both have the same amount of gallons in the side tanks, which is cleaver as one should be smaller. But, even so it has parts from other locos, so with just the basic dimensions, we should get somewhere close. For example the boiler is from an A12.




I suppose it can be called a kit of parts.




Let's look in a little more detail at what we have, it's all from stock. Nothing has been purchased so far.
You can see there are various sheets of brass and nickel silver.



Above there are springs and lamp irons, of various sorts the closest will be used or adapted.



Again tree sorts of smokebox doors in various diameters




Chimneys and domes, the loose flared chimney is the most likely candidate, and I'm not sure if any of the domes will be used I think it's a short one without safety valves.



Various oilers and valves, mosto of these will be used. I did find a couple of white metal back plates, whether either will be able to be modified is doubtful.

 

Thanks also had a good six months off due to needing to spend time with the wife, after here younger sister passed. I did nothing in the work shop. Still not motivated, but hoping a new project will inspire me again.

 

Thank you, I know how bad it with someone in the family dementia, my stepfather suffered for years in a home. Unfortunately not all people are able to visit as they can't stand seeing a loved one in such a way.

 

The first thing I need to do, is to get a drawing I can work from.
I have enlarged one to 7mm scale. I will do the second later. Then start comparing both to photos, and adjust as necessary.



As you can see, it is not as small as it looked. Probably about 250mm long, as it's printed on A4 paper.

Once happy I will print out a few copies. These can then be pasted to the sheet, and used as templates to cut around.

 

Well, previously we enlarged the drawing. So now we print off a hand full of copies.



Now we have something to work with, I start to chop them up, making sure I keep one copy as a master. This way we know what we are building will work if it's wrong, it will be wrong in the same place all the way through. I have been caught out repainting half way through and the drawings can be different sizes in different directions to the original set.

Anyway, I now have a T1 kit. All that I need to do is put it together.



At the top are the two frames with the spacers between. I have a feeling I made the spacers to narrow, I think they should be 25 mm not 24, I'll check when I assemble them.
To the are the cab front, rear etc. Next to these is the footplate. Next to this on the right are the two cab, tank sides. What I forgot to put in the photo were the two combined tinner tank sides and tops.

So what's next, I think I need to do the buffer planks, the drop irons. Then just need to do a little cutting out.

 

For cutting blanks like those above, I use a scrawker cutter, normally used on plasticard. I keep a honing stone in the mini drill, and keep touching the blade up. I sometimes use a heavy duty knife, like the Stanley. But the scrawker did the 018” ok. After a few passes I snap it off rather than go all the way through, I'm to impatient for that.

 

I managed an hour at the work bench this morning. I needed to go to the federal police, to get the boys new passport. I should of done some painting, but, decided to do a little to the T1, less taxing.

I found some old Four Track horn guides and bearings. With a millimetre taken off the top, they should work well, and put some strength back into the frames.


I also checked the brass springs. They I think will work very well. Don't tell anyone I think they are for a GW loco. Shhhhhhh.......



Next up was a few bits of soldering, I joined the frames, the tank sides, cab front and rear, and the splashers.
Not that you can see very much



I glue the drawing parts to the nickel sheet with print stick. This seems to adhere well, but cleans off easily. I also check I have not stretched the paper, this can be done easily if left to long.



The sides and splashers were also done in this way.



Next session will either be some shaping of parts, or cutting out out some more of the basic parts.
As hinted at in the previous post, I may of got the width of the frame spacers wrong. Well, I did. I need to cut another strip 26.5mm wide. This should leave about 0.5 to 0.75 side play.

 

Rob asked how I cut my blanks out. Well, I thought a video would be a good idea.
I did go off line a couple of times, which was more trying to work under the camera, not enough elbow space.



By the way I was cutting out 010" nickel silver sheet.

 

A little more done this morning.
I wanted to be out connecting some water pipes for when the alterations are done out the back. But fortunately rain stopped play.

So where have I got. Well, I roughed out the blanks already done. I did this with piercing saw. Unfortunately I broke a few blades, the ones I have at the moment are cheapies, and they seem to snap or not cut straight, so most are bin bound within a few millimetres.



Looks almost done.

The front profile drawing is not good but it did enough to shape the cab front and rear.



The footplate was next on the agenda, most of the middle has been removed. This is done with the combination of piercing saw and scrawker.



I had a bit of time left so the sides have been filed up. The top of the cab will be done nearer to fitting time. There's not a lot of strength between the tanks and bunker.



I think I need to make some more of the kit before I assemble anything. Next jobs will be in no specific order, buffer planks, hanging irons, boiler, tank fronts, and spacers, which need to be 2.5 wider than the strip I cut.

 

I had a query about cutting out with a piercing saw. I did this I hope it will be helpful.



Here's the drop iron cut and filed.

 

A little more done. Nothing really exciting, just more cutting and filing. Soon I'll need to unsolder all the pairs and clean them up.

First up the steps and buffer planks cut from 080” nickel, the buffer planks are complete, the step backs have been left long at the top. This is because I may mount them on the frames. For two reasons, one they don't get knocked so much, two you can add the rear stiffening bracket, which makes them even stronger. Also completed are the hanging irons. See above for more details on these.





Previously the frames were sawn out, they now have been filed to final shape. Along with the combined front splasher sand box sides.




Still need to do spacers, guard irons, the fire box bottom, and ash pan. Then that's the basics of the frames, just loads of details after that. But let's get the basics done first.

 

Here we go with the frame spacers. I decided to do a video of their production. To me it's quite simple, but I'm sure there are those that wouldn't know where to start, as well as those who know better ways.




Here are the finished articles. I did realise that I'm one short if I pivot the bogie over its leading wheel.




More soon.

 

So, I've been given another drawing. I resized it and tried a couple of bit to see whether I was some where close. Well, they nearly fitted, so, I was not to concerned. But a little later I was comparing another part. It's then, I realised I had not resized the new drawing properly, it was very slightly large. Tomorrow I'll make amends.






I did actually get a little done, it's surprising what can be done in an hour, when you don't ponce about.

First up are the front and rear guard irons.




I also managed to cut and roll the boiler. I still need to make the end discs. I even managed to roll it the wrong way. The blank was almost square and I even marked which way around it was ment to go. I suppose there is no answer for stupidity.



Hopefully s little time at the bench tomorrow. I may be tempted to do some lining on other things.

 

Not done very much today at all. Been trying to buy 3 aeroplane tickets. We tend to use TAP the Portuguese airline. As the fly to London with just one stop in Lisbon. Trouble with other airlines they all fly from Rio or São Paulo. That gives us 8 hours extra flying. Well, I tried TAP's app, their website. If you book the seat it takes it off at payment saying we chose wrongly, so book with out seats, do it later just get the tickets. No they say the card has been refused, banks here are odd, they don't like internet shopping or foreign travel. So phone them up, nope they've not refused it it hasn't even gone to them. Get the TAP number from the app. Number not listed, get the booking number from the website, doesn't ring, general service number, 20 minute queue, transfers me to sales, one hour thirty later I hang up, got to get boy from school. You would of thought with the trouble they've gone through lately, they'd be bitting your hand off to get your money. Try again tomorrow.

Rant over, not much done, but I did actually make a part for the loco. I decided to cut out the parts for the ash pan. But it was easier to cut out the riveted sides once they had been soldered on to the bottom and end strip.



It will be eventually soldered to the frame spacers that acts as the bottom of the fire box.



But actually this way up.



I noticed I need to make some infills for the rear of the fire box, as it protrudes under from the frames, and there is a cut out in them that also needs to be covered.