Something for the weekend Sir?

I suspect most contributors to this forum have kits partially bit, waiting painting etc, and all stalled because the next bit isn't their favourite - I certainly have. Sunday morning with a few hours spare before family things kick, and not fancying the next step with my current kit. I picked up something for the weekend, actually its been lurking around for a year or so a 7mm NER Luggage Barrow.

Give the tiny size, I wasn't fancying laminating 3 layers of brass for the side/arm structures or the wheels but it went together rather more easily than expected. I have a second one sitting waiting to be done along with 2 hand barrows from the same supplier.

Another item for the paint shop when things warm up a bit.

 

Keith,

I was a bit concerned before starting, but the etch was beautifully crisp and every part just slotted.
I'm no genius with a soldering iron, but the guy who designed it got it spot on.

It's a Southwark Bridge Models etch, which are now marketed as a part of Roxey Mouldings, they have lots on bits like this for a variety of train companies.
The attached is the eth for an NER ground point lever - 2 1/2" x 1".

On barbers, when I was young I was always sent to one call Pattinson and Hurst - ex army, one style, everything below half height off, everything above stubble,
I often heard the phrase "something for ....", tried asking my dad who muttered and walked away it was only years later I finally figured it out!

 

Yep sure is, and its needed, the parts are absolutely tiny, I am having to use a head magnifier with a x5 lens just to see what I'm doing.
I have just finished laminating the various components and now having a brew and a chill before final assembly.

Hopefully I will add a post later today with the finished beast, but as always family jobs seem to be looming, including a trip to the local dump.

 

Not quite finished and now on grandparent duty so my playtime is over, progress to date

Lots of laminated bits, the leaver is actually 6 sections of etch, 2 for the weight, 4 for the lever.



Then on to building the base unit, in its uncleaned state it looks like this, less than 1" long!


Just the lever and operating gears to install (after a good clean).

This little kit has taxed me to my soldering limit and beyond, but its good to push things occasionally.

 

I have a micro flame with a variable strength flame, but was very worried about bits falling off when trying to solder additional parts, especially as most of the piece are so small.

If/when I tackle the second lever I might well give it a go, just another way of improving my skill sets,

 

Well, its done its taken the best part of 2 1/2 hours to fit the final 2 pieces just a final clean up to do. The Signal lever took about 5 minutes, the rest was spent fitting the operating gear. There are 7 tiny washers (1.25mm dia) which are used to pack under the operating lever these bring the lever up to mesh with the teeth on the point lever, all of which makes the system operate.

Well with patience (of which I have little), good old fashioned Anglo Saxon (a lot) and some luck, I finally managed to get 2 washers and the lever under the housing and secured. Of the original 7 washers, there are 2 left on the etch, 2 packing the operating lever and 3 which disappeared somewhere into that well know heaven of the carpet.

The instructions have fitting this lever as the last step, which is what I have done, but, I wonder if it would be easier to fit them and lock them with bluetack, before fitting the housing over the top of them. I will try this method with the second lever, if it works my neighbours wont have to put up with Anglo Saxon.

It works as evidenced by the attached photos, more daunting I have noticed the sell a 4mm version, words simply fail me.

 

Two down one to go. I have save the had barrow till last.
This one looks even more difficult than the point lever the instructions are very brief and its certain I am going to need the 5x magnifier to get anywhere near assembling this one.
Just as a starter, the etch and instructions, battle commences tomorrow morning when hopefully the light will be better:

 

What a bizarre night, the phone rings at just after 2:00 am. It's the IT Manager from my last contract before retiring, "please, please we need help now".
Well having agreed I would charge my time at full contract rates, 2 hours discussing the problem and 4 hours of being on call clocked up a healthy £600 and ...

During the 4 hours of sitting around waiting for and answering various phone calls, I started fiddling with the hand barrow, the results all the components nicely laminated up.



3 laminates for the body and wheels, 2 laminates for the legs and wheels supports, no where near as difficult as I expected, some cleaning up needed.
Assembly will begin after a shower and breakfast, isn't it nice to get paid for modelling.

 

The finished barrow and it alongside its big brother.
All three small projects have been really interesting and definitely a serious excersie in soldering.

 

Keith,

It isn't easy diagnosing and finding a solution to a system failure when all your access has been removed, the company only uses Microsoft teams and does allow external access.
So it was after after 4:00 before I actually started fiddling, I suppose it was just adrenaline, but it nicely passed the time between phone calls.

It turned out to be a whole lot easier than I thought it was going to be. The point lever was by far the most challanging of the three builds.

Mossy