Building the MOK "King Arthur"

oldravendale

Western Thunderer
Well, we're off again. This time to build one of my favourite locos. Not that the "K" is entirely finished, and the Q1 still needs painting, but as they wind down this one will wind up. Today I've been painting the backheads.....

Here's the components. Once again, lovely etches and super castings. Wheels as usual from Slater's. Motor and gearbox are not shown but I'll be using an Escap, a number of which I bought some years ago.

So far no metal has been cut but the process will be shown as it proceeds, starting with the tender.

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Brian
 

Ressaldar

Western Thunderer
Hi Brian,

I'm really looking forward to seeing your progress, 30772 Sir Percivale (73C) could be my swansong loco kit!

regards

Mike
 

oldravendale

Western Thunderer
Mine will be Sir Sagramore, the last King Arthur I saw (but I think I've mentioned that previously) - here:

30771.  Personal Collection.  Final.  Photo Brian Dale.jpg

Eastleigh Works Yard. 5 April 1961. Withdrawn 1 April 1961. Scrapped we 6 May 1961 at Eastleigh. My copyright.

Brian

PS - I've yet to check but I hope the MOK kit will build the Scotch Arthurs. If it doesn't I'll not even be able to substitute "Sir Brian"........
 

oldravendale

Western Thunderer
We may well be building in parallel, Mike - I think it'll be a little while before I start it. I've just remembered I have a sound decoder to fit in my Sentinel as well. I've decided to clear my bench of all other outstanding bits and pieces before I start this new one, otherwise the other stuff will never get done.

I managed to get the couplings for the Q1 blackened yesterday and primed the backheads for the Q1 and K, but I still need to do the driver's seat on the K together with the screw reverse. I have some of the CPL paper dial faces and I'll be fitting those as well but that'll probably be the last job before the backheads are fitted.

Unfortunately painting of the Q1 loco and tender will have to wait for warmer weather. Whilst I have a double spray booth - in fact a pair of these -Portable Spray Booth - Eileens Emporium | 01531 828009 I don't think they'll be big enough to fit a loco in and get to all surfaces, added to which the exhaust will have to go through an open window which will rather cool things down in the workshop...... Of course, there may be other experience which says they are entirely adequate and large enough.

Brian
 

Ressaldar

Western Thunderer
Hi Brian,

We seem to be in the same frame of mind regarding 'clearing the decks', I am on the brink of finishing the S&T Inspection Saloon (pictures next week with a bit of luck) then it is the turn of the BR Diag 1/551 ex LMS Kitchen Car conversion, basically just needs the water filler pipes and a few bits and bobs fitted and then the paintshop when the weather improves, then it is the London Transport version of DM45029, I have the main parts, B4/5 bogies etc, so a start can be made fairly soon, there are just a few details to clarify regarding some of the bits underneath and then completion should not be too far into the New Year. Which all points to a late March start on 30772, coinciding with my birthday.

regards

Mike
 

P A D

Western Thunderer
Hi Brian,
This afternoon I sprayed a two car DMU in one of these. It is 505mm X 390mm, so I would have thought that the pair you have should be fine from the size aspect to spray a loco and tender. I've done bigger locos than the Q1 in this one. As to cooling down the workshop, I had no problem with the hose fed out through the top of a UPVC window with it tilted. Sure, after a while the room cools down, but not so fast as to be a problem.

Cheers,
Peter

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oldravendale

Western Thunderer
Thank you Peter. On the basis of your experience it may be worth a try. I don't want to end up having to strip the loco if I cock it up, though.

I'll let you know how I get on. It will, of course, delay the start of the King Arthur.:)

Brian
 

oldravendale

Western Thunderer
I know I said that all the rest of the stuff on the bench would have to be cleared before I started the King Arthur, but I lied!:D

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Above is the start of the tender.....

But I reasoned thus: The weather is far too wet to contemplate spray painting the loco, even in the work shop, so I used some Humbrol enamels on the back heads and set these on the radiator for drying. After that I just had to find something else to do, hence the start being made. Here are some sections of a grabbed shot of the initial painting of the backheads.

First the Q1.

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Then the K

IMG_20191125_174029655 - Copy.jpg

And finally the screw reverser for the K.

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More work to do on these before they get near a loco, of course, but I suspect the completion of these and the building of the King Arthur tender will likely continue in parallel for a while. I'll add the photos of the backheads to the K and Q1 builds when they are completed.

Brian
 

oldravendale

Western Thunderer
Well, with a certain sense of inevitability, I've not been back to the Q1 or K. I knew I should not have started the King Arthur.........

Here's where I am now, and not without incident on the way.

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I was very happy with the soldering of the top valance to the first tender side which bent to shape very well in a pair of bending bars. Quite tough and slow to get the angles right, but looking the part. I started the second side and, fortunately before I got to bending found that I'd fitted the valance the wrong way round. Blow torch removed the parts from one another which were cleaned up and then refixed properly.

The corner mouldings for the corners have also been cleaned up. I wasn't too keen on these to start with as they'd be difficult to smooth in to the form of the interior front, back and sides but looking further in to the instructions Dave has found a nifty way of hiding the joins, to be described a bit later in the build.

However, with the weather having improved significantly, and no rain for a couple of days, it may now be time to return to the Q1 and do some painting, together with completing the backheads for the Q1 and K. I just have to gee myself up and leave the N15 tender on one side......:)

Brian
 

P A D

Western Thunderer
Hi Brian,
It sounds like you are on the slippery slope of "shelf queen accumulation". :D

Until the last couple of years I always completed and painted one build before starting the next. Then after selling some models to raise funds for future builds, I found that I had kits on the bench and kits in the cupboard! Like you temptation got the better of me and my BR and LMS 2 6 4s are finished but still not painted. These are going to Warren Haywood to waft his magic over, but I haven't stripped them down and taken them over to Osset. Plus I've got the German BR86 plastic kit and a Gladiator Stanier Mogul calling to me.

This fella has got the right idea. :drool:Only one ball in the air at any given time.

Cheers,
Peter
 

oldravendale

Western Thunderer
You are quite correct, Peter, but I have the disease a lot worse than you. At least it's good insulation in the loft.

Right now there are three balls in the air. In fact I'll make three posts tonight, for the first time ever.

So the first is the tender for the "King Arthur". Significant progress today alongside the final parts for the "K" and the "Q1". I still have to feather the corners in to the body. No drama in the build thus far, though.

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Brian
 

P A D

Western Thunderer
Looks good Brian.
I like the inner skeleton on which the sides are built around. You won't squash that in a hurry! I assume the gap between the running plate and table top is due to the mini tabs still to remove.

I must say I have mixed feelings about the mini tabs, but it's a clever design and it does allow for a dry run and some adjustments before soldering.

3 balls in the air! Mind you don't drop one, or you'll have to use one of these little fellas in your post. Him :headbang:, or him:rant:, and in extreme cases, him :'(. At the minute, I'm away from home helping my son relocate to Preston, so I don't even have one ball in the air.

Cheers,
Peter
 

oldravendale

Western Thunderer
You are quite right about the tabs, Peter - I have similar mixed feelings. However, in practice I've found it works really well from a constructional perspective. The only downside is the cleaning up and smoothing any surfaces which are compromised by the tabs. In the case of this tender so far all the tabs and soldering is hidden.

Two balls will be put down very soon, and then it'll be 100% on the King Arthur.

Brian
 

oldravendale

Western Thunderer
Since the previous posting I've not been entirely idle. Tank, footsteps, brake cylinder and steps are fitted on the tender and the corners have been faired in to the body, although a bit more work is needed on those. Underframe and bogie bearings are also fitted.

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Bogies are next and these are a real work of art. These are the parts for each bogie - both are very similar in construction.

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Additionally the castings have to be prepared, as these have been. The castings in the kit are very good but still needed a full afternoon of preparation.

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So this is as far as I have reached - with a single bogie assembled so far but the second is prepared.

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Brian
 

P A D

Western Thunderer
A full afternoon of preparation for the the bogie springs and axleboxes!

I sometimes wonder at the wisdom of using brass for these type of parts, when white metal would do just as good and take much less time to fettle up. Sure they look nicer in the raw, but after painting who can tell a quality brass casting from a quality white metal one? White metal is less expensive as well. Using brass for vulnerable parts is a different matter of course.

That apart, it's a cracking build so far Brian. :thumbs:
 
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