Heather Kay
Western Thunderer
My scattergun approach to my workbench means that, while I intend to pick commissions up on a "first come, first served" basis, sometimes I will pick up a box reasoning it might prove a relatively quick build and help the cash flow a little.
This is why I tend to find several part-built commissions littering the workbench!
I'll never learn.
As a break from the overload of Swindon stuff, and having recently collected the loco frames replete with internal wiggly bits from Mr Penn-Sayers, I thought this "finish it for me" build might prove entertaining. The client had started to construct it some time ago, but had foundered somewhere along the line and rather lost heart. Which is where I stepped into the breach.
The LNER and constituent companies liked their 0-6-0s. Every pre-Grouping company did, and it's not surprising that many humble tank and tender classes lasted well into British Railways. The GNR/LNER J6 is no exception. Essentially a superheated development of the GNR Class J5, 110 J6 Class locos were built between 1911 and 1922 in two series. This build is of the later 536 series. The client wanted a loco he "spotted" as a child, and which would fit into his chosen location. His original choice, for which we have a good photo, had a different tender to that in the kit, and the manufacturer doesn't currently stock that version. Happily, we've settled on 64253 which did have the kit tender and was "spotted" back in the day!
As the frets had already been cut up to begin construction of the kit, I won't bore you with illustrated box contents. Now under the Gladiator banner, the kit originated with George Norton and is an enlarged 4mm kit. Many of the loco castings are in brass, with choice of chimney and safety valves to suit different periods, the backhead is a single casting in whitemetal with much detail cast in situ. Turned brass and steel sprung buffers complete the essential parts.
First, here are the frames. The inside motion kit started out from LG Miniatures, but needed quite a bit of work to fit satisfactorily. We think it's not actually quite right for the gear used on the real thing, but it does work. As I explained to Mr PP-S, during one of the periodic rumblings of dissatisfaction from deepest France, the client is one of those lovely ones who is probably going to be quite happy with it, as long as there's stuff moving about. The motor and gearbox are ABC.
The client had made a start on the build with the tender. The frames are compensated on two axles. The running plate and side frames, headstock and so on, are assembled. The problem that probably caused the kit to become a shelf queen was the tender side sheets. Etched as a single sheet, the builder is required to form curved corners - and inspection showed one bend was not at right-angles to the edges of the sheet, throwing the geometry out.
Having extracted the part from the underframe, you can see the twist on the right-hand side.
I gently annealed the formed curve with my micro-flame torch. Clamping some rod of suitable diameter in my bench vice, I made an attempt at reforming the curve with the help of a hide mallet. This got the side down to more or less align with its opposite number, but when trial fitting to the underframe the rear panel was obviously twisted.
I needed a slightly more scientific method of working out what was wrong. I measured 137mm from the front edges, and marked a vertical line using a square on both sides. This showed where the error was, as I said earlier: the curve had been formed slightly off true. Using my marks to help align the etch along the clamped rod, some more annealing, hide mallet persuasion and some thumb and finger tweaking seems to have solved the problem.
It's never going to be spot on, but it's a lot better than when I started. Happy with the panel beating, I refitted the side sheets to the floor.
This is where I am. I think I'll get some more of the superstructure fitted in tomorrow's session, then I'll take a look at the loco side of things. It would be nice to get something approaching a complete carcass by the end of the week. I can spend some armchair modelling time researching the details and fiddly bits this evening.
This is why I tend to find several part-built commissions littering the workbench!
I'll never learn.
As a break from the overload of Swindon stuff, and having recently collected the loco frames replete with internal wiggly bits from Mr Penn-Sayers, I thought this "finish it for me" build might prove entertaining. The client had started to construct it some time ago, but had foundered somewhere along the line and rather lost heart. Which is where I stepped into the breach.
The LNER and constituent companies liked their 0-6-0s. Every pre-Grouping company did, and it's not surprising that many humble tank and tender classes lasted well into British Railways. The GNR/LNER J6 is no exception. Essentially a superheated development of the GNR Class J5, 110 J6 Class locos were built between 1911 and 1922 in two series. This build is of the later 536 series. The client wanted a loco he "spotted" as a child, and which would fit into his chosen location. His original choice, for which we have a good photo, had a different tender to that in the kit, and the manufacturer doesn't currently stock that version. Happily, we've settled on 64253 which did have the kit tender and was "spotted" back in the day!
As the frets had already been cut up to begin construction of the kit, I won't bore you with illustrated box contents. Now under the Gladiator banner, the kit originated with George Norton and is an enlarged 4mm kit. Many of the loco castings are in brass, with choice of chimney and safety valves to suit different periods, the backhead is a single casting in whitemetal with much detail cast in situ. Turned brass and steel sprung buffers complete the essential parts.
First, here are the frames. The inside motion kit started out from LG Miniatures, but needed quite a bit of work to fit satisfactorily. We think it's not actually quite right for the gear used on the real thing, but it does work. As I explained to Mr PP-S, during one of the periodic rumblings of dissatisfaction from deepest France, the client is one of those lovely ones who is probably going to be quite happy with it, as long as there's stuff moving about. The motor and gearbox are ABC.
The client had made a start on the build with the tender. The frames are compensated on two axles. The running plate and side frames, headstock and so on, are assembled. The problem that probably caused the kit to become a shelf queen was the tender side sheets. Etched as a single sheet, the builder is required to form curved corners - and inspection showed one bend was not at right-angles to the edges of the sheet, throwing the geometry out.
Having extracted the part from the underframe, you can see the twist on the right-hand side.
I gently annealed the formed curve with my micro-flame torch. Clamping some rod of suitable diameter in my bench vice, I made an attempt at reforming the curve with the help of a hide mallet. This got the side down to more or less align with its opposite number, but when trial fitting to the underframe the rear panel was obviously twisted.
I needed a slightly more scientific method of working out what was wrong. I measured 137mm from the front edges, and marked a vertical line using a square on both sides. This showed where the error was, as I said earlier: the curve had been formed slightly off true. Using my marks to help align the etch along the clamped rod, some more annealing, hide mallet persuasion and some thumb and finger tweaking seems to have solved the problem.
It's never going to be spot on, but it's a lot better than when I started. Happy with the panel beating, I refitted the side sheets to the floor.
This is where I am. I think I'll get some more of the superstructure fitted in tomorrow's session, then I'll take a look at the loco side of things. It would be nice to get something approaching a complete carcass by the end of the week. I can spend some armchair modelling time researching the details and fiddly bits this evening.