Captain Kernow's layouts

76043

Western Thunderer
I use Carrs Red Label flux and their low melt solder.

Clean the areas to be soldered to clean, untarnished metal and ensure that there is enough heat but not too much. I use my normal Antex 50w variable temperature iron on a fairly low setting. Watch closely as you solder (obviously!) and be prepared withdraw the iron immediately if it starts to look like it might melt something you don't want it to.

Finally, remember that some parts are more easily glued!

Thanks for the tips, especially about glueing.
Cheers Tony
 

Captain Kernow

Western Thunderer
Following a bit of a hiatus with the 16XX, during which I found it necessary to construct an entirely new, replacement chassis, work has progressed, so here is a bit of test running undertaken yesterday:

The reason for the problem was found to be a set of Markits driving wheels that didn't quarter correctly, when assembled. More details here - Romford or Markits wheels not quartering correctly?
 

LarryG

Western Thunderer
In olden days I used to machine the tread of middle wheels down slightly to prevent rocking on the centre axle. "Machine" is a posh name for a household drill held upright in a vice!

I found quite by accident that the stress of machining pulled the square axle end out of true, so thereafter I kept an axle just for machining. The axles that went on locos were always brand new.
 

Captain Kernow

Western Thunderer
In olden days I used to machine the tread of middle wheels down slightly to prevent rocking on the centre axle. "Machine" is a posh name for a household drill held upright in a vice!
Nice one!

As it turned out, there was no rocking on any axles on this chassis, which I put down largely to the brilliant Avonside chassis jig and the way it's designed, a real classy piece of kit.
 

Captain Kernow

Western Thunderer
I've now installed a flywheel:



Now that the chassis is running satisfactorily, I hope that I am now on the 'home straight'. Here's the almost completed loco:


Lamp irons, fire irons and buffer beam pipework, plus screw couplings have still to be added. I'll probably not add the safety valve and whistle assembly until I have restored a line of lost rivets from the cab front, just below the roof line. I may also leave them off until after painting, when I plan to install the glazing.
 

Captain Kernow

Western Thunderer
Three panniers:


Three 16XX panniers.

This is a deceptive photo, however, because only the middle one is in OO gauge, the other two are P4 and are precariously balanced!

All three were built from the Cotswold (Sutherland) whitemetal kit.

On the left is 1608, which is owned by Re6/6 but was with me for work on the chassis until recently. The body was picked up by John secondhand and was built by Malcolm Mitchell, with a chassis commissioned by John, using modified Alan Gibson 64XX milled sideframes (same wheelbase).

In the middle is my 1628, which I built this year and is shown on my workbench thread. It's still waiting to be weathered.

On the right is my 1650, which was a commission for me a few years ago, also featuring the same Alan Gibson side frames etc. This latter loco is the one that was running-in on my circuit of P4 'set track' on my dining room floor. It will also need a little weathering in due course.

1608 (and 1650) will run on John's Parkend Marsh Sidings layout in due course. 1650 will also run on 'Callow Lane' and (eventually) on my yet-to-be-built Forest of Dean cameo layout.
 

Captain Kernow

Western Thunderer
Will it have brought in those Italian ferry vans?
When the closure of the line was announced, the Reverend Cornelius Tooth of Titley Priory wrote to British Railways, suggesting the introduction of Bulleid ‘air smoothed’ pacifics, which he felt would ease the passage of trains through Ffronddyrys Tunnel and thus save on coal consumption.

Perhaps BR relented and decided to give one a trial. So it could have brought the odd Italian van through.
 
Top