Crymlyn A Shop Techniques. Barry Railway F Class.

davey4270

Western Thunderer
153d. A Livery Conundrum.


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After feeling the weight of the Crymlyn A Shop foreman’s boot on a certain part of his anatomy, Dai the Paint has decided that time spent with the girls from the local leisure centre is a better career prospect than several pints of ale half way through a paint job in the afternoon. He has decided to repaint the locomotive in BR black and is seen here applying the finishing touches closely watched by our foreman. Also visible with some of the girls from the local leisure centre are Baldrick the Crymlyn A Shop Gofor, and Owen the Spanners.
 

davey4270

Western Thunderer
154. The Back head.


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The back head casting supplied by Gladiator Models had previously been extended into the cab in an attempt to match my scale drawing by soldering a horse shoe piece of scrap brass around the casting. I sprayed this green as it represented a cladding sheet, fitted a w/m door opening mechanism and sprayed the back head black. I had some spare brass castings that looked vaguely like clack valves and soldered some shaped copper wire to them to represent the boiler water feed pipes. I did not have any cast brass boiler water level sight glasses so fitted the supplied white metal ones after painting them “brass” colour. A spare Agenoria steam fountain had previously been soldered to the top of the back head and an odd valve and a regulator were also fitted. I can’t vouch for the accuracy of this assembly but it won’t be too visible inside the cab with a couple of crew standing in front of it.
 

davey4270

Western Thunderer
154a. Update.

Since it’s successful running in session, I sidelined the model to make a quick (or not so quick) conversion on my Dapol Jinty. Anyway, returning to the F, I noticed some cracking of the filler that I had used to repair the front of the tank. This obviously needed to be addressed before any further painting of the bodywork. The cracked filler was picked off and the damaged area was refilled, sanded smooth and the front of the tank given another spray coat of matt black. This now appears to be ok but I will give it a few more days in case there’s another problem. I can only assume that the stripping compound and cleaning might have had an effect on the bonding of the Milliput. Has anyone else had this problem?
 

davey4270

Western Thunderer
155. The Green Bits.
Or Dai the Paint’s Penance.


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While waiting for suitable transfers for the Jinty conversion, see other posts on this site, the black body was dismantled and the bits to remain black were masked off. These included the upper chimney (on the prototype the actual chimney passed through a tube in the saddle tank and was bolted to the smoke box with the gap being covered by a shaped ring of metal which was usually painted body colour), the front of the tank and the lower smoke box under the tank. The boiler was initially sat on its firebox on a small piece of wood to keep it off the extended handrails and given an even coat of Railmatch GWR green from an aerosol can. After about 20 minutes it was inspected and given a second light coat where I suspected a shadow of undercoat showing.


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20 minutes later the boiler was inverted on 3 small blobs of Blutac standing on the smoke box door and the treatment was repeated.


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The black undercoat makes a tremendous difference to the paint application with no trace of any runs or the paint “retreating” from lamp irons etc. A similar procedure was utilised for the cab with it being first sprayed upside down to get underneath the bunker overhang, lamp irons and beading. It was then placed upright and a second coat applied getting paint into the bunker and the inside of the cab sheets.


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This locomotive had the slightest trace of a footplate around the cab and bunker and it proved impossible to mask off. This will have to be touched in with a brush. Perhaps it was designed like this as a safety feature to stop the crew falling off. . Anyway the tape was removed after about 30 minutes while the paint was still soft to prevent cracking. It will now be left a few days to harden up.
 

davey4270

Western Thunderer
156. A Start on Reassembly.


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I’ve put this picture first as it makes the best header photo for the blog and it shows the model as it now stands.


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Previously, I had masked off the footplate in front of the splashers and also the splasher tops. The L/H front splasher has 2 spare lamp irons in front of it and these were also covered with masking tape. I brush painted the splasher sides with slightly thinned Railmatch touch up paint basically by dipping the tip of my brush in white spirit, then the paint and applying it. Probably not a recommend procedure but it worked well on these small areas. I removed the tape after 20 minutes as, if you leave the paint harden, it will crumble and crack along the edge of the tape.
I then fed the three pipes from the injectors through the holes in the cab front and bent the injectors upwards until the bottom drain pipes could be fed through the footplate, taking care not to scratch any paintwork. The 2 handrails on the tank/boiler assembly were then likewise carefully threaded through the cab front and the tank assembly lowered into position threading the 2 injector water feed pipes into the holes underneath the rear of the tank.
The picture shows the effect of the now trapped injector and pipe work.


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The 2 retaining screws from inside the cab into the rear of the firebox were carefully threaded into their captive nuts along with the 2 which pass through from underneath the front footplate into the smoke box. The firebox was eased into its location in the cab front and the 2 cab screws tightened along with the 2 underneath the smoke box. Unfortunately one of the nuts underneath the smoke box had come adrift but the single screw holds it securely. I had wondered what was rattling around when I was painting the model!


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There’s still a lot of detail to add and some minor touching up of the paintwork but I could feel some of the paint was still soft so I’ll leave things as they are for a few days to let it harden up.
The chassis was fitted to give a preview of the finished model. I’ll probably attach the cab side plates next so it can then be known as 726 and not the Barry F Class.
I have only seen one other of these models completed, which was in a reddish Barry Railway livery, and found a picture of another in what looked like black livery on the internet. Do any readers own or know of any others? Please let me know if you do.
 

davey4270

Western Thunderer
157. Some Details.


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I removed the chassis again as I’d forgotten to fit the rather long reverser reach rod. This was simply inserted into the slot in the cab front and the folded tab at the other end was superglued under the footplate. I had previously placed a small square of masking tape here and removing it left a bit of unpainted brass where the reach rod was glued.
While the chassis was removed, easier access was afforded to the rear of the buffer planks. The previously assembled couplings were inserted through their slots and retained by a short piece of 0.7mm brass wire inserted through the previously drilled holes through the shanks behind the buffer planks. The wires were secured with a small dot of Loktite which will give a sporting chance of removal, if necessary, at some future date that superglue would not.
The insides of the buffer housings needed to be cleared of paint as in this case the buffer shanks were a tight fit. The buffer springs were reduced in length so that when not compressed the buffer heads were about 11/12mm from the buffer planks. A drop of light oil was placed on the springs/buffer shank, mostly to prevent corrosion and the retaining nuts fitted. The buffers had previously been treated to chemical blacking.
Also visible in the picture are the green sides to the splashers and some of the red paint inside of the frames. The rusty colour paint visible underneath the reach rod represents the unlagged lower front of the firebox.


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The previously prepared firebox back head was “clipped” into place. The hole for the locating pin in the upper cab front plate was completely clogged with paint and had to be drilled out. The assembly was slightly loose, it wasn’t when built, so I secured it with another dot of Loktite on the locating pin. The hand brake standard was superglued into its rather unusual position and the reverser lever was also superglued in position with the reach rod fitting neatly in position underneath the rack. I must remember to put some “steel” paint on the regulator handle. The steam fountain looks twisted in the picture but it is actually quite straight, how strange.


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I rather like the view from this angle with some of the cab controls visible.
 

davey4270

Western Thunderer
158. Coal and Number Plates.


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Photographs of F class plates show that there is no part of the plate outside the raised brass surround. The plates supplied by Guilplates had the GWR above the numbers and also had a surround to the raised rim.
When absorbed locomotives were renumbered by the GWR, new plates were cast with a GWR above the numbers to indicate ownership. If any of these locomotives were further renumbered by British Railways and new plates needed to be cast, they were cast without the GWR. If a plate with the new number carrying the GWR was available, this was used.


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This was easily filed away but care needed to be taken not to remove too much material. A plate as supplied is shown at the bottom and the modified plate at the top.


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A small “L” shaped jig was made up from some scrap Plasticard to centralise the plates which were attached with double sided tape. This will allow the plates to be removed if required at a future date without damaging the paintwork.
The prototype had a thin pipe running from the cab to the smoke box on the R/H side. There appeared to be some sort of cock where it enters the smoke box so I guess it was something to do with lubrication as it was not lagged. I replicated this with some 0.45 copper wire following the pipe run on the prototype where it was tucked above the central tank support. I had an odd casting that looked vaguely like the prototype fitting so the pipe was soldered to this and the fitting superglued into the previously drilled hole on the smoke box. The other end was just poked through the cab front.


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A view of the two front ends of 726 and 3F 47655 which is being modified at this time.
A blog on this is available elsewhere.


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The two locomotive bunkers were coaled by building up to the required level with black tissue paper, wetting with water and just one drop of washing up liquid. A small amount of very diluted PVA was dripped on top and good quality Graig Wen Colliery coal was sprinkled on top of the paper. A small amount of the diluted PVA was dripped on top of the coal to seal it in.
The 3F and the F class are seen in the picture. The front buffer planks are level which shows that the F class is marginally longer.
 

davey4270

Western Thunderer
159. Final Details.


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I made 4 tank lifting rings for the previously fitted brackets out of 0.7mm brass wire wrapped around a 2.0mm drill bit. I had been doing this since my first 0 gauge kit build where I made 5 or 6 coils, cut through along the shank and used the best 4 on the kit. Having a slow learning curve it took me 10 builds to realise that 14 or more wouldn’t take much more effort and would do for several models. Anyway the ends of the rings were cleaned up, opened, inserted through the brackets and closed up. Pieces of paper were cut and placed around the brackets to protect the paint work and some Blutac used to hold the rings in a suitable position. The smallest amount of flux was placed on the join in the ring and a small dot of solder was applied to seal the ring on the tip of my soldering iron. After wiping off the excess flux the top half of the ring was painted. The following day the ring was carefully rotated and the opposite half was painted.


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The Blutac and paper was removed 24 hours later leaving the painted, movable lifting rings as shown in the picture.


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A brass pressure gauge was glued to the inside top of the cab spectacle plate and a fire iron made up from a piece of 0.5mm brass wire. There was a regulation that the ring of the handle had to be hooked over one of the tool rack irons as the bars could slide across the rack protruding beyond the side and become out of gauge striking something. I also added a Minerva galvanised bucket on the other bracket. It would probably have been hung on the fireman’s side but as a lamp will be fitted there it would be a bit cluttered.


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To complete the model I will obviously fit a crew and suitable lamps which are on order.


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I have a dozen or so pictures of this class in GWR service and can only see buffer plank numbers on 2 of them so I am uncertain about fitting them. Also one of the pictures had a locomotive with the full GREAT WESTERN on the tank side below the handrails. Now that would look nice.

I have attached a YouTube link to 726 on a running in turn through Pantyfynnon Junction several weeks ago in black undercoat. All the wagons except the gun powder van are products of Crymlyn A Shop:

Video details - YouTube Studio
 

davey4270

Western Thunderer
160. Lamps.

Dai Larfin, the Crymlyn A Shop stores person, has supplied a pair of loco lamps which have been fitted to 726. The locomotive rests outside Graig Wen Colliery loco shed while Baldrick clears some ashes. A Motley Crue from Modelu Manpower Services have not been passed out by our foreman. Lettering for the tank sides and buffer plank have yet to be obtained.

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davey4270

Western Thunderer
161. Final Touches.

The contract to overhaul and repaint ex Barry Railway F class 726 into GWR livery has been completed. Also fitted were a new set of GWR pattern injectors to replace the back head pattern originally fitted. Our foreman, Dai the Paint and Baldrick, the Crymlyn A Shop Gofor, chat with the rather Motley Crue from Barry who are preparing to take her away. Local leisure centre Madam Orla Board feeds some of her girls.
I'm not happy using waterslide transfers for the buffer plank numerals due to the silver effect on a matt surface but as press/methfix are temporarily unavailable, needs as must and all that. I have applied a small gloss varnish patch underneath the actual numerals and matt varnished the whole buffer plank and buffer housings. I have about 20 pictures of the class with only one showing the full GREAT WESTERN applied below the tank side handrails and this is a poor image with the branding just discernible. I have a Methfix set but the jury is still out on this but I'm sure it would look quite smart! Your thoughts Gentlemen?

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