Transport Age (Scorpio) 7mm BR Standard 3MT tank
- Thread starter P A D
- Start date
Paul Tomlinson
Western Thunderer
Ozzy, do you mean the ventilation holes next to the roof? The Cl.3 doesn't have them, but the Cl.2 does :
Cl.3
Cl.2
P A D
Western Thunderer
Hi Ozzy,
Thanks for the comments. However, as per the image posted by Paul Tomlinson, the Standard 3 didn't have the vent holes common on LMS engines and some BR. A fellow member also provided me with an image of one of the NRM drawings he has, that show the rear of the cab interior. The vent holes are not present on the rear cab plate. As they were built at Swindon and these were not a feature of WR locos, perhaps they went their own way and omitted them?
Yesterday, I added the steam pipes, the missing washout plugs behind the clack valves and the cleat on the front cladding band on the firebox. The holes in in the tank tops for the pipes from the injectors to the clacks were in the wrong place so I've blanked them off with some thin etched discs from the spares box. If I'd realise earlier it would have been better to blank them underneath and and fill to get a better result.
The cleat is from Laurie Griffin (my last one so I need to order some more) and the wash out plugs are spares from the MOK Standard 4. Unfortunately they don't match the oversize etched ones that came with the kit. Ideally it would be best to replace the lot, but the holes in the cladding plates are way to large for any after market items to plug. Again, Jim's oversized holes come to the fore. I've a feeling that the holes in the smoke box will be too big for the handrails pillars!
And I've added the footsteps to both sides.
I plugged the oversize holes in the buffer beam for the lower fixing for the vertical grab rails and added the rails. The back plates for the foot steps are a bit flimsy but with the large holes it's not possible to add a strengthening strip to the rear without it showing. Ah well, I'll just have to turn the air blue when I snag one!
Although I got the slidebars and crossheads sorted without too much bother, I'm having to psych myself up to get the rest of the motion done. The valve guide castings are pretty poor as are the slide bar bracket castings, but it wouldn't be much fun if it all went together easily like a MOK or Finney kit.......would it?
Cheers,
Peter
P A D
Western Thunderer
Which makes the spurious rear bulkhead casting even more curious, as it has a representation of the air vent holes! As usual, Jim has go the holes too big. I wonder what loco the casting is for?
P A D
Western Thunderer
Well, if you are not into building locomotives but want one for your railway, RTR models are the way to go. At about £230 the kit is relatively cheap, but with another 130 quid or so for the wheels and 120 for the MSC motor and gearbox plus the cost of some replacement castings, the cost has risen to over 500 quid. Hattons have the Lionheart model listed at £525 painted, lined and ready to rock and roll so it's no contest, unless like me you want to build it and have the time and wherewithal to do it. Plus, the Dapol/Lionheart model does look excellent from what I've seen in images and in the flesh at Guildex. Anyway, back to the not RTR.
The kit provides reasonable white metal castings for the tank fillers albeit they lack the locking clasps. I was going to modify them but then remembered these cast brass items from Warren Shephard that have been lurking in the spares box for some time. After some sawing and filing I'd changed them from sloping tank fillers to flat tank fillers.
Much better methinks.
The tank straps are nice white metal castings but unfortunately Mr. Harris has drawn the holes in the tank tops way too large for the spigots on the castings.
Plugging the holes and refilling would have been a pain so I glued some suitable diameter aluminium tube onto the spigots, which makes for a more secure location.
Oddly, the kit provides two casting for the ejector. The one on the left is the best and the pipe from the smokebox to the ejector body is the correct length.
Here's the right hand tank filler after gluing in place. I still need to remove the epoxy ooze around the base.
And t'other side. The tank straps are just placed for the image as there is some pipework to be run underneath them along the inner edge of the tanks. I've fitted the handrails using the long pillars provided and may replace them with something shorter when I can get some. The ejector is also loose as I need to add the pipework to the rear running up and along the tank.
And a view of the middle and rear tank straps.
I've added the smokebox door handrail after fitting stops to the ends of the rail from brass tube.
As well as the grab rails and lamp brackets to the drop plate. The upper lamp bracket has still to go on. The sloping plate under the smokebox should reach up to the saddle but the gap will be hidden by the oil pipes the run from one side to the other.
Mentioning the Lionheart model I notice in images on the web that the rear pony truck is the same as the front one and doesn't have a swing link truck as it should. No doubt they will correct that on the production models. I see that there are some stays to the resr of the footsteps so I must add some to mine.
Cheers,
Peter
P A D
Western Thunderer
Yesterday I added the pipework from the ejector along the top of the tank to the cab. I had to cut a hole in the tank just in front of the look out where the pipes disappear. Some pipes from the manifold on top of the firebox will also locate here.
I've also added the feed pipe to the clack as well as glueing the tank straps in place.
It's looking a bit more business like on this side now.
Cheers,
Peter
I've also added the feed pipe to the clack as well as glueing the tank straps in place.
It's looking a bit more business like on this side now.
Cheers,
Peter
P A D
Western Thunderer
Thanks Roger, but don't count my chickens too soon as there's plenty of time left for captain cock up to pay me a visit.
Upper front lamp bracket and the steam lance cock now added at the front end.
It was a bit tricky adding the piping to the lance cock with the steam pipe in place but I got there in the end.
The pipe runs up the front of the tank and along the top to the "lagged" section from the manifold on the side of the firebox. On this side at least, there should be some atomisers on the running plate between the tank front and the steam pipe so further research will be needed to suss that out.
The main steam manifold plus piping have been added along with the whistle manifold and safety valves. I can mask the whistle for painting, but the valves will be removed. The Lionheart RTR model shows the valves on a plinth but I'm not sure yet if that is correct or not.
The lifting brackets are still to go on the tank tops along with the fire iron brackets on this side.
On this side the regulator gland and operating rod along with the piping from the steam manifold have been fitted. The hole I cut in the rear of the tank top plate for the pipes was copied from the Lionheart model, having no better refference to go on. I've learned from somebody in the know that this is incorrect and the pipes from the manifold were tucked between a gap in the tank and firebox and the pipes from the ejector were routed down wards into slot about 4 by 2 inches with rounded ends, running across the tank. I can't do much about that now, but I've added a blanking plate to the rear of the hole in front of the lookout which gives a similar impression.
The blanking plate can be seen in this image. The dent front right on the firebox top will be filled and smoothed before painting.
Cheers,
Peter
Super workmanship, As far as i can tell all standard locomotive had a pad on the boiler top that the s/ valves were bolted too, so the pad stuck up through the cladding and that is why they had the cladding around that, The only real good pictures are of Bachmann oo gauge 3mt locos, i know they are only oo gauge but todays models are spot on, and i expect that bachmann would work to works drgs.
Attachments
P A D
Western Thunderer
Thank you mswjr. I have confirmed that the safety valves are on a plinth so that will have to be made.
However, I decided it's time I advanced the chassis and made a start by converting the top hat crank pin bushes to accept 10 BA screws. The bushes were held in a pin vice, drilled 1.8mm and tapped 10 BA. The holes in the wheel bosses were also drilled and tapped the same and 10 BA screws fitted. On the rear and centre wheels the top hats were screwed on flange first, while the front ones were fitted in reverse to give more clearance behind the slide bars and crossheads. To secure the coupling rod at the rear I used a 12 BA washer drilled to clear 10 BA along with a 12 BA nut drilled and tapped 10 BA, which gives a better appearance. At the front, a 10 BA washer is added before the coupling rod which is then secured with the reversed top hat. I have now elongated the centre axle bush frame holes to allow some up and down movement on the centre axle. The inner face of the bushes have had "dimples" drilled in them to locate the end of the control springs.
Here's the chassis after refitting the wheels and adding the coupling rods. After a little easing of the holes in the rods, the chassis is very free running.
And with the cylinders in place to check the clearances behind the crossheads and slide bars.
On some builds I've got by with just a fag paper's worth of clearance which is all you need, but in this case the gap is more than enough.
I'll make up and fit the connecting rods next so I can work out what length the piston rods need to be and trim off the excess. The reversed top hat bushes have had two holes drilled in the flanges to allow tightening with a pair of tweezers.
Cheers,
Peter
However, I decided it's time I advanced the chassis and made a start by converting the top hat crank pin bushes to accept 10 BA screws. The bushes were held in a pin vice, drilled 1.8mm and tapped 10 BA. The holes in the wheel bosses were also drilled and tapped the same and 10 BA screws fitted. On the rear and centre wheels the top hats were screwed on flange first, while the front ones were fitted in reverse to give more clearance behind the slide bars and crossheads. To secure the coupling rod at the rear I used a 12 BA washer drilled to clear 10 BA along with a 12 BA nut drilled and tapped 10 BA, which gives a better appearance. At the front, a 10 BA washer is added before the coupling rod which is then secured with the reversed top hat. I have now elongated the centre axle bush frame holes to allow some up and down movement on the centre axle. The inner face of the bushes have had "dimples" drilled in them to locate the end of the control springs.
Here's the chassis after refitting the wheels and adding the coupling rods. After a little easing of the holes in the rods, the chassis is very free running.
And with the cylinders in place to check the clearances behind the crossheads and slide bars.
On some builds I've got by with just a fag paper's worth of clearance which is all you need, but in this case the gap is more than enough.
I'll make up and fit the connecting rods next so I can work out what length the piston rods need to be and trim off the excess. The reversed top hat bushes have had two holes drilled in the flanges to allow tightening with a pair of tweezers.
Cheers,
Peter
P A D
Western Thunderer
These are the parts for the right hand connecting rod. The holes in the small ends are nearly big enough to accept an 8BA bolt! The crossheads had a cast pin of about 0.8mm so completely miss matched. The bolt in the image is 12BA so I needed to modify the small ends and drill holes to suit.
I cut about 10mm off the centre laminate and 20mm off the inner one. In each case, strips of waste fret were used to restore the missing lengths and after soldering all round and fettling up, a hole was drilled to clear 12 BA.
And with the rods in place. I filed the off nut cast in relief on the crosshead and replaced it with a 14BA nut drilled and tapped to 12BA. Yes, know, I should have used a 14BA bolt in the first place!
The bottom of the connecting rods were just touching the ends of the lower slide bars so I've chamfered the bars to clear and the chassis is running smoothly. I wonder if that means I got the cylinder angle slightly wrong, so I'll check that out today and adjust if necessary.
I didnt have any suitable washers to space the rods at the crankpin, so I used an 8 BA nut drilled 2.5mm to fit on the top hat bearings. This lines up the connecting rod parallel to the frames. I've still to add the spring to the centre axle bearing as can be seen in this image.
One of the drop links for the crossheads is missing, so I may scratch one up if Scorpio don't get back soon with a replacement.
Cheers,
Peter
I cut about 10mm off the centre laminate and 20mm off the inner one. In each case, strips of waste fret were used to restore the missing lengths and after soldering all round and fettling up, a hole was drilled to clear 12 BA.
And with the rods in place. I filed the off nut cast in relief on the crosshead and replaced it with a 14BA nut drilled and tapped to 12BA. Yes, know, I should have used a 14BA bolt in the first place!
The bottom of the connecting rods were just touching the ends of the lower slide bars so I've chamfered the bars to clear and the chassis is running smoothly. I wonder if that means I got the cylinder angle slightly wrong, so I'll check that out today and adjust if necessary.
I didnt have any suitable washers to space the rods at the crankpin, so I used an 8 BA nut drilled 2.5mm to fit on the top hat bearings. This lines up the connecting rod parallel to the frames. I've still to add the spring to the centre axle bearing as can be seen in this image.
One of the drop links for the crossheads is missing, so I may scratch one up if Scorpio don't get back soon with a replacement.
Cheers,
Peter
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Ian@StEnochs
Western Thunderer
When laminating rod from etch I like to sleeve the bearing holes with a piece of brass tube. Does two things, lines up the holes in the etchings and makes a better bearing surface. Usually I would need to ream out the etched hole!
Ian.
Ian.
P A D
Western Thunderer
Hi Ian,
I considered sleeving the hole with tube, but didn't have any of a suitable diameter. I'm sure it's a better solution technically, but I wanted to press on. In any case there is minimal movement at that end of the rod and my models don't run high mileage, so wear should not be a problem.
Cheers,
Pete
Ian@StEnochs
Western Thunderer
Hi Pete,
No problem, there is very little wear at the little end of the conecting rod anyway. I usually tap the little end and run it on a screwthread rather than a pin, put in from the front of the crosshead with a dummy nut. It doesn't come off and leaves max clearance at the back.
Ian.
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Paul Tomlinson
Western Thunderer
Peter, Hello. Looking at the rods, I feel they'd be improved by "beefing up" the bosses? The 82045 group have an interesting website, I don't know if you've seen it? Also a nice pic on the Masterpiece Models site.These are the parts for the right hand connecting rod. The holes in the small ends are nearly big enough to accept an 8BA bolt! The crossheads had a cast pin of about 0.8mm so completely miss matched. The bolt in the image is 12BA so I needed to modify the small ends and drill holes to suit.
View attachment 199684
I cut about 10mm off the centre laminate and 20mm off the inner one. In each case, strips of waste fret were used to restore the missing lengths and after soldering all round and fettling up, a hole was drilled to clear 12 BA.
View attachment 199686
And with the rods in place. I filed the off nut cast in relief on the crosshead and replaced it with a 14BA nut drilled and tapped to 12BA. Yes, know, I should have used a 14BA bolt in the first place!
View attachment 199690
The bottom of the connecting rods were just touching the ends of the lower slide bars so I've chamfered the bars to clear and the chassis is running smoothly. I wonder if that means I got the cylinder angle slightly wrong, so I'll check that out today and adjust if necessary.
View attachment 199691
I didnt have any suitable washers to space the rods at the crankpin, so I used an 8 BA nut drilled 2.5mm to fit on the top hat bearings. This lines up the connecting rod parallel to the frames. I've still to add the spring to the centre axle bearing as can be seen in this image.
View attachment 199688
One of the drop links for the crossheads is missing, so I may scratch one up if Scorpio don't get back soon with a replacement.
View attachment 199687
Cheers,
Peter
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