Building a Spaceship

Today has been one of those biting cold days again and I just wasn't up for making 17 washout plugs let alone mess with the firebox wraps so I went for the easy option and focused on making up the front truck now we have wheels. At this point I must state there is room for improvement using better castings as the etched representation of the front latitudinal damper spring is quite a poor job, this was replaced with a white metal bogie centre block which came with lateral springs and axle suspension springs from Ragstone. Installing these replacement items necessitated altering the shape of the truck cradle around and above the brass axle bush sides, score marks are visible denoting where cuts into the cradle had to be made, I also dispensed with some etch to the left and right of the axle bushes... you can just make out where I snipped them off along a virtical half etch line. It is important these bits are removed and top corner cuts made which enable the Ragstone centre block to fit neatly. It didn't seem necessary to photograph the forming and bending of the initial construction of the front truck cradle.





Now this is when I put my thinking cap on, leason learnt on previous builds is front trucks need weight and springing control to make them function without mishap, well weight could be gained by using the original Scorpio white metal axle spring castings with combined sleeve that fit over the brass axle bushes... these would work with the Ragstone centre block which is why the top corners on the truck cradle have been removed.

The four Ragstone cast axle springs were dispensed with and into the bits box they go.

The other thing that isn't correct with the truck is the truck guard irons... ignore how the instructions tell you to shape them, an additional stretcher piece needs to be scratch made to complete the guard iron arrangement. I researched old photos and concluded the guard irons had to be reshaped (which I did later) in order to reach the wheels.




So once the centre block casting was fitted along with the wheels I could see what else needed to be done. I used a piece of scrap nickel etch to form the guard iron cross brace, each of the ends were turned up 3mm and two indent rivets made with the punch then all aligned and soldered in place... I think this makes a much better job of things generally.

What we don't see in the photo (and I'll take another picture tomorrow) is the back of the truck where the angle support braces from the truck frame have been fitted... the top of these braces which meet at the centre block behind the wheel springs has NOT been soldered yet nor has the pivot ring of the truck control. This is because I need to prove a correct relationship of angles of the truck when fitted to the loco main frames... I need to avoid the truck looking as if it is tilted back too far or not enough. The centre block also needs a stud adding which involves drilling a fixing point into the top of the centre block casting, the pivot will be a threaded bolt inserted with spring that bares upon the swivel plate on the loco mainframes... I'll photo this to show what I mean tomorrow.





So now we have the front truck sitting underneath the loco where it should be... didn't think there was need to show how the driving wheels were fitted as we all know about that, anyway I'm happy with the truck frame angles proving the correct repose and can now mark uo for the central position on the top of the centre casting block before drilling to fit the swivel peg.

More picture soon and thanks all for lookin by to check progress.

 

There is enough weight now for the truck not to bounce about... I fitted a pivot with sliding cam and spring between loco frames and truck centre block. It works well when the loco is picked up the truck remains in place.

 

The front truck is complete now, a sliding cam allows the bogie to negotiate curves and remain in relative position without swinging about when the loco is picked up. A small spring holds the truck down in contact with the track.

 

Made a start on dressing the firebox wrappers, completing these are key to connecting the rest of the bodyshell assemblies... the boiler and smokebox is mainly done. I made up and fitted the laminations for the mud hole cover and joints, because of the additional thickness to the wrapper I had to file notches in the firebox frame to allow a good fit. This is the inside face of one of the wrappers and the holes with four emboss marks is where the washout plug indents will be soldered.





This is the inner framework for the wrappers with the filed recess to take the mudhole joint laminations. The line of holes are on the base of the firebox frame and these are where the studs for the ashpan / fire grate go on the foundation ring.





And the external face of a wrapper showing the corner hole where a mudhole joint lamination will be fitted and also the completed lamination of the mudhole door cover.





Now this image shows the position of where the wrapper has to be fitted at the base of the frame, the wrapper fits over the side framework but on the top face of the bottom edge, if fitted this way the completed firebox will drop into the space in the footplate running boards without too much grief.

So the next job is to make a start on drilling out the brass wagon axle bushes which will make up the washout plug inserts, hopefully I'll get all seventeen drilled out and fitted... more tomorrow and thanks again for reading this thread.

 

Its simple and a tad crude but it works and wont be seen... thanks Paul for the comment.

 

Apologies for the photo overload but there is a bit of a picture backlog of progress not reported, so turning the clock back a couple of days to when the boiler and smokebox were soldered together, it was a case of careful adjustment before final soldering of both assemblies being brought together. The steam collecting dome and smokebox chimney was then soldered along the top centre line followed by sweating on the boiler bands. Some fine fillering between the boiler front and smokebox step will be needed later on in the build.





The white metal smokebox door casting is just a dry fit currently as more work is needed to be done here yet, I used a set of fine turned door handles instead of the ones in the kit as they looked a bit too chunky, the fine turned ones were a batch I purchased a few years ago from I think Nairnshire... don't think these people are still trading but I may be wrong. The door hand rail is located 9mm above the centre line and distance between each knob is 20mm, I used 0.07mm wire and cut two thin stop ends from 0.09mm OD micro bore tube for each end of the hand rail then soldered and filed the right profile... or at least the nearest I could achieve. Finally the lamp iron was sweat soldered in place, the number plate brackets and door latch striker plate on the door ring will be scratch made later... number and shed plate will come from Severn Mill.





At least it all sat correctly on the frames... tell tale sign here this was done before the wheels arrived onMonday.





I don't normally get excited about building engines but I have a good feeling about this one, here's hoping this continues.

 

Its all staring to come together now, looking forward to uniting a completed firebox to the boiler assembly and then the cab construction... oh boy that is another head scratching moment of joy as I've put BR standard loco cabs together before on previous builds and they have a lot of opposing angles which need dealing with, but that's for another day.

 

Thank you Paul... strong coffee is needed... I have to buy wheelsets for an 8F next... but that can wait until sometime next year. I really ought to start on the Finney 7 Princess Coronation next as I hve everything needed for that build, so it won't incur additional build costs.

That "step" join was one of the hurdles assembling the smokebox to boiler together in the correct alignment, the boiler being a cone would be simple enough if smokebox diameter was an equal radius as in the Rebuilt Patriot but one wasn't the easiest even using the internal alignment discs. Instructions were a bit vague as well and in hindsight maybe it would have been better not to connect the two smaller diameter rings together in the smokebox end but insert them individually and seperate them in the smokebox... that way it might have been quicker and easier to attain a result.

 

Since we are discussing the boiler fix arrangement with Dundee Paul I thought this picture might help with explaining the boiler smokebox "step" joint and alignments better.

Yes I managed to sever the knob from the extended long reach handrail knob... its fixable with care here's hoping anyway.

 

Ah but the lateral control works via a sliding cam and threaded peg with spring where downward force for adhesion is increased by adjusting the nut, this way the truck cannot swing randomly when the loco is lifted of the rails. I did something similar on the Brit's rear truck and other locos includung the Ivatt 3 tank. On four wheel bogie trucks I use lateral springing working against a central box set onto the pivot pin.

 

Dressing the firebox wrappers with 17 brass wagon axle bushes wasn't as daunting as I'd originally thought, the first six on the boiler were the trial run so a routine became apparent, solder the bushes in first then add the 1mm square rod through the hole and align centrally as best as possible then a quick solder with a hot iron. Finally adding the two short handrail knobs and this phase of the assembly is ready for fixing to the frame.

Mudhole door clamps already in place with only the regulator rod bracket to be fitted in the hole above the left handrail knob.





Here is the inside of the other wrapper showing the axle bushes in place acting as the indent spaces for the plugs, the square brass rod is yet to be fitted... I know the solder looks a bit messy but if anything was to dislodge or fall off once everything is sealed up then its best to be generous with the solder.





Finally with the square rod inserted and soldered, looking back at the first image here I think this has a much better impact visually to portray washout plugs than a simple etch strip soldered in from behind.

Thanks again for following the build.

 

Quite an easy day today fitting the both now completed firebox wrappers and Araldite glued the white metal casting in place, I'll do all the fine filling and smoothing of surfaces when the boiler assembly is added.





The wire jutting out near the front of the firebox forms part of the regulator drive rod and a crank has yet to be fitted... I thought it easier to solder in the wire before fitting the wrappers.





And the side view, at least it all seems to fit properly even as a loose dry run assembly.





Not a great picture as the light was fading fast again with low rain cloud obliterating the daytime but an engine is starting to appear, once the bodyshell components are soldered to give a rigid structure that is square and level then I shall then focus progress back on the chassis again.



Last jobs before final fitting is to install the trim edges along the running plate and the sandbox fillers with wire handles. I think I may Araldite the filler tunnels in place so as not to disturb the tiny aprons which the filler tunnels go through.

Anyway that's it for now, thanks for looking by.

 

Thank you Paul, its just a nice kit to build really, I just put it all together and think nothing more of it.

 

The centre driving wheel on this 9F will remain flangeless as per the originals, I've always liked the 9F when fitted with normal boilers, the Crosti ones are an acquired taste... I'm not sure I would ever build one of those. Thank you for the nice comment Gormo.