David Andrews Fowler 2-6-4 Tank & LMS suburban set for Leek

I've just realised those front footplate steps are on the wrong way up... this won't do... they are coming off to be correctly fixed.

 

Another tiny job completed... the seats fitted and they tip up as well. Sadly got some solder overspill but cleaned it back, looks worse than it actually is.




And with the seat tilted back up... reverser handle turns too...don't ask why I set myself such challenges. The window frames will be fitted after painting as I cannot get the perspex inside otherwise and I'd like to make the near window glass slide open. Backhead will be another job.

 

no tbh Dundee I just couldn't get the valves to work properly when the reverser hand was turned , Seriously the window frames will have to be glued into place along their top and bottom edges after painting... the original reverser handle spindle was a white metal stub which looked very fragile so I drilled for a 0.6mm OD micro tube and the handle fixed to a 0.4mm nickel wire... it all seems secure and the whole thing is just a fancy.

 

So here is the next batch of jobs to do on the Fowler tank... rear buffers to be made, cylinder wraps and my scratch made cylinder front shims to extend the saddle width (needed for a neat fit of the wrapper), all footsteps and the other side steam pipe. The cab roof is only temporarily formed to shape and the rear cab door hand grab rails and door yet to be fitted. Also the tank strap fixing plates on the boiler and the ejector pipe which runs along the top of the tank are other jobs to be made and fitted... then of course the lubricator machines and plumbing have to be done, so there is still a lot to do on the body before serious work commences on the cylinder positioning and motion.

 

However the model representation of 42418 Stoke shed's 5D "Old Faithful" is at least staring to look the part Oh I did reset the front fall plate steps the correct way up as well.




A close up of the reworked ejector casting and plumbing now fitted... must filler that little knick to the top of the white metal casting... I'll do that with some plastic 2 pack epoxy later on when I fine tooth comb snag for imperfections.

 

Here is a picture of one of Stoke shed's Fowler limo cab 2-6-4 tank engines (not my photo) taken before 1962 at Wolverhampton GWR shed... Oxley I think. Stoke had a couple of these modified Fowler tank locos but the earlier open cab ones were based at Macclesfield 9C or Uttoxeter 5F and these were the engines which normally worked the Churnet line local stopping service... the open cab tank is a loco I have yet to build. Macclesfield shed was located at Goods Junction where the Marple and Bollington Joint line diverged and Uttoxeter shed was situated in the triangle below the oil sidings alongside the direct avoiding line for Derby. The photo show the model I'll represent.

 

Thanks Paul... its probably dark due to being parked inside a shed

 

Apart from the obvious work to complete the cab area the body of this tank loco is near complete once the remaining plumbing and mechanical lubricators are done and dusted... attention then turns to completing the cylinders and motion.Here we see the loco 42418 on the Down platform of the model of Leek station... this is one heck of a project because we are working to make a near authentic representation of a station which was demolished 50 plus years ago, there is much more to go on and the Up platform and buildings haven't even been started in earnest yet. 42418 was a Stoke 5D allocation so was more likely to have worked on the Stoke - Leek - Rushton local passenger stopping service until that was withdrawn in 1956... the main Churnet services were worked by the earlier Fowler open cab tanks allocated to Macclesfield or Uttoxeter as stated in a previous post. From colour photos I've concluded that the three coach sets running in the later years the line was open were LMS Period 111 types, sets normally consisted of either two Thirds to LMS diagram 1906 and a Brake Third diagram 1964 or a Period 11 Composite to diagram 1734 in place of one of the Thirds. A conversation with Rob Pulham determined that these very coach models are available as complete etch brass kits from Sidelines, these represent good value for money and will save me time in the build in the long run, I shall update with pictures once kit purchases are made. In the longer term this will form the model of the local stopping service along with the Lirfield van set I have for the Leek layout. The picture shows the Down platform waiting shelter hosting 42418 with a few fitted vans... the road bridge in the background is also a work in progress.



And a closer view of the tank loco, the cab roof is yet to be formed to shape properly and made removable, right now its just dry placed in position... next work will focus of the cylinder and motion assembly.

 

thanks Mr S but its not finished yet... more has been added this that pic was taken

 

ah... that's because the paint is still wet I'll take a couple now and upload for you to see Paul

 

The basic chassis is fairly well finished now and the bogie and pony trucks sprung, fitting the motion and cylinder assembly is the next job and as these items are removable the chassis has been painted in readiness. No hornblocks on this loco as I plumped for basic centre driving wheel spring pivoting... only time will tell if this was the right move.




I scratch made from scrap nickel etch this simple centre pivot plate which is sprung... this prevents the front truck from over reaching on its axis but allows for some lateral side swing.




The rear bogie truck is sprung on its central pivot, to restrict excessive turning I fitted a couple of inverted U shape links which sit either side of the pivot plate and govern bogie side rotation.

 

still to do on the body is completion of the cab area, this involves fitting the fireman side door which will be hinged to open, obviously final forming of the removable cab roof, one mechanical lubricator (already piped up) and some small work to buffers and a rear draw hook. The biggest job today was final fitting of the live steam injector pipework.




A close up of the injector plumbing, care has to be taken with clearances here on this David Andrews kit as the pipe underslung on the tanks do not fowl rotation of the centre driving wheel crank. Just to be safe I cut the pipe under the tank at this point to avoid problems later on once the motion is installed. Clearances on the rear driving wheels are fine.





The mechanical lubricators are 3D printed by Floyd Kraemer, the detail and crispness is excellent so much so that the oil ports will accept 0.3mm wire passed through without issue. No more messing with poor white metal castings or hopelessly inefficient labour consuming lost wax brass ones needing drilling out. Jon Fitness put me onto these when he built his Signature Kit Festive Fowler earlier this year.

 

Finally for now the front of the Fowler tank is done bar for fitting the smokebox numberplate... this engine will be Stoke's 42418 which lasted in service until 1962.

 

Thanks Paul... your supportive comments are always very much appreciated

 

So the last biggie here is to assemble the cylinder / slidebar unit... I've been quietly working away on various sub assemblies but today I managed to fit the first cylinder wrapper... all went well but on this David Andrews kit the saddle width once folded correctly is 1mm across faced less that the actual half etch wrapper width, needles to say I'm going with the wrapper as dimensionally correct. To make the saddle width match the outer edges of the wrapper I scratch made two false saddle fronts from some brass etch sheet I have in stock. This also added additional strength and made a good foundation form the thin wrapper to be soldered too. The slidebar assemblies have been fit previously and aligned to meet the throw.




A trial fit of the cylinder saddle into the frames went ok...a tad tight but once in place I passed a straight wire rod through the centre of the piston bore to check alignment against the axle centre on the middle driving wheelset. A bit Heath Robinson I know but it proved everything was going well before I fit the other wrapper.




... and with the connecting rod and crosshead test fitted. Once the cylinder motion assembly is complete I'll fit the side rods and file down the front bearing cup which has been tapped 10BA and will be reverse fitted as a form of captive nut... this will give me an extra 1mm clearance on the rotation of the con rod. More pics tomorrow and thanks to all for following progress and liking ... its much appreciated.