Scalefour Forum

David. I think it's probably more important to try to even out weights across each axle than to get the ideal front to back values, although, for traction reasons, you want a sensible range between bogie and driving axles. I suggest you make very small adjustments to the grub screws because, as you ...

It's not just model scales that have accuracy/repeatability issues! The railway where our loco is based has installed a set of load cells under short lengths of rail for axle load checking. I get the impression that every time a loco is pulled/pushed over, you get a different reading for every wheel...

Well, the gap in the cross beam was rather more visible than I'd hoped, so thoughts turned as to how to plug it. First, I soldered a length of wire across the gap and then wiggled the cut out section back in place and fixed it. Not a perfect solution, but a couple of 0.2 mm gaps are much less obviou...

A trial fit of the rear frame cross beam has been undertaken. My original plan to slide it in under the scoop didn't go to plan as I had inadvertently soldered the top joint of the vertical scoop link so that it couldn't be swung out of the way. The only recourse was to cut a slot in the centre of t...

Scoop bracing struts fitted, along with the scoop operating rod/cranks and representations of the train vacuum pipe and steam heat pipe, both of which are visible through the tender frame cut-outs. BM_Blk5_45284_127.JPG BM_Blk5_45284_128.JPG After taking the photos, I noticed that one of the bearing...

Not that much modelling due to domestic duties, but some progress on the tender chassis. Whilst waiting for the replacement wheels and axle material, I have done some work on the water scoop arrangements. The instructions have this done after the inner frames are fixed to the outer and the wheel-set...

Best laid plans..... Following the timely warning posted by Dave Bradwell and a rather unsatisfactory trial fit of the rear wheel-set, I've fitted retaining clips to all the axle bearing carriers to hold them in their guides. I utilised parts of the spare brake pull rods, which have half etched stri...

Funny you should say that Dave. After posting the photo, I realised that the centre axle side play could allow the bearing holders to disengage so I've fitted some retaining clips to those holders. I'm not intending any perceptible side play in the front and rear axles, so they should be retained in...

Some progress has been made with the tender, despite a slight setback caused by my clumsiness. I had read through the instructions, studied the diagrams and several drawings in the Wild Swan profile series before starting. My gut feeling is that the chassis is more complicated than the loco! Anyway,...

Hi Craig.
Thanks for the kind comments.
I've got another Black 5, a Rebuilt Scot and a Fowler 4F in the pile, along with loads of other stuff, of course.
I'll try and get on with the tender (fully welded type) for this loco, but who knows what after that?
Dave.

Thanks, gents.
Dave.

David, You've already had good advice but I'll add my thoughts, if you don't mind. Like Philip, I use 0.33 or 0.31 mm hard brass wire. Where possible, I have the pick-up bearing on the back of the wheel flange, where it is hidden from normal view by the brake blocks. In the pick-ups on the front two...

Well, no excuse now not to get on with the tender. I have finally motivated myself to fit the cab-side cinder screen frames that I've been putting off for a day or two (in the vain hope they might fit themselves?). Of course, it proved far easier to do than I had worried it would be. The chimneys I ...

Something niggles at the back of my mind that the Ts at the end of the drive shaft should be set at 90 degrees to each other. Charlie No. The drive bars at the two end must be in line and any angle between the shafts at each end and the centre shaft should be the same but opposite. In this way any ...

Will, that all makes sense and makes adjustment easy, assuming you can get the wires in and out of the finished chassis. Unfortunately, the Brassmasters coil spring suspension doesn't provide that facility, so the only options are to alter/move the weights or insert packers under the appropriate spr...

Right, sand pipes tweaked to an acceptable rail clearance and coupling rods re-fitted, just for appearances sake. Those pesky cinder guards still to face. Then on to the tender?


Black 5 faces its nemesis?

Dave.

Will, I'd be the first to admit my lack of knowledge about CSB design, but I can't believe the deflections of the spring beam is not dependant on the total mass of the loco in some way or other. So, if the final mass isn't known at the design stage, nor can the deflections be known either?
Dave.

Paul, Thanks for the kind comments. Unfortunately, next year's S4North clashes with another event that I regularly attend at the Ff&WHR, in North Wales. This years show was at a different time, which didn't clash, hence my intended attendance. Yes, an etched replacement roof would perhaps be a b...

Some pleasing progress and a minor set-back since the previous posting. The cab roof casting needed an awful lot of scraping away in the rebate to allow the front end to fit over the spectacle plate with the gutters sitting down along the cab sides. Extensive use of my triangular engineers scraper a...

Sorry, Jim, I don't know the weight. I can't remember if I have added any extra ballast to the Brassmasters tenders I've built in the past, but it shouldn't require much to deflect the CSB wires a bit. You always could place weight in the coal space, if needed, unless you're modelling it empty,that ...

Ralph,
Looks almost like scratch building, but without the need to mark out the parts. There appears to be an ex-L&Y Class 27 lurking in the background. How about posting something about that?
Dave.

A bit more progress today. Some extra weight has been added inside the firebox, behind the motor. This, rather provocatively, included the further use of small lead shot - you'd think I'd learn! This time, I set it in superglue, so no solvent risks. The ejector steam pipes have been added - 0.31 mm ...

Jim,
Good progress with the body. It looks as if the sloping base to the coal space does not extend right back to the rear bunker bulkhead. Is there another piece to bridge the gap, part of the coal pusher perhaps? Or is just an illusion?
Dave.

The weather's been too nice to do much modelling, but the boiler has now been fixed to the footplate, the dome and top feed and smokebox door all attached with 5 minute epoxy. Still got a few bits to do to finish the loco. Then on with the tender. The chimney shown is a temporary item, just loose fi...

Some progress with fitting the metal details to the boiler, so I am nearly back to where I was before the great solvent disaster. Brassmasters have responded very impressively with the prompt supply of a new replacement boiler for the other kit. Mind you, there's something slightly different about i...