Port of London Austerity

[garethashenden]

In an effort to finish up some projects, here's something I'm working on. An Austerity saddle tank in service with PLA mid to late '50s is the goal. I started with an old Airfix kit and the RT models chassis kit. I have done one of these before in EM using the Hornby body and the Airfix kit is a much better starting point. I'm using High Level hornblocks and a 80:1 Loadhauler+.

I borrowed an Avonside chassis jig from a friend to build the chassis. Aligning hornblocks is something I often have trouble with and it helped a lot. I'm seriously considering getting one for myself.


Once I had the chassis assembled I put together the original Airfix chassis. I think the comparison between the two is quite interesting.


Here's the mostly finished chassis.


After this it sat untouched for about six months until today when I dug it out and attached the brakes. Brakes have to be one of my least favourite aspects of engine building. There's one locating pin but the have to be aligned in three axis. But they're done. I've also added the buffer beams and buffers. I need to take some pictures of that as well as the work I've done on the body. Tomorrow hopefully.

[David Knight]

Hi Gareth,

How's the quality of the RTmodels etches? I'm considering his Manning-Wardell but being a small supplier he doesn't have much in the way of 'form' for me to go by.That said the Austerity looks pretty good from here.

Cheers,

David

[garethashenden]

Well, this is the second of these chassis that I've built, so the first one didn't put me off. In my opinion they're well designed. It goes together well, everything fits fine. I like the detailing bit too.
I built one of the Manning Wardles for someone in EM. It was also well designed and went together beautifully. I'd gladly build one again if I can find a use for it.

[garethashenden]

Here are the up to date pictures I promised.






The Airfix footplate is short to accommodate very thick bufferbeams. I measured it as 2mm short so I added a strip of .040" square styrene to each end. Turns out it's a little under 2mm, so that will need to be filed back. Here's the footplate and body perched atop the chassis.






The chassis is now ready for paint and the body isn't far off either.

[jim s-w]

Good stuff. The bufferbeams look a bit too thin to my eye though. Might be worth laminating to a bit of scrap etch perhaps?

Jim

[jon price]

Pretty skinny bufferbeams on the real McCoy though

austerity.jpg (32.66 KiB) Viewed 3553 times

[Captain Kernow]

I would assume that the thickness of the buffer beams would depend on the loco and where it was based, and the loads it was expected to haul and over whatever gradients?

[garethashenden]

Good stuff. The bufferbeams look a bit too thin to my eye though. Might be worth laminating to a bit of scrap etch perhaps?

Jim

They are thin, but mine may be thinner than they're supposed to be. The Airfix/Dapol/Hornby models have really thick plastic bufferbeams. These etches are intended as an overlay to give those the correct rivet pattern. I'll probably add some brass strip to the sides to fill it out a bit. Any idea how thick the prototype bufferbeams are?

[sebring115]

Just wondering how you have got on with this and I would also like to ask a few questions as I have just got an RT chassis to build.

1) Which high level hornblocks are they, std or slimline?

2) Do you have your CSB cooardinates/distances/spreadsheet?

Look forward to an update.

Thanks

Mark

[garethashenden]

Just wondering how you have got on with this and I would also like to ask a few questions as I have just got an RT chassis to build.

1) Which high level hornblocks are they, std or slimline?

2) Do you have your CSB cooardinates/distances/spreadsheet?

Look forward to an update.

Thanks

Mark

1) 2 pairs standard, 1 pair slimline on the rear driven axle.

2) No, but the measurements are 15mm in front of front axle, 9mm behind. 8mm in front of rear axle, 20mm behind. ISH.

I haven't been doing much P4 modelling recently. Got distracted by 2mmFS. Hope that helps.

[sebring115]

Thats great, presume will have to sort out wire dia once its weighted up.

I struggle with 4mm let alone 2mm, any pictures?

Mark

[garethashenden]

Thats great, presume will have to sort out wire dia once its weighted up.

I struggle with 4mm let alone 2mm, any pictures?

Mark

Pressflo kit, little bit fiddly but went together well.


Now painted awaiting lettering and a French mineral.


A Jinty converted from a Farish body. Needs some coal and weathering.


Currently working on a pile on 16T minerals, soon to start a M7 as well.

[garethashenden]

I do rather suffer from "Oooh Trains!!!" and want to model everything in all the scales. So nothing ever gets finished.

[sebring115]

They look fantastic especially as they are probably bigger on my screen than reality

Presume you use some kind of magnifier?

[Armchair Modeller]

People generally just model what they can see. I do 2mm stuff as well and never need a magnifier. The bigger the scale the more you realise is missing, so the more you have to add.

Thanks for the reminder about this topic. I have one to do with a DJ Models body, so will find this topic very useful

[garethashenden]

I don't use a magnifier. There is less detail, but the kits on the whole are better designed than 4mm kits. They're a lot more self jigging designed into the etches which makes it possible to put together such tiny models.