handrail LNWR

[jon price]

Hi

Has anyone any thoughts on how to model the handrail on ejector exhaust pipe combination that appears on several LNWR locos. The exhaust pipe is 3.5" diameter and the handrail is 1". The distance from outside of pipe to center of handrail is 1.5" The only suggestion I have seen is to use split pins, gripped round the rail then gripped round the pipe but these are clearly going to appear wrong as they will go round both the handrail and the exhaust pipe, and then into the boiler, whereas the actual exhaust pipe is only attached at the smokebox and the cab.

I'm open to any suggestion, using any materials as long as they are compatible with the usual whitemetal, brass or nickel silver, however the best solution to LNWR handrails generally is I think nickel silver as they were polished bright and the NS will simulate bright polished steel.

Jon Price

[Jol Wilkinson]

Jon,

IIRC, the ejector pipe sat in a "groove" in the support, which then had an outer hole for the smaller dia. handrail.

This is difficult to model but the nearest way could be a long handrail knob with a groove filed in it for the ejector. A matching groove at right angles in the ejector pipe would allow the pipe to sit lower in the knob, thus (hopefully) creating something like the real thing.

A commercial solution would be a cast brass support/knob but I don't know if it is possible to cast the hole in situ. It might have to be drilled out by the end user, which could be costly in broken drills as casting brass can be quite hard.

Jol

[jon price]

Hi Jol

Thanks, this makes much more sense now. The idea of a cranked support with the handrail sitting halfway up the circumference of the ejector pipe sounds plausible and much more solvable with some kind of jig and a wire or split pin. I havn't examined any close-up photos in any detail so hadn't spotted this possibility. My original query was drawn from Nelson's LNWR Portrayed. He has a dimensioned isometric drawing of a handrail support which I assumed refered to all supports as he gives a dimesion for smokebox front, smokebox side and ejector pipe. On careful re-reading all he actually says in re ejector pipes is that the distance from the ejector pipe to the rail centre is 1.5". He doesnt actually say that the drawing, INCLUDING the spigot going through the boiler cladding, is the same for the ejector pipe location. Thinking more logically it doesn't make sense to have an unsupported pipe running the length of the boiler, especially not with a handrail attached. So now I will apply my mind to coming up with a jig and deciding whether nickel silver wire or some kind of flat strip would be the best material.

Jon

[jon price]

Hi Jol

Although plausible it turns out your solution is not correct. Close examination of photos in Talbot LNWR Engines shows clearly that the handrail is fixed directly to the exhaust tuibe, and that the exhaust tube has its own large central suppoort, or in large wheel locos is supported from the driving wheel splasher(s). (good shots are plate 347, Piano G; plate 232, Converted Metropolitan Tank; plate 431 Experiment; plate 511 Claughton; where the shadow of the exhaust pipe and its single support, and the multiple links from exhaust pipe to rail, are cklearly visible)

Which leaves us with the problem of how to attach the handrail to the exhaust pipe.

Jon

[Jol Wilkinson]

Hello Jon,

I'm sure that I've seen a drawing of a pipe'handrail support as I've described, although I'm not sure where in my collection of LNWR literature. It may have been for a large scale model.

What you've described is undoubtedly correct. I don't have any GA's to hand for the 4mm kits that I designed (they've all gone back to their owner) so I can't check what they show.

Alan W's solution (posted elsewhere) may be one answer. The approach I proposed of a notched handrail knob (one of the Markits WD long type, perhaps) with the ejector pipe notched to fit over it, might also work, if the pipe sits low enough on the knob shaft.

Jol