GWR Bird/Bulldog 3737 Jackdaw

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petermeyer
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GWR Bird/Bulldog 3737 Jackdaw

Postby petermeyer » Wed Jun 08, 2022 6:57 pm

Herewith the start of my latest Frankenstein creation. It is a GWR Bird class Bulldog. The chassis is Perseverance which I acquired at a Scaleforum bring and buy some while ago. I originally intended to use it under a Duke class but I've since built a Finney Duke. It is described as a Duke/Bulldog chassis. The body will be from a Falcon Brass etch that they were selling on eBay a short while ago. Here it is sat on my plank that I have created to test that things go round a 3' radius curve:

bulldog0.jpg
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petermeyer
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Re: GWR Bird/Bulldog 3737 Jackdaw

Postby petermeyer » Wed Jun 08, 2022 7:19 pm

The outside frames are the deep variety for the Bird class. These came with a detailing kit for the Dapol GWR City class. The bogies came out of the spares box but I think are Mallard Duke origin. Wheels are Ultrascale and have the shouldered axles for outside frame locos cranks.

bulldog.jpg


The bogie is pivoted on a tube through a frame spacer:

bulldog3.jpg


I made a slide for the bogie from a couple OO frame spacers. There are various holes in this through which a spring wire can be attached when the whole is finally assembled.

bulldog4.jpg
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steve howe
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Re: GWR Bird/Bulldog 3737 Jackdaw

Postby steve howe » Thu Jun 09, 2022 6:00 pm

Interesting project Jackdaw. I made a 'City' (Airfix) into a 'Bird' in 00 some years ago, using plastkard to extend the frame depth. The main features on a 'Bird' are the deeper frames and the additional strengthening plate around the rear axle. I'd love to do one 'properly' in P4 having managed to get a etched Bulldog and a Barnum into life. Did you need to do much to the detailing kit for the Dapol to create the Bird?

Steve

petermeyer
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Re: GWR Bird/Bulldog 3737 Jackdaw

Postby petermeyer » Thu Jun 09, 2022 7:17 pm

steve howe wrote: Did you need to do much to the detailing kit for the Dapol to create the Bird?

Steve


No Steve I did not have to do anything. As can be seen in the first pic, the frames (I think they are Branchlines) were a perfect fit under the Falcon Brass footplate and came with an etch of the rear strengthening plates too. The Falcon Brass etch was for both a straight and curved frame Bulldog but only included one side of the loco; so one of each variant! I hacked off the front valance from both the straight and curved versions and used them to extend the valance on the Bird to the buffer beam. You can probably just make out the join in the pic. I had to fit the valances pronto as, once formed, the Falcon footplate was quite fragile and in danger of fracturing with handling.

Since these pics, I have fitted tubes for the brake hangers and the chassis is now being primed.

Peter

petermeyer
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Re: GWR Bird/Bulldog 3737 Jackdaw

Postby petermeyer » Fri Jun 10, 2022 6:19 am

I've found this image of the offending fret which I took before I started to cut it up. A mirror of this would have been required but was not supplied. I took this shot to compare with the n/s fret from a Mallard GWR Duke as some parts are common.

IMG_0671.jpg
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petermeyer
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Re: GWR Bird/Bulldog 3737 Jackdaw

Postby petermeyer » Thu Jun 23, 2022 6:29 am

Bulldog coming together posed alongside Berrington & Eye signalbox that still hasn't got any windows. The chimney and safety valve have just been plonked on for the photo. This will be in as-built in 1909 condition. I guess I need to make a start on the 3,000 gal tender sometime soon.

Bulldog2.jpg
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Paul Willis
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Re: GWR Bird/Bulldog 3737 Jackdaw

Postby Paul Willis » Thu Jun 23, 2022 7:25 am

That’s starting to look very handsome. They are nicely proportioned locomotives.

I recently bought a couple of books of Edwardian GWR locomotives out of curiosity, and was amazed at the variety.

Looking forward to seeing more as it continues

Cheers
Paul
Beware of Trains - occasional modelling in progress!
www.5522models.co.uk

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steve howe
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Re: GWR Bird/Bulldog 3737 Jackdaw

Postby steve howe » Thu Jun 23, 2022 8:51 am

Paul Willis wrote:That’s starting to look very handsome. They are nicely proportioned locomotives.

Cheers
Paul


It certainly is! how did you get on with rolling the boiler?

Steve

petermeyer
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Re: GWR Bird/Bulldog 3737 Jackdaw

Postby petermeyer » Thu Jun 23, 2022 9:38 am

Paul Willis wrote:That’s starting to look very handsome. They are nicely proportioned locomotives.

I recently bought a couple of books of Edwardian GWR locomotives out of curiosity, and was amazed at the variety.

Looking forward to seeing more as it continues

Cheers
Paul


Thanks Paul

My inspiration too came from a book my daughter got me on the larger 4-4-0’s. I then bought myself another in the series on the smaller 4-4-0’s. At the same time I am also building a City class. These locos were on the cusp of the Churchward standardisation. They featured his standard coned boiler with Belpaire firebox but retained the Dean outside frames. I particularly like to see those outside cranks going round. Here's a City:



Peter
steve howe wrote:
It certainly is! how did you get on with rolling the boiler?

Steve


Thanks Steve. I rolled the boiler, which is in 2 halves, using my GW rolling bars. The halves are not yet permanently joined as I want to still get inside to fit the handrail knobs. You can see the join in the photo. I also need to sort the smokebox door which I do not have.



Malcolm Mitchell has a video on YouTube on rolling boilers which I cribbed. You have to turn the coned section to avoid it spiralling. I soldered some scrap etch inside to hold it together. There is also an inner tube that slots the two together. The whole assembly is just screwed together including firebox which should help with the paint stage.

Peter

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Craig Warton
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Re: GWR Bird/Bulldog 3737 Jackdaw

Postby Craig Warton » Thu Jun 23, 2022 9:55 pm

Looking really good peter and I look forward to seeing more.

I have just about finished changing the (former) Granny Flat into my train room and am looking forward to getting back into some serious modelling again. I now have an area I can model in with out my feline assistants (I am involved in cat rescue) trying to help me.

Keep up the good work, very inspirational.

Regards,

Craig

petermeyer
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Re: GWR Bird/Bulldog 3737 Jackdaw

Postby petermeyer » Sat Jun 25, 2022 7:35 am

Craig Warton wrote:Looking really good peter and I look forward to seeing more.

I have just about finished changing the (former) Granny Flat into my train room and am looking forward to getting back into some serious modelling again. I now have an area I can model in with out my feline assistants (I am involved in cat rescue) trying to help me.

Keep up the good work, very inspirational.

Regards,

Craig


Thanks Craig. Good luck with the Granny flat, let's see how it progresses and looking forward to the serious modelling. I don't have a Granny Flat though I think the kids have plans to put me in one someday. Peter

petermeyer
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Re: GWR Bird/Bulldog 3737 Jackdaw

Postby petermeyer » Sat Jun 25, 2022 7:59 am

This is how the boiler has come together. The Falcon kit was the etch only which came without instructions so I made most of it up as I went along. The ideas on this owe much to putting Martin Finney kits together. Some may be horrified at my pragmatic approach...and the mess of a workbench:

frontsheet.jpg


The cab front came pre-drilled with a couple of holes. Sorry about the poor focus but I put a locating peg in the top one and a hole for an 8BA screw in the one below. I have some plastic 8BA screws that I use for this that help stop the motor moving. The spectacle rings were very fine and delicate and I had to be very careful removing them from the fret. Also careful soldering in as they could easily bend. I had to grind the rear splasher tops back for them to clear the wheels but this is hidden from normal view by the sandboxes. Eagle-eyed will note that the cab roof is whitemetal!

boiler2.jpg


There was a corresponding former on the chassis etch in Nickel Silver that I used to form the firebox. The top hole fits the peg and the lower is tapped 8BA.

Boiler_firebox.jpg


The Falcon firebox was way too short so I had to scratch-build this. It took me 2 goes. The Falcon coned boiler was also too short but there was a half etch strip on the etch that I snipped down and used this to extend it. It all looks a mess from this angle but is better from normal viewing angles. The Falcon boiler is half etched so very thin and includes three boiler bands. I added the other two using AGW Boiler bands.

boiler3.jpg


The boiler extension piece was soldered to a sleeve that slots into the front parallel portion of the boiler. The join is on a boiler band which hides it. The smokebox overlay came riveted but in my period they were flush riveted. So i did my usual and filed off the rivets, tinned that side and solder the overlay on the other way up.

Next stage is to fit the handrail knobs, soldered from inside and the washout plugs and boiler bands on the firebox courtesy of AGW...
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petermeyer
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Re: GWR Bird/Bulldog 3737 Jackdaw

Postby petermeyer » Sun Aug 14, 2022 11:38 am

Progress to date on the Bulldog Bird class. Handrail knobs fitted and boiler bands on plus washout plugs. Step fitted under smokebox door. Bogie finished off with whitemetal castings and painted:

Bulldog_Bird.jpg


Suffered a ceased gearbox for a while. The upside of this was that I had to remove the motor to ascertain the problem. This gave me the opportunity to fit a larger 1424 motor to replace the 1220 that I put in originally. Got a 2mm worm wheel from High Level to make it all work; glad that they sell spares separately.

Attention has turned to tender and it's chassis before any more progress can be made to see what it might pull. The Branchlines detailing and motoring kits for the Airfix/Dapol City of Truro, apart from including the outside frames for a Bird, also included a chassis for a 3000 gal tender. So this has been pressed into use. Has been sprung using High Level CSB components. Have used an old set of Sharman tender wheels that came with 1/8 inch axles! The brake gear is removable for painting later. That reminds me that I need to sort the brakes on the loco too.

Bird_chassis.jpg
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petermeyer
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Re: GWR Bird/Bulldog 3737 Jackdaw

Postby petermeyer » Sun Aug 14, 2022 12:08 pm

petermeyer wrote:That reminds me that I need to sort the brakes on the loco too.


Note to self: as this loco has deep outside frames, the actual brake blocks may not be visible. This is why I have not bothered with them but forgot. I may just get away with the pull rods!

Philip Hall
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Re: GWR Bird/Bulldog 3737 Jackdaw

Postby Philip Hall » Sun Aug 14, 2022 1:28 pm

Peter, looks good and I do like your piecemeal approach - what it looks like at the end is what counts. As for invisible brakes, who can see? Having converted 6 Bachmann Dukedogs and a City, I spotted early on that the brakes on the engine were hardly visible, so I didn’t widen them out as I usually do. I can’t say the same for the tenders, though, as they are moulded only line with the frames, which I can’t ignore…

Looking forward to seeing more at the next Wednesday meeting.

Philip


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