Brettell Road

[Trevor Grout]

Rear view. Some Kirtleys had a simple weather hood to protect the crew. It stretched from the cab roof to the tender front. Anyone got any thoughts on how to replicate this? It will need to be flexible.[/quote]

Jim,

What about a small rectangle of Silk, maybe cut from a shirt in a shop that does such things not that I am advocating such vandalism in any way shape or form.........

[James Wells]

Some Kirtleys had a simple weather hood to protect the crew. It stretched from the cab roof to the tender front. Anyone got any thoughts on how to replicate this? It will need to be flexible.

If you can find a cloth material with a very fine structure, than might work or if you can find a thin black rubber/latex I imagine this could be adapted. Though for the latter all I can think of is material from some form of novelty condom...!

[Jol Wilkinson]

LRM have an etched MR 700 in the pipeline but have been rather let down by the designer (I shan't name names but he isn't a member of the S4 Society) who has been delinquent in correcting the final test etch minor errors. However it should be available this year (which gives plenty of leeway!)

[jim s-w]

a quick video of the inside motion

[Le Corbusier]

My Kirtley project has reached the stage that its ready for primer. Buffers are from Lanarkshire models whilst the whistle and safety valves are from Markits. I've replaced the steps and cab roof with brass.



Rear view. Some Kirtleys had a simple weather hood to protect the crew. It stretched from the cab roof to the tender front. Anyone got any thoughts on how to replicate this? It will need to be flexible.

Jim,

This is looking lovely. For beginners like myself this sort of posting is gold dust. Some great tips and something to aspire to. I look forward to seeing it back from the paint shop.

Tim

[Andrew Ullyott]

That's looking very nice Jim. Whilst I do like a 'state of the art' etched brass kit, I think there's a real sense of satisfaction when turning an older kit or model into something special as you've done.

[andrewnummelin]

a quick video of the inside motion

Sickening..... makes me think I'd be better switching to gardening!
I've had a go a two outside framed locos and made a mess of both chassis, the third one planned was also intended to have inside motion - now I know what I have to aim for!

I'm curious - what is the width over the crank pin nuts? My two attempts were both out of gauge.

I believe you are making a stunning model of a delightful prototype and I'm thoroughly enjoying reading about, and now watching, it.

[jim s-w]

There's still a bit of work to do on the Kirtley - add a crew and the weather sheet, some coal and the wet weather effect but its pretty much done. Below are a few pictures.







I have been doing a few wagons as an aside to the soldering iron.


Another lowfit from Red Panda. This one has a Parkside chassis and buffers from my supply. I don't know who made them or what type they are but they matched some of the pictures on Paul Bartletts wagon site Thanks to my friend Brendan for the lowfit transfers.


The Dapol lowmac kit. Reworked with Lanarkshire models buffers, archers rivets and new axleboxes from the spares box. The brake lever is an etch and the ratchetey looking guide is from a piercing saw blade. This wagon is really too long to be rigid and there's not a lot of room for any sort of springing or compensation units so the solution here (which I remember from a P4 society digest sheet years ago) is to file the bearings into a slot and use a bit of scrap etch in the centre of the axle to allow it to rock.

[Le Corbusier]

There's still a bit of work to do on the Kirtley - add a crew and the weather sheet, some coal and the wet weather effect but its pretty much done. Below are a few pictures.

Jim ...to my eye it looks fantastic .... all it needs now is full Crimson Lake livery

Is it possible to see the working inside motion?

Tim

[jim s-w]

Thanks tim

You can see movement between the first 2 axles yes.

Jim

[Armchair Modeller]

The job you have done on the Kirtley is really inspirational. Great job

[Philip Hall]

A lovely job, Jim. I do like the colour and the fact that it's not dead matt, something that to me takes a little bit of life from a model. I look forward to seeing the wet effect.

I doubt I shall ever revisit the earlier Kirtley, but if I did, I would have to go some to match your engine. Congratulations.

Philip

[garethashenden]

Do you have a picture of the bearing slots on the lowmak?

[Colin Parks]

Hi Jim,

Like the Lowmac. Those old mouldings scrub up well with a little judicious fettling and thinning of edges. Did you deepen the side frame below the brake lever pivot point? It looks as though you might have. It just awaits the obligatory JCB as a load now!

Colin

[jim s-w]

Thanks all

I did take a pic of the underside of the lowmac but it was blurred (one day I'll learn to take 2 of everything!) I'll take another one.

I did deepen the sideframe Colin, well spotted

Jim

[Philip Hall]

My solution for a rocking axle on low slung vehicles (well it has worked on Cambrian GW sleeper and machinery wagons) has been to use a MJT inside bearing rocking unit, but breaking off the bearing carriers at the half etch mark and taking as much as I can off the carrier at the bottom and soldering it back on to the base. This gives a millimetre or two extra clearance. It's not necessary to get both sides of the carrier an equal height as the axle will still sit level on the track.

Philip

[Phil O]

Jim,

I have seen a weather sheet modelled, but unfortunately, I can't remember any details.

Phil

[Penrhos1920]

The Dapol lowmac kit. Reworked with Lanarkshire models buffers, archers rivets and new axleboxes from the spares box. The brake lever is an etch and the ratchetey looking guide is from a piercing saw blade. This wagon is really too long to be rigid and there's not a lot of room for any sort of springing or compensation units so the solution here (which I remember from a P4 society digest sheet years ago) is to file the bearings into a slot and use a bit of scrap etch in the centre of the axle to allow it to rock.

Oh the wind must have changed direction. Over on another thread you send it is perfectly acceptable to run rigid long wheelbase wagons in P4. Or has something happened??

[jim s-w]

I've said many times "Anything bigger than a grampus is my rule. Smaller doesn't need it." For RTR you can go bigger and there's 2 rakes of rigid HEAs happily running on Calcutta sidings. If it the thread I'm thinking of the discussion was about modern diesels wasn't it? Like I said over there, just because you can't get it to work doesn't mean it's a myth.

Has something happened is a very valid question, I don't recall you being this miserable in the past. What has happened?

Cheers

Jim

[dal-t]

Jim,

I'm surprised no-one has offered you better advice on the weathersheet yet. I've modelled them in the past, since most pre-Grouping designs that survived to Grouping or Nationalisation had acquired them, but I've always gone for the easy option of rolled up on the half-roof. As they were usually only deployed when running in reverse that worked fine for me, but obviously for your 'rainy day' scenario you want it extended. I know somewhere in my reference material there's a couple of photos showing spread out sheets, but quick searches of my library have failed to find them (more extensive searches are a bit difficult at the moment, the house is currently controlled by a new puppy!). Best suggestion I can make is if you have any 'Railways in Wartime' books, check them for shots of blackout sheets. Some were a bit more elaborate than the original weathersheets, particularly in having side-wings to make the blackout complete, but they will give a good idea of the fixings on the cab roof, ties to the tender or rear plate, and how the tarpaulin draped (usually pretty loose). HTH.

David

[jim s-w]

Thanks David

I've got a colour book (can't recall the title at the mo) that shows quite a few pictures of them (in stored position) they seem to be a cool grey colour. Good idea on the blackout screens, I'll have a look.

Jim

[Noel]

I don't know, but suspect that, given the technology available at the time, they were made the same way as wagon sheets. These were canvas, weather proofed with a mixture of boiled linseed oil and carbon black, so were virtually black when new, but subject to dirt and possibly some fading after being in use for a while.

[PeteT]

Jim,

I have seen a weather sheet modelled, but unfortunately, I can't remember any details.

Phil

Gerry Beale has done them, which from memory he said was done with 0.4mm pewter sheet (though at a glance I could only see 0.1mm or 0.6mm on ebay). This was modelled rolled up on the roof rather than in use, but the pewter is malleable and definitely looks the part as Gerry has done it.

[Will L]

If you want to model the weather sheet in position between loco and tender, the problem, surely, is going to be to find something flexible enough not to interfere with the movement between the two and yet hang anything like the prototype. Could be tricky, I wish you luck with that. (You could try a bit of fine surgical latex glove, but you'd have to replace it quite often)?

[David Knight]

FWIW, I remember reading on one forum or another that Gore-Tex has the virtue of being very thin and flexible. If you can find a garment that is past its prime it might be worth a try.

HTH

David