2011 Kit Build - City Of Truro

[FZ6]

For my second build of the competition I'm going to have a go at Dapol's City of Truro Kit.

This one wont be on a scrap line as the Prairie I'm building is. I have purchased a Branchlines set for this model with a view to detailing and motorising it.

I ordered the Branchlines set yesterday and it arrived today, excellent service.

As you can see by the second photograph, the set may have cost over 10 times as much as the kit but you do get a lot of metal for your money. I also purchased a set of Modelmaster nameplates and at some point will need to source some decals.


Kit Contents


Branchlines Contents
I would like to model City of Truro as she would have been in 1904 after she acheived the much debated 100mph.

I have a bit of research to do as I know very little of GWR Locos.
The pic below on the Martin Finney website is a start.
http://website.lineone.net/~cbwesson/GWR%20City.htm

There's a lot of plastic to cut by the look of it. Especially between the frames to get the motor in. I'll also have to remove the sand boxes and maybe replace the Chimney and safety valve. I've heard that Truro had a shorter smokebox at this time periond so I need to work out if I need to shorten it at all. I've just ordered a book from Amazon so hopefully this will contain some useful information.

It's the first time I've had a go at building a running locomotive before so I hope all goes well. any advice would be appreciated.

[Skaran]

Looking forward to how you go with this. I have several Dapol City kits in storage with Branchlines chassis and chassis completion kits. From what it says in the Branchlines instructions the smokebox is too short for the superheated variety. For the period you mentioned if the boiler was not superheated it may be the right length but you will need to remove the superheater element on the side of the smokebox. Possibly the top feed would need to go as well. (Don't know when this was fitted, possibly at the same time she was superheated?)

[David Bigcheeseplant]

There are quite a few differences between as built and how the kit is and the loco as preserved, top of my head these are.
Cast iron chimney not copper capped
no top feed on saftey valve
no plating on outside frames
different type of front bogie
no sandboxes on splashers

David

[FZ6]

Thanks for the info so far. The Branchlines Instructions contain a lot of information which I’m slowly digesting. Looks like I may be ok with the smoke box length.

The update set only comes with the top feed safety valve so I will have to either fill in the slot for the pipe work or source a replacement.

Would a cast iron chimney be the same shape as a copper clad one? I’m just trying to work out if I can get away with sanding off the lip at the top of the chimney and filling in the engraved detail.

What are the differences between the original bogie and the kit bogie? This is something I’d not noticed.

[David Bigcheeseplant]

The cast iron chimney is tapered (see the Martin Finney model)

The frames don't have strenghing plates around the axleboxes or a host of rivets,

The original bogie is a Dean design supported with scroll irons while the current bogie is a DeGlenn type with a central pivot.

As built CoT had slide valves rather than piston values, The best thing would be to study the Martin Finney model, also the whisles changed sides the smaller one was on the right now its in the left.

David

[siquelme]

Good choice in Locomotive and livery I do love

Good luck with the project

[AlanBrady]

I'd love to do something similar, so I'll be watching this with interest. Can I ask the stupid question. Where did you get the Branchlines set from. I did google the obvious but I just couldn't find anything that resembled what you posted. Can you point me in the right direction please.
Thanks,
Alan.

[FZ6]

Alan,

I ordered the set direct from Branchlines the info is here http://branchlines.blogspot.com/

It's a bit out of date but if you either email or telephone them you get a quick response and they are really helpful.

Thanks for the tips so far david.

The kit comes with two options for mounting the Bogie. You can attach so it pivots on a screw in the centre as in the kit or it can be mouted on a swing arm that attaches to mounting plate on the front of the chassis. I don't know if this is enough or I would have to make other changes. When studying the 7mm Martin Finney model pic there doesn't seem to be a lot of differencebetween the two with the exception of the rivet detail. I can't find much on this on the web but have purchased the book "City of Truro": A Locomotive Legend for a penny on Amazon so hopefully it will yield some interesting information.

I think I'll be better off sourcing a new chimney than trying to add a taper to this one.

Fortunately once I've removed the strengthening plates on the sides of the frames at least I wont have to put the missing rivet detail back. I think the curve on the frame near the front step need altering as it is a bit too sharp.

I've been looking at paint and think I'm going to go with the Pheonix Precision paint as I've used them before and have had good results.

Can anyone recommend any lining decals?

I should make some progress this weekend all being well.

Mark

[FZ6]

I managed to make a start on Truro over the weekend. The two boiler halves were glued together and most of the detail was removed. I will be adding new boiler bands and handrails. The smokebox door has had a new hinge fitted and the door handles have been removed.

The sandboxes have also been removed from the splashers and just require cleaning up. Next job is to finish the clean up before cutting away the plastic between the frames.



after studying the Branchlines set, on e think I didn't take into account is I will have to split the bogie and tender wheels to fit them onto the frames. This is something I've not done before so any tips are welcome.

My book arrived today and has plenty of photographs of City Of Truro in her unmodified contition to work from.

[siquelme]

What book you using for reference?

[FZ6]

What book you using for reference?

The book is called "City of Truro": A Locomotive Legend by Nigel Harris

It was Penny plus postage well spent from Amazon.

[siquelme]

How is Truro going?

[FZ6]

How is Truro going?

City of Truro is coming along slowly as I've not had much modelling time recently. Still need to get it added to the entries list too.
I made a start on the tender chassis. My thinking was that if I can get this set up and run ok it would be a good start and less tricky to set up than the loco chassis. I folded the frame and added fillets of solder down the fold line to strengthen it. I also soldered the bearings in place. Unfortunately some solder ran inside one of the centre bearings so the wheel doesn't turn as freely as it should. I've also tested it on some Hornby track I have and it struggles to negotiate curves so some adjustment is necessary. I'm used to working with photo etch for military modelling and this is much thinner than the loco parts. I used a piercing saw to remove the parts from the frets.

I've assembled the plastic tender which proved a little tricky to fit together but fitted reasonably well. I've cut the plastic coal out with the intention of replacing it with real coal I've made a flat rear and base and have to make up the sides next. I'm guessing the interior of the tender should have a ramp but i'm yet to determine the angle of this as I haven't found an reference photographs yet.



Work continues in cleaning up the boiler. In this shot you can see the brass bits on the smokebox door as well as where i have had to apply filler. I've also cut out the required section of the underside of the boiler to accept the motor. I've managed to track down the correct safety valve and cast iron chimney on Martin Finneys website so it's now a case of ordering them oh and some paint too...

[siquelme]

Looks like your doing a great project looking forward to seeing this and your Praire when they are finished

[ChrisPSR]

Hi does any body know whether the Comet, D49, 4-4-0 2P chassis will fit or can it be adjusted "cut and.........like", to the Dapol City of Truro.

Comet offer the same standard of running gear in a very similar format to the Branchlines chassis and wheel set but at a considerably reduced cost.

ChrisPSR