Edgware GN, New loco's

[35011 GSN]

wow I'm looking forward to hear more about this little project. looking good

[manna]

G'Day Gents

Well this has been a nice little exercise and turned a cheap 5 pound loco, into something that looks pretty reasonable, all that is left to do is glaze the cab windows and make up some fire irons.

I cut off the middle steps and built a sand box to go in it's place then added a brass set of steps to go over it, I haven't done anything with the chassis, except paint it, but one of these days I'll build a proper scratchbuilt chassis for it, probably next year, so for the moment enjoy

manna

[35011 GSN]

thats turned out really well, very impressive

[Dragonfly]

Wow. I'd never been a fan of Lima's J50 (despite being a fan of J50s in general), as I thought the model looked too "toyish", but what you've done here is just amazing. Nice work! =)

[nickbrad]

You've done some amazing work, is there any chance you could show/explain how you made the cowcatchers for the shunter. They look brilliant and I'd like to do the same to the Bachmann "Charlie" I have.

[manna]

G'Day Gents

Thank you for the comments guys, glad you like them.

nickbrad, the cow catchers are quite easy, but fiddly, sorry can't show you, I've reached my attachment limit ? but this is how I made mine, take a piece of 2'x1' and using a square mark two holes, in my case 32mm apart (engine width) yours may be a tad narrower or wider, then 10 mill up mark two more, so you have a rectangle of holes, now drill out the holes 5mm deep, now cut a piece of thin brass wire (nice and straight) 42 mm long bend at right angles the wire 5mm in at each end so you have a wide U shape that fits into the 32mm wide holes, now take another piece of Brass wire and cut it 52 mm long and bend that 10 mm in from each end, so that you have, again a wide U shape with, longer ends, insert into the remaining holes, you should now have two bits of brass wire, 10 mm apart, with one almost on the wood and the other 5mm above the wood.

The next part involves the soldering iron, tin the two rails, and taking another long piece of brass wire, tin the top 10 or 11 mm, then solder to the two pieces of wire held in the wood, if you've got a picture of the cowcatcher it will help you work out how it goes together, after the first bits been soldered on, just snip it off and do it again, and again and again, it gets a bit awkward at the corners, as the bars are touching, but keep going, you'll get there, good luck.

After you've finished all that .....Twice, one for each end, you can use the ends, that were in the wood as holding pins, IE. drill four holes in the loco body, push the four pins through the holes, bend and glue, Bingo, cowcatchers !!

Just keep referring to pictures, and you won't go wrong.

manna

[nickbrad]

Thanks for that, like you said, a fiddly job, but I shall give it a go nonetheless.

[manna]

G'Day Gents

To save myself going stir crazy waiting for the paint etc to dry on the J50 I started a new project that has been kicking around for about 20 years I started to put a K's J3 together, in the early 90's but stopped because I did'nt like the wheels that was supplied with the kit, ( they had a D shaped axle ) and they wobbled, so into the box it went, well now it's time to dust it down and try again, I had already bought some 'Romford' wheels (1992) so I bought some axles and cranky things from 'Mainly Trains'

As I had already half built the J3, and actually had it running, it was a case of 'unbuilding' it, I wanted to keep the motor and gearbox, but had to modify the axle for the gear wheel, I ground down the 'Romford' axle until it fitted the gear wheel, then fitting the 'Romfords'

With everything fitted to the chassis, it was time to turn to the body. There was a large-ish gap under the firebox and between the wheel splashers, this I filled with car body filler, and then filed down to make a tightish fit, the roof was also dealt with at the same time and rubbed back until a smooth fit was achieved, the boiler was then attached to the running plate and cab, I then tackled the hand rails, see that the hand rail holes were all over the place I had to drill new ones ( I haven't filled the old ones in yet) which is were I'm up to at the moment, see what you think

manna

[manna]

G'Day Gents

A small update, the J3 is almost finished, and everything is working well, except the the cranks hit on the underside of the body, so I'll be spending a few boring days grinding out the excess metal, but other than that a lot of fun and gives me another loco that worked on the Edgware branch in real life

manna

[Ex-Pat]

J3's looking great - remind me again please, what's the secret in actually getting oneself to start those kits that have been around for so long! (My Jameson A3 (probably 40 years in the box) will never get built because of the advent of the RTR Hornby model, and I'm so afraid that if I make some 3 other kits then RTR models will be announced a few months later!)

[manna]

G'Day Gents

I think there's a couple of reasons for starting a kit, or getting up the courage ? to start a kit, which is probably the main one (or the fear of failure, even bigger !)

1. I want to have a loco the worked on this particular route. And I cannot buy it off the shelf.

2. I have itchy fingers, and want to build something.

3.I can at the end, say I built that, even if it isn't perfect. Forget the RTR

Believe it or not, this J3 is only the second loco kit I have ever built, the first kit was a Wills K3, back in 1970 !!!

One of the reasons that I picked Edgware to model, there's very little, ready to plant, buildings etc I d have to build most of it myself, it's Different, otherwise every layout, will look the same, my next loco for a rebuild will be a GNR 2-8-0,( O1, later O3 ) you can't buy one of those, anywhere, there's no kit, but I wanted one for a layout, so it was a case of, build it or go without, I built it, so 'Ex Pat' your lucky, you have the kits, there right in front of you.........which one do you want to see running first.......... (pick the one you that's fairly easy) good luck.

manna

[manna]

G'Day Gents

Another day another project, this time as mentioned before I'll be rebuilding/repairing my Gresley O1 2-8-0, I built this loco about 25 years ago, but it's been in storage for about 15 years and has slowly fell apart, so it's nothing drastic, just put it back together again, and if I can source a new chimney and done, I'll replace them as well.

The body is scale length, but because I used a 'Gem' 0-8-0 chassis, it's a bit short, but doe's help, because some of my curves are a bit tight.

manna

[manna]

G'Day Gents, and a very Merry Christmas to all

Been a while since my last update, the O1 is still progressing but it's not finished yet, on the back burner for the moment, I managed to buy a LNER push pull coach, and seeing that they were used in the area, well I had to have it didn't I, so then it was a case of I'd better finish off a LNER all third, to run with it, then it was a case of, I'll need a C12 to work it , well I found one on E-Bay, but in BR livery, that's going to need a repaint in the new year, while I was finishing off the all third I thought to my self I might as well get on with the LNER Artic Twin, all third that's been sitting in my to do box for twenty odd years, so out it came, it's about half done, should be finished in the few weeks as I'm on holiday again, Oh! almost finished a class 46, in green, was a old Mainline 45, with marker lights, so it had to be back dated a good few years, piccy time

[ceejaydee]

Some 'proper' projects going on there and it is good to see that people are still making use of the older kits rather than relying on RTR stock.
Finishing off abandoned projects is a skill that I could do with honing
I do like your J3 - the loco has a very pleasing shape.

[manna]

G'Day Gents

I like that J3 to, a nice 'chunky' loco, I have a spare chassis so I'm going to make another one, they were fairly common around Edgware, in the 30's, I've priced up Gresleys suburban coaches as kits and they work out at only 13 pounds each plus wheels, which to me is very good value, I also get to make them so more will be on there way here shortly.

manna