Elmham Market in EM

James Spooner

Western Thunderer
Back home and back to the workbench. Regular downpours and frequent thunderstorms today have provided the impetus I needed to spend some more time progressing the High Level Lo-rider. I have finished soldering the main parts so cleaned them up and gave them a coat of primer. I have then been trying to figure out the gears, bushes and spacers required for each end and get them prepared and set up for assembly when the priming and painting is finished.

It seems to be a case of gently does it. The instructions are very comprehensive but cater mostly for modellers wishing to convert a Lima or Hornby motor bogie so there are large elements that I am choosing to ignore, whilst at the same time not missing something important! That is slowing my progress but I would rather think twice and cut once…

Nigel

IMG_1650.jpeg
 

James Spooner

Western Thunderer
I’ve been in town today for a series of board meetings and the last couple of days have been largely taken up going through board papers so modelling has again taken a back seat. I have squeezed some in though and the Lo-rider has had both primer and a spray coat of matt black paint. Assembly also slowly continues…

Nigel

IMG_1654.jpeg
 

James Spooner

Western Thunderer
Modelling progress continues to be slow as other things get in the way. Last weekend was a jaunt to see friends and join a summer party on the Severn Valley Railway. On Sunday evening the memsahib slipped and fell, breaking her wrist resulting in a trip to A&E (thank heavens for the NHS at times like that!) and an arm in a sling and plaster.

This evening she was safely ensconced on the sofa watching a film so I managed to get the Lo-rider to a place where the wheels turned happily when current was applied to the motor. Success!

Next steps are to create a mounting for the bogie to attach to the underframe, then work out a way to fit the cosmetic frames and couplings…

Nigel

IMG_1662.jpegIMG_1670.jpegIMG_1666.jpegIMG_1682.jpegIMG_1736.jpeg
 

Dave Holt

Western Thunderer
Nice photos, Nigel. Paula and i called in at the SVR on Sunday and had a ride from Bridgnorth to Kidder and back behind 13268, so there's a good chance we're onboard when you took that shot of it leaving Bridgnorth. You obviously know the right people to get round the shed/works like that.
Good to see you've got the Lowrider working.
Dave.
 

James Spooner

Western Thunderer
Nice photos, Nigel. Paula and i called in at the SVR on Sunday and had a ride from Bridgnorth to Kidder and back behind 13268, so there's a good chance we're onboard when you took that shot of it leaving Bridgnorth. You obviously know the right people to get round the shed/works like that.
Good to see you've got the Lowrider working.
Dave.
Thanks Dave. Actually we were there on the Saturday as a part of a pre arranged club party (including lunch in the Engine House at Highley) and the package included a tour around the works.

Nigel
 

James Spooner

Western Thunderer
In between nursing duties I have been plodding along with finishing the Lo-rider (pickups duly fitted over the weekend) and then the conversion of the Bachmann underframe to accept this new form of propulsion.

The Lo-rider ran quite roughly to start with but I think that was due to not having shortened the armature pole sufficiently at one end and it snagging with the bolt providing the compensation pivot. Gentle filing down of the pole combined with some plasticard sheet packing in the mount seems to have cured the problem.

The Bachmann underframe surgery is ongoing. I have reused the screws and holes designed to hold the mazak motor mount in place to bolt a couple of angle brass strips instead. My current plan is to measure, cut and solder some more brass section to provide an arch under which another brass arch (soldered to frames on the Lo-rider) will sit. Drill a hole through both and loosely add anbolt in place to act as a pivot and I should have a mounted bogie.

Before that, though, I have to carve lumps out of the mazak base as the Lo-rider is longer than its Bachmann predecessor. This is no doubt due to the Bachmann bogie not having to hold a motor, which was instead blocking over a third of the inside of the DMBS.

Nigel

IMG_1779.jpeg
 

James Spooner

Western Thunderer
Well that was less painful than I had feared! The Dremel didn’t work very well but the piercing saw cut through it like butter. It might still need a bit more trimming but the Lo-rider now sits quite nicely in place.

That’s probably it for this evening as nursing and cooking duties take over…

Nigel

IMG_1780.jpeg
 
Top