Mr Grumpy

[Mr Grumpy]

The carcass of the cabin goes together perfectly and becomes a strong, sturdy unit. I went over the door plank joints to give them a slightly aged look, and as usual, I gave the body a very light sanding to help give a key for the glue for the outer skin hold. (Probably doesn't need it, it's just something I have always done)
The paint on the door will be distressed before I fit the door handle.
I'm going to crack on with priming my wagons and hopper while the sun is out, and will return to finish my cabin next week.

 

[Oz7mm]

What is the overall size of the coal hopper?

I emailed Dave Parkin a while back and he gave me some figures which suggested it would be far too large.

We would really like one on Love Lane

John

 

[richard carr]

I'm sure it would fit on Croscombe John.

Richard

 

[Mr Grumpy]

What is the overall size of the coal hopper?

I emailed Dave Parkin a while back and he gave me some figures which suggested it would be far too large.

We would really like one on Love Lane

John

I'm not home till this evening John, but will let you know later

 

[Mr Grumpy]

I like pannier tanks and had decided early on to build one for my Tetbury branch.
MOK offer a 6400, but this a slight modification, can be built up as a 7400.
I have photos of 7418 running on the Tetbury branch, and as I had already built my 1400 with autotrain gear, I didn't need another loco so fitted. Also, due to mostly running mixed passenger/ goods trains autotrain operation wasn't used on the line.
Chassis construction is very straightforward and it can be mostly put together with the slot and tabs with only the firebox, compensation beam, horn guides and motion bracket requiring soldering prior to checking all is square. I made the rocking compensating beam a little too tight on my 1400, leaving me with a bit of remedial work further into the build, so I made certain these work freely.

 

[Mr Grumpy]

What is the overall size of the coal hopper?

I emailed Dave Parkin a while back and he gave me some figures which suggested it would be far too large.

We would really like one on Love Lane

John

John:
Coal hopper dimensions:
H:155mm
W(Hopper): 105mm
W: support frame: 85mm
D (including loading stage):107mm
Hope that helps
Richard

 

[Mr Grumpy]

I gave the bearings a gentle rub over with 600 grit wet and dry and very lightly chamfered the shoulders, as on my previous loco, the bearings were very slightly tight, and I guess you are supposed to learn from your mistakes
Also, as a belt and braces precaution, I will solder up and prepare the coupling rods and chassis on my recently acquired Hobby Holidays chassis jig.

 

[Mr Grumpy]

I got the chassis and coupling rods soldered up. The jig was really useful when making up the coupling rods.
The slot and tab method MOK use is great for making up sub-assemblies and the slots and tabs are so precise, you just know everything is going to fit when you bring it all together. The down side is, there is a lot of tab removal and cleaning up following soldering on exposed surfaces.

 

[Mr Grumpy]

The chassis runs very nicely. I'm really pleased as this is the first time I have attempted jointed coupling rods.
This has been really useful, as I'm trying to gain more experience before building my 9f.

 

[SteveB]

Hi Richard

I agree that the slot and tabs whilst really good for construction can be a bit of a pain when it comes to removing them. Think how many there will be on your 9F!

I used to cut the tabs off with some end cutters, but that still leaves a fair amount to file off. Here’s a way you might try which leaves hardly anything to file off. Make sure you don’t use too much solder, so there’s not a large meniscus of solder around the tab. Then with some flat nose pliers, just twist the tab off. If you hold the pliers so they’re touching the plate then almost all of the tab comes off. There’s still a bit to file, but nowhere near as much compared to cutting them off.

You might be doing this already but just in case............................

Hope this helps

Regards

Steve

 

[SteadyRed]

Re the tabs on MOK kits I use a pair of Maun parallel jaw pliers & twist the tab of after soldering as @SteveB suggests above. Quick rub with a file & Job done.

Dave

 

[Mr Grumpy]

Thanks for the tips guys
I had a chat with Dave and he said much the same. I need to get a better quality pliers as mine don't grip fully square on.

 

[Mr Grumpy]

So, back to my little engine mans' cabin.
The carcass of the building was smeared with wood working glue and the outer corrugated skin then carefully applied. I took a lot of time over the roof to make sure it was level all round and stayed stuck firmly down. I packed out the sides to prevent the rubber bands damaging the edge of the roof.
The flue is made from brass tube.
The whole building was then given a coat of Dulux undercoat and left to dry.
After a couple of hours, the roof was painted mat black and the walls cream. The windows and door architraving were painted off the building.

 

[Mr Grumpy]

My cabin is finished. The windows and architraving fitted perfectly.
I wanted to get away from the cliche of rusted corrugated iron and just try for a finish that has weathered but been looked after. I have used several shades of cream for the walls, and I used a little green on the bottom of the door to represent a bit of damp creeping in.
The roof smells very nice as I mixed talc with green to make some lumpy moss, and I also added yellow for that stuff that tends to form on roofs.
This was a nice little building to put together and I would have been happy to have had the chance to try some more 'Tetbury' buildings if they had been available at the time.
I will need a couple of coal merchants buildings at some stage though

 

[Mr Grumpy]

just noticed the window frames had slipped, both are now sat snugly in place

 

[BrushType4]

Richard, You've done a nice job on that. want to paint another one?

 

[Mr Grumpy]

I like to make the brake gear removable. I drilled and tapped the brake hanger and brake shaft brackets 14BA to accept screws.
I then wrap the wheel treads with 3 layers of masking tape, push the brakes up hard and solder them solid. Fingers crossed, the brakes should not touch the wheels when it's all back together I done it this way on my 1400 and it worked perfectly.

 

[Mr Grumpy]

I'm going to have to be honest and say I can't explain how I got the motor in! Suffice to say, it's a very tight fit! However, once shoe horned in, it fits perfectly, and rocks and rolls with the rear axle
The gearbox is the ABC mini mounted to a Maxon motor. It seems a crime to have to take it out again, but I'm hoping to get the sand pipes on and if the weather holds, get the chassis primed.

 

[Mr Grumpy]

The chassis is ready for its coat of etch primer. Once the balance weights are on the wheels, they can be done too.

 

[Mr Grumpy]

I've managed to get my wagons, tower and loco frame primed during a wind free dry spell in the garden.
I wanted to get the wheels done too, but unfortunately the balance weights supplied are the wrong size to fit my smaller wheels on the 7400 :-( So I shall either get some etched or resort to making my own.







On the plus side, I have made a start on the footplate. This has been straightforward with the detailed etch fitting perfectly over the stronger footplate with folded hanging plates. The outside face of the splashers fold up and the rear faces are soldered on. I used my recently purchased GW rolling bars for the tops of the splashers and I was very pleased at how easy it was to use