B1 - 61161

[Dave Holt]

The front end of the tender body is now complete, with the addition of the detailing parts.

At the rear, only yhr lamp irons remain to be done. This loco had irons to accommodate electric lights, which were never fitted. The kit provides for these as two small etches to be soldered together before fitting to the body. I think the chances pf achieving the latter without the two parts becoming dislodged is small, so I will glue them in place.
The plan is to make the initial attachment from the outside with cyno and then apply epoxy to the lamp iron tails which protrude through to the inside of the body to retain them properly.
Dave.

 

[65179]

This loco did receive electric lighting. Just not for very long. This Vulcan Foundry batch received lamps powered by a Metropolitan-Vickers bogie axle-mounted generator. Here it is fitted to sister 61162 (note conduit to the top smokebox lamp on opposite side to that for the Stones generator powered version):

https://flic.kr/p/9ro2Hj

David Ford collection Flickr image

The generators are said to have had a tendency to come adrift. The generators were removed c.1950 with the lamps going in due course. Locos that had recently lost the generator may be seen in photos either with a stub axle where it was fitted or with a hole in the axle end where the stub was formerly fitted.

Sorry for the diversion. All a bit early for your model 61161!

Simon

 

[Dave Holt]

The rear end of the tender body has been completed with the fitting of the lamp brackets. I did try to solder thaes on but couldn't get a good enough contact for the tip of the iron between the bracket and the extended foot plate to get a sound joint, so I reverted to my original plan for gluing. First using cyno to hold position and then epoxy on the inside, where the tails of the locating tags protruded through. Probably not as strong as a good soldered joint, but should withstand painting and normal handling.
The rear buffer beam has been attached (to the chassis), complete with buffer stocks and coupling hook.

Can't fit the front beam yet because I'm waiting for a half-etched packing plate to fit behind it. I failed to check the length of the lower foot plate layer against the chassis lenght before laminating the footplate (it's in the instructions!) so, now, at the front, the rebate at the front of the footplate protrudes very slightly beyond the frames. Hence the need for a packer. Doh!
Dave.

 

[Dave Holt]

Actual progress on the tender has slowed over the weekend as I've been turning my thiughtd ti the loco external sand boxes and platform support brackes each side of them.
Despite the distraction, I have managed to fit the inner frame/brake hanger units, the scoop and its operating shaft and bracket and the water feed pipes from the sump to their support brackets.

Regarding the loco sand boxes and brackets, these are part of the plastic body moulding and don't look very good, especially when compared with the 3D rendition that Mickoo posted recently in his Finney7 B1 update. This made me think of creating some etched brackets and printed sand boxes. There's rather a lack of decent ptototype information available to me but Dave Bradwell and Mickoo have both very kindly supplied me with some drawing extracts and close-up photos of the relevant bits. From known dimensions and some scaling from drawings and photos (naughty I know), I think I've come up with something very much better than the original model, even if it's not dead accurate. Interestingly, when checking the position of the filller pipe holes in the Bachmann footplate, I discovered that the support brackets on the two side are nearly a millimetre different. How's that for tool making?
Dave.

 

[Dave Holt]

Some further details have been added to the tender chassis. Here, an axle is being tried in place to determin any need for packing washers under the pin-point bearings to remove end float. The lower chassis cross beams are just loosely placed to ensure the frames aren't bowed in.

I may have created a problem by fitting the brake shaft across the front before inserting the wheel sets. Time will tell.
Dave.

 

[Dave Holt]

Trying to get back into some practicle modelling following a break for six weeks of intensive radiotherapy for throat cancer which has made it quite difficult to focus and concentrate on anything at all taxing for some weeks. On the road to recovery now, hopefully.
So, thoughts have turned to finishing off the B1 by using the latest additional bits from Rumney Models. including cab internal parts and replacement footplate support brackets and sand boxes.
I recently re-read Tim Shackleton's book on plastic bodied locos in which he upgrades a B1 using the Dave Bradwell chassis to see how his version compares with mine. The one thing he did, which I hadn't inteneded to do, was remove the moulded plastic floor from the cab, arguing that it is far too thick and affected the alignment with the front of the tender.
This caused me to reconsider this aspect and so a fold-up etched replacement floor was sketched up. The reduced foor thickness means that packers will be needed under the tool locker and seats already printed, but that's straight forward enough.
Here's progress so far, with the floor folded up and the existing cab floor removed except for a narrow strip at the rear that holds the sides at the correct spacing and clips into the foot plate moulding. It will be removed once the cab is glued in place.

The replacement platform support brackets have bee assembled and await the printed sand boxes. The speedometer mounting bracket has also been made up.

Dave.

 

[P A D]

Hi Dave,
Sorry to hear about the cancer and best wishes for a full recovery.
Cheers,
Peter

 

[James Spooner]

Hi Dave,

Very sorry to hear about the throat cancer and I do hope the treatment is fully effective. Your work on the B1 cab is excellent and I look forward to seeing the finished product.

best

Nigel

 

[Dave Holt]

Thanks Peter and Nigel.
Mmm. The cab floor has proved to be a bit of a curates egg. It fits quite nicely inside the cab and on the foot plate but, unfortunately, I failed to allow for the intrusion of the chassis main frames into the cab floor area, So, a revised design had been sent off and this part of the project will have to wait the replacement parts.
Perhaps the foot plate supports insted?
Dave.

 

[AJC]

Sorry to hear about your throat cancer, I hope the treatment is effective and not too unpleasant. Glad that you’re able to concentrate enough to progress the B1, lovely work.

Adam

 

[45609]

Hi Dave, sorry to hear about your health issues. Wishing you all the best for a speedy recovery.

I’m glad to see you’re back at the workbench on the B1. Your mention of Tim’s B1 build in the plastic bodied locos book made me pull it off the shelf and reread it. It also left me wondering what Tim is up to these days. I haven’t seen or heard of him for years.

Cheers…Morgan

 

[AJC]

Hi Dave, sorry to hear about your health issues. Wishing you all the best for a speedy recovery.

I’m glad to see you’re back at the workbench on the B1. Your mention of Tim’s B1 build in the plastic bodied locos book made me pull it off the shelf and reread it. It also left me wondering what Tim is up to these days. I haven’t seen or heard of him for years.

Cheers…Morgan

There’s a little aside from Tim Shackleton in the latest EM Gauge ‘70s update (and he’s a regular in Hornby Magazine), but aside from that…

Adam

 

[dibateg]

Sorry to hear about your health Dave - best wishes for a quick recovery.

As ever - remarkable work on the B1!
Regards
Tony

 

[Dave Holt]

Thanks for all the kind comments regarding both my recovery and the B1.

Inspired by a 3D render for the Finney7 BI posted on WT by Mickoo, and blatently copied, I had some detailing etched parts created by Rumney Models, to represent the spring loaded ashpan gubbins fitted to the RHS of the loco. I'm not entirely sure if it was still in situ at the period being modelled, but the loco has it now, regardless!
There is an operating rod attached to the upper end of the lever, but as this passes through an opening the the platform support bracket, it can't be fitted till the latter is in place.
Dave.

 

[barrowroad]

Sorry to hear about your throat cancer and treatment Dave, I hope everything went well and wish you a speedy recovery.

Cheers,

Robin

 

[Dave Holt]

Thanks, Robin.

After putting it off for ages, I've finally fixed the cab in place (Loctite 480) and cut out the remaining bracing strut from the original cab floor. This has enabled a trial fit of the (now superceded) etched cab floor to check that I had pared away sufficient of the boiler to accommodate the splashers. All OK. Indeed, I'm going to add some plastic filler pieces to plug up the gaps.
Here's the etched floor in place, with a broken reverser casting loosely placed, again to check it will clear the boiler.

I've plugged the oversize hand rail stanchion holes and some holes in the footplate using Vallejo Plastic Putty. Not sure this was a good idea as it seams very reluctant to dry and being acrylic. may not have bonded to the plastic moulding very well. We'll see.

Once the cab joint is cured, I can reassemble the body to the frames ans fix the platform support brackets to the chassis. They're positioned by means of the sand box filler pipes locating in holes in the footplate.

Dave.

 

[Daddyman]

Dave, I've tended to plug the Bachmann handrail holes with oversize square plastic rod doused in EMA Plastic Weld or similar, then forcing it into the hole. The solvent helps ease the rod in and ensures a snug fit.

 

[ullypug]

Sorry to hear about your throat cancer Dave. Wishing you a speedy recovery and solace at the modelling bench. Take care.

 

[Mike Garwood]

Terribly sorry to hear of your health woes, wishing you a full and speedy recovery.

Mike

 

[PeteT]

Sorry to hear what you've been through Dave, but glad you are on the mend and back at the workbench. Hopefully you can make it back to the top left corner before long.

Inspiring work as always on the B1!