Nonneminstre Models Hibberd 'Planet'

Another old build, this time from sometime in the early nineties.

It's a whitemetal kit of a Hibberd Planet, and is designed to sit on a Tenshodo 'spud' motor bogie.

It was quite a nice kit to build, but the body castings did need to be filed down as they were a tad oversize. I used 5 minute epoxy to hold it all together. I converted the chassis to EM using Romford 12mm 3 hole disc wheels.

Handrails were included, as were the three link couplings, and the brake gear was cleverly cast in one piece which simplified the build somewhat.

There is some interior detail, a brake stand and fuel tank. I thinned down the castings around the open part of the doorframes, to give the appearance of sheet metal. Windows were cut from thin clear material, from a sheet which I think I'm still using. Front and rear windows were made in two pieces as the prototype had sliding windows.

This model once fell from a layout onto the floor at an exhibition, damaging the cab and body sides. The club that I belonged to and organised the show offered to pay for a replacement kit, so I contacted Peter at Nonneminstre to order it and told him the reason why and he sent me some replacement parts as well as a new kit. I managed to fix the body without any sign that it had been dropped and the second kit is still unbuilt. I'd like to build it one day, on a scratchbuilt chassis.

The finish is Humbrol black enamel, hand painted, with a dusting of Carrs powders.

Not bad for an early effort.

Paul.

Big-Big Ruston - battery change

I've mentioned previously how I fitted a double AA battery box into my Tri-ang Ruston. It works well enough, but three volts means that the loco runs a little too fast for my liking. So, I've soldered two crocodile clips onto a single C holder to take its place;

Originally the loco was designed for 4 x C cells, two pairs in series and both pairs in parallel, giving 3 volts and quite a generous run time, but modern C cells are larger than they were when this loco was designed and they don't quite fit. However, I don't need a long run time and 1.5 volts slows things down and gives me more control. And, I can always swap back to the double AA holder if I feel that way inclined.

Here's the loco with a trio of tippers, on a temporary line between the sad strawberries and the woodstore;

The track is plastic Faller Playtrain stuff, dirt cheap and durable. It has to be said, knuckle couplings are rubbish when propelling through curves on uneven track! 

Paul.

Mamod steam loco - dismantling the chassis

As I'm going to convert this loco from 45mm gauge to 32mm, and as the chassis is quite mucky I decided to strip it completely apart.

The first step was to remove the rear buffer (drag) beam, held in place with two screws, followed by the central frame spacer;

The coupling rods are held in place with C clips, easily removed and then replaced on the crankpins so that I don't lose them.

Springing the frame sides together allowed me to remove the wheelsets;

The cylinders and forward/reverse valve could then be unscrewed;

Note the paxolin(?) spacers, used to set the cylinders further out to suit the wider gauge. Also note that one side has three spacers and the other 4. The joys of secondhand steam!

The mating faces between the cylinders and their port blocks look to be in good condition, so hopefully will need only minimal lapping;

And the same can be said for the forward/reverse valve block;

The loco has now been reduced to a kit of parts, helped by the fact that this model started out as a kit rather than a ready built loco. I can now sit back and assess what I need to do and what I want to upgrade. A new 32mm gauge wheelset will be needed, along with various seals and fittings. All of this might take a while to sort, but then, as I said at the start, this will most likely be a long term project so don't expect quick progress!

Paul.

Mamod steam loco - removing the bodywork and boiler

Undoing the two screws under the cab, and the buffers if fitted, allows the body to be lifted off the frames;

Again I've replaced the screws back into the frames so I don't lose them;

The boiler can then be slid back out of the body;

Disassembling the body is straightforward. By removing two screws in the cab frontsheet which sit either side of the boiler back plate the combustion chamber, which sits around the boiler, can be dropped out. Four more screws, two per side, hold the cab sides to the cab front aided by the handrails which also need to be removed;

I haven't mentioned the cab roof, simply because mine has already been unbolted, but it's just held in place with four screws. All parts are steel and cleaned up well just with handsoap and an old toothbrush.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Looking back, I think it would have been easier to remove the smokebox and body together rather than separately by undoing the two screws that sit behind the cylinders and screw into the smokebox casting, and the two that sit under the cab and attach the cab to the frames. Ho hum.

The next job will be to strip down the frames.

Paul.

Mamod steam loco - removing the smokebox

I decided to start with this project by removing the smokebox casting and straightening the buffer beam (it's all cast in one piece).

I don't have any instructions for this, so I'm working things out as I go along.

To remove the casting I first removed two self-tapping screws either side of the smokebox. I then removed two 6BA screws that connect the casting to the frames, these sit behind the cylinders. I then wriggled the casting from boiler (a tight fit) and the loco front;

Showing the damage;

Removing the coupling hook releases the red buffer beam overlay.

I used an adjustable spanner to gently straighten the buffer beam. It's far from perfect, but good enough for now;

The front end appears to be cast in Mazak or some similar pot metal, and is fairly pliable although I wouldn't want to bend things too far.

I plan to fit wooden buffer beams, which will help disguise the damage. Replacement castings are available should I wish to go down that route.

I also cut off the coupling hook, which was also damaged;

Here's the front end, showing the reversing block and lever;

I'm replacing the fixing screws back into their respective holes where possible as I'm working, there's every chance that this loco will remain in pieces for some time and I don't want to lose any parts or forget where each screw fits.

The next job will be to remove and clean up the bodywork.

Paul.

Mamod steam loco - what have I bought now!?!

I've wanted a Mamod loco for many a year, and I've now scratched that itch.

I found this on eBay, I was looking for a slightly tatty reasonably cheap example as I want a loco that I'm not afraid to modify, if I had a nice example then I'd be a bit reluctant to mess. It came with the cab roof unbolted and the rear sheet, which just clips in place, loose. It was originally a kit built example, which makes my life a bit easier as the model is mostly bolted rather than riveted together.

It's 45mm gauge, but replacement 32mm gauge wheelsets are easy enough to come by, and even if they weren't then I do have a lathe;

Both sets of buffers are missing, and, slightly worryingly, the buffer beams are bent, the front one quite badly. Both 'beams are castings, and the front 'beam is part of the smokebox and chimney casting. The damage did show in the listing, but I somehow missed it;

I found that if I used a tapered plastic adaptor that came with a tyre pump screwed in place of the safety valve I could connect the loco to a track (bike) pump and spin the wheels and toot the whistle just using air;

It came with two solid fuel burners, but no fuel thankfully (solid fuel for these is now illegal in the UK). I may try some gel fuel in the short term.

The gauge glass could do with a clean;

And everywhere else a good dusting;

There's some damage to the right hand cab side, but nothing that can't be fixed;

And with the roof resting in place;

I know Mamods don't have the reputation as being the best runners, and can be a money pit, but getting one to run well is a part of the appeal, otherwise I'd just save up and buy something better. And anyway, Mamods have an appeal all of their own.

The first job will be to strip and clean it and assess the overall condition. I will be converting it to meths with a new burner and fitting a 32mm gauge wheelset. I have other plans, including wooden buffer beams with dumb buffers and a few upgrades, all to be done when time and, more importantly, money allow. I see this as a long term project, to be picked up when the mood takes, rather than a quick fix. And anyway, I have no suitable track to run it on at the moment.

Is this my daftest purchase yet?

Paul.

Two more harvest waggons

Another two harvest waggons have left the workbench, built pretty much the same as before, but using 5 spoke wheels (of the curly variety, from Binnie) and I've made them 66mm wide rather than the 64mm of the first pair, this was done purely to save cutting a lolly stick down by 2mm.

Again, I have no real use for them so I'll just use them for old string and oak leaves;

Four in a row, on a temporary line heading for the strawberry plants (sadly lacking fruit this year);

I do find these very satisfying to build, and I'd like to make some more, but common sense tells me that building waggons for a garden railway that will probably never exist (apart from the occasional oval on the concrete) would be foolish. But, don't they look good!

Paul.

Invicta Models RAF Calshot open wagon - minor detailing and primer

I decided to add some minor relief to the wagon in the form of raised rivets and bolt heads. This type of detail is represented on the wagon by laser cutting a line around where the rivet would be, a cheap and easy solution to the problem of adding raised detail to a flat laser cut kit. I decided to use styrene rod for the rivets/bolt heads, so the first step was to fill in the detail lines with a touch of filler. Then a short piece of rod could be glued where needed, not just on the body sides but also on the chassis and the brake lever axle;

I also cut some corner and end plates from .020" styrene, adding rivets to the end plates;

I next gave the wagon a few coats of Hycote grey auto primer;

This has helped the extra detailing blend in. I now need to rub the surface down ready for painting.

Paul.