Building NSWGR Railmotor 401

[Jim]

Aug 31, 2021 10:18:16 GMT Shawki Shlemon said:

Without this hobby I would have been in mental institution . workshop is my savior .

I couldn't agree more Shawki. I hope all is good with you, all is good here though I would love to get across to the club track but that simply isn't possible in the current situation, still it will get better I have no doubt.

Take care and stay safe Shawki,

Jim.

[Jim]

As the local lockdown and border restrictions ease things are nearing completion on the NSWRGR Railmotor project with both the number 1 and number 2 ends completed and work now starting on the roof along with its ventilators and extensive roof top radiator.

The first photo is a view of what on 401 was the No 1 end as seen from the driving trolley and showing the 6 pin connection for the motor controler.

The next photo shows the now completed No2 end minus the driver in the driver's compartment.

I decided to modify the headlight details to accommodate a working light which in reality is a small very bright LED torch.

 

This project has been a godsend during the prolonged lockdowns which thankfully look to be coming to an end as vaccination rates continue to rise.

I must say it is also a very easily moved and transported model which is anothe plus as age marches on.

Stay safe,

Jim

[Jim]

Over the last two days work has started on the very distinctive Railmotor's roof top radiator.

First the U shaped connections had to be bent up from brass rod and the connecting sleeves cut from suitable brass tube.

As the photo shows the trial fit is all in a very basic stage but with joint flanges made and fitted I think it will start to look the part..says he hopefully.

The second photo shows the actual radiator. Fitting the cooling pipes will call for a good supply of soothing ales I suspect but I do have a cunning plan which with patience should work. It may be a while before the next update though

The things you do during lockdowns to stay sane. Thank goodness the restrictions are now being eased.

Jim

[barlowworks]

Could it be that the cooling fins might be a job to have photo etched to get them all exactly the same. Just a thought.

Mike

[Jim]

Oct 31, 2021 20:25:27 GMT barlowworks said:

Could it be that the cooling fins might be a job to have photo etched to get them all exactly the same. Just a thought.

Mike

That's a very good option for plan B Mike. A fellow club memeber who has built a later version of the 400 series had the cooling fins laser cut.

Thanks for the suggestion Mike it's much appreciated.

Jim

[Jim]

Today I started on detailing the U shaped pipe connectors for the roof top radiator.

The bent up brass rod U's needed to be cleaned ready for tinning and soldering.

For those interested I use an easily prepared metal cleaning solution of 1/2 a cup of brown vinegar to which I mix in a teaspoon of salt.

After about 20 minutes in the vinegar salt mix the item is removed and wiped with a cloth to remove the oxidation and other muck to leave a nice clean item.

The first photo shows the U before cleaning in the vinegar and salt mix.

The second shows the U joiner cleaned and ready for tinning with solder.

Now to make and solder in place the flanges on the ends of the pipe unions.

Jim

[Jim]

Having survived Christmas, the grandchildren and Covid lockdowns I've managed to get back to the Railmotor's roof. I wasn't happy with the amount of support the roof coverning had so I've added more roof supports as can be seen in the latest photo. The two square uprights at the front of the roof will support the radiator pipes at the point where they terminate.

I should add that this project is not about creating a fine scale model of 401 but rather something to stop me going nuts while creating an easily transported power set for a senior cit to take to the club and tootle round on, a sort of model engineer's rail mobility scooter if you like.

Now I definitely need a soothing ale to settle my nerves.

All the very best for the New Year.

Jim

[Jim]

Things have been progressing slowly with the Railmotor but the roof is now completed with the next job being the very fiddly roof top

radiator.

One of the challenges I find with all these projects is finding a way to make things accessible without detracting from the model's scale appearance,  if that makes sense.

The photo shows 401 with the roof on and exhaust and ventilators in place. The radiator pipes are just sitting there at present to check the general layout.

For those curious about the roof colour I've been told it's called 'Navy Dressing' and is a mixture of putty and linseed oil and applied to create a water tight sealant.

Jim

[David]

Looking good, and interesting info about the cleaning solution.

I am looking forward to seeing how you do this next bit :)

[mugbuilder]

Great job Jim. That Brit looks a bit sad there, needs a good run

[Jim]

Thanks Barry and you are right the Brit does need a good run.

I need to eat up all my vegetables to get the energy levels up to load the Britannia into the Exxy and bring it over to Orange.

Jim

[Jim]

Spent some time arranging a trial set up of the rooftoop distribution pipes for the roof top radiator to check the alignments and spacings for when the cooling pipes go in.

One of the issues that will need a lot of thought is how it can all be assembled once completed, at this stage I have some ideas involving sliding sleeves over the crucial joints.

This task definitley calls for some soothing ales.

Jim

[mugbuilder]

Too many of those soothing ales and you could end up with a cockeyed job Jim. Better make it a nice cup of tea and a good sit down.
Barry

[Jim]

Good advice there Barry I shall try it.

I went out to the workshop this afternoon to check an idea I'd had and only lasted 5 minutes as it was 38C and that's too hot for this poor old codger.

Jim

[Jim]

Following Barry's sound advice I put the soothing ales to one side and with a deep breath started drilling the first of lots of holes to locate and hold the radiator's cooling fins.

To ensure all holes would line up I bound the two feeder tubes together with masking tape before setting them up in the mill drill. Once the correct spacing was established it was then a fairly straight forward if tedious task to drill both tubes at once.

Once the first panel was drilled the tubes were fitted and the task of threading and triming the plastic rod 'cooling fins' started.

To facilitate ease of assembly each panel is connected via a sliding brass tube, that way the tube can be slid clear of the joint and the panel then lifted out.

The photo shows the first cooling panel in place with some tidying up to be done once the holding glue has cured.

Jim

[Jim]

At last the cooling radiator on one side of the railmotor is finished.

With 132 holes for the fins drilled and the fins fitted thoughts have turned to how all this could be made easier. 3D printing sprang to mind but my son who has a 3D printer is away with his vintage 'Southern Aurora' coach set hauling happy campers round New South Wales, so that idea was shelved. A fellow club member had the radiator fins laser cut but I confess to being keen to get on with the job so waiting for the laser cutter to have a time slot for a small job wasn't an option either.

Along the way I've found that using black carbon fibre tube which came in metre lengths quickly turned to custard as it tends to splinter as the drill breaks through on the under side so I reverted to Evergreen's white plastic tube which works very well except for the fact that it's in short supply at the local hobby shop. Regular visits to the shop have paid off with me grabbing the latest restocking of 3 packets of rod.

It's all coming together at long last.

Jim.

[David]

Looking good :)

You're lucky you have a model shop. Ours closed years ago and we haven't had a K&S or evergreen etc stand since then. It's a bit painful.

[Jim]

Mar 21, 2022 7:03:12 GMT David said:

Looking good

You're lucky you have a model shop. Ours closed years ago and we haven't had a K&S or evergreen etc stand since then. It's a bit painful.

Thanks David,

We are lucky in that we have a Toy World store out in Fyshwick that has a good hobby section. Sadly the resupply of items such as Evergreen Plastics and K&S metals is a bit hit and miss due to issues beyond the store's control. They do have a very extensive range of paints for models along with plastic kits.
The dedicated hobby shops that once existed here are gone sadly and again I suspect supply issues along with a shift in interest from model railways and planes to electronic products may have had something to do with it.

Jim

[Jim]

Well at last the rooftop radiator on the railmotor is finished.

The next job now is to recheck the alignments of the various pipes and once that is done and the locating points marked the job of making the pipe supports can start, at present the feeder and return pipes are supported on blocks of balsa which of course is very easy to work with when needing a quick support for a long tube.

The first photo shows the 3/64" plastic rod that represents the cooling pipes being glued in place after being fed through the locating holes, amazingly the holes on the opposite side match. Only 30 more to go.

Finally with the last panel painted and in place the eight panels are now connected via sliding connecting tubes with small brass washers soldered on to represent the flanges used on the full size to secure to sections. Ive also used the tubes to hide the gaps that allow the sections of pipe to be adjusted to length.

The next task once every thing has been checked will be to place and glue the torpedo roof vents in place. Sadly during a trial pacement the predictable happened and one of the vents slid off to land on the floor, in the process breaking off a corner of the flat base plate.

Tomorrow I'll spend some time on my hands and knees with a torch to see if I can locate the missing bit. Given my age I'll probably need a rescue team to get me back up.

It's a great hobby isn't it?

Jim

[mugbuilder]

Brilliant but tedious job done there Jim. No need to go to Specks Savers for you.
Regards, Barry. PS, had a great NSW scale weekend.