BOXHILL by Martin Evans

[Jim]

Looking very nice indeed Julian and I'm sure you'll be happy with the Gordon Smith design safety valve and the fact that you make a valve that looks like the original and still performs the task. Out of curiosity does the dome have vent holes in it too?
Following all this with great interest, many thanks.

Jim

[Deleted]

very impressive Julian... you'll be doing a hydraulic test soon..

Pete

[jma1009]

hi jim,

many thanks for your kind comments.

the original outer dome drawing has only a 3/32" dia hole in the top for the escape of the steam from the safety valve underneath. as George Ray has commented this could lead to the outer dome shooting upwards and into the undergrowth!

as can be seen from the above pic of STEPNEY in fullsize, the original has quite a large opening in the top of the outer dome casing which i will copy in due course. i still might have a go at working salter safety valves - TICH and LION/TITFIELD THUNDERBOLT by LBSC both have them though they work out at double the scale diameter.

although i probably wont do anymore on the boiler till spring, i still have the backhead and smokebox plates to flange up which wont take too long. and will have a go at some nice fiddly scale boiler fittings so that i dont have too long after springtime to complete the boiler. usually when i make a boiler it gets held up while making the bits - STEPNEY is is a bit back to front in this respect! such as making the inner dome and safety valve when this is the sort of job i do much later on! this time i will make all the bushes and bits ready to fit.

ive also got to do some more on STEPNEY's wagon otherwise it wont be ready for when the loco is finished.

ive also got to make the loco brake blocks which is a job i always detest. the wagon brake blocks are something quite new to me and need doing too.

cheers,
julian

[Jim]

Thanks for that Julian, I think George Ray might be right in predicting the launching of the dome into space the first time the safety valve lifted.
I should add that I love the Victorian/Edwardian locos with their stylish liveries and elegant designs.

Jim.

[jma1009]

thanks also wilf and pete for your very kind comments!

ive cracked on with the reach rod yesterday eve and this afternoon and eve. drilled initially for 1/8" dia pins then checked everything again and then made careful adjustments on the reverser lever and reach rod opening out to 5/32" dia press fit pins. the odd 1/64" or 1/32" adjustment i find necessary to get everything 'spot on' and how i want it. i have a specially ground 5/32" endmill that cuts undersize for such jobs which with the aid of the first part of a hand reamer gives a very good press fit for 5/32" dia hardened silver steel pins. last place you want any movement or wear is the reverser! checked the reach rod alongside the boiler shell too and worked out an easy way of lifting the cab with the reach rod in situ.

i quite like the 2nd pic - it wasnt supposed to be anything but a pic of the cab and reverser - but shows how compact everything is so far as the valve gear and motion is and shows the correct Stroudley channel section slidebars.

cheers,
julian

[uuu]

If only you could have a glass boiler, you could watch it as you were going along.

Wilf

[jma1009]

not much to show for the last few evenings in the workshop. ive finished and fitted the reach rod and done a few outstanding jobs on the cab, fitted the spring to the reverser lever, and made a start on the rear toolbox, and fitted the lovely Stroudley shaped knob to the bunker sliding door.
unlike the BOXHILL design, STEPNEY has a proper toolbox. not sure what will get put in it when the loco is finished!
cheers,
julian

[jma1009]

ive nearly finished the toolbox today. all silver soldered up. a bit more cleaning up required. the hinge consists of copper tube 1/16" dia silver soldered to each half of the lid then notches cut out to fit together. the tool underneath the buffer beam (the name of which i cant remember) is a rather ornate wire clamp used to push the steel wire through the hinge so it doesnt get bent in the process. it has a hole all the way through it.

has taken all this week to make the toolbox which in miniature serves no purpose whatsoever - though quite a noticeable feature of the fullsize non-IW terriers.

the hinge looks far more difficult to make than it really is, though careful silver soldering is required.

apart from George Ray's list of tools, any suggestion what i should put in the miniature toolbox? a box of matches will fit!

cheers,
julian

[Deleted]

Lovely looking toolbox Julian.. I note you make your hinges along the same lines as myself...top stuff.
I've also been putting out requests for tool information for 4472, the guys on the LNER forum help me greatly.. I have a nice long list of tools to make now and some pictures to help. Shame I've not been able to find any drawings but I'll be able to scale from photo's.. just takes more time..

Pete

[jma1009]

hi pete,
many thanks for your comments!
the coal bunker sliding door is removable and the section above part of the removable rear spectacle plate so allowing a 2" wide gap down to cab floor level for access if needed on mine. the coal bunker sliding door fits in the toolbox! i will hav to make a special bit in the loco carrying box to put the removable rear cab spectacle sheet so the paint work doesnt get damaged when the loco is in use.
cheers,
julian

[Jim Scott]

Hi Julian.

Very impressive progress with Stepney over the last 2-3 years, wish that I was as productive. With that rather intricate cab just about finished and the boiler shell placed upon the frames the characteristic outline of your 'Terrier' is beginning to take shape. Fitting the side tanks will transform the overall appearance, then you will have to resist the the temptation to sit and daydream rather than getting on with it..!

Last weekend No 83 'Earlswood' escaped from her building cradle for a few days and pulled on her buffers and other bits and pieces to pose for the camera. However the attached photos flatter to deceive, as although she may look fairly complete there is a lot of work to do 'under the skin'. I still think you will be in service before me!

I noticed johnh has posted in Vulcan's thread, - any more progress with Gipsyhill John?

Cheers

Jim S

  

[jma1009]

thanks jim for posting some pics of EARLSWOOD which is built to a much higher standard than my STEPNEY.

ive rolled up the middle bits and silver soldered up both to their sides for both front splashers, and nearly finished the first one. couldnt resist seeing how it looked with the Brighton Works plate on it! i make them rather like a block of ice cream between 2 wafers. then it's a hacksaw and file job to get the external part of the sides down to the middle bit.

cheers,
julian

[jma1009]

ive had a few off days but a few good days recently, and the results so far of the 2 good days are as shown in the attached pics namely a partly made set of cylinder drain cocks for STEPNEY.



1st pic shows in the background yet another inside of a cereal packet containing my notes and sketches, and then the completed bodies and partly made taper plugs. bottom right is the form tool that i set to the taper reamer to cut the plugs in one pass. 8BA nuts on the end, and when finished will have a locknut added. i prefer this to the square washer and single nut on commercial fittings. bodies are 5/16" AF hex brass, plugs 4mm sifbronze rod. i had to make the bodies for STEPNEY a rather unusual shape for this batch due to the rather odd position of the drain cocks. they are also 7/32" x 40 tpi on the ends rather than my standard 3/16" x 40 tpi.

the taper reamer i used for the bodies is on the right hand side.

underneath are some spare cylinder drain cocks for my 3.5"g GWR KING which are made much much smaller in comparison.

the second pic shows the other end of the plugs turned down to file squares on the end for the handles.

never quite understand why anyone would want to buy these things. they arent difficult to make and quite fun! ive had to replace commercial drain cocks on locos ive repaired for friends and have thrown them in the bin because they have been so badly made.

having been tought by someone who made commercial fittings for Reeves and Kennions i dont find these things difficult to make at all and repetitive accurate work simply a matter of thinking about machining sequences, and a few stops and noting collar readings, and trying to machine things in one pass.

cheers,
julian

[Deleted]

Very nice Julian....I plan to make all of the fittings for 4472 so I may well be picking your brains on things when I get there.. btw do you remember we spoke about Duplex gauges in another thread a few weeks back.. you mentioned that you may have drawings/articles from an old ME magazine...if so is there any chance of scanning and e-mailing the articles to me... I need a duplex gauge and it's something that I can play around with when I feel a need for a break from 4472, I intend to be very active soon finishing the bogie... well it's about time I got back to some machining..

Regards

Pete

[jma1009]

hi pete,
give me a few days and i will find them and email them to you.
if i can make a pressure gauge to roy amesbury's design with my antiquated basic equipment im sure you will be more than able to do so!
i can also send you some freddie dinnis drawn phos bronze pressure gauge tube.
cheers,
julian

[Deleted]

Nov 28, 2013 18:05:07 GMT nick952 said:

The drawings for Roy Amesburys Duplex gauge are available from My Hobby Store (Just ordered some myself). Make sure youre sitting down when you read the price though!

Nick.

Hi Nick


I just did a search but can't find them... if too much they may have to wait until after xmas...

Pete

[Deleted]

err wow...not cheap... thanks Nick.. I hadn't looked under X plans...perhaps because I didn't realise what they were.. makes sense now though...there search engine is crap...lol

Cheers

Pete

[jma1009]

i'll email them to you pete so dont buy them.

£22.50 for a few pages from model engineer! extortionate!

cheers,
julian

[Deleted]

Thanks so much Julian.. I didn't realise you had the drawings as well.. I thought it was just the articles although on reflection I guess the drawings would have been printed within the words especially as it's a small item...

many thanks..

Pete

[ejparrott]

Is that a Duplex gauge as in the twin needle vacuum gauge?