Tender - Rear buffer beam

Cut out the tender buffer beam this evening from a piece of sheet metal. My metal working skills are generally poor so I cut the piece out slightly oversize with the saw, then clamped it in a vice to a piece of square steel bar so that the oversize part protruded. I then filed down against the square bar to give a straight edge and the correct dimension. A bit of a bodge but it gives the right end result, albeit scuffing up a perfectly good bit of steel bar in the process!

Trailing truck - side piece

Finally silver-soldered the last side piece of the trailing truck this evening, as I write this it's currently pickling in the acid bath.



I've made some enquiries about some of the long lead-time items, specifically the boiler and the nameplates (I've been advised the nameplates could take 4 months). Mike at Maccsteam (see links) can make the boiler and I'm hoping also the gas tank as I don't think my ten-quid B&Q torch pictured above will get enough heat into the work to silver solder it.

Axle boxes

Still not fathomed how the vertical slide works. Had a second pair of eyes take a gander at it and equally miffed so it's not just me! Will give Chester a shout. Anyway, sat down this morning with a coffee and a piece of paper and tried to work out how to fabricate the axleboxes using just the toolholder and the 3 and 4-jaw chucks.


All was going well until the endmill bit snapped...

So I set about making the bearings for the tender axles instead. Simple job on the lathe, the sixth one was a lot quicker than the first, however, "practice makes improvement" and all that! Have generated masses of swarf for when I am in a cleaning mood...



The last bit of the pony truck is also ready for soldering. I could solder the tender bearings at the same time but will hold off as I am tempted to make a jig for the tender to ensure the bearings are as square in the frames as possible. I also want to study the drawings to see what detail (rivets, etc.) can be easily added at this stage.

Trailing truck

Been busy fiddling with the trailing truck kit from Model Engineers Laser. Numerous pieces of sheet brass bend and/or slot together to form 4 parts that are then fixed together to form the truck assembly. A little fiddly but the parts are accurately cut and it goes togheter well. The two side parts are positioned and fixed around the wheel bearings which need to be turned from brass rod. This is another straightforward job on the lathe.



I have silver soldered 3 of the parts and have one remaining to do. Hope to post a pic of the completed assembly soon. The holes in the laser cut parts are very small and near to the edge of the parts in some places, the 8BA bolts I have will be too large. I have ordered some 10BA bolts from Maidstone Model Engineering, hopefully these will do the job.