Hi all. After thrashing about for the last few weeks getting my new British Z gauge layout 'Tapton' out to its first show appearance I thought it was time to have a break and do some big stuff for a change. I'm gradually buildlng a fleet of Thai railway stock with the eventual aim of building a 1nM garden layout. 1/32nd vehicles running on 0 scale coarse track representing the prototypes metre gauge. The Thai rail system is fascinating and having Thai family connections I've travelled extensively around the system taking lots of photos and measuring things up.. Imaginge my suprise on my first visit to the small railway museum near Chatuchak park in Bangkok to find a metre gauge switcher built by Hunslets in Leeds , England. Before I retired, I had a fleet of five standard gauge Hunslets under my care in the vast Sellafield Nuclear plant in the U.K. To find one in South East Asia was quite exciting And I found a workable drawing More soon Kev
The other loco is a German built. Krauss Maffei 0-6-0DH. the same sort of loco but a very different way of doing it to the Hunslet. Outside frames. Flycranks etc I fpund a useable drawing and after cleaning up printed out in 1/32nd scale. I actually found to different sources for the drawing including the official Krauss Maffei handbook Both locos have jackshaft drives. The reversing gearbox is on them with the coupling rods taking the drive to the wheels Assembled all the information on the workbench including the Cast Iron driving wheels that have already been turned I always make the coupling rods first for the chassis and use them to spotmark the chassis so the centres are always correct. The reason to start both locos at the same time was to do all the machining on the Lathe, Milling machine and Pantograph engraver all in one go. Double sozed patterns are made from 20 thou plastic sheet by glueing the printed paper image onto the plastic and cutting through. The eight flycranks for the Krauss Maffei will also be cut out on the engraver as will the two for the Hunslet from separate patterns. Making these patterns is an 'inside the house, in the office' job making the axles is an 'oustside in the workshop' job. With the area clear for the first time for a while I was able to fire up the Myford Super 7 lathe . The axles are 3/16th inch Silver steel held in a 3/16th inch collet for accuracy. the ends are turned to 3.5mm to suit the bore in the wheel centres The Crankpin holes are tapped 6BA for the Hunslet drivers. You will have to excuse the complete mix of BA, Metric and Model Engineering standards. Just the way it is! Made a lot of progress this afernoon as the IPL T20 cricket ( The biggest Cricket TV event in the world!) has been paused due to the growing conflict between India and Pakistan over Kashmir. So i made a concerted effort to get the axles turned The extended axles for the Krauss Maffei have been left overlength until i decide how thick the flycranks need to be The front and rear elevations don't show how far they stick out More soon Kev
A lot of Huffing and Puffing, this afternoon, moving the Metal cutting bandsaw down the workshop and then dragging the Taylor Hobson Model D Pantograph Engraver into the centre. An area normally full of Z scale layouts. All of the machines were filthy as they have stood in the corner getting covered in dust from sanding and sawing and the airborne paint particles from spraying. Thank god for WD40! The pattern for the Hunslet rods cut out and bonded to a chunk of 6mm perspex. The fly cranks and the KM rods will also be glued on before I start any cutting The Pantograph machine has been oiled and set to 2 to 1 reduction. I'll start a video log from here on. A previous video on my youtube channel, The Z scale NKP Berkshire , explains how it works. My, I look a lot younger on this video! Kev
So. Everything was all set up and ready to go. got a nice sharp cutter out and the odd shape clip that locks in but...Couldn't find the Cutter retaining cap, absolulety essential. Started checking all the boxes. pattern and engraving clamps. Nope! Alphabet patterns. Nope! Cutters box. Nope Got the big box out of the workshop roof that holds things like the Javelin Electric engraver ( Basiacally a scary spark eroder that fits the Pantograph machines) which weighs a ton and is something i have never dared use . Set up properly it will write onto tool steel and any tough metal you care to name. Finally found the cap in a random box of workshop bench sweepings that was ready for sorting. Setup ready to go. 1.5mm Free cutting brass sheet on the cutting table . The Coupling rod pattern on the pattern table and....Nothing! I'd fired the motor up the other day to check it was O.K but today , pressing the green button, a hum but nothing else from the starter. Sounds like the contacts are not throwing in. Another thing to sort..Sigh! Kev
Got in touch with the best electrician I had on my team before I retired. I've taken the cover off the starter and videoed it and sent the footage to him over Whatsapp. Looks like the contactors are going in when I press the internal button in (Using a long lemgth of Tufnol rod just in case!) so it might be the starter capacitor that has gone down Had the very nice, German made. 30.1 worm and gear sets arrive and started working out which motors to use. The double shaft Sagami will allow me to put a flywheel on the other end. The worm will need a bush fitting The Maxon Coreless motors are 'Class' Of course I could go 'old school' and fit a Pittman DC81. yes, I still have a couple in the box from my '0' scale days The worm in the gearsets is bored 6mm and of course I don't have any 6mm Silver Steel to hand but loads of 1/4". So maybe drive off the jackshaft like the real ones with a cusom stepped axle going from 6mm down to 3/16th through the bearings and on to 3.5mm for the cranks ? Sorry for the mix of dimensions. I used to be told off by my former Engineeering director when he used to see me doing it in my reports. The motor would hide nicely in the fuel tank I've got some 40.1 gear sets enroute due late May which I may use instead as the real locos ran real slow Much to ponder Kev
It was the Run Capacitor that had gone down. Ordered one and eight days later it still has not arrived . I have made my displeasure known to the supplier! In the interim, made the patterns for the Krauss Maffei Rods and Flycranks So I've decided on the Maxon, with 30/1 gears driving on the jackshaft as per the real thing sat inside the fuel tank. I've turned a blank 5mm Silver steel jackshaft that is a force fit into the gear wheel. This will be machined further down to 4.7mm (3/16" for the journals and the extensions for the fly cranks) The 4mm bore Worm gear has been sleeved down to 3.2mm to fit the Maxon shaft. The gearbox mounting plate has been fitted to the nose end of the motor, The main frame blanks have ben cut out Got the C56 2-6-0 out to check the frame spacer length Kev
made good progress over the holiday weekend Gearbox mountd on the Maxon and now on a couple of hours running in before i put an ammeter on it to see what current it pulls on stall. Footplate blanks, Side valances, Buffer beams cut out ,Frame spacers turned to 20mm length before they are drilled and tapped 6BA One of the guys on RMweb forum found me a better drawing of the Hunslet which corrected some of the errors on the drawing I had started with. I already knew the area around the radiator housing was wrong and it also has the step cutouts in place on the housing and the fuel tank More soon Kev
Not forgotten about the Krauss Maffei 0-6-0-DH. It made sense to do the motor gearbox for it at the same time, This one will have a double ended Sagami with the gearbox on the plain end and a chunky flywheel at the brushes end. Like the Hunslet it will be geared at 30.1 using German made Worm and Gears sets Possible mounting layout . I can't use the jackshaft like on the Hunslet as it will intrude into the cab More soon Kev
Recent efforts have concentrated on cutting and forming the body parts. marked out, cut to rough size with a Goscut cutter and then fine finished on the 4" belt sander The chassis frames have had the 3/16th inch bore bearings fitted for the main axles and the 5mm bore ones for the jackshaft ( I hate to mix Metric and Imperial measurements but that is the compromise between the Silver steel I have in stock and the German worm and gearsets) The fuel tank trial fitted with the cutout for the headlamp roughed out. The footplate is attached to the chassis with 6BA machine screws that go into 6BA captive nuts soldered on top of the footplate. The tank is attached to the footplate in the same way. The tank top, bent up on a Cherry folding press, is not fastened on yet Staring to look more like a Hunslet With the side valances and buffer beams added the engine bay end starts to take shape. The radiator housing is just resting on so it is is leaning a bit. The main radiator and the oil cooler will sit behind the grill The other end. I've had to add the valances at this stage to straighten the footplate up because the next phase will be adding the cab and main engine bay which will have to mate up perfectly. When I add the steps at each corner it will be a really rigid structure Going forward the next job will be the cab. Butted up to the Fuel tank it will determine the length and alignment of the main engine bay The front. The front windows need to match the profile of the engine bay top. The centre window hinges upwards and Outwards at the top.I want to model that The cab doors are very narrow. I don't have a drawing but they should be easy to work out as the centre window is the same at each end. This is #24 in the museum at Chatatal park I'm getting ambitious now, already thinking about the Orange colour paint for the bodyshell and how to do the 'Garuda' emblem more soon Kev
Cab rear and cab front have been made. I,m making a video about easy methods to scratchbuild in the larger scales using laminate cutters (Yes really !) Belt and disc sanders and the essential tools and accesories to make life simple. I'll put it on youtube over the next few days and embed the link. I've videod making the cab ends as they are quite complicated Radiator assembly in the surround. going to add the oil cooler later after this bit has been painted. Cab rear. The gaps will close up when I put the cab sides on More soon Kev
The basic cab in place. Once againg held by 6BA screws from underneath the footplate. The footsteps just need the top risers adding. As I thought the cab floor is raised like the standard gauge ones Tonights photo. Right hand side engine bay side and engine bay top just resting in place. Left hand side in front The only interior photo of the cab I have was taken by the late Ian Fuller and is on Flickr However the similarities to the six coupled Hunslet I used to work on means I can pretty much model the desk near enough. Just the handbrake wheel aligned differently I keep putting SRT Hunslets into the search engines and the usual stuff comes up including my photos on Flickr but today I found this. No. 27 actually running at Makkasan. There is another which I have not had a look at yet At least I know where the exhaust is now! Kev
Decent progress over the last few days Maxon motor, jackshaft and 30.1 gears installed Sits snugly in the fuel tank. Raised floor and control desk in the cab Lots more work on the bodyshell done Kev
Now is the time that the detail photos start paying dividends. On previous visits to Thailand, when I was shooting Kodachrome and Fuji Reala and color neg' film taking loads of this type of photo was a bit expensive. Cue EOS digital...In 2009 #26 at Makkasan You can tell how long that front centre window has been left open I'll have to get the 'Garuda' etched. This is the one on #24 in the Chatuchak Museum, I've had to split this weekend between working on the Hunslet and getting the Z scale Port Shaughty layout ready for the end of the month 1940s weekend show at Carnforth.But while the paint was drying on the 1/200 scale M3 Halftracks . M10 tank destroyers and Jeeps I did a fair chunk of work on The Hunslet Cab roof rolled and formed, Held onto the Cab with 12Ba Countersunk screws as is the Engine bay top. The engine oil cooler has been added in front of the radiator. Exhaust fitted but need the Flapping hinged cover adding but the risers for the top footplate steps have been added . The left hand side with the step cutaways in the radiator housing having the backing platers soldered in Shot some more video as I rolled and formed the cab roof and started shooting pieces to Camera on the tools and tecnhiques I use to acheive something like this so far. Going to need some serious editing but you'll get to see my ugly mug on youtube soon! Might end up being more than video though! Kev
Interresting project.Myself I had twice the luck to perform small trips on board of SRT trains. Once in 1992, and once in 2009-2010. Cars had a spartan comfort but were far cleaner than what we are now used to in France for example. No graffitis, no rubbish laying on floor, etc. Furthermore trains are running quite fast, about 110 km/h on metric gauge track. I think these are interresting to model. And cherry on the cake, there is over there a locomotive model built in France, a 2400 hp 6-axle loco whom I find rather pretty. Dom
