More on the Adams B4

It's a wet drizzly day so i managed to do a bit more on the B4.

She;s a fiddly little bugger but were getting there.

Here she is parked outside Pine Road signal box

Adams B4

 A side on view

The front end, bearing in mind that this is an old kit it's gone together fairly well.

I don't like to use cast buffers but i can't find anyone that do an LSWR pattern sprung buffer of this type.

The next Two photos show that there is not a lot of room for the valve gear behind the front steps. Not one to be beaten, i cut the steps down and made a small brass bracket just enough to move them out a touch. 

Brass bracket

 Yeah! no room there at all

B4 Valve gear

 There a bit missing, it's not in the kit.

Something missing

 It's this bit. 

Not entirely sure what this is for or where to get one from other than ringing Southeastern Finecast

A few jobs to go and then a good clean up ready for paint.

Do i really have to paint her black!

More can be read about the B4  https://cpineroad.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/adams-b4.html

And 

https://cpineroad.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/back-to-adams-b4.html

Off for a cup of tea, the back is beginning to ache. 

It's an age thing, don't you know.

Back to the Adams B4

It's been sat in the box for sometime now but finally got back to sorting out some of the issues with the B4.

The biggest problem was valve clearance, crank pins bouncing off of cross heads.

Solution was a bit drastic but it works.

I cut the cylinder block in half to widen them out a bit, soldering each one on individually.

The other thing i did to help solve this problem was to countersink the crankpin holes in the wheels. I'm sure Romfords crankpins never had such a thick shoulder on them.

Sounds a bit drastic, but, bloody hell it works.

Adams B4 Chassis

 As you can see below, there is not a lot of room.

Already to be pulled apart, cleaned up and repainted. 

B4 crankpins crosshead clearance

 Now the chassis is sorted, we can turn to the body. So far, this is going together well. I always screw the running board to a piece of ply with white metal kits in the hope of keeping them flat and square until some of the body has been built. Probably sounds obvious but don't solder anything over the screws!     

By-the-way, i found another use for "The Chassis Jig".

It's great for setting up and trying out your motor/gearbox assembly

Pine Road Models Chassis jig
used for setting up motor/gearbox assembly.

You like these, i can tell.

Here's another one

as they say.

  

   

Making a point Part 2

Second part of building this for inset trackwork.

As i said yesterday, i was a bit concerned about where the insulation gaps should go but as it turned out (excuse the pun),

It's actually quite easy, just the same as a normal point.

Make sure you cut the Four rails just below the "inset" V (not the frog "V")

Inset "V" 

Then cut the sleepers from that "V" up the main and the siding,

and again from the inset "V" towards the Toe of the point down the centre.

Had to be a bit careful how i drew this or is that just my mind!

End result.

My Austerity trundles through this at walking pace.

Next problem to overcome was how to switch the blades.

Am hoping that this method is going to be strong and reliable.

Two pieces of brass strip soldered to the underside of the blades with a piece of copper clad sleeper between them soldered to the brass strips.

Don't forget to cut the "Clad" across the sleeper strip otherwise the whole lot will short out.

I shall drill a hole in the sleeper strip to take the point motor. 

A bit of tidying up and job done, all tested and works well. 

Making a point.

This possible new project of mine may involve some inset trackwork.

I thought i would have a play and see if it could be done

Just like the real thing,

ie: using rail for the infill either side of the running rail.

I am aware that in 4mm scale the gap is probably going to look huge but i thought it may be worth a try.

I have built a point.

( or Turnout, even switch, if your in America)

This is a 30 inch radius, there isn't a lot of room on this layout but its acceptable.

This is the look i am trying to achieve.

The gap looks huge, eek

Just in case you were wondering the actual "Frog" is on the left.

All this filing, cutting and soldering is making me croak a bit, haha.

Placing a wagon on the track you can see how much sideplay there actually is in 00 gauge.

(could you narrow the gap down a bit?)

wheel back to back is at 14.5

 Well, it don't look bad!

The business end 

Now we have to work out where to make the insulation cuts.

I hadn't thought about this bit, had i.

Feeling a "brainache" coming on.

 A long way to go yet but think this might just work.

Only Three more to do,

But as they say

Model Railway Journal

Here goes.

I have picked up the odd one in the past,

What with Pine Road and Parkstone in a near completed state (if they ever are) and possibly, a new project on the horizon, can i raise my standards even higher.

Will this be a whole new experience in Railway Modelling.

I have ordered the next 12 issues of 

Model Railway Journal.

To be delivered through the door, monthly.

Now, i realise that you can occasionally see them in W. H. Smiths and the like but i don't venture into these establishments very often.

You can of course get them from Wild Swan but the postage makes it expensive, so its coming from

Here
Since found out that the above information is for back copies.
Please note!
Before you click on the link above, you can order them direct.
8 issues for £36.00
or 4 issues for £18.00
Post free(UK)     
Cheques should made payable to
Cygnet Magazines Ltd
and sent to 
Model Railway Journal,
1-3 Hagbourne Road,
Didcot,
Oxon,
OX11 8DP 

Starting with issue 254

I'm sure its going to be good

Another Adams

Kit building a loco can seem a daunting task,

i never look at the kit as a whole, brake down the individual parts of the kit, ie: Brake gear, cylinders, chassis, boiler, cab, wheels and coupling. Concentrate on each section at a time and then you're not tying yourself in knots and getting all stressed out about it.

I have to addmit that this one isn't for me,

I have built this one for "Gramps"

Its a Branchline 3mm scale kit,

resin body with an etch chassis.

What is it ?

i said another Adams

Branchlines Adams Radial

Adams Radial

3mm scale Adams Radial

A coat of varnish when i can find some transfers for it.

So, there it is.

and as they say

   

Wimborne Toy and train fair.

Thought i would have a trip to the Wimborne Toy and Train fair today. It's a gorgeous day, should be out in the sun, but hey, still worth a quick look.

The idea was to get Two or Three more 16t Mineral wagons for Parkstone.

Preferably of the Bachmann type in Bauxite.

 None to be found anywhere.

Zero,

Zilch,

Nothing.

But you all know what happens when one goes to these things.

Wheel power,      (lack of)

       Sensibility,      (No hope)

         Temptation,      (yes, Loads)

               Need,      (none)      

                                             Want,      (well, they do look good)     

Money in your pocket. (enough, just)

Whatever the excuse

I came home with a J94.

Why, you ask? yep, no idea.

Now, lets not panic here. It was a good price, runs like a dream, so that will be the old Hornby one then.

Yes, it is!

Its all Oly and Chris's fault.

Here's a link.

  

https://otcm.wordpress.com/about/

Guess you want a picture now!

Ok,Ok, Here's one i took earlier

(why do people say that, if you took it later you wouldn't have a photo, DoH!)

Hornby J94

Hornby R2740 WPR

I'm not sure what one is going to do with her but couldn't resist at the price.

Two post in one day.

You lucky people

Parkstone coal office

It's done.

Parkstone has a coal office. 

Parkstone coal office

 After meeting Colin Stone, he gave me a picture showing a coal office over in that there corner, see it? 

I won't publish the photo but below is a recreation of it.

Parkstone station

 Next plan is to re-work the backscene.

SIMPLES!

Coal lorry

She's arrived

EFE models

AEC MKv Mandator Flatbed

AEC Mandator Truck

Looking extremely shiney, she needed a bit of toning down.

Using a fibre pen to take the shine off and the coat of arms on the doors and the Whitbread logo.

A quick coat of matt varnish on the body, a touch of dark grey on the tyres and a coat of matt black on the deck and she's ready.....

For

the coal sacks   

AEC Mandator with coal load

 I'm not one to blow me own trumpet but i reckon she looks the "dogs"

EFE Models AEC Mandator

All we have to do now is add the weighbridge on Parkstone. 

Coal sacks

Any self respecting layout needs coal sacks,

Here's some i made earlier.

Coal sacks

This is my way of making them.

I can hear you asking, why don't you just buy some? come on, you should know me buy now. 

If i can make it, i will.

Take a piece of kitchen roll, you need that super absorbent stuff not the one that falls apart when wet. One with an embossed pattern but not coloured

Don't ask for much you know.

Soak a sheet in your usual 50/50 mix of water and PVA. Don't ring it out to much.

Flatten out and hang up on the wife's favourite dryer.

Warning: it may drip

Leave to dry overnight.

Time for a cup of tea!

Now your sheet is dry and nice and rigid,

cut into 10mm wide strips with a sharp knife (your hands and a ruler).

Cut the strips 24mm long. I have this handy guillotine thing ideal for this. 

Paint a thin sliver of glue on each side.

 I use Delux Materials "Super Phatic" glue for this. 

DON'T

use PVA for this it will soak back into the paper and glue the two halves solid. 

I haven't painted them at this stage either as this "Super Phatic" stuff has a tendency to turn everything Blue

And fold in half.

Its actually taking longer to explain how to make these than it did to actually make them.

When dry, open out the end with a cocktail stick

 and paint the inner top half

Fill with coal and add a drop of your 50/50 PVA mix

it wont all come unstuck as "Super Phatic" is not affected by PVA.

Tea time again.

And paint.

 I used a mixture of Humbrol matt black 33 and matt brown 160.

Looking at coal sacks, they are not totally black.

"Lookin goooood"  

Stacked up i think they look dam good the embossed effect on the kitchen towel shows up well, looks just like an old sack

 Same method could be used for corn sacks, potato sacks and any other type of sack you can think of .

As they say

!