Gladiator J6 Loco spring modifications – Part 3
This weekend saw much progress on the Twin set.
Timely posting of a photo of the brake end allowed me to cut the windows while the end was in the flat and then both coach bodies were assembled.
Kirk Twin Art – Diag 125
Kirk Twin Art – Diag 125
Kirk Twin Art – Diag 105
Kirk Twin Art – Diag 105
I also blanked of the inner ends by filling the holes for the buffers and coupling hooks and then overlaid a piece of 20 thou to form a solid foundation for the shared bogie pivot.
Kirk Twin Battery Box modifications
Lastly I made a start of building up/detailing the battery boxes (although there are five I only need four for this job). Next I need to cut out the end straps with the silhouette because I have run out.
Gladiator J6 – Replacement Ragstone Springs
Gladiator J6 – Loco spring modifications`
Gladiator J6 – Replacement Ragstone Springs
Gladiator J6 – Loco spring modifications -part 2
Further progress has the chassis together and ready for the fitting of the hornblocks.
Despite the quite substantial frames there was still a bit of flex in between the two main spacers and the rear one which is just soldered to the top left the bottom of the chassis with a tendency to splay outwards. To get over this I have temporarily soldered a third frame spacer (labeled motor spacer in and I also cut one of the wider frame spacers down and soldered it upright to take out the splay at the rear.
As is comes there are three sets of spacers, marked from when it was blown up from a 4mm kit 00 gauge, EM gauge and P4 I am using the EM gauge spacers as a compromise between getting int to go around 5′ curves and having having sufficient room to fit the inside motion.
Gladiator J6 – Loco Chassis
Gladiator J6 – Loco Chassis
Before I go any further I am going to rework the springs and fit them before adding the Horn guides.
As mentioned in my previous post a lack of time and energy has allowed me to do a few small jobs on the J6 that didn’t require anything that wasn’t therapeutic.
Although David had advised that it wouldn’t be available until March it was a pleasant surprise when an email suggested that it could be collected at Bristol show. Warren Haywood very kindly collected it for me, so the build has resumed. Perversely I have decided not to start with the tender but to get the loco frames done next – it’s to have working inside motion.
Parts of the etches do show their age and so it is with the loco springs which are a very basic etch. My client has asked me to build it as if it were for me so I have the discretion to obtain replacements for anything that I think could be improved upon.
The Hornblocks are Finney and were from stock so I will need to pick up some replacements for them from the Guys when I see them next.
Gladiator J6 – Loco Frames and Finney Horn Blocks
The spring castings are from Andy Beaton (@demu1037) at Ragstone Models and will be modified to make them look more like the J6 springs before fitting.
Gladiator J6 – Replacement Ragstone Springs
Although I have made some progress on the chassis, recent minor surgery on my toe has left me struggling with the time/energy to give this the thought that it needs to get the motion assembled so I have been doing a few small jobs on the J6 until my energy returns
LNER 06 (MOK 8F) – Springs sand boxes and steam pipe
LNER 06 (MOK 8F) – Springs sand boxes and steam pipe
LNER 06 (MOK 8F) – Springs sand boxes and steam pipe
Parkside LMS Steel Bodies Vent Van (Diag D1828)
Parkside LMS Steel Bodies Vent Van (Diag D1828)
Parkside LMS Steel Bodies Vent Van (Diag D1828)
Parkside LMS Steel Bodies Vent Van (Diag D1828)
Parkside LMS Steel Bodies Vent Van (Diag D1828)
Parkside LMS Steel Bodies Vent Van (Diag D1828)
Parkside LMS Steel Bodies Vent Van (Diag D1828)
When fellow modellers came along to see me when I was demoing at Pontefract show, the parts that I was cutting were some brakes for my Kirk coach bogies
Silhouette cut brakes for Kirk Bogies
Scratch built Bolster Springs for Kirk Bogies