N5 update

A bit of further work on the N5 - a Sheffield (Darnall) 41A example number 69258 - mainly due to types of chimney, longevity and available photos!

Fire iron brackets fabricated and fitted to the tank top and hand holds fitted above the front steps. Buffers still need repainting too.

New rear wheel still to be fitted to once it has made it over to Lincoln...

LNER N5

So after getting the N5 home and trying it out it very reluctantly moved under its own power.

A major wheel and pickup cleaning operation and some lubrication has helped matters but it still seems rather reluctant when left for a while and then tried again.  Perhaps more use may improve things.

I've also made a start on cleaning it up, replacing the rather heavily applied numerals and the old style handrails this week - something to do while sat in a Travelodge!

Replacement handrails on the front and side - lamp brackets fitted and replacement smokebox door handle.

Coal rails removed from incorrectly fitted location on the outside of the bunker and replaced inside with 'planking' as fitted to most in available pictures.

This evening I have also fitted the replacement ross-pop style safety valves and steam pipe on the front. Then a bit of replacement black paint to see if it would cover ok without having to strip more off and spray the whole loco - so far so good!  I've decided that by 1960 the last of them wouldn't have been looking great with paint or general external condition being 70 years old....

Smokebox and chimney still to do with metalcote black - also side tanks need another light coat to touch in.

The wheels also need painting and a replacement 3'6" 10 spoke fitting on the rear - ready to be picked up on next visit to Dad!

LWMRS Exhibition 2012

This weekend I paid a visit to my old model railway club's Exhibition - the Leamington & Warwick Model Railway Society - at the NAC Stoneleigh.

It was nice to see and speak to many old acquaintances and see the progress of the OO layout Duxbury which I had been involved with.

I didn't take that many photos and those I did weren't the best only using an iPhone inside...

Did make a 'small' purchase however of a quite roughly put together old Millholme LNER (ex GCR) N5 0-6-2T.

Eastern Region 'O' gauge

Duxbury

Duxbury (with part of the goods shed I started to build on show)

The Club's Walford out on the road again

  

and the N5.....

A much needed update 2

The Turntable!  Following Christmas and various vouchers I have bought myself a working DCC friendly turntable - one of Heljans 90ft versions (having got it installed I possibly should have gone for the smaller one...).

As normal the baseboard support was just in the wrong place - something that if I hadn't moved and already built baseboards to fit the old room wouldn't have happened as it would have been a few inches further across!

The actual installing is fairly easy - getting tracks to it and fitting the well went quite quickly. Wiring up isn't difficult - 4 wires.  Two for the 12vDC track (or DCC feed it will eventually get) and two for the 15v AC feed.

The difficult bit came with programming.  The booklet isn't the most helpful but after a lot of turning round and back the other way I think it have it working.  The main criticism is when power has been turned off it has to be re-calibrated or it doesn't seem to line up with all the tracks.

Video

A much needed update 1

In some ways it feels like ages since my last update in October but in other ways it doesn't.  A new job meaning working away in Barnsley & Sheffield four days a week and until very recently having no internet access while away has meant that the Blog has taken a very back seat.

In the limited time I have at home I have been doing lots of little things to Abthorpe but as with most things lots of little things don't show up much!

One project I picked up at a collectors fair at the Lincoln Showground was a Lima Clas 40 in BR Green as Atlantic Conveyor.  After seeing a photo of a 40 at Lincoln and at Cleethorpes (the same style with disc style headcodes) tempted me to try to improve it a bit.  I was amazed how well it ran considering the bad press a lot of Lima mechanisms get. I have a quite a few old Lima models and on the whole (apart form a couple which are always a little sluggish to start with) they perform well if a little noisily.

As Lima made it - not mine but didn't take a photo before I started!

The 40 was rubbed back to remove the printed numbers and name (the bodyshell is in a yellow plastic) then primed. I then had another go with Dad's old airbrush and some Railmatch enamel BR Green.  The overall affect is quite good - the roof colour is a Phoenix Precision diesel roof grey but to me seems rather brown but too late....

I've picked out various bits on the bogie sideframes, fitted pipework to the front and removed the hideous Lima couplings replacing them with Bachmann style narrow tension lock using the same hole and mounting point.  I've got to track down some new diesel number transfers as the one I have doesn't have enough 'D's of the right size left!

Finished photos to follow soon when I find where I've saved them!