Fairlie too . . .

The Fairlie's coming on too. I have also welded up her tanks, which are a complex shape to mimic her big sister.

 

Tinkerbell progress

The Tinkerbell I am building for a friend is coming along well. I gave made, and fixed the chimney in place. This week I have started to weld up the tanks. Because his railway is quite long, I have maximised their capacity be extending them forwards, backwards and sideways.

customer's tink with its face on

It's been a long time. . . .

A good friend reminded me that it'd been a long time since I updated this blog, so here's a little of what's been going on.

The tink I'm completing for a friend is coming on well, the smokebox and door are now built, the chimney cap and base have been machined, all that remains is to turn up the tube and press the lot together. The laser cutter's been busy with that loco too, I have now got the cab, tanks and bunker cut all ready to weld up.

The fairlie's been coming on too, I replaced the smokebox handwheel because I felt it was too weedy, and I have also made up the chimney ready to fit. After visiting Moors Valley Railway amd having a chat with Jim Haylock, I've decided to make the trailing bogie side frames wider to improve the look of them, so work is on going with that. yesterday, I got the cab roof rolled so the tanks etc. will doubtlessly get welded up with the ones for the tink (above).

I'll try to get some photos late this week to post and also promise to try and update this a little more foten in future!!

Tink rolling chassis

I've just finished a Tink rolling chassis for a customer, and it's due to leave tomorrow. He's already made the rear pony truck, and will also receive the smokebox door, brake blocks and chimney base and top castings with the chassis.

October

The rolling chassis I'm building is now nearly complete. The cylinders are on, as are the motion plates and slide bars. That just leaves the piston rings, conn rods and retainers and she's ready to go. Her owner is going to collect her early December.

I have machined the fairlie smokebox door back, and have started to work in the hinges etc. I want these to be stainless as Tal's are bare metal, and quite characteristic.

September. . . .

This month I've started to assemble the rolling chassis I'm building for a friend's tinkerbell. I have all the parts ready, it's just (ha! just. . .) a matter of assembling them. So, in a couple of days work, the frames are together, the wheelsets are in, the cranks quartered and the coupling rods are on. Next week (hopefully) the assembled cylinders will go on, followed soon by the motion plate, slide bars, crossheads and connecting rods. At that stage, it can go to its owner, who wants it by the end of the year.

The fairlie has also seen some progress - I have completed the reverser (which I ended up shortening a bit so that it would fit comfortably under the regulator handle), and machined the brake and reverser shafts. I also had the handbrake wheel laser cut - Tal has just a wheel, no handle on it, which is good for me because I'm using a handbrake cable to be flexible on to the bogie, and I don't want people to be able to over tighten it and stretch the cable. Hopefully this lack of handle will mean people can't over tighten it. This had a bit of machining done to it to round off the edges. I have also welded the sandpot base on to the front of the tank.

I got the flexible steam pipes for her from Pirtek. Unfortunately, when I measured up on the chassis there wasn't as much side play available for the exhaust pipe as I'd like, so I've had to dis-assemble the live steam feed to the cylinders, and order some more parts so that I can move it an inch further left. She should never go round corners that sharp - but I don't want any problems.