Thursday, October 09, 2008

Chassis units


Chassis units
Originally uploaded by Phil_Parker.
The power units are constructed simple enough - a pair of sides with the rear spacer fold up from flat. More slot in spacers are incorporated in the front and rear of the cylinders and valve gear hanger to make a strong "eggbox" structure. The nickel silver solders well and the slots all seem to be in the right place. Care is needed to keep everything square and importantly flat.

The footplate is fixed to the top and needs the valanced fitting which means some fiddly holding of thin metal into half etched slots. If the first tack joint goes OK the rest is easy.

Cylinder wrappers are half etched for detail and don't need annealing. They should be fitted from the valance, which they overlap, and then bent around the cylinder. Try working from the bottom up and you'll probably get it slightly high - guess how I know this !

Unlike a normal model locomotive of course, all this has to be done twice but it's not a difficult job although the second unit always goes together quicker than the first !

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