Waggly bits working

chassis running in
Originally uploaded by Phil_Parker.

Still no axle for the cranks – a reminder ‘phone call will be made tonight.

In the meantime I have fitted some pickups and wired the loco up. It’s now sitting on the rolling road running in. Apart from a light reaming out of the holes in the rods everything seems OK.

There was a slight bind when the model was first started but a touch of oil on the gears and bearings cured this. The running in process wears the tiny bits of paint that are left in the bearings and weren’t removed by the post spraying reaming process. No matter how hard I try I never quite get everything out. Part of the problem is that I won’t loosen up the axles in the bearings too much preferring to let the running in do this. Obviously everything needs to work but I prefer to get all the mechanical bits bedding in at the same time.

Looking at the picture I'm struck by the similarity between my chassis and the cheapo Hornby 0-4-0 one that turns up under things like thier Caledonian Pug. Those aren't cylinders at the front, they are air tanks and sand boxes.