Thread: GNR Stirling Locomotive

Hope the new year brings happiness and good health Keith. Still another 3/4 hour before the new year here. As well as being our wedding anniversary today 33years.

Chassis is looking good.

Originally Posted by Dalboy

Hope the new year brings happiness and good health Keith. Still another 3/4 hour before the new year here. As well as being our wedding anniversary today 33years.

Chassis is looking good.

Congratulations on your 33 years of marriage - top stuff. A great way to celebrate a New Year

Have a good one

Thanks for your comments on the loco - the English made beautiful locomotives.

Best Regards

Keith

Hi All,

Well I mucked up my chasis, was NOT happy with it - so a bit of rework. I have come up with something that I am happy with at the moment but as I progress maybe it will need more rework.

I have made up my axle bearings. The first photo shows the main drive wheel bearing. It slides in a groove (as do all the bearings). I have made up a leaf spring as the bearing retainer for the main drive. On the original loco there is not a leaf spring on the leading or trailing wheels - so I will just make up a standard plate as the bearing retainers on these wheels.

Have just primed everything at the moment.

The next step is to make up the axles out of aluminium so I can align the bearings and wheels on both sides of the loco before putting in and securing the chasis bulkheads. The good thing is that I can remove the wheel/bearing/axle assembly once the bulkheads/cross members are secured.

The only downer is that I only have enough aluminium shaft to make up 3 axles and my aluminium supplier doesn't return from Christmas break until next Monday. I reckon 3 axles should be enough for alignment though. So it's onto the metal lathe after I make up the leading and trailing wheel bearing retainers.

Regards

Keith

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Now this is a turn up for the books both the artisans, Trevor & Keith have had "opps" moments in the past day....
2017 hasn't started well or maybe it has with the corrections and reworks picked up and fixed early.....

Peter,

Muckups are opportunities for improvement. (that's what I used to say at work)

Regards

Keith

Originally Posted by Keith_1

Peter,

Muckups are opportunities for improvement. (that's what I used to say at work)

Regards

Keith

Now that is something I agree with.

Now for a little light watching for when you have nothing to do Keith

Thanks Derek,

I love it.

I really like the counterweight method they use for keeping the plate level as it is inserted into the annealing furnace. I have only looked at the first 6 minutes so far. I am very impressed

Thanks

Keith

Derek,
Thank you for the video. It is sad that they don't quiet make them like that any more. A lot of the skills are dying, and just as important a lot of the machinery has been decommissioned and scrapped.
As is quiet normal for images of that era, there is little in the way of sight and hearing protection. Any wonder there was a lot of industrial deafness. But, were they not fit, particularly the blacksmiths swinging their hammers.

Hopefully the video will provide inspiration for Keith and others. I will go to Puffing Billy and watch them rebuild a Garratt.

Originally Posted by Handyjack

Derek,
Thank you for the video. It is sad that they don't quiet make them like that any more. A lot of the skills are dying, and just as important a lot of the machinery has been decommissioned and scrapped.
As is quiet normal for images of that era, there is little in the way of sight and hearing protection. Any wonder there was a lot of industrial deafness. But, were they not fit, particularly the blacksmiths swinging their hammers.

Hopefully the video will provide inspiration for Keith and others. I will go to Puffing Billy and watch them rebuild a Garratt.

Watched the entire video - gave tips on assembly that I can follow on the assembly of my locomotive - thanks Derek.
I enlarged to full screen and the plans indicate this was commenced manufacture in August 1935. Interesting to see the pouring of the castings with no PPE and the Supervisor getting up close and personal in his suit. How things have changed.

A top YouTube video that I save to my favourites

Thanks

Keith

Originally Posted by Keith_1

Watched the entire video - gave tips on assembly that I can follow on the assembly of my locomotive - thanks Derek.
I enlarged to full screen and the plans indicate this was commenced manufacture in August 1935. Interesting to see the pouring of the castings with no PPE and the Supervisor getting up close and personal in his suit. How things have changed.

A top YouTube video that I save to my favourites

Thanks

Keith

As you can see it is of the building of the LMS 6207 "Prince Arthur of Connaught". I love to watch old videos of things like this and as you say to see how they did it years ago when there was pride in the workmanship

Originally Posted by Dalboy

As you can see it is of the building of the LMS 6207 "Prince Arthur of Connaught". I love to watch old videos of things like this and as you say to see how they did it years ago when there was pride in the workmanship

I was really impressed that they even hot forged their own rivets - everything done "in house". I like the fact that it was a 4-6-2 loco as well

Regards

Keith

Hi All,

I have been making the main axles for the Stirling. I have turned them out of 25mm aluminium. The photo shows turning the bearing and wheel section of the shaft. They are both sliding fits to the bearing and the wheel bore. I have also completed the bearing retainers for the bases of each bearing. You can probably see it at the rear of the chasis in the second photo.
I have run out of stock of aluminium so can't finish off the 4th axle until after the supplier of material returns from holidays on Monday. I won't be inserting the cross members of the chasis until I get all the axles in position and everything truly aligned, although I am really happy that at this stage my calculations on bearing centres appears OK and that the chasis is running parallel to base of all the wheels.

Whilst waiting to get the aluminium - I will be starting to get my head around making the main drive wheel brake assemblies.

Regards

Keith

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Hi All,

I have been working on the design of the main drive wheel brakes. I think I have said it before, but this build is a fair bit more interesting because only working off a few photos and some YouTube videos I have found for the Stirling. I have used a bit of "artistic licence" on my design to make it look the best it can. The assembly also links to the brakes on the rear trailing wheels - my next step.
The brake shoe has been made of pine. The bottom pull rod is 4mm round Mild Steel. I have threaded it on the end so I can secure it with 4mm locknuts. The linkage is aluminium and the brake shoe is connected with a 4mm setscrew and nut. The main hub at the top is aluminium - flange 25mm and the turned down section is 10mm. I have tapped the thread in the end 5mm to secure the brake. The whole assembly is secured to the chasis by 4mm setscrews and nuts. I am making all components removable (thanks for suggestion Trev) so everything can be dismantled for painting in the future. Will need to keep a bit of a record where everything goes (not mix up left and right hand). You will notice I have not primed the inside yet. That won't occur until I secure the main cross members.

Regards

Keith

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"Artistic Licence" I like the sound of that!.
Looking Fantastic mate.
Let the good times roll.

Cheers
Trev.