Thread: GNR Stirling Locomotive

Originally Posted by Handyjack

Proportions on the mark 2 appear better.

The beauty of doing the tender and than painting is that you are not opening the paint can so often. You could paint things like the safety valve shroud and smokebox and funnel, colors not required on tender. That way you have started the paint process (waiting for warmer weather perhaps) while continuing the build.

Hi Kevin,

Thanks for your feedback and suggestion. I think I will go along that line and start on the tender once I have finished the peripherals in the cabin. That way I can ensure the locomotive and tender are exactly the same colour by doing the majority at the same time. I found with the 4-6-2 - that even though I had the same paint manufactured - there were differences between pots and that the paint did "go off" after about 3 weeks. Became "gluggy" and different viscosity.

Thanks again

Regards

Keith

Hi All,

Made up the remaining levers and linkages in the cabin. Made and fitted the cabin access handrails (removable for final painting). The floorboards for the cabin I made out of Tassie Oak that I ripped down to 3mm thick. Sanded and then used clear gloss that bring out the colour of the oak.

Next task will be making up the headlamp/s for this loco.

Regards

Keith

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Wonderful. Is that merbau decking?

Originally Posted by seriph1

Wonderful. Is that merbau decking?

Tassie oak

Keith,
Just marvellous mate ! Are they copper pipes ? How did you bend them please ?

Regards,
Gus

Originally Posted by xpro

Keith,
Just marvellous mate ! Are they copper pipes ? How did you bend them please ?

Regards,
Gus

Hi Gus,

Solid aluminium round - 6.3mm diameter. Into the vice and bent with a hammer. Smoothed off any burrs with emery cloth. The smaller "pipes" are 2mm soft wire. All painted with copper spray paint from Bunnings.

regards

Keith

Just a basic heads up: you can get copper paint from the various el-cheapo shops. Brand is Export and price is usually under $4. Used it (and a bunch of other colours) when making this rangehood.

Hi All,

I have been working on the front headlamps of the locomotive. These lamps were removable so they could be used as other lighting sources when not in use on the locomotive.

The main body was made out of some scrap pine I had.

I needed to get some globes that looked to be the correct scale for the locomotive. I went to a lighting supplier and asked to look at different globes to compare my sizes. (It is pretty good that when you show people photos of what you are making they are really helpful and taking up their time does not cause them any issues at all). I found that refrigerator globes were the best size to suit my scale.

I drilled the pine with 3 different Forstner bits to get the correct profile of the globe inside the housing.

The "flue" of the lamp was made out of aluminium tube and the top was turned down solid aluminium round.

The handles are made out of 2mm wire.

I painted the inside section where the globe fits - matt black - so you cannot see the pine colour or grain through the globe.

The back of the lamp is recessed so it sits on the brackets on the front of the loco. The lamps are just lifted in and out of position.

Next step is to commence work on the wheels of the tender. Twelve blanks are needed for the 6 wheels on the tender - so there will be lots of wood turning.

Regards

Keith

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Really beautiful mate. And they emulate lanterns from the original period very nicely. I feel like I could grab one and walk along the tracks in foggy weather. )))

Nice work Keith.

Different locations had different requirements.

In Victoria and probably all of Australia, the lamps on the front of engines were to indicate the train and hopefully provide a bit of illumination of the track. In Victoria the kero lamps were known as black lights for the amount of illumination they (did not) provided.
In Britain the positioning of the lamps, both during the day and night indicated the route or type of train, rather than to provide illumination of the track. The thought was that a bright (head) lamp would blind the crew of any train coming in the opposite direction. This was probably had a lot of truth in it in the early days of railways as there would have been very little other lights outside cities and the eyes would get accustomed to the dark. The fireman would suffer looking at the bright fire and then darkness.

Originally Posted by Handyjack

Nice work Keith.

Different locations had different requirements.

In Victoria and probably all of Australia, the lamps on the front of engines were to indicate the train and hopefully provide a bit of illumination of the track. In Victoria the kero lamps were known as black lights for the amount of illumination they (did not) provided.
In Britain the positioning of the lamps, both during the day and night indicated the route or type of train, rather than to provide illumination of the track. The thought was that a bright (head) lamp would blind the crew of any train coming in the opposite direction. This was probably had a lot of truth in it in the early days of railways as there would have been very little other lights outside cities and the eyes would get accustomed to the dark. The fireman would suffer looking at the bright fire and then darkness.

Thanks Kevin,

Your knowledge on Railway history is fantastic and I always look forward to the information you provide.

Thanks so much

Best Regards

Keith

The train is looking great Keith especially the cab interia. The lights will certainly light the way for this loco

Hi All,

Haven't posted for a week, I have been pretty busy designing and making up the tender wheels. I have been using the wood lathe and to say that I am a real novice who struggles with wood turning would (wood) be a bit of an understatement - anyway I have given it a go. Only lost one hunk of skin on the tailstock

I have made up 6 wheels for the tender. Consists of an outer rim and an inner hub.
Roughed out the blanks on the bandsaw and then secured them to the screwed faceplate. Centre drilled the pine and then marked out the timber where I had to machine.
Made up each rim and hub as a pair.
Cut the centre out of the rim with a jigsaw and the sanded the inside diameter to suit the outside diameter of the hub.
Sketched up the spokes and then cutout and glued the sketch to the hub.
Then cut out the spokes with the bandsaw.
Glued the inner hub into the outer rim.
Now lots of filing and sanding of the spokes.

Then it will be onto the design and making up the chasis of the tender.

Regards

Keith

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Like you I also have not been on much except to put a few likes on. Hope all is well.

The wheels look good Keith especially as you are quite new to turning.

Originally Posted by Keith_1

Only lost one hunk of skin on the tailstock


Regards

Keith

Done that a few times after leaving the revolving centre in soon learnt to remove it.