Clockwork Wren

[pskipper]

A while back I bought a couple of Hornby clockwork chassis, no body included and have finally started to build a body for one. The wheelbase isn't right but I've always likes Kerr Stuart Wrens so decided to make one.

The body as of yesterday...



Today I was brave and ran the motor to see if the expanding spring would explode the body, this is the loco post-testing so all appears to be well

[Crackingjob]

Welcome to the clockwork club. Having built several, the only thing you will need to do to run on sm32 track is to turn down the flanges a touch...be prepared for quick travel, unless you can build a momentum car to slow it

[pskipper]

Our line is a combination of Mamod track and tinplate so it rockets quite well along the route Our two boys spent happy hours this summer chasing around the garden as the chassis shot along telling it to slow down

[JCSteam]

Have you managed to do any more on this? I'm interested to see the outcome

My kids love my Hornby clockwork,as they can easily play with it too

Would be good to build them a loco without worrying that bits may get damaged

[pskipper]

This is the progress so far, I suspect the cab would be a little fragile for smaller children (my 2yo and 5yo won't be getting their hands on this one) but the rest comes out fairly strong.

Next job is to cut out the bits to make the saddle tank....

[spooner]

The Wren's on the Falkland Irelands had enclosed cabs. They would be stronger.

[pskipper]

I'd been considering going for an enclosed cab on this one, based on the garden sheds the military added to these two...



But decided that they would make it almost impossible to get at the levers that control the clockwork motor. I'll probably make an electric one as well at some point complete with garden shed and military paint job

[pskipper]

It was "Porton Down 75 years of chemical and biological research" by GB Carter, however Industrial Rail Record no. 148 has this picture and some others too as well as full details of the locos and their history before they were used on the Porton Light Railway.

[spooner]

The Porton Wren's cabs look one sided?
Do you no what "D.E.S." stand for?
The clockwork Wren is shaping up nicely.

[pskipper]

The DES is Department of Explosive Supplies.

The cabs were half across the front, down one side and across the back, from what I can tell they were just added onto the steel frame that holds the standard wren roof up.

[pskipper]

So, a while back I bought a 4 axis desktop CNC router with some inheritance money and I've been using it to cut out some of the pieces for the wren. Today I bravely tried using the 4th axis to turn the funnel and, in spite of a couple of hours of teething problems, I think it worked out okay



There are more bits waiting for the saddle tank to make a frame which I'll wrap thin plasticard round to skin it which will probably be the next posting

[pskipper]

Good tip My wife got me these for our wedding anniversary this year, any left over milliput goes straight in rather than going to waste so I can build up a collection of rivets and bolt heads

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pack-x2-RIVET ... 3f751d5e39

[pskipper]

So, to make the saddle tank I cut pieces to make a frame of the correct shape and size...




Once I was sure that it would sit properly I skinned it in thin plasticard. The next job will be to fill any small gaps with milliput and then carefully add rivets in the appropriate places around the tank before gluing it in place.

Here it is with the saddle tank and funnel propped in place. I've also added the bits that go between the smokebox saddle and the cylinders since the last post. Just out of interest can someone tell me what are those called?

[Killian Keane]

I think you are referring to the smokebox saddle

[pskipper]

Not the best of pictures but more progress has been made, it's been a rivetting couple of days

P1180522.JPG (617.52 KiB) Viewed 22448 times

Next job is to turn the dome which will happen sometime next week all being well...

[Killian Keane]

Looks remarkably accurate!

[ge_rik]

Great looking loco already.

Rik

[JCSteam]

This has shaped up really well

Look forward to seeing the finished article

[pskipper]

Dome turning went a little wrong as I cut the boiler curve a bit too high resulting in a shortened dome. However I still had enough of the PVC bar to make a second dome so that was okay. I've finished off the cab roof with a bit more bracing than a real Wren and sprayed a coat of primer on to see where I needed any remedial filler work. It was at this point that I realised I hadn't made the cap for the water tank which is why it is unpainted. Loco is being inspected by Mr Thompson who, following a little surgery to his arm and filling in the hole in his back, will be the driver.







I was going to make some discs to blank out the wheel spokes and make them more wren like but I'm keen to move on to some other projects so I'll get it painted and they can wait for some time in the future.

[Peter Butler]

I think it is amazing what a little grey primer can do to a mixed media model..... everything suddenly fits together and looks so right.
Well done on this construction, very nice job.