Daisy, Daisy...

[Keith S]

That tender really is quite good; I like the seating in there and the water tank looks very good with the rivets and the coal space in front. I have never had the nerve to try lining- I must say yours looks as good as any I’ve seen.

[ge_rik]

Another little masterpiece in the making Andrew. Love the woodwork and, as others have said, full marks on the lining. I'd never be able to hold my breath long enough to manage even one line.

Rik

[Andrew]

Thanks chaps, much appreciated!

The benches in the tender are based on Ffestiniog locos, I was pleased with how they came out too. I might make a fireman figure to sit taking a rest on one of them.

And yes, I was happy with the lining, although it's all a learning process,, and there are clearly some bits where I've not quite learned enough! Happily, I suspect that'll be precisely where the heaviest weathering occurs...

[Old Man Aaron]

Another gem.

[Andrew]

Hi all,

The Regner revamp is almost complete, with the loco posing for official photographs yesterday:

Daisy finished 1.jpg (858.73 KiB) Viewed 2241 times

Daisy finished 2.jpg (793.66 KiB) Viewed 2241 times

Daisy finished 3.jpg (627.79 KiB) Viewed 2241 times

I honestly don't know what "Daisy" represents exactly - a German/US/colonial loco that's inexplicably painted like a Victorian express engine, yet allowed to get covered in grime (which looks a little more subtle in real life!). There's much about it that suggests industrial service, yet it has vacuum brakes. And a very generously proportioned tender...

In reality, when I spend a good chunk of my modelling time trying to recreate actual historical stuff fairly accurately, I think it's just nice to mess about sometimes!

Alas, the test run wasn't a huge success, with the loco really not happy pushing the tender in reverse, which is kind of essential on my end-to-end line! The problem appears to be the coupling between the two where both theory (that a solid link between two multi-hight couplers would prevent buffer locking when, in reality, it just swivels out of the way) and practice (I didn't get 'em at the same hight) were flawed.

For now, I'll revert to running without the tender, but in the medium term I think big old semi-circular Dareeling-style couplings should do the trick...

Cheers,

Andrew.

[philipy]

Forgetting any running problems, that looks fantastic. I really like it and despite what I said On your other thread, I could even be tempted!

[SimonWood]

Just fantastic. Whatever it is, it looks like it is supposed to be it, a very cohesive result, much helped by your skilful lining and absolutely amazing weathering. Superb.

[LNR]

Hi Andrew, just love the weathering on the loco. A top job.
Regarding your problem running tender first, I have had similar problems in the past, and in my experience it comes down to the length of the solid coupling bar. I couldn't push the extremely light timber bogies in an unloaded state with scale length coupling bars, so made longer ones and fixed the problem. Short bars seem to use the slack in the gauge to quickly move to a jack knife angle and a derail is the end result. Longer ones don't allow the extreme angle to happen. If you could move the pivot point on the tender further aft (can't see if its a bogie or fixed wheel) like the bogie pivot point I'm sure it will eliminate the problem. Hope I've explained that well enough!
Grant.

[ge_rik]

That rusting looks spot on. Are you sure you didn't just leave it outside for six months .....

Rik

[Andrew]

Hi Andrew, just love the weathering on the loco. A top job.
Regarding your problem running tender first, I have had similar problems in the past, and in my experience it comes down to the length of the solid coupling bar. I couldn't push the extremely light timber bogies in an unloaded state with scale length coupling bars, so made longer ones and fixed the problem. Short bars seem to use the slack in the gauge to quickly move to a jack knife angle and a derail is the end result. Longer ones don't allow the extreme angle to happen. If you could move the pivot point on the tender further aft (can't see if its a bogie or fixed wheel) like the bogie pivot point I'm sure it will eliminate the problem. Hope I've explained that well enough!
Grant.

Hi Grant, and thank you!

That makes a whole lot of sense. I happened to have this afternoon off work, so I've made a rough version of what I think you were suggesting - I removed the buffer/coupling from the tender, cut a slot instead, and added a new, much longer drawbar, pivoted about 3/4 of an inch back.

It's all temporary and untidy for now, but if it works ( I may not be able to test it for a while) I'll tidy it up and find a length of brass strip to make a permanent drawbar. Keep your fingers crossed!

Thanks again,

Andrew.

IMG_20240730_153811.jpg (4.26 MiB) Viewed 2170 times

PS Thanks to everyone else for your kind comments too, I really appreciate them!

[BertieB]

“Just fantastic. Whatever it is, it looks like it is supposed to be it…”

Exactly. The weathering’s really nicely done too.

[edited for being boring]

[Andrew]

Hi all!

I'm pleased to report that I managed a quick test run this afternoon, and things are looking up...

There were far fewer derailments, and the loco and tender can now traverse even the tight reverse curve formed by the pairs of small radius points at the outer end of each run-round loop. That leads me to think that there's not much problem with lateral movement of the new set up.

There was still an issue every now and then, however, seemingly where the track is particularly uneven. I think the coupling is too rigid to allow the loco and tender to negotiate these undulations - given that they're now happy on curves, I think the issue might be insufficient vertical movement between them?

Potential solutions seem to include making the slot in the tender buffer beam deeper, loosening the screw that forms the pivot, enlarging the holes at each end of the drawbar to allow more play - or all of the above?

Further thoughts would be most welcome!

Thanks,

Andrew.

[LNR]

Potential solutions seem to include making the slot in the tender buffer beam deeper, loosening the screw that forms the pivot, enlarging the holes at each end of the drawbar to allow more play - or all of the above?

I agree with all of those points Andrew, our little locos do need a lot of freedom coupling wise in both the vertical and the horizontal planes. Copying the Fowler coupling blueprints shows both a vertical pivot and a lateral one given the uneven track work they had to negotiate.
Grant.

[GTB]

Potential solutions seem to include making the slot in the tender buffer beam deeper, loosening the screw that forms the pivot, enlarging the holes at each end of the drawbar to allow more play - or all of the above?

I'd agree with Grant, tick all of the above........

I just realised you have a Roundhouse Palmerston, which I assume happily runs around your track tender first? If so, use it as a reference point.

Find a suitable piece of wood, or thick ply, sit it on the bench and park Palmerston on it. Couple the tender up and see how much freedom of movement it has relative to the loco. Test the movement up/down, the tilt up/down, the rotation left/right, and sideways displacement left/right.

Then repeat with Daisy and her tender. Make any modifications needed to get at least the same relative freedom of movement.

Being all metal, the Roundhouse tender will be fairly heavy and you may also need to ballast Daisy's tender enough to improve it's tracking.

Have fun,
Graeme

[Andrew]

Thanks both - watch this space!

[Andrew]

Thanks both - watch this space!

Sorry to leave you holding your breath for so long...

The good news is - it worked!

In the end, I went for a very hi-tech solution and created a new drawbar from a bit of discarded cable tie I found in the street. Time will tell how long-lasting it is, but it seems to combine strength and flexibility in a way that seems to work pretty well. The loco trundled along happily in both directions, including over some pretty ropey track and through reverse curves - here are some photos to prove it...

Many thanks for your help!

Andrew.

PS The front lamp's fallen off, Araldite wasn't up to the heat! I'll get myself some silicone adhesive, which I think is what I must have used when I first attached it several years ago...

Tender Regner 1.jpg (757.47 KiB) Viewed 823 times

Tender Regner 2.jpg (866.11 KiB) Viewed 823 times

[LNR]

Happy for your success Andrew.
Grant.

[GTB]

The good news is - it worked!

Glad it worked out for you. A cable tie wouldn't have been my first thought.........

The tender and loco look well together.

PS The front lamp's fallen off, Araldite wasn't up to the heat! I'll get myself some silicone adhesive, which I think is what I must have used when I first attached it several years ago....

Consumer grade Araldite is fairly useless as an adhesive in my experience and isn't heat resistant. It's rated to less than 100degC. The 5 minute version is worse.....

I've measured gas temperatures of 200degC in a Roundhouse smokebox, with an outside surface temperature of 150degC and the boiler will be at 140degC when it's up to pressure at 40psi.

I try to use screws or solder for holding detail bits on little locos. If that isn't practical, I use an epoxy putty called 'Knead It' which is similar to Milliput, but easier to find locally. It has the same temperature rating as enamel paint and I've successfully used it as a filler on the smokebox of a gas fired loco.

Another alternative is JB Weld 'Liquid Steel' epoxy which is rated up to about 300degC (actually quoted in the docs as 550degF as it is made in the US).

The auto trade have high temp silicone products available for use around ic engines, but I generally avoid silicone around models. It goes off quickly once the tube is opened and it can screw around with the finish quality when painting.

Regards,
Graeme