Saturday 21 February 2015

Outside Framed Hunslet

A while ago I posted that I'd got hold of a Minitrains outside-framed chassis (from their Fiddletown & Copperopolis tender locomotive) and wondered whether it would be suitable for a Dinorwic large Hunslet. Unfortunately the distance from the motor to the cylinders is too short and would put the cylinders too far back from the smokebox.


However undeterred I got a new kit for the "Cackler / Jerry M" Hunslet (by Five79) and set about adapting it to fit the chassis! The dummy run trial below shows the smokebox set further back to line up with the cylinders (well nearly), and the saddle-tank scored with a line 4mm from the rear where it will be shortened. I'd already carefully removed the filler cap from the casting, which can hopefully be re-used, and the other round plate on top of the tank (purpose unknown!) was filed smooth. The footplate has the hole for the motor opened out towards the rear a little.


The chassis has some modifications. The plastic "footplate" around the motor is cut away along with a section of the rear frames, allowing the kit's footplate to sit on it, and some plastic "pegs" glued just below the motor that protrude just above the kit's footplate to hold it down. At the front of the chassis the extended keeper plate is cut short and a 2mm hole drilled for a fixing screw. On top the plastic plate/clip has it's vertical "wings" removed to clear the boiler.


The whitemetal footplate has been shortened by about 3mm, including the dummy frames below, and both the front of the footplate and the bufferbeam filed to a 45 degree chamfer to fit the buffer beam better (that's been done at the rear too). A mounting plate for the chassis has been bent up from brass, with a 2mm hole drilled and a brass nut soldered on. This will be glued into the front of the footplate/frames casting.


The boiler, smokebox, and cab front are glued together so time for a trial run on the footplate and chassis. The cylinders are still a little too far to the rear but I hope to disguise this further, otherwise all looks promising so far.





No comments: