Chaloner Stage 4 (part 1)

• June 1st - I rechecked the contents of the Stage 4 kit aginst the check list provided. The bunker front is still missing but as I had planned to alter it somewhat this does not worry me.
  
  Here are most of the contents of Stage 4 spread  out on the floor
  
  
  Whilst checking the main steam pipe and regulator assembly I found a small hole where the pipe connects to the lubricator. I am sure that Maxitrak would have replaced or repaired this free of charge had I asked. However I had the brazing hearth out for work on a 16mm scale loco so decided I might as well save time and repair it myself. This would also have the advantage of softening the pipe to make it easier to fit.
  
  Here is the offending joint
  
  
  After cleaning and fluxing the joint I heated it to cherry red and touched it with a rod of silver solder. Once it had cooled to black I dropped it in the pickle bath.  (I use salt and vinegar - my shed smells like chip shop today). Then it was off to the supermarket for a fortnight's shopping and by the time I came back I had a nice clean pipe and the joint looks good.
  
  Sparkling clean main steam pipe after repair and pickling
  
  
  
• June 6th - I started serious work on stage 4 after a few days on other activities.  First off is to take off the front buffer beam and fit the tank into the frames. Whilst the tank is off the front buffers can be fitted. I sanded these wooden blocks and also the rear buffers and then coated them with varnish stain left over from building the workshed last year. They are held in place by woodscrews from behind. This covers up the countersunk screws holding the buffer beam. I had removed these countersunk screws and for a while could not see how to fix the buffer beam back in place. It took me a while to realise I should have removed the buffer beam by removing the brackets attaching it to the frame.
  
  Front buffer blocks fixed to the buffer beam
  
  
  Whilst the varnish was drying I drilled the brackets to mount the tank to the frame. I used studs and nuts  rather than the button head screws supplied as I feel this looks more realistic. I then cleaned up the tank ready for painting. This involved removing some solder runs left over from when the tank was built as well as cleaning up the brass with a Roebuck block. The tank was given a coat of etch primer.
  
  The painted tank in place
  
  
  Whilst the primer was drying on the tank I turned my attention to the missing bunker front. As mentioned earlier I had been thinking of modifying this. I wanted to represent the sliding hatch cover over the coal hole. I made this up from oddments of steel sheet. The bunker front itself  and the hatch cover were made from a computer case (I knew these new fangled computers would be useful for something one day). The hatch guides were steel sheet from the case of an old toaster. Making a neat job of the 'Z' bend in these guides was a challenge until I found I could bend them in the vice around oddments of steel bar and angle. When bending stuff like this I find it easiest to cut the metal  oversize and trim after bending to shape. I have no idea how close this arrangment is to that on the real Chaloner. I copied it from our domestic coal bunker.
  
  Dummy hatch cover over the coal hole
  
  
  
• 7th June - Today the tank had a couple of coats of paint with oven baking in between coats. I also painted the tank filler cover at the second attempt. I had cleaned it up and wiped down with Isopropyl Alcohol. I thought I could go straight to topcoat as I had roughened the surface with fine wet & dry. It did not work, the paint formed puddles on the surface. I wiped the paint of and cleaned this time with white spirit. I also read the building instructions so put a coat of primer on. After this the top coat went on smoothly.
  
  The tank now has a coat of paint
  
  
  I also spent some time fiddling around with the bunker. I intend to put a removable wooden seat at the front. In the real locomotive the seat appears to be the cover for a toolbox. I won't make a toolbox though. I will have probably to take the seat off when running as it will restrict access to both the handpump and the control box for the electric pump.
  
  I do wonder if I can fit a dummy handbrake handle.
  
  
  
• 8th June - This morning I made a handbrake handle from odd bits of steel bar including an old bicycle spoke. This was a fun activity which gave me an opportunity to try a out a ball turning attachment for the lathe. The supporting bracket is tube from an old portable radio aerial soldered to a brass plate.
  
  I then fixed the parts of the bunker together with brass angle and rivets and then bolted it to the removable footplate. Then followed a few coats of paint with oven baking between coats as before.
  
  Completed bunker assembly ready for the wooden seat
  
  
  Whilst the paint was baking I was able to fit the water gauge to the boiler and drill holes in the footplate for the water gauge drain and electronic level detector. As always my heart was in my mouth whilst cutting water gauge glass tube to length. In reality I ought to worry more about fitting the glass to the gauge fittings as this is where I usually end up breaking it. This time all went well. I fiddled around adding a couple of extra copper washers to ensure the top and bottom fittings lined up exactly.
  
  Water gauge fixed to boiler
  
  
  Whilst the boiler is off Maxitrak recommend that you install the hand pump, battery tray, electric pump and water sensor electronics.
  
  I have tried the hand pump in position but cannot work out the route for the main water pipe from the tank to the pump. Does it go above or below the axles? Inside or outside the wheels? How will it clear the ashpan? Is there enough room between the take off point on the tank and the nearest wheel? This needs more thought and it is getting too late in the day to think clearly.
  
  And another thought - how do you fit the ashpan between the wheel flanges?
  
  
  
• June 9th - Maxitrak responded to an e-mail I sent last night querying the route for the main water pipe. They sent me very helpful pictures of the pipe run on their showroom model. It runs beneath the axles just clear of the backs of the left hand wheels.
  
  I solved the problem of lack of clearance between the tank outlet and the left hand front wheel flange. I took the tank support brackets off and positioned them 10mm or so higher. This brings the tank down so the outlet is below axle height. I also shortened the outlet by countersinking a couple of millimetres deeper and trimming the end with a file. The  main water pipe now takes a straight path below the axle and the gland nut on the end clears the wheel flange. I had to touch up the paint on the tank of course but left this until I was ready to paint the next couple of parts.
  
  With the water pipe route solved I could go ahead with locating the hand pump. The pump base and a mounting bracket need to be drilled for retaining screws. I think I have adequate clearance for the pump handle though I will have to watch to make sure it does not crash into the dummy handbrake handle I made yesterday.
  
  After this the battery tray for the electric pump could be trimmed to size and drilled for fixing bolts. Once this was done the tray was painted and the tank paint touched up before baking in the oven.
  
  Then it was time to take a break and start cooking our evening meal. There are no pictures today as all the parts fitted today have been taken off to enable access for the next steps in construction. This will be fitting the electric pump and a bracket to support the electronics. I am enjoying the build so much that I am beginning to feel slightly depressed by the thought that it will all be finished soon.
  
  I almost forgot to say that I made a wooden seat for the bunker at the second attempt. When trimmed to size the first piece of wood was found to have woodworm so Ihad to cut out another.
  
  
• June 10th - I really did not expect to have time for any work on Chaloner today but as things turned out I had an hour spare this morning. The bracket for the electric pump got missed yesterday when I was painting so that was rectified with a coat of primer  and then topcoat. In between coats I fitted the brass bracket to carry the water sensor box. It neded a couple of notches filed underneath to clear the screws that hold the left hand rear buffer in place. This buffer was fitted after drilling recesses to clear the bracket screws. The right hand buffer also needed to be recessed to clear the bolts which hold the electrically driven  pump.
  
  Trial fitting of bracket and electric pump
  
  
  The next step would have been fitting the geared motor to drive the pump. A crank disc fits on the motor shaft retained by a grub screw. I must have dropped the grub screw somewhere so had to search for a replacement. I found the thread in the disc was 4BA.  Luckily I had a 4BA grub screw in stock so for once did not have to cut a machine screw to length.
  
  By now it was time to get on with what we had really been planning to do so that was the end of work for today.
  
  Action man tried out the new dummy brake handle this evening. He did not seem happy with it. Such flimsy construction may be alright for 16mm scale folk but for 2" scale people something more robust is desirable.
  
  This brake handle is flimsy
  
  
  Alex from Maxitrak has given me the solution to getting the ashpan to fit between the wheels. He sent me a photo showing a notches cut out on each side of a current stock ashpan for Chaloner. The notches fit round the wheels and will be quick and easy to cut. We suspect that my ashpan was a very early one and that the design has since been altered.
  
  
• June 11th - I managed to squeeze in a bit of time on Chaloner today towards the end of the afternoon. The pump motor base needed attention with a needle file to get the screws through into the left hand frame. There is also a grub screw through the frame to support the motor. This turned out to be threaded M5 and so the M4 bolt supplied would not have fitted. I found I had got the electric pump bracket the wrong way round yesterday which meant the pump conn rod would not fit. After correcting this the pump position can be adjusted by screwing into or out of the bracket into order to get the correct pump ram travel.
  
  Fitting the bits in under the footplate is rather like solving the Chinese puzzles I used to get as stocking fillers at Christmas. There really is not a lot of room. It always seems to be the case that if part A must be fitted before part B then part A blocks easy screwdriver or spanner access to the bolts for part B. This happened when trying to fit both rear buffers.
  
  Nonetheless all parts are in there now. Once both pumps, the motor and the battery tray were in position I could fit the main water pipe. I then put back the tank and front buffer beam which I had taken off two days ago in order to lower the tank.
  
  There is very little space left under the footplate
  
  
  The wiring is temporary to test the pump
  
  
  I want to test both pumps next and provided they work it will be time to put the boiler back and install the remaining boiler fittings.
  
  On to stage 4 (Part 2)