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Scratch Build of Gresley A4 Class "Union of South Africa"


albergman

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59 minutes ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

🤯:gobsmacked:  Wow ... that is impressive i never would've thought of that. 

Thanks CF4U.   I'd already made one for my Scotsman so it was easy to figure out.  Overly simplified as it's a very small piece.

 

Next project today was to make a pair of safety doors for the tender.   I imagine these are employed to keep the staff from falling through the space between the engine cab and the tender.   Decided to make these from brass.   Long time ago I bought a brass ornament at a recycle shop as it had some thickness to it and I thought it might come in handy someday ... today was that day!

 

49549247242_80b2b2ed3b_z.jpg

 

I sawed out some thick bits to shape into hinges then drilled a tiny hole in them.   Soldered them to a brass sheet the size of the door and filed everything down to size.   

 

49549019136_662086d0a5.jpg

 

Secured a piece of brass pipe to the tender side to form a hinge and dropped a length of wire through.

 

49548524748_0c56233e93_z.jpg

 

Repeated the process to make another for the other side.

 

Sorry for the crap photos.   Better ones coming later.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hey there fans ... yes, all four of you.   😄   What the heck ... .we're supposed to avoid crowds anyway in this new, dangerous world.

 

Still plugging away at the A4 and sort of in the home stretch now.   Tender is finished building and all the bits are attached.   Found that the wheels just wouldn't align and sit properly on my test track so I ended up making another framework and refitting everything.   I destroyed most of my castings for the axle boxes and springs in the process so I had to mold new ones ... altogether a very sideways move.   However, everything is sitting properly on the rails at last.

 

I recently got back at the engine itself and have been finalizing all the details for it ... made another new set of handrails (well, the attachment pieces).    Today I airbrushed a coat of the final green onto the engine and tender.   It's matte paint (my mistake) but I'll now apply all my decals onto it then spray gloss clear coat on so she'll have a nice finish.

 

The iconic "swooshy" decal around the smokebox was tricky but after plastering the nose with masking tape I managed to draw a suitable replica of the parabolic curve on that.   Peeled it off, stuck it to a flat sheet of metal, photographed it and took that into my photo editor program where I could colour it to the required orange/black stripe.   Piece of cake and only too a couple of DAYS!!!

 

So, here we are ... I stuck a handrail, the steam pipe and the bare nameplate on just for a quick photo shoot.   The "body" of the engine is sitting loose on her chassis and there are bits of motion hanging loose so don't get too worked up.   Lots of bits are completed and waiting to be attached soon.

 

49659512176_be6b0e40c7_b.jpg

 

49658970963_108d7a5c9c_b.jpg


This will likely be the last pictures of the build as I'll probably post the completed  "Union of South Africa" in the finished vehicles section.   Hope to see you there soon.

 

Thanks for watching.

 

Frank

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Sorry to hear you had to rework things to sit on your frame. The green looks good however I’d gloss before decals so you have a nice smooth surface for adhesion. Less chance of silvering under the decals, though you probably knew that. Looking forward to the next chapter. 
 

Dennis

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15 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Sorry to hear you had to rework things to sit on your frame. The green looks good however I’d gloss before decals so you have a nice smooth surface for adhesion. Less chance of silvering under the decals, though you probably knew that. Looking forward to the next chapter. 
 

Dennis

Thanks for the tip Dennis because I didn't know that.   I was never a kit builder so I have little experience with decals or painting.    

13 hours ago, SleeperService said:
13 hours ago, SleeperService said:

A beautiful model of a beautiful engine. I went to the Great Gathering too. Bit crowded for my liking but worth it.

 

I'm amazed by how fast you've built it 😮

 

Thanks S/S.   I guess compared to the Scotsman then yes, this went fast.   Just over a year now and I don't work very hard at it.   How lucky you were to be able to see all six A4's in one place.   What vision someone had to think of such an event and pulling it off.   

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  • 5 weeks later...

I didn't think I'd post any more pictures till I was finished but that could still be a while so here's a bit more progress.

 

Let's see ... got all my decals designed and printed on my inkjet printer.   Could write a book on the troubles I had with that part of the project but I'll spare you that sad episode.   Almost all are applied and many clear coats later I finally rubbed the finish down with 2000 wet sandpaper and buffed the engine with a Tamiya polishing compound which is wonderful.   I didn't want a showroom finish but maybe "fresh from an overhaul" look.   Today I was able to re-attach the platform that holds all the wheels and motion ... hopefully for the last time.   The tender still needs finishing touches but is very close to done.

The front bogie is sitting loose here and I'll wait till I get my custom track made for "Number 9" to fit it.    Also want to make the two seats for the crew.   Many small touches still to finish too ... headboard, lanterns, whistle, cab windows etc so you can see it still has a way to go.

 

Thanks for looking in.

 

Frank

 

49770895711_d5aec74673_b.jpg

 

49771221317_589784a2d4_b.jpg

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On 14/04/2020 at 07:15, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Shes looking quite good, looking forward to the next post. 

Looking quite good?

 

Looking quite good?!?!?!?!!?!🙄

 

Try ‘looking ABSOLUTELY FREAKING AWESOME!’

 

I love this one!

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1 hour ago, Bandsaw Steve said:

Looking quite good?

 

Looking quite good?!?!?!?!!?!🙄

 

Try ‘looking ABSOLUTELY FREAKING AWESOME!’

 

I love this one!

Curb your enthusiasm young man!!   Thanks for that Steve.   I'm really pleased with the way she's coming along too.   Hope you two can get back at the red one soon.

 

 

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6 minutes ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

I didnt want to sound over exuberant but yes its quite awesome. 

Sorry you had your arm twisted there Dennis!    Steve is a paid enthusiast and he's becoming quite expensive.   

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Well despite the advanced warning you were going to embark on this project, I still managed to miss a big chunk of it - for which oversight I apologise! Following now, though.

 

Looking fantastic, Frank :thumbsup2:

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10 hours ago, clive_t said:

Well despite the advanced warning you were going to embark on this project, I still managed to miss a big chunk of it - for which oversight I apologise! Following now, though.

 

Looking fantastic, Frank :thumbsup2:

Hmmm I already replied to this but seems to have gotten lost.

 

Anyway, no need to apologize Clive ... attendance is not compulsory.   Thanks for looking in and approving.   I really am enjoying building this engine that I'm so fond off.   I've been following your own refurbishment of your garden railway (commented there a few days ago).   My engines are close to your scale and it would be nice to see them on your metals one day but that won't be happening with the mess the world is in.   Photoshop maybe?

 

Cheers 

 

Frank

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Having had a much better look at the previous pics through a PC monitor, I would like to upgrade my earlier 'fantastic' comment to 'stupendous', with a liberal splash of 'amazing' if I may!

 

I have to ask, how did you line her out - decals, or hand painting? Either way, the result is excellent :thumbsup2:

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Frank, apologies for pinching one of your photos above, but with my very limited photo manipulation skills, MS Paint and Irfanview, here's your masterpiece on my metals:

 

ghSlOFz.jpg

 

I wish!

 

:D

 

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1 hour ago, clive_t said:

Frank, apologies for pinching one of your photos above, but with my very limited photo manipulation skills, MS Paint and Irfanview, here's your masterpiece on my metals:

I wish!

 

:D

 

Woohoo!!    That is amazing Clive!    I cant believe how natural she looks in the picture and you blended my tracks (borrowed from my Scotsman) perfectly.

 

As to lining her out I print my own decals.   The boiler bands are the old water slide style but I recently switched over to adhesive vinyl for the rest.   Water slides just have no real adhesion and have to be coated with layers of lacquer.   Paint adhesion is so much better on (matte) vinyl too.

 

Frank

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  • 2 months later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Hi There,

I've just found this thread and am in complete awe of your work.

I'm not a model rail enthusiast but this is a loco that I know rather well as John Cameron always used to leave her outside Leuchars Signalbox on the Friday night before the Leuchars open day for the Signalmen to keep an eye on.

 

She looks gorgeous and I am blown away by your work.

 

Thanks for bringing back some great old memories.

 

Cheers,

Alistair

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On 6/29/2020 at 7:35 PM, bentwaters81tfw said:

And as she is currently at Ian Riley's workshop.

resized_1eb1a87e-0421-4e73-9a96-34359dac

 

 

Hi Bentwaters81tfw, she's not at Riley's (Bury) - she's stuck at York with an expired mainline ticket following her last tour on 6th March. Also, that photo is Bridgnorth on the SVR - a place she hasn't been to in a good few years.

 

Cheers,

  WV908

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5 minutes ago, WV908 said:

Hi Bentwaters81tfw, she's not at Riley's (Bury) - she's stuck at York with an expired mainline ticket following her last tour on 6th March. Also, that photo is Bridgnorth on the SVR - a place she hasn't been to in a good few years.

 

Cheers,

  WV908

Interesting, the photo and info came direct from Railcam, and they know where everything rail related is. Have just made an enquity and indeed the answer was NRM. Someone gave me duff info.

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Hi @bentwaters81tfw I tend not to use the railcam info - the only Gresley Pacific currently at Bury is Scotman, and she's in the ELR running shed, not Riley's at Heywood. 

 

Quite how Railcam got it so wrong I don't know. They had the locations of LSL's ex-EMR HST power cars wrong last week too.

 

Cheers,

  WV908

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16 hours ago, AliGauld said:

Hi There,

I've just found this thread and am in complete awe of your work.

I'm not a model rail enthusiast but this is a loco that I know rather well as John Cameron always used to leave her outside Leuchars Signalbox on the Friday night before the Leuchars open day for the Signalmen to keep an eye on.

 

She looks gorgeous and I am blown away by your work.

 

Thanks for bringing back some great old memories.

 

Cheers,

Alistair

Thanks AliGauld.   Very kind remarks.   As an old Fifer I remember this engine well.   I hope to get back to her soon and apply the finishing touches.

 

On 6/29/2020 at 2:35 PM, bentwaters81tfw said:

And as she is currently at Ian Riley's workshop.

2 hours ago, WV908 said:

Hi Bentwaters81tfw, she's not at Riley's (Bury) - she's stuck at York with an expired mainline ticket following her last tour on 6th March. Also, that photo is Bridgnorth on the SVR - a place she hasn't been to in a good few years.   Cheers,

  WV908

 

2 hours ago, WV908 said:

Hi @bentwaters81tfw I tend not to use the railcam info - the only Gresley Pacific currently at Bury is Scotman, and she's in the ELR running shed, not Riley's at Heywood. 

  WV908

 

Well, I'm afraid you're both wrong on both engines!   They're obviously right here on my cabinet gathering dust.    To be honest though 4472 is back in my "top shed" having her motion re-worked.    Thanks for looking in.

Frank

 

50122396376_2e377ab3eb_c.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

Spending far too much time in the aircraft and car sections I rarely venture in here, but I'm glad I did today - what absolutely superb model engineering you demonstrated in this excellent thread Frank, and a really gorgeous locomotive has emerged at the end of it!

 

Fantastic work!

 

Keith

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