My N&W class A 1239 (gauge 5", 1 in 10 scale)

Asteamhead · Post by **Asteamhead** » Thu Jan 15, 2015 10:10 am

Hello friends,
Just three more photos of some progress with my A.
Asteamhead

Steamchris · Post by **Steamchris** » Thu Jan 15, 2015 1:32 pm

I love the double stack.

Kind Regards
Christian

Asteamhead · Post by **Asteamhead** » Sun Apr 17, 2016 12:57 pm

Hello to all friends of the N&W RR and lifesteam!
Starting today to continue my elder thread 'A with Timken running gear' in the Lifesteam forum in this better adapted forum now.
Harold, do you think it might be better to transfer my former thread into this one, too improveing access?
Let me start with the last item, the trailer first. For similar devices are used with a lot of modern locos, it might be of interest to some mdelers.
Starting with a batch of lasered sheets (for both my A and J 611 of steamchris), these were prepared by some bending and milling to the needed dimensions.
Next steps were to add (press) in some brackets and rings to the side sheets as long both sides were accessable. Some photos will show these steps.
More to come soon.

Asteamhead

Asteamhead · Post by **Asteamhead** » Sun Apr 17, 2016 1:11 pm

More about welding the parts together.
To achieve the side bars and both in line and rectangular, several supports and clamps were in use.
Made of aluminium or copper they helped to reduce shrinking and deforming during TIG-welding.
To achieve exact assembly of side bars and front end was the most critical job then. There were a lot of spot welds carefully set first.
More to come.
Asteamhead

Asteamhead · Post by **Asteamhead** » Sun Apr 17, 2016 1:25 pm

Trailer axle boxes
The axle boxes were made of round bronze to hold a pair of ball bearings and one external slide ring due to the most dirty place of the loco where they are placed.
The liners being welded to the side bars will get a thin shoe made of bronze to improve precision.

Rob Gardner · Post by **Rob Gardner** » Sat Apr 23, 2016 12:48 pm

Asteamhead, these are very helpful posts for me at this time as I want to complete the fabrication design drawings for my 4 wheel training truck. I know how to draw everything up in CAD, but don't have a hood grasp of how to form the two radiuses on the front of your inside and outside side frames. Can you explain or show how you did that on your pieces? Many thanks for showing us
your fine work.

Rob Gardner

Asteamhead · Post by **Asteamhead** » Sun Apr 24, 2016 10:11 am

Rob,
Thank you for your kind recognition! I intended to explain the process of building to be useful for other modelers, fine!
The side sheets made of stainless steel were just 3 mm (1/8 ") thick. Thus they were bent by means of a strong vice and a hammer similar as shown with the L-profiles. A bending bank(?) was used, too for corrections. The front cover plates were used as templates all the time.To eleviate the bending process at sharp bends the sheets first got some caverns half of the thickness as to be seen in a former photo. This worked out well with every sort of narrow bends, even with thick sheets like the rocker plates f.e..
Bending the L-profiles was a much harder job yet due to their stiffness!
All precise bending had been done before starting the first weld to avoid any deforming of the frames.
Best luck to your work!
Asteamhead

Asteamhead · Post by **Asteamhead** » Sun Apr 24, 2016 10:27 am

Rob,
Just one more photo showing the method to help bending by means of milled caverns on the inner side of metal sheets.
Asteamhead

Asteamhead · Post by **Asteamhead** » Tue May 17, 2016 4:12 pm

Hello fans of modeling the N&W locomotives,
Today the equalizing system for use with the trailer has been completed, more than 60 parts! Everything is fitting now (width, length and mobility). Centers of axles are at the correct height, which is very important due to absence of any correction srews. Not at least all parts are to be assembled within the one piece welded frame without difficulties! Any disassembly will be eleviated by use of centerings on the bolts to drive them out of the bushings. Play is about 0.001 " in general.
Maximum mobility of both axles is about + / - 1/4 " at equalizers' extreme posititons. That's a little more than scaled down to accept any rail conditions not ideal.
There is some final welding work, before the frame will be sandblasted yet. Wheels and axles are to be turned, which is more a routine job, yet.

Asteamhead

Asteamhead · Post by **Asteamhead** » Tue May 17, 2016 4:24 pm

Sorry, forget to mention two little items!
First, all equalizers got (partly) closed eyes, not to disconect in case of deraling or lifting the engine from track.
Second, each hanger got a radius seat, stuck in the spring under normal load. A thin bolt is seated in the hanger after assembly to assure this won't freeing off the spring under any condition.
Both items are to be seen on the photos above.

Asteamhead

Asteamhead · Post by **Asteamhead** » Thu Jun 16, 2016 1:51 pm

Hello friends,
some more progress these days to be reportet. All parts used with the trailer are ready for assembly now. Just one more professional sandblasting of the welded frame all made of stainless steel.
The rocker pockets including the rockers were the most time consuming parts to build and weld to the frame. Alltogether it took me some 300 hours of shop time...
The axles were a pleasure to build! Never before I had shrinked on high grade steel rims onto the casted wheels. With a little help from my friends, no problem - using a small pizza oven.

Astemhead

Asteamhead · Post by **Asteamhead** » Thu Jun 16, 2016 2:31 pm

Hello again!
Hadn't published the rocker themselves yet. Construction followed the prototype with some minor changes: The angle of the rocker plates were reduced a bit in favour to reduce lateral forces on narrow curves. The side motion were increased somewhat to tolerate a 10 m (33 ') radius.
To avoid any disengage of parts in case of lifting the engine or derailments, some measures were made, too. Same was done with the spring rigging.
Some photos will explain.
All the best by
Asteamhead