3/4" Scale J1e

[Asteamhead]

Hello dnevil,
Very nice details, too indeed ! Thank you for posting

Asteamhead

[JBodenmann]

Hello My Friends
Thank you for the compliments. The Zawarski Hudson is quite a fine model. The Coffin centrifugal pump and the Detroit lubricator are amazing. Where is this engine? Are there any more photos of it? Really the most to say the least!
Jack

[JBodenmann]

Hello My Friends
Here is something you may find useful. This is a height gauge that can be used to lay out things on the locomotive such as running boards, and handrails and such. The base is just a bit of 1/8" x 3/4" cold rolled that was laying around. The rods are 3/16" stainless and there is a piece of brass with a couple set screws. The bottom strap is placed across the rails of the engine stand and the pointer can be adjusted up and down, or in and out to mark points on the loco. Just make sure the locomotive frame is parallel with the rails on the stand. This was used today to lay out the running boards as they will be the next part to be made. These engine had some really cool running board supports. The Nickel Plate Berkshires had very similar running board supports and I'm sure most modern steam had something similar. The Berks had six brackets and they were all different. These engine only had four, all different. These supports also held the air reservoirs, miscellaneous piping, and one also held the Franklin power reverse and the distributing valve. So here is a start on the simplest one. This is the front mount on the engineers side. It only held the air res. and some piping. As usual a card stock pattern was made first and checked for fit. Then two thicknesses of .050" brass were stuck together with #1-72 brass screws and it was roughed out with the band saw. The curved recess for the air res. was made with the boring head. After the shape is finalized they will be separated and a spacer silver soldered between them. They will also get some bosses for the studs that will hold them to the boiler. Then some round nose end mill work to make the recesses for the piping. There will also be some separate castings that hold the piping in place.
More to come.
Jack

[Asteamhead]

Hello Jack,
Good idea! Constructing the running board and all those supports at just the right height on both sides of the engine is a demanding job, indeed. Keep on posting your methods of making, please!

Asteamhead

[JBodenmann]

Hello My Friends
Managed to get a full day in the shop. It's been cold here lately. Todays high was about 38 degrees and the wind was really blowing. The shop was nice and warm The running board-air res. supports are quite a little puzzle. Here is what happened today. There are four of them, three are fairly simple. And two of the three are basically the same so I will only have to make three masters. The two on the fireman's side will be the same. One bracket will be a real fiddle though. That's the one that holds the Franklin power reverse and the distributing valve, in addition the the running board, air reservoir and several piping brackets. The top photo shows the main parts of the supports. There are two of each and they were fastened together for machining. They still need more machining but that will wait until they are silver soldered together. The last two photos show the part that will be curved to fit against the boiler. I like to lay things out with the Sharpie but still use the digital read out. The Sharpie helps to pick up any major screw ups with the mill. The little slots are 5/64" to accept the #1-72 studs that will hold them to the boiler. The prototype had 1-1/8" studs and that scales out to a #1 machine screw. The very top of these brackets with its #1-72 studs and nuts sticks up above the running boards. The rest of the running board supports are just bent up bar stock.
See you in the funny pages...
Jack

[JBodenmann]

Hello My Friends
Haven't had much time to fiddle with the little Hudson as I have been trying to get a batch of brake valves finished up. But here is a little update. The J1e's had small side sheets covering the fire box. These were fitted up the other day. They are .010" steel shim stock. On the full size engines these sheets were usually pretty beat up as they were often taken off the engines to inspect the stay bolts. I am debating if they should get the treatment or not. Well anyway it can wait till later...
Jack

[JBodenmann]

Hello My Friends
Here is a bit of progress on the running board-air reservoir-piping supports. Still more to add, the lugs that hold the U bolts that tighten the air res. straps, the bosses around the piping cut outs, and the bosses around the mounting stud slots and holes .Im saving the most complicated one for last. It holds the running boards, Piping, the power reverse, and also the Westinghouse distributing valve. Too much fun!
Jack

[JBodenmann]

Hello Mt Friends
Here is the start of a Franklin precision power reverse. This mounts to the last running board support to be made. This support also holds one end of the right side air reservoir, the Westinghouse distributing valve and some piping brackets. The reverse needed to be made before the running board support so it would line up with the Baker valve gear properly. One of those I have to do this, before I can do that situations. There are a lot of these on a locomotive.
Jack

[FKreider]

Hi Jack,

Will your power reverse be functional?

[JBodenmann]

Hello My Friends
The power reverse will be a dummy. It will house a 1/4"x16 left hand acme threaded rodent nut. There will be a corresponding acme threaded rod in the indicator and hand wheel assembly in the cab. I will be making masters and will have the casting sets available along with many others for the Hudson. I hope to finish up the power reverse masters this weekend.
Jack

[Fender]

Hello My Friends
The power reverse will be a dummy. It will house a 1/4"x16 left hand acme threaded rodent nut. There will be a corresponding acme threaded rod in the indicator and hand wheel assembly in the cab. I will be making masters and will have the casting sets available along with many others for the Hudson. I hope to finish up the power reverse masters this weekend.
Jack

Beautiful work, but what is a "rodent nut"?

[Bill Shields]

don't most male rodents have two?