LNWR Lady of the Lake

[NickB]

Phil, all the drawings of Lady that I have seen show a clearance of about 2mm between the top of the wheel and the top of the splasher when the wheel is in the datum position. I usually allow the driver about ±1mm vertical movement and no-one has complained about the wheel contacting the splasher (yet!). If John has been following the drawing I gave him, he should not have a problem.

On a related note, there is probably a need for a kit out there. I've built four Ladies so far because people have asked for them (unfortunately not at the same time, that would have been quicker for me) and now two kits of parts for John and one other modeller. It is an attractive prototype and there does seem to be a demand.

Nick

 

[AllenM]

Hello all
Nick askes, A need for a kit?
About 30 years ago Tim Hughes (Meteor Models) built me a Lady of the Lake and I think he may have done 2 or 3 more. I don't know where it is now as it was sold on by Barry Jones, Modellers World, Coventry when I went 16mm NG in the garden.
Regards
Allen

 

[coal tank]

Hi everyone ,Merry Christmas to you all . My present to myself are these beautiful parts that Nick Baines has made for me for my LNWR Lady of the Lake . These are the connecting rods slide bars and cylinder end covers. ,,They are just superb.
Thank you Nick for your help with this project.
John

 

[NickB]

John,

You opened your Christmas present early! The elves will be after you.

Nick

 

[coal tank]

Hiya Nick ,they will have to queue behind the grandchildren
Have a great Christmas and thank you again for your help with this project.
John

 

[john lewsey]

Hi a bit of an update on the Lady. I have been in Australia for a month so back to the bench.The valve gear that Nick has made is just Superb.

 

[john lewsey]

 

[john lewsey]

 

[Herb Garden]

Stunning!

 

[Joe's Garage]

Why he said!!

Stunning!

All the best
Julian

 

[paulc]

Why he said!!



All the best
Julian

Wot e said !

 

[john lewsey]

So,,,, the slide bars on the other side. It seems to run freely so maybe next week I might fit the motor.

 

[simond]

I’d expect that the vac pump should be parallel with the slidebars?

 

[Joe's Garage]

I must check my work before submission!!!!
But you all know that I meant "Wot 'e said!!!"

 

[john lewsey]

Hi, a little bit of progress on the Lady of the Lake. I have tack soldered the splashers and the sandbox to the right hand side. Kevin Harrop also on here is also making one of these.
John

 

[Kevin MH]

Indeed I am. I got Nick's components two or three weeks ago, and started with a Gladiator tender. I have put two small motors in the tender, which is compensated with two beams and a center pivot. I had toyed with the idea of chain drive, with a central pivot and a fixed axle, but decided it would be too visible. I made a terrible mistake of filling the voids with lead shot before I had finished soldering bits to the model; I lost six hours or so fighting to get stuff stuck on. I had to use my small torch to heat the bally thing up sufficiently to get the solder to flow. None the less, the tender is virtually finished, in seven days, as anticipated.
The loco has started. The frames are assembled and the wheels installed enough to test that they roll. The smokebox is largely built, the second time, as the brackets for the rear of the cylinders were set about 2mm too low. Happily, I was able to get the wrapper off without drama; again the torch came in, rather than trying to heat and pry with a soldering iron. It just pinged off, none the worse for wear. The first time I put it on, I must have made a first tack on the top front 20 or more times, trying to center it and get it to project a little bit in the front such that the riveted front can drop in. Oddly, I only needed about 5 tries the second time.
I have a goal to have it nearly finished come June 20, my operating group's next session. If, BTW, you are in Southern California some time, drop me a line and I'll see if I can wrangle an invitation. There are six of us, five modelling Brit prototypes, four are actual Brits, and we have four layouts that we rotate to. One is in N San Diego, the other in Ojai. I don't expect you to know those, but they are 150 miles apart. I and my layout are nearly half way in between, in Burbank.

 

[Kevin MH]

Hi, a little bit of progress on the Lady of the Lake. I have tack soldered the splashers and the sandbox to the right hand side. Kevin Harrop also on here is also making one of these.
John View attachment 264809

John,

How do you fit the connecting rods over those crankpins? There is no sideways flex at the crosshead, I don't see how you get it over the crankpin. I have on order some 12ba hex head bolts, that I propose to run into the outside of the wheels and thread into a nut let into the back of the wheels. Nick endorsed that approach.

Kevin

 

[Kevin MH]

Oh, John, does the rear of the footplate need trimming? I think Nick cut it a mm or so long, which makes sense.

And have you jumped the gun by applying the splasher before drilling the boiler for handrail knobs? Or perhaps the boiler is not fixed yet.

Kevin

 

[john lewsey]

Hiya Kevin. The boiler isn't fixed yet so the handrail knows can still be fitted. I will have a look at your solution for the crank pins that sounds like a good idea. I have been putting the conrods on the wheel before I put the wheel on the axle. Yes I think that the footplate will need trimming. Will you be doing a tread on yours ?.
John

 

[Kevin MH]

Hiya Kevin. The boiler isn't fixed yet so the handrail knows can still be fitted. I will have a look at your solution for the crank pins that sounds like a good idea. I have been putting the conrods on the wheel before I put the wheel on the axle. Yes I think that the footplate will need trimming. Will you be doing a tread on yours ?.
John

Ah! The wheels on the axles AFTER fitting the conrods. Brilliant! I am concerned, on so many thing, but on the drilling of handrail knob. I've done it before, but that does no relieve the apprehension. What do you mean by a "tread"?