Skeleton Edrig 2

During the house move I rationalised some of my steam stock but I now find I am in need of more motive power especially with some exhibitions coming up.
Thinking that I have no money to buy desperateley needed new locomotives I realised that I had taken delivery a long while ago of an Edrig power unit that was hidden away from the bailiffs.

They look pretty naff running round bodyless as they are so a hasty simple half-cab is being constructed.
This should be ready in about a weeks time.









This is the progress so far with the spectacle plate, sides and small tanks folded up and soldered. The hole in one is for the gas filler.

Carl,

how did you cut and shape your brass sheet. I had to rough cut with drill and hacksaw, then file to the scribe line. Are there other options ?

There aren't many other options (that I know of) David.

Some smaller curves and holes such as the portholes can be done carefully with a router bit on soft brass.

Otherwise it is a lot of character-building hacking and filing.

Nice work again Carl.

I have some brass sheet left from my Edrig cab building exercise.

You've inspired me to find a motive unit to work on.

Any unwanted Stainz motor blocks out there anyone ?

A bit more progress today before I have to go back to work proper tomorrow.



Soldering stress, making sure everything is square, clean and ready for the heat!



Tanks now soldered to the sides.



Soldered the spectacle plate to one tank and side assembly. Luckily it all stayed reasonable square.

I used a small fine gas pencil torch. Get the heat on quick in the right place with plenty of flux, solder and get out quick befor the rest unsolders.

...and a bit more sneaked in between lessons earlier today.







The basic open cab, sides and tanks all soldered up. A bit of a pig to get all square and I could/should have used slightly thicker brass for the spectacle plate.

The left hand side will cover the gas tank. The right hand side is a dummy but could house a servo if I ever decide to fit radio control.

No lessons today so....



Simple footplate mounting bracket



Completed cab with separate back plate.



The portholes/spectacles were thin slices of copper plumbing pipe cut with a tube cutter and sanded down.

So far, I am mightily impressed. I wish I could work with brass like that.

Thanks Bill but brass is no more difficult to work than plastic or wood but it always looks good all shiny and gold!

Here it is trial fitted to the machine itself.





I don't know what colour to paint it yet.

The regulator and gas levers were fabricated from off cuts of brass rail and attcked with a small angle grinder. A bit cheaper than proprietary ones.

Very nice Carl.

Makes you realise that we dont need Roundhouse or Accucraft and that it is a lot more fun and cheaper filing and soldering brass.

Now who has some Corpet Louvet drawings !!!


David

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat !!!!!!!!!!!!!! already !!!!!!! bloody excellent - like the idea of tube for the portholes, and that little folded over ledge on the front, and the levers, and the.........................................
ok I like the whole thing, and I really hate you - bloody perfection AGAIN.

If you work out the labour time and materials involved it would be still cheaper to buy an Edrig (or similar) with the body already built.
But it's not as satisfying nor versatile. We said before that it could be a good idea to have several bodies for one locomotive.

If I get time I might do another one with a different cab.

Well here it is just about finished for now and just in time for the weekend show at St Aubin du Thenney.

RailExpo St Aubin

I went for green in the end as you can obviously see! It was a left over can of high temperature German lacquer I had lying around.










So all in all a very simple straightforward cab with minimal detail which took about 10 days from start to finish.

With the scale of the loco, driver and the ballast it all looks very '16mill'. It will stay as manual control too I think......

Great work. How did you prime it for painting?

Good work Carl.Have a good time at the show

Sorry if I'm out of order here, but I preferred it in bare brass and black. But even paint can't disguise the craftmanship!

I'm actually thinking of respraying my Edrig black...

Looking at the pictures again the paint looks a bit 'pixelated'. I should use a better camera...or paint!

The primer was 24hrs in vinegar followed by some spray etch grey.

It think I preferred it without paint too but seeing as this was built really for the shows, brass won't do I'm afraid.
The French public will be very quick to point out that they have never seen a real one in brass!

I don't like the gloss black boiler and footplate either but that comes as standard. It is real job to paint in matt or satin black with proper high temperature paint.

I shall however try and build another body before ExpoRail in November. Something with long tanks.

I found the high temperature black spray they sell for car exhausts in places like Bati-LeClerk works ok and produces a matt finish! I Imagine it's a lot of work to dismantle the boiler amd remove the brass boiler bands ready for spraying, but I may attempt it before Paris ?

bon chance

The green looks properly British to me.

GWhizz wrote:

I found the high temperature black spray they sell for car exhausts in places like Bati-LeClerk works ok and produces a matt finish! I Imagine it's a lot of work to dismantle the boiler amd remove the brass boiler bands ready for spraying, but I may attempt it before Paris ?

bon chance

A matt or dull finish would be the way but some of the HT spray I've used reacts with the existing paint and steam oil. I had a problem with a Regner once that I resprayed black. I don't about Accucraft and what cheapo chinese paint they used!

Try a small section first somewhere I suppose.

The colour Bill is Graupner German racing green.