Simon Bolton - Scratch-Building Model Railway Locomotives

Simon Bolton

THE CROWOOD PRESS

First published in 2014 by

The Crowood Press Ltd

Ramsbury, Marlborough

Wiltshire SN8 2HR

www.crowood.com

This e-book first published in 2014

Simon Bolton 2014

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 1 84797 769 4

Dedication

This book is dedicated to Paul for his amazing help with organization, editing and laughter.

Acknowledgements

My thanks to the following who have kindly allowed me to include their excellent photographs: David Coasby, Paul Winskill, Steven Greeno, Gordon Gravett, Benjamin Boggis, Paul Macey, Keith Ashford and Maurice Hopper.

I would also like to thank all those society members and website forum contributors for their assistance and kind comments.

And finally, thanks to my father for having a lathe in the front room as I grew up.

Disclaimer

The author and the publisher do not accept any responsibility in any manner whatsoever for any error or omission, or any loss, damage, injury, adverse outcome, or liability of any kind incurred as a result of the use of any of the information contained in this book, or reliance upon it. If in doubt about any aspect of scratch building model railway locomotives, readers are advised to seek professional advice.

J15 Locomotive 7564 at Sheringham station on the North Norfolk Railway.

J15 scratch-built model.

For the beginner, scratch building can seem a daunting prospect: how do you start, what tools do you need, will it hurt? For me, scratch building has opened up a world of possibilities and creativity, allowing me to practise skills, collect ideas and methods, and come up with some of my own. Ive been inspired by the enthusiasm and helpfulness of the people I have met through this project; they have been incredibly helpful and keen to share their time and expertise.

Being able to build the locomotives that I want and to be proud of the results is very exciting, and it is this excitement that I want to share. The aim of the book is to inspire the beginner to take up his or her place at the dining-room table (or work-bench) and begin to scratch build. I have chosen a pleasing locomotive (the J15) to scratch build, which, at the time of writing, is not available as a ready-to-run model. I have chosen OO as the main gauge to build in, as it is the most popular and accessible format. There is excellent trade support for scratch building in this gauge, and a great deal of online advice.

The book is structured with the aim that you will be able to scratch build a OO-gauge J15 locomotive following the stages set out. I have included my own drawings, with some slight simplifications to the dimensions to make life a little easier, lots of prototype photographs, sketches, and step-by-step photographs. To ease the process further, I would urge you to acquire a relevant set of scale drawings. However, its not all hand holding: as the book progresses you are invited to make your own decisions regarding construction and detailing. Descriptions of different methods available and avenues for further research are given.

Like many skills in life, learning to scratch build is an on-going and highly enjoyable process, and I hope that you will be able to take what you can from the book and, most importantly, enjoy yourself as you do.

I have been scratch building model railway locomotives on the kitchen table since my early teens, and as my skills have improved, so have the kitchen tables. I have taught both adults and children for many years, and firmly believe in the positive effects of making things, crafting objects, and the pleasure to be gained from creating something for yourself.

I would be very pleased to be contacted with any questions about your scratch building or to hear about your progress. Please go to my website for contact details and further resources: www.artfulengineering.co.uk

Simon Bolton

My understanding is that scratch building, within the terms of model railways, is the production of models by choosing and using raw materials, tools and skills that you find appropriate and that suit you. Scratch building is a wide-ranging term in fact, as far as Im concerned, it can mean anything from modifying kits and ready-to-run items to making the component parts of a model, right up to producing your own wheels, motor and fittings.

I really enjoy scratch building. I enjoy making something that wasnt there before, I enjoy having things that are a little bit different, and I get an immense feeling of satisfaction from having made something myself. It means becoming completely immersed in a project that involves problem solving, and the acquisition and utilization of skills to produce a tangible solid object. Moreover this is believed to have beneficial effects on our mental health, in that clearing your head of extraneous worries and concentrating solely on the task in hand is very good for you. So if nothing else, the model railway hobby is an economical and pleasant form of therapy.

Scratch building, then, is the perfect fit for escaping the everyday trials of life and refreshing your mind for new challenges. And as a by-product, you end up with some beautiful models.

You may, of course, find the challenge difficult to handle and be tempted to hide your miniature offering in the back of the cupboard. This is normal, too; the most effective learning can come from making mistakes, picking yourself up and carrying on. This is literally the case in learning to walk: did you give up, vow never to do it again, and go off down to the pub in a huff? No, you got back on your horse and drank your milk. Soldering is like that (the pub just helps).

One of my earlier projects, a Great Western 2-4-2 Birdcage tank loco in 7mm scale: almost completely scratch built bar the wheels, motor and fittings and am I proud of her!