Stuart Firth
That biggest and most exciting moment of any loco. build is wheeling up and seeing if it works. Well, after a tweak of the quartering, it’s running very smoothly, so I’m happy!
The Gibson wheels needed drilling for the crankpins, as some do, but it went without a hitch, or a broken drill. The wheels gripped the axles very tightly so no Loctite on this one. Today the loco. moved under its own power up and down my short test track, on fly-leads. Pick-ups next, and I have to make a decision on the exact position of the motor in terms of fore/aft, and up/down; and whether the flywheel will scrape in or whether it will just scrape!
The trailing axle is located on a brass wire pivot, but it’s not very flexible or springy and may be changed. At the moment the chimney is loose, hence it is not very vertical in the picture.
The motor seems very sweet and quiet and the LRM horn blocks were very easy to use.
Jason Muxworthy
Paul Tomlinson
73A
Michael Marshall
Ben Weiner