Kit 4 : Valve gear
Kit 4 includes
Buffer heads, springs and studs
Suspension links
Trunion brackets
Rocker assemblies
Expansion links with die blocks and pins
Suspension links
Expansion link pins
Eccentric straps with rods
Weigh shaft with arm and lever
Weigh shaft pin
Weigh shaft collars (large & small)
The usual collection of nuts & bolts, etc.
I decided to do the buffers first as these are nice simple parts. The buffer heads had a lot of machining marks and looked quite rough. I sanded them down with emery to remove the rough machining marks. I then fitted the studs, gluing them with a drop of Loctite. When that was dry I simply chucked them in an electric drill and held some 240 grit paper against them to get nice radial finish. I didn't want them completely polished, but just enough texture to look like they had been well machined.
The die blocks were a bit of a game to fit but I got them eventually, with lots of trial and error.
The instructions warned that the die block pins were difficult to tighten as you can't get a screwdriver straight on the head, so I devised plan B. I assembled the expansion link, suspension link, die block and inner rocker arm as in the photo. When this is fitted to the eccentric straps I can simply push the outer rocker arm through the bearing, into the square hole in the inner rocker arm, and tighten the Allen screw. It's worth noting that this Allen screw is 3/32" whereas all the other Allen screws (so far) have been metric. I also had to run a reamer through the holes in the suspension links as the larger holes were a tad undersized. Only be a couple of thou - just enough to stop the pins going through.
The eccentric straps needed de-burring carefully, particularly around the inside of the oil hole. I also found that they needed shims inserting between the joins, otherwise they were too tight. Some needed a 7thou shim, some just needed a 2 thou shim. These shims may well need to be removed when the loco is run in.
With both sets of valve gear installed it was a simple matter to fit the weigh shaft and associated bits.
This completes kit 4, although I haven't fitted any of the split pins yet. I just have a nagging feeling that I'll have to disassemble it again..... probably just paranoia.
The wheels can still be turned by hand, but they are quite stiff. It's just that everything is a bit tight. I'm sure it will free up when the loco is run in. (A bit of oil might help as well, but I can't find any 3-in-1 at the moment.)
Current weight : 19.3 Kgs