[Sean Brooks]

Hello,

I have been given the parts for a rolling chassis for this loco and complete set of drawings for the full loco.

Does anyone who has built one of these have any pointers for problems they encountered, modification suggestions or general advice?

Thanks,

Sean

 

[Bill Veloz]

I think the best thing you can do is go and visit your local Society of Model Engineers and take the parts with you. You will get friendly advice there from knowledgeable builders.

 

[Sean Brooks]

Thanks Bill.

It was actually someone at my society who gave me the parts and other members gave me some advice but just wanted to see if anyone on here had any advice. The more people you ask the more you can compare and get a better idea and understanding of how to do things

 

[LTSR]

It would seem that "Metre Maid" is a stretched version of the 0-4-0 "Sweet Pea" design described, I believe, in "Engineering in Miniature" maybe 20 years ago.

Both locomotives are narrow gauge outline; many builders seem to have taken to building in their own favourite features. As a result, no two are quite the same it seems but certainly, the "Sweet Pea" would appear to be a popular and successful design. The addition of another axle as in "Metre Maid" is hardly likely to compromise that.

The DIY approach.

As an estimate, it takes about 3,500 hours to build a live steam locomotive. The gauge of the model doesn't vary the time much, bigger bits take a little longer, smaller are more fiddly, it evens out. Good skill levels and equipment can reduce the time, it can and has been done with very limited facilities it just takes more time and ingenuity.

Equipment: It is all too easy to spend £10K on machinery and as much again on tooling but wonderful work has been achieved on just a small lathe of the Myford type, just add more time.

Is it worth it? Darned right it is!

 

[Sean Brooks]

LTSR,

Thanks for your comment.

Yesturday I went to a local steam rally and was able to have a close up look on a 5" Sweet Pea, which definitely sparked my urge to build this engine, but reading the average time you have mentioned its a bit daunting however like you say it is definitely worth it.

Luckily I do not need to spend money on equipment as I am able to build the loco and my local society.

When I first got the parts I was able to use a college workshop to start this and up to now shamefully all I have done is drill out the frames and partly started the brackets.

I am planning to setup a blog to track my progress with the build which I will post a link to when I have started this again and setup the website.

 

[jcuknz]

I bought the castings for a 7.25" Metre Maid and it came with the Sweet Pea book [Jack Buckler] and it looks fairly straight forward at last count I think there are four Sweet Peas in our club and they work well.

While it is nice to have the equipment 'at the club' it becomes a bind the travelling to the clubrooms and carting the small bits and pieces one needs to use with the Club gear so recently I added a small mill to my wksp .... which is nice ... but a mistake as the small mill cannot take the reasonable cuts of the bigger club mill and everything takes longer. It also has a variable speed motor so one has no idea of the spindle and cutter speed compared to the belt driven club mill. So 10,000 is probably not an unreasonable figure to allow .... the lathe and mill are just the start I am afraid

Just a small part. But we had a retired member who allowed himself three months fulltime work to build a loco and had built half a dozen to a high standard in his workshop which was 'Just big enough' as he put it to a reporter I overheard.

 

[LTSR]

Those of us of a certain age will remember the furore over the "Appleby Boy" who exhibited an Allchin traction engine at the Model Engineer Exhibition back in the '50's.

There was a good deal of really quite undignified and ill natured comment over his claim that he had built it in a year. His is response to his critics was simple, he would build a 3½" Britannia for the next year's show.

And at the following year's exhibition there it was albeit unpainted, he explained that this omission was down to including rather more detail on his model than the LBSC design that he had used.

So it can be done in a relatively short time as long as you don't have to do all that boring old day to day stuff like cooking, cleaning, washing, shopping, etc., teenagers (of all ages)

living at home don't know they've been born!).

 

[sean hpw]

Hi guys,

I do admit, I have little to do with model engineering at the mo, but I do love the idea, and I would LOVE to see some pics

SEan

 

[jcuknz]

If you have not given us up as a [whatever] bunch I will mention that I have built two houses as a spare time from a regular 40 hour job originallyalog the the valuable assistance of my wife. This followed designing perhaps half a dozen houses to suit the small section I had and building restrictions etc . Second is the retirment home I currently live in. The message I would try and put over is that if you treat each little bit as the target and try to forget the larger picture it comes together nicely without being a daunting task.

With all the tasks mentioned by LTSR my current building programme progresses quite slowly, plus age means that three hours work is a days work .... but that doesn't bother me I make each litte part and though the bits are not secured together just sitting there gives me encouragement to progress to the next task. Today was a 'big' day as I went to the Club to cut off the pony wheel blanks, coming home I need a holder on which to turn them on which took most of the afternoon [ with a half hour break for afternoon tea] and just before tea/dinner I turned had one of them flat .... a good days work for me

Now in the evening I am writing this to encourage you