LBSC 440 Virginia

Roy, my Rob Roy build is on here and I am quite sure that I have all the known drawing errors. I can transfer them over to you whenever you are ready.

My opinion on the wheel/ axles..... I used a strong glue bond (from Kennions) on my wheels with pins late last year/ earlier this year and it worked really well. I made a wheel quartering fixture rather than using the lathe. The process was relatively easy. To me, the press fit appears to be less straightforward but others might disagree.

Phil H

No, the axlebox should rest on the keeper plate unloaded. Normally the running position is on the center line of the cylinders.

With the axels its up to you. You'll ask 5 different people and you'll get as many answers. Personally for my 3.5g I used retaining compound. For my 5g locos I use press fits and if I undershoot I just use a little retaining compound on that wheel. My 71/4g is keyed and press fit.

You going to find many mistakes on any build, but the fact that these locos were built is a good indication that any problem can be solved! looking forward to more pics!

Hi Roy, I'm in the same position myself, having driven a fellow members Virginia many times over 20 years ago.

I've also purchased a part built chassis that needs a lot of tidying up.

For your info there are a few laser cut parts available: http://www.modelengineerslaser.co.uk/locoparts.aspx?loconum=351&locotype=4

There are mistakes as have been pointed out but there is a lot of info out there on the web, I'll follow your progress with interest.

Darren.

I'll follow with interest you progress

I am going to change to working springs and dispense with the castings, does anyone know where I can get the steel to make the working springs?

Hello Dieseldaz

I have learnt that there are errors in whatever you build and nothing is perfect in the Model steam loco builds, I am just going to plough on with help from the forum and post pictures of progress at each stage so that someone can spot an error before I move on and lets be honest by the questions I am asking there is bound to be errors, as long as these are not in expensive components I will be happy.

Kind Regards

Roy

Reeves2000 and Blackgates both list spring steel as no doubt other suppliers do.

While the drawing suggests 26g spring steel strip the write up says spring steel 'as used in gramophone motors' with no indication of size.

While I have read that LBSC was building a Virginia at the time of his death he had not done so at the time the design was published so I should try to contact someone who has made the working leaf springs to see whether the thickness on the drawing works. Certainly the description of 'three or four laminations per leaf' suggests some experimentation might be necessary!

Other methods include slotting out the spring steel and using tufnol instead of steel.

A quick search brings up an article from popular science from some years ago that indicates the gauge of steel as being 20g.

When I was an apprentice the Forman was building a Virginia, he had done a beautiful Juliet before and Virginia was his second loco build, most of it being done at work. I distinctly remember him going into town one lunchtime and coming back with about half a dozen refills for very small steel tape rules, these were no more then a quarter inch wide. He spent the afternoon soaking them in chemiclene and then setting fire to them, all the lettering disappeared and he had strips of beautiful spring steel. Next day he made up punches and dies and made the sets of leaves, by the end of the week he had beautiful sets of springs. Small steel tapes are still available, Stanley 1metre powerlock 39-133 if you want to go that route, often seen on checkouts in builders merchants.

I am going to try spring steel from a commercial provider, the only problem is 5 leaves from 20 gage spring steel will not quite fit the hole in which they are housed, I did see a picture of Polly in 3 1/2g with working springs and that one used leaves that were doubled up into pairs so each spring has 10 leaves in 5 matching pairs, perhaps the drawings are open to quite a bit of interpretation as they only show 5 single leaves per spring. I have tried to contact a gramophone restorer to see if they can tell me the gauge of steel on gramophone governors.