Useful Links:
Books on Ebay-see our specially prebuilt search below

Titles to Look Out For:
1998. The Model Locomotive From Scratch

• The Model Locomotive From Scratch [top]
  Written by B. Terry Aspin "Chuck"
  First published in 1998 in Great Britain by Nexus Special Interests Ltd, pbk, 92pp, ISBN 1854861654
  Nexus Special Interests: Nexus House, Boundary Way, Hemel Hempstead, Herts, HP2 7ST

Contents: "Chuck" is the name used by the author of a series of articles published in Model Engineer from the early 1950s continuing into the 1990s. This book is based on that series of articles although it is not merely a collection of previously published material. All the text and illustrations have been specially prepared by the author for this book.

It can be said that in model-making, the basis of Chuck's philosophy is to 'do his own thing'. He starts off by selecting his subject, making his own drawings and from this starting point, works out what techniques and materials are needed to complete the project.

Some of the techniques outlined in the book might appear alien or strange to the reader unfamiliar with the model engineering territory, but all the examples shown are perfectly functional and the illustrations shown are factual. Further and more detailed information is available in tw publications by the same author: 'Foundrywork for the amateur' and 'The Backyard Foundry'

With reference to the machining and construction of the various components of a model locomotive, including that of the boiler, the approach is very much from the point of view of the amateur engineer-professionals will already know how to do it! In this book, the author offers suggestions that can be regarded as an alternative to following the 'rank and file' method of adopting one of the hundreds of prepared examples of model locomotives available throughout the trade

Chapters:
Introduction
1. Choosing the model and the matter of scale
2. Draughting out the frames; Marking and Cutting Out; Templates; Drawings and Pattern for Mainstay
3. Cylinder Drawings and Pattern-Making; Casting Cylinders and Smokebox saddle
4. Machining cylinders, pistons and rings, end covers, glands and valves
5. Wheels, horns and axle boxes, suspension boiler feed pump
6. Coupling rods, connecting rods, valve gear, brakes and completing the frames
7. The smokebox, casting the chimney, the regulator, steam and exhaust pipes
8. Boiler drawings and the choice of material, formers and stays, the dome and safety valve, whistle, backhead fittings and pressure gauge, the boiler test
9. Boiler lagging, the tank, building the cab, painting and completing the model, cylinder lubrication
10. The fun bit, testing on compressed air and firing up, an impeller for raising steam transportation