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At this point something very important for the fireman was added - a fall plate, this covers the gap between the loco and the tender. On these loco&--8217;s it was very important part as the firebox door is so close to the back of the cab. Being virtually black it is a bit difficult to photograph, so instead I have added a sketch of it.
The fall plate is hinged to the lower rear edge of the cab, with the cab side fixing being on to the square tube that runs across the rear of the engine and above to two rear cab supports. It is made from diamond plate embossed 1/2mm plastic card, and is 87mm wide and 26mm deep and is slightly curved (round it on the edge of your workbench with your fingers), also round off the rear ends of it where it covers the front end of the tender planking.
The 2mm plastruct tube for the pivot is cut as the small sketch above ,(measurements are 10mm/20mm/10mm/20mm/10mm) and the smaller size of the plastruct steel wire centered rods is used for the center pin; add an 'end' to it, I add a washer shape and a disc together, so you can, if required, withdraw it.
To add some strength to the joint between tube and fall plate (& cab rear) I have added a couple of 85mm long x 1.5mm x 2mm strips with plenty of glue between the joins to the fall plate etc., do not get any glue on the wrong parts otherwise there will be no pivot!
When dry paint it a mucky steel grey and add some 'shovel scrapes' of silver - I use a metallic silver art pencil for this.
Now your fireman will not fall through the swaying, and at time yawning gap between the tender & cab!
Do not fit the cab and firebox, they need to be left off as there is more to do inside the boiler, and access is needed from the rear of the loco.
With the loco portion being very close to completion I gave some thought to the exterior of the snowplough: I had a long time ago given it a basic black cover of paint, but it needed to be reasonably &--8216;distressed&--8217; in my opinion. For this I added many &--8216;washes&--8217; of rust and dirt colour (much more water than (acrylic)color) added to it till I was satisfied with the rusty, and &--8216;dirty&--8217; version I now had. It only remained to add some slashes of a silver pencil (available from art materials stores), to indicate scrapes through to the metal. I also at this time added the front brake pipe &--8211; the pipe comes out under the stepboard on the engineers side, almost on the level of the pilot deck (it is held above it by a series of tiny cleats) to just in front of the pilot beam, from there is a slightly longer brake pipe as my normal construction. The flexible brake pipe is bent across the loco inside the top of the plough and glued down in position. This can be seen in the photos, note the tiny red painted on/off cock lever. Fit the long link through the hole in the point of the snowplough.
These wires will go to a small connector, (so the boiler can be taken of the chassis) then to another connector under the cab, en route to a PP 9 volt battery that will live in the tender. The circuit will have a sliding switch fitted under the tender floor, so the 12 volt &--8216;Grain Of Wheat&--8217; bulb can be switched off. Being fed with a rechargable 9v battery it should not burn out.
The cab can be slid down over the firebox, and screwed into position. Add the bell cord through the hole in the cab front, and also the sand dome operating rod. The handrails can also be slid into the stanchions and bedded in to the cab front. There is only detail work to do now on the loco, but first do check that everything is OK and the loco runs well. You can add the maker&--8217;s plates, the number plate on the front of the smokebox, using clear two part epoxy resin as glue. The cabroof can be fitted &--8211; I have a couple of 1/16th of an inch thick panel pin pegs that are fitted into the cab front, there are corresponding holes in the front cab roofstick, and equally a set of holes in the rear roof stick and cab rear. The latter are for small screws to hold the cabroof still, so far I have not needed them, but I do not pick up the loco by the end of the cab roof.
Fit the handrails into the stanchions and the tiny bits of tube on the cabfront with a tine amount of glue, also the operating rod for the sanders, and the cab roof can be fitted, after adding a driver if required. He will have to be slim as there is very little space for him!
Connect everything up, and give the loco and tender a trial run on a test track.
Finally make a couple of flagstaffs for the holders on each side of the headlight &--8211; very easy, made from a pice of 1.5mm steel rod 43mm long with a series of tiny bits of tube &--8211; mine has three 2 at the bottom 4mm from the bas, and one at the top, when glued on add some more glue to &--8216;dome head&--8217; the top and paint them a dark wood colour, with gold for the bits of tube. Check fit them, and verify that the &--8216;very difficult to get right first time&--8217; alignment of the flagstaff holders, is correct &--8211; that&--8217;s right mine; needed some work on them. I glued my tubes in location with Evostick and I find that they can be gently &--8216;tweaked&--8217; to the right position. They add quite a lot to the look of the loco in my opinion.
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