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Nigel Lawton Simplex kit

 

Hi all,
I have just about finished building my Nigel Lawton Bow Frame 20HP Simplex kit in 14mm gauge. I will post some pictures when it is complete. At few questions for the group:

What driver figure are people using?

Has anyone got the fan motor to work? I have everything in place. I can run the worm drive with my battery drill and watch the fan turn. But the motor isn't strong enough to run it. (I used the large 1/2W resistor for the main motor and the small 1/4W resistor for the fan motor. The instructions were not clear on which resistor to use.)

I would appreciate some advice on installing couplers. I would prefer to use Kadee couplers mounted at standard H0 height. On one previous locomotive I found that a cut off coupler shaft (i.e. remove the part that goes in the draft box) with a hole drilled in the shaft fitted reasonably well in one of the pockets in a three level coupling of the sort fitted to a lot of industrial locomotives. In this case, the Simplex comes with no form of couplings at all.

Regards,
Michael Milway
 

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It would be a shame to put kadee couplings onto a nice model and make it look like a piece of junk, why don;t you consider a more authentic type of coupling?
?
Brian
Rawbelle County Workshops
Qld. Aust.
?

Sent: Tuesday, September 01, 2020 9:59 AM
Subject: [o14] Nigel Lawton Simplex kit
?
Hi all,
I have just about finished building my Nigel Lawton Bow Frame 20HP Simplex kit in 14mm gauge. I will post some pictures when it is complete. At few questions for the group:

What driver figure are people using?

Has anyone got the fan motor to work? I have everything in place. I can run the worm drive with my battery drill and watch the fan turn. But the motor isn't strong enough to run it. (I used the large 1/2W resistor for the main motor and the small 1/4W resistor for the fan motor. The instructions were not clear on which resistor to use.)

I would appreciate some advice on installing couplers. I would prefer to use Kadee couplers mounted at standard H0 height. On one previous locomotive I found that a cut off coupler shaft (i.e. remove the part that goes in the draft box) with a hole drilled in the shaft fitted reasonably well in one of the pockets in a three level coupling of the sort fitted to a lot of industrial locomotives. In this case, the Simplex comes with no form of couplings at all.

Regards,
Michael Milway

Virus-free.

 

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Ouch!!!

John Craig
Brenham, Texas
U.S.A

From: [email protected] <[email protected]> on behalf of Brian <rallim56@...>
Sent: Tuesday, September 1, 2020 2:21 AM
To: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [o14] Nigel Lawton Simplex kit
?
It would be a shame to put kadee couplings onto a nice model and make it look like a piece of junk, why don;t you consider a more authentic type of coupling?
?
Brian
Rawbelle County Workshops
Qld. Aust.
?
Sent: Tuesday, September 01, 2020 9:59 AM
Subject: [o14] Nigel Lawton Simplex kit
?
Hi all,
I have just about finished building my Nigel Lawton Bow Frame 20HP Simplex kit in 14mm gauge. I will post some pictures when it is complete. At few questions for the group:

What driver figure are people using?

Has anyone got the fan motor to work? I have everything in place. I can run the worm drive with my battery drill and watch the fan turn. But the motor isn't strong enough to run it. (I used the large 1/2W resistor for the main motor and the small 1/4W resistor for the fan motor. The instructions were not clear on which resistor to use.)

I would appreciate some advice on installing couplers. I would prefer to use Kadee couplers mounted at standard H0 height. On one previous locomotive I found that a cut off coupler shaft (i.e. remove the part that goes in the draft box) with a hole drilled in the shaft fitted reasonably well in one of the pockets in a three level coupling of the sort fitted to a lot of industrial locomotives. In this case, the Simplex comes with no form of couplings at all.

Regards,
Michael Milway

Virus-free.

 

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Hi Michael,
?
It has been a very long time since I completed my model, however I believe I used the driver sold by KB Scale.
?
?
Cheers
Bruce W.
?

From: Michael Milway
Sent: 1 September, 2020 9:59 AM
Subject: [o14] Nigel Lawton Simplex kit
?
Hi all,
I have just about finished building my Nigel Lawton Bow Frame 20HP Simplex kit in 14mm gauge. I will post some pictures when it is complete. At few questions for the group:

What driver figure are people using?

Has anyone got the fan motor to work? I have everything in place. I can run the worm drive with my battery drill and watch the fan turn. But the motor isn't strong enough to run it. (I used the large 1/2W resistor for the main motor and the small 1/4W resistor for the fan motor. The instructions were not clear on which resistor to use.)

I would appreciate some advice on installing couplers. I would prefer to use Kadee couplers mounted at standard H0 height. On one previous locomotive I found that a cut off coupler shaft (i.e. remove the part that goes in the draft box) with a hole drilled in the shaft fitted reasonably well in one of the pockets in a three level coupling of the sort fitted to a lot of industrial locomotives. In this case, the Simplex comes with no form of couplings at all.

Regards,
Michael Milway

 


--

Regarding a driver ... the old ABS cast whitemetal figures are now available from KWTrams ?( - scroll down page).? The range includes Simplex drivers in both uniform and civvies!

?

Stay safe

?

David

Website: www.rhyd.weebly.com
 

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I used the other KB Scale figure, also available from S&D Models.

?

Image

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I think it was originally intended for the Ruston LBT models from Roy C Link/KB Scale.? I find it a very versatile figure as it is compact so it fits into some pretty small spaces.? For this loco I cut up between the legs and behind the right knee to swing that leg forward to rest on the clutch pedal.? The left arm is separate and was adjusted to sit on the gear lever. The figure comes with 2 heads; the one shown and the other with a hard hat plus lamp.

?

I am too clumsy to even think about getting the fan to work so I can’t help you with that bit.

?

Cheers,

?

Robin

 

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Michael,

?

Did more or less what you did with the coupling but on a KB Scale Lister.? One trick, drill into the end of the shaft and Araldite in a very thin length of phosphor bronze wire so the coupling self centres. Cannot remember the wire gauge but it is the thinnest that Eileen's do.

?

Frank

?

From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Michael Milway
Sent: Tuesday, 1 September, 2020 00:59
To: [email protected]
Subject: [o14] Nigel Lawton Simplex kit

?

Hi all,
I have just about finished building my Nigel Lawton Bow Frame 20HP Simplex kit in 14mm gauge. I will post some pictures when it is complete. At few questions for the group:

What driver figure are people using?

Has anyone got the fan motor to work? I have everything in place. I can run the worm drive with my battery drill and watch the fan turn. But the motor isn't strong enough to run it. (I used the large 1/2W resistor for the main motor and the small 1/4W resistor for the fan motor. The instructions were not clear on which resistor to use.)

I would appreciate some advice on installing couplers. I would prefer to use Kadee couplers mounted at standard H0 height. On one previous locomotive I found that a cut off coupler shaft (i.e. remove the part that goes in the draft box) with a hole drilled in the shaft fitted reasonably well in one of the pockets in a three level coupling of the sort fitted to a lot of industrial locomotives. In this case, the Simplex comes with no form of couplings at all.

Regards,
Michael Milway

 

Thanks to all those who responded. No-one appears to have made the fan work, so I won't feel to bad about it either. I have just bought a KBScale Lister kit with driver. The driver is too fat to fit in the Simplex. (Sedentary factory worker Vs active soldier?) The driver sold for the Simplex is currently out of stock.

I don't think I have seen any photos of the 7mm Simplex online with couplings fitted. I will try to make up a small coupling pocket suitable for link and pin couplings. I will then modify a Kadee coupling to fit in the pocket. They will be removable. I like the idea of a?phosphor bronze wire?to centre the couplings, but I don't think there will be room.

My imaginary railway will be a small narrow gauge feeder (ala Whelshpool and Llanfair, but with lots of eucalyptus?trees) starting from the old Yallah railway site South of Wollongong in NSW and running up the Macquarie River valley to the foot of the escapment. The locomotives and rolling stock will be based on the exhibits at the nearby Illawarra Light?Railway Museum?(?) and anything else that takes my fancy. The?ILRMS uses small auto couplers on its large locomotives and passenger stock. These scale out to about the same size as Kadee H0 couplers in 7mm scale. The small industrial locomotives have auto coupler adapters that fit into the standard coupler pockets, so the above idea is actually authentic.

I have been an active member of the ILRMS for 38 years and the ILRMS has the original Yallah station building, so it all fits together.

Regards,
Michael Milway
 

I just thought I'd put in my twopeneth.
I built the simplex when they first came out, so I can't remember the details, but I didn't have any trouble getting the fan to work. Unfortunately, when gluing some extra lead under the bonnet, I got some super glue on the fan gearbox which put paid to that.
The driver I think was a wagon driver from Duncan's Models. I had to chop his left arm off, but it isn't really noticeable, it looks like he is fiddling with something on the engine.
I'll try and attach a picture.

IMG_20191005_121331.jpg

 

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The driver is also available from S&D Models, ref OF229.

Scroll about 2/3 down the page.

?

Regards,

?

Robin

?

Thanks to all those who responded. No-one appears to have made the fan work, so I won't feel to bad about it either. I have just bought a KBScale Lister kit with driver. The driver is too fat to fit in the Simplex. (Sedentary factory worker Vs active soldier?) The driver sold for the Simplex is currently out of stock.
 

That productive group of northern French NG modellers that rejoice under the title "escadrille saint michel” have a Nigel Lawton Simplex that works well, and might even boast KaDee couplers. I spoke to them about the fan. I was told that it worked well until they painted the loco and then “elas!” no more.

David WOODCOCK
Champlon, Belgique
 

I have built a pair of 2 level coupler pockets out of 40th styrene sheet and added them to my Simplex locomotive. I found a centre set Kadee #5 coupler could be fitted at the correct height in the bottom pocket. It is removable if I feel the need.

I have added some photos to my photo album (/g/o14/album?id=33470) showing the results. I think it came up quite well despite other people's misgivings.

I have also added a couple of photos of my model of the Illawarra Light Railway's #1 passenger carriage ().

Regards,
Michael Milway
 

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That looks to be a very neat solution to fitting Kadee couplings.? Have you been able to spring them at all?

?

Regards,

?

Robin
 

Really nice idea Michael.? It has given me an idea for interchangeable couplers.? Ie. Link & Pin and Chopper.

Regards
Rod Hutchinson
Mooroolbark, Australia

On Tue, 29 Sep. 2020, 15:42 Michael Milway, <xmjm57@...> wrote:
I have built a pair of 2 level coupler pockets out of 40th styrene sheet and added them to my Simplex locomotive. I found a centre set Kadee #5 coupler could be fitted at the correct height in the bottom pocket. It is removable if I feel the need.

I have added some photos to my photo album (/g/o14/album?id=33470) showing the results. I think it came up quite well despite other people's misgivings.

I have also added a couple of photos of my model of the Illawarra Light Railway's #1 passenger carriage ().

Regards,
Michael Milway

 

The Kadee coupler is not sprung. It is a tight fit so it won't flop around, but it can move a bit. With small industrial locomotives you can normally get away without using the Kadee draft box as the sideways offset is never too great.

If you look at??you can see a two level coupler pocket at the front of the Hunslet locomotive and you can just see an autocoupler adapter that is hooked into the coupler pocket at the rear.

Regards,
Michael Milway
Unanderra, Australia

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