Rail guards tender and a general overview

The rail guards on the tender have a classic design. They are quite large and, unlike the typical mounting on the frames as seen on most British-designed locomotives, these are mounted directly on the buffer beam.

Last weeks, I spent again time reading and studying the books and sketches I have of the Great Eastern Y14 class locomotive. For me, reading about the history and technical features of the actual locomotive is also an interesting part of the model engineering hobby.

As shown in the previous post, the tender is on its wheels.

A 20 mm x 2 mm angle profile was used to make these rail guards. Using a hack saw and the milling machine for shaping the main dimensions. A file was used to make the radii. 

A protractor helps to set up the workpiece under the desired angles.  

Bending was done using a Gressel angle bender. An angle of only 21 degrees was required to achieve a 9 mm offset.

Even better than the real thing—because they are, of course, new! In many black-and-white photos, the rail guards appear knocked about and bent into various shapes. Even the guards on the preserved Y14 have endured a few collisions and are now out of shape.

A bended rail guard

Different cab cut-outs.

The Y14 class was built over a long period, spanning from 1883 to 1913. Several books and magazines provide information about the changes in construction and modifications made by the railway companies that built and used these locomotives. The class consisted of a total of 289 locomotives.

Descriptions of the various design details and alterations made during their lifetime, as well as what thier different owners changed when the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) and later British Railways (BR) took them over from the Great Eastern Railway, can be found in several publications. Notable sources I used include Yeadon's Register of these locomotives, the magazine 'Locomotives Illustrated' (Volume 142), and the book 'Locomotives of the LNER Volume 5 (Tender Engines - Classes J1 to J37)'.

When I finally identified the correct height of the 2,640-gallon standard tender, I also discovered differences in the cut-outs in the cab side sheets. These details that were initially easy to overlook when I created the first drawings of the locomotive in SolidWorks back in 2020. This because tenders were also available in different heights. The cab opening underwent changes in 1899, resulting in a shallower cut-out.

This particular photograph shows both versions of the cab. All Y14 locomotives built up until November 1892 (visible at the front of the picture) featured a large cab cut-out. However, the locomotives constructed in batches from May 1899 until the end of production in September 1913 had a modified cab cut-out. This new cut-out was smaller, with its bottom aligned level with the top of the tender. The tender's handrail was also adjusted to match this height.

The tender's handrail was also adjusted to match this height.

large cut-out

 smaller cut-out.

Even Hornby produces models with these different cab cut-outs — a smart way to boost sales, of course. Naturally, I ended up buying both versions. This year, Hornby is even set to release a model of the Y14 in the iconic blue Great Eastern livery (see this link).

Looks like I'll be adding another one to my wish list! 😃

Because the newer locomotives with the smaller cab cut-out were still in service during the 1950s and early 1960s, more photographs of these locos are available. These locomotives also featured wheels with balance weights. To build my model as accurately as possible to resemble an existing engine, I chose to replicate the newer, shallower cab cut-out. As a result, new cab sides were laser-cut specifically for this design.

 It's not much; only 10 mm heigth difference of the cut-out in the cab side sheet.

 

 

A few photos of the loco and tender frame, with the new cab and the 00 gauge Hornby model. 

The model is actually inaccurate: the number 7524 belongs to a locomotive built before 1899, which means it should feature the larger cab cut-out. 

Axle boxes for the tender.

The axle boxes on the original tender are castings. The bottom half has a lid that can be removed to replace the oil pads. On the model, these are omitted, so the axle box is made from a solid piece of brass with inserted bronze bearing bushes. Oil will be fed to the bearing through a top filler opening, which can be closed by a small rotating lid, just like on the original tender.

One photo found on the internet shows that the lid on the axle box of the last axle of the tender is missing. A gap can be seen where the lid used to be.  (Photo posted by Captain Tower on Flickr)

The tender axle boxes on the preserved Y-14 at the Norfolk Railway.

Blocks of 35 x 35 x 39 mm solid brass were milled to the required dimensions.

The guide grooves are made to allow a little play between the horn cheeks and the axle boxes. If there is no play, they will bind if one wheel moves up and down more than the other side.

A radius of 2.5 mm is milled with a radius end mill. 

On top of the axle box, a kind of cover is placed. In the photos of the real tender, it was hard to determine how it is fixed, what its purpose is, or whether it is an integrated part of the axle box. To simulate this lid, a separate piece of brass was made and will be soldered to the box.

A small soldering jig was used to hold the cover in place during soldering. Without it, such a small and light part could easily shift out of position when the soldering flux begins to boil.

A small slot was also milled to accommodate the oil inlet for the lower part of the axle box. This is where, on the real tender, oil is fed through the oil pad located under the axle. 

The hole on the top is for locating the leaf spring. 

With a 2 mm radius mill, the front of the oil inlet is made.....

.... this is than cut to 8 mm height. 

With a chamfer and a small bolt screwed in the top, the oil inlet takes shape.

A scribed line should resemble the separate lid.

I've read that Tipex is sometimes used to mark parts of the workpiece where no solder should flow. I had never used this method before, but found that it works very well. The Tipex really blocks the flow of molten solder in its tracks. It is easily removed afterward with some emery cloth or a brass brush.

Nicely cleaned.

The final bolt, made of a 3 mm hexagon rod.

The box is retained by a cross rod, inserted at the bottom of the horns. The usual method involves some kind of strip or bar, but the Great Eastern Railway made this handsome design.

Finally, the bronze bearing bushes are inserted into the axle box and secured with a small grub screw. To prevent the lubrication oil from leaking onto the outside of the bearing, instead of flowing through the axle bore, an O-ring is placed in a groove on the outer bearing.

Held in a collet, turning the journals to 10.00–9.98 mm was not much of a problem. This close tolerance was chosen because it provides a fit for the wheels that will be glued with Loctite, while also ensuring a good fit with the bronze bearing bushes.

A test fitting of the first axle reveals a side play clearance of only one millimeter. (By the way, the axle box is positioned correctly to prevent oil leakage; however, the frame itself is upside down.)

The tenderframe on its wheels.

Securing the wheels to the axles using Loctite 601 glue.

The preserved Great Eastern Railway Y14 locomotive at Weybourne in July 2022 This features the older style tender frames with D-shaped slots, distinguishing it from the later design with parallel slots.

Overall length 1.3 meter   (4 feet 3 inches)

To strengthen the frame assembly, the original frames were equipped with three tie-bars. These bars prevent the frames from expanding outward under load.

The set in front of the tender is made for Toin's tender.

Two are placed vertically in the front, and one is positioned horizontally at the rear.