ISSUE 5

Return to the BUILD

Work continues on the Titanic’s engine valvetrain in this issue and another hull section arrives.

Parts

Materials: The Starboard Bow Hull Section is metal, while the remaining parts in this issue are plastic.

Magazine

A Date With Destiny – Thomas Andrews, The Designer
Edwardian Era – From Tragedy to Myth: Titanic at the Cinema
Life on Board – The Cost of Travelling First Class
Step-by-Step Instructions

Digital Instructions (click image to download)

Agora Models consolidated the printed build instructions for Pack 2 (Issues 5 – 8) into a single digital PDF file:

Build

The Connecting Shaft

Just to add some contrasting color (who knows if this is accurate), I painted the ‘blocks’ of my Connecting Shaft with a black Artistro Paint Pen:

Step 1

Snap the larger end of the Short Connecting Rods onto these locations of the Connecting Shaft. Note the ‘open’ ends of the clips are facing down and the four ‘posts’ of the Connecting Shaft are pointing away from us, as shown. No glue is needed in this issue.

Fun Fact: On the real steam engine, this shaft was the Reversing Shaft. This shaft and the pieces we will be attaching to it were all part of the Titanic‘s Stephenson reversing engine system.

As before, I wanted the Rods in this issue to look like machined steel that had been oiled so I used my 1mm Liquid Chrome Pen to ‘paint’ them first. Again, I did not paint the insides of the stirrup-shaped clips so they could rotate freely once installed.

IMPORTANT: I missed this part of the instructions and so a few of the following pictures are incorrect. When connecting these Short Connecting Rods to the Connecting Shaft, make sure the open ends of the Rods are facing away from these ‘taller’ parts of the Connecting Shaft blocks:

Here, my Rods were attached incorrectly. The Rods should be clipped onto the Shaft so the small end of the Rods are pointing towards the upper left.

Fun Fact: On the real steam engine, these rods were the Reversing Levers.

This is because the Connecting Rod will eventually be snapped onto the side of the engine and it will not fit flush if we do this step wrong. Here is a preview of how the Connecting Rod is going to be fitted to the engine in the next issue:

Steps 2-3

Turn the Connecting Shaft over and snap the bars of two Link Sections into the clips of these Short Connecting Rods. Then, snap the smaller stirrup-shaped clips of the Valve Rods onto the remaining two bars of each Link Section, as shown.

Fun Fact: On the real steam engine, these blocks were the Drag Links.

The ‘open’ ends of all clips should be facing you. Note I still have my Connecting Rod backwards in these pictures:

That step completes this issue. I did however airbrush the Starboard Bow Hull Section with my Vallejo 71.442 Anti-Fouling Red acrylic paint and sealed it with with Vallejo 70.522 Satin Varnish topcoat. This is to match the lower hull parts I have completed in the previous issues:

Thoughts

I love all of these little engine details and cannot wait to see it motorized! Keep the unused Hull Section nearby as it will be needed in the next issue.

Next Up

Issue 6 – Starboard Bow Hull Upper Section, Valve Rods, Link Sections

My RMS Titanic