N Gauge Journal - Handrail Knobs

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Handrail Knobs Sandy Saunders 3141

I have been building a P & D Marsh GWR Grange kit and towards the end of the process I came across the instruction to fit the handrails using some holes in the cab fronts and some lugs on the smokebox sides to secure it. I sat there pondering the fact that this was rather inelegant when I remembered some handrail knobs which I had purchased from Phil Kerr at the last AGM. "Just the thing", I thought; "if Andy Calvert can have smart looking GWR locomotives, why shouldn't I?"

So, after a long search through the drawer where I keep all those kits which I'm going to build `when I get round to it', I discovered a very small packet of handrail knobs. They looked like bits of brass about 3mm long with a blob formed at one end. I looked at them closely and could not see a hole for the handrail and was totally puzzled as to what I was supposed to do with them. So I poured them slowly back into the packet and put them to one side.

However, determined not to be defeated, I contacted the Society helpline (Ralph Snelling), for advice. The problem was explained and the profound and knowledgeable answer was awaited. `Well', he said, `I did exactly the same as you - put them back into the packet and went back to twisted wire!' However, he went on to explain the technique for using them, which he had heard `does the trick'. I tried the technique and it does work, so what follows is how I proceeded, as advised by Ralph, for I suspect that many others have put them back in the packet.

The Tools
As I have said, the knobs are only 3mm long and are fiddly. To hold them I used a pair of surgical forceps, courtesy of my better half who was a Midwife. Anything which will grip tightly such as pliers will do; forceps have the advantage of staying closed without needing a constant grip. Tweezers are not really man enough for the job. A pin is also useful to open out the hole - the sort with a round end you get in shirts is best as the others dig in your fingers a bit. You could of course use a pinchuck (or is it a pin vice, I can't remember) which is better. Lastly you need a short piece, about 1 inch, of the .33mm wire you will be using for the handrail itself.

Opening up the hole
Placing the knob in the forceps, or whatever you are using, with only the blob showing, look for a small indentation which is the hole. Apparently the hole is put in before the knob is turned, so it gets blocked again during the machining. When you spot the indentation, start to work at it with the point of the pin. This will open up one end of the hole, but you will find that your pin is too large in diameter to go all the way through. This is where the length of .33mm wire comes in. Insert this into your new hole and push firmly. The hole should now be made. It is a good idea at this stage to put it on the handrail for which it is intended, otherwise you will lose it and you won't find something this small in the carpet!

Further Thoughts
Sometimes it is not possible to find the indentation, in spite of the fact that there should be two of them. In this case you might as well throw the knob away - I discarded 3 when preparing the 11 required for the Grange. Also some sort of magnification is useful when trying to find the hole - I used my wife's large magnifier mounted on a stand with surrounding light which she uses for needlework.

Putting the handrail on the model
It is probably best to bend the handrail to shape, should it require it, before preparing the knobs. As the knobs are ready, slide them onto the handrail to the approximate positions they will occupy. Then drill out holes on the body of the loco to receive them. I used a drill which is about .5mm, but check by comparing it with the knob that it is big enough. Studying a good photograph or drawing of the prototype will show you where the knobs should be. Offering up the handrail to the loco, check that it all lines up correctly; the knobs can be slid up and down the rail until they are aligned. Then glue them in. With the Grange I started with the knob on the front of the smokebox and then worked back towards the cab, doing one side at a time.

And that, as they say, should be it. I make no claims to be a good, let alone an excellent, modeller but it wasn't too difficult for me. I would imagine that using these handrail knobs is possible for anyone with sufficiently good eyesight. In fact the thing I found most difficult about the exercise was forming the handrail in the first place and this is something you have to do whether or not you use the handrail knobs. There is no doubt that proper handrails significantly improve the look of any steam locomotive and that these handrail knobs are an asset to the kit builder.

This article first appeared in N Gauge Journal 3/94. Members can purchase back copies of Journals.