Brave New World - Slater's BR 13t Open

[James]

We've been on holiday in the Dales for the last week, and while we were away my joining pack for the ScaleSeven Group arrived! So it seems as good a time as any to post what I have been working on recently.

It's been a long term idea to move in scale (although I'm still working on my P4 projects) and as a P4 modeller, Scale7 seems a logical step. The decision to change was made last year when I was let down on a large planned P4 project, having already invested a fair sum in kits and parts for stock and even a part built signal box! Most of the stuff has been moved on, either given away or sold for break even or loss just because I was sick of the project. The sensible thing would have been to carefully sell items to fund other modelling, however rational thoughts have not formed part of my life for the last year or so! A thirtieth birthday present came in the form of a Connoisseur Models LNER G5 and now I've begun with a couple of wagons, I'm really enjoying the size of the pieces.

The first actual modelling has been a Slater's BR 13T open wagon and I've used Exactoscale w-irons, which feel just like a bigger version of the Bill Bedford 4mm items.



A lack of concentration lead to the V hangers being on the wrong sides! Nothing which can't be sorted though!

The body was OK to build, but I did need to add a 20thou strip of plastic to fill a gap on one side which wasn't the more pleasing way to start my new venture! But once painted who will know?! And it's no worse than many smaller wagon kits!



The underframe moulding required modifying to allow of the etched w-irons to fit -



The plastic to to fill the gap between the etchings and the solebars - the marked 'v' is to remind me of the datum point I was using to check for squareness.

Aside from the running gear, it's pretty much as per instructions, and so far has been very satisfying

 

[Tappa]

Looks interesting James - any plans for a layout? Be careful with those Slaters kits as they can become a tad addictive!

Jeff

 

[Scale7JB]

HI James, more the merrier in S7!

Your G5 will be the third on here in S7 so if you should have any issues, just ask but you should be fine as it's a pretty straightforward build (unless you wanted to build it with inside valve gear ). Only thing to look out for is the width of the splashers on the running boards due to the width of the wheels..

JB.

 

[James]

Looks interesting James - any plans for a layout? Be careful with those Slaters kits as they can become a tad addictive!

No firm plans other than an offer from 7mmMick for running rights! I think for now I'm going to work round a theme of Hull and East Yorkshire in the 50s/60s for any stock I build as local railways has been main interest for a long time. I did sketch out for P4 a fiticious branch Gweek in Cornwall. I was rather taken by that bit of the area, off the main tourist trail and not a cream tea in sight! But maybe that's a bit too different for me to justify funding!

I did sketch out a plan for a low level yard in Hull, but it looked embarrassingly close to Millicent Street when I saw that I decided it was best forgotten! A bit like when ten years ago I had a lovely design ready for a P4 TMD layout but everyone was so sick of them that I decided to not bother!

I'll be honest, I would love to model Kiplingcotes, previously wondered about it in P4 but in S7? That woould look lovely!

What impresses me James is how you manage such good modelling on that workbench

I think the garden table is quite well known on model railway forums now!

Your G5 will be the third on here in S7 so if you should have any issues, just ask but you should be fine as it's a pretty straightforward build (unless you wanted to build it with inside valve gear ). Only thing to look out for is the width of the splashers on the running boards due to the width of the wheels.

I looked in awe at your G5! If I can achieve anything like that I'll be happy!

For a first build I might be quite content with a static representation of inside valve gear! It has been on my 'to do' list in P4 for a long time now, so I guess it must be easier when the bits are bigger?! With regards issues of wheel widths, I'm hoping my experience of building in P4 and converting older kits, which haven't given much, if any, consideration for EM or P4 should be useful experience?

I've been saving up for a Connoisseur N10 too (amazing how quickly funds build by putting any pound coins I've had in there!) I can't decide if I should do this first. Any 0-4-4T is going to be awkward and would an 0-6-2T be a safer bet? I have built G5s previously. Actually one of my first compnesated builds as a 16 year old was an old Nu-Cast kit with Gibson frames. With a Branchlines Multibox is ran surprisingly well. I'm still happy with its running too, just needs a full rebuild body wise as i could do much better now (it's on my Dad's layout now).

Maybe I should just stop over-thinking things and make a start?

 

[Scale7JB]

Hi James, and thanks...!

Yes, I would give the valve gear a miss, in an 0-4-4 it's an absolute b*****d!

Building a G5 doesn't need to be tricky. I know a lot of people insist on putting a huge weight in the boiler and letting the bogie 'hang' from the frames, but build it like myself and 7mmMick, I.e. frames resting on the bogie, and it's not at all tricky... If you have a look through my thread you'll see how I sprung the bogie, and it runs perfectly..

An F5 with working radial trucks on the other hand... That needed a little setting up..!

Dive into it mate!

JB.

 

[James]

The Nu Cast one had a bit of a bodged arrangement really - simple three point suspension on the driving wheels with a simple wire spring holding the bogie down and carrying a little weight and guiding the rear of the loco when running bunker first. The fifteen year old me very pleased!

Yes, I would give the valve gear a miss, in an 0-4-4 it's an absolute b*****d!

Maybe when I get on to something six coupled?!

If you have a look through my thread you'll see how I sprung the bogie, and it runs perfectly..

Your thread is one I've looked quite a few times! I'll have to have another read now!

 

[Osgood]

What impresses me James is how you manage such good modelling on that workbench

I'll have you know one of my workbenches is almost identical that! And it is big enough to take the new U/S cleaner

 

[iak63]

I see James, one has taken the plunge... Dabbling has its appeal but having done some sorting out this morning here in sunny Padgate, I think it is best to behave - for now.
Will follow with interest.

Slàinte
IAK

 

[alcazar]

Where did the u/s cleaner come from please?

 

[Osgood]

Where did the u/s cleaner come from please?

Looky here:

http://www.presidental.co.uk/buy-ve...eaners-uk/cd4860-ultrasonic-bath#.U703r1x1LlI

With VAT and delivery it runs out at £288.

 

[James]

A little progress, coming along nicely now The underframe has a nice solid feel to it with the size of the parts. Only thing I'm not sure of is how much the wagon should weigh. For 4mm I always used 25g per axle but for 7mm I'm really not sure.

 

[Overseer]

James,

The wagon is looking very good.

This may be heresy but I don't think the weight of wagons is important in Scale7. I have a mix of ABS whitemetal kits, etched kits, plastic kits, polyurethane bodies with etched running gear and scratch built wagons. They are on a mixture of compensated, sprung and even floppy Parkside Dundas underframes. I used to plan to add weight but would test them first and if no problem wouldn't bother. The mass of the construction materials is usually enough. The current Exactoscale spring units work very well, the ones I have built to running state have been the fixed wheelbase ones so they have a bit more brass (and therefore weight) than the individual version. They all work happily together on my layout with sharp curves, including a reverse curve on a vertical curve, and have run in long trains on a large outdoor layout without problems. It is quite different to OO or HO, although even in HO I don't add weight to plastic kit 4 wheel wagons and they behave perfectly under exhibition conditions, but I use Accumate Proto HO couplers instead of Kadee couplers. The couplers have a much lighter spring so need less mass to couple reliably, and it seems that the main reason for the US NMRA weight guidelines was to get reliable operation of the couplers - something that is not relevant in Scale7. Overweight wagons leads to needing the incredibly heavy locomotives discussed recently in another thread, far more than needed for reliable current collection, but that is another issue.
Fraser

 

[richard carr]

Personally James, I would opt for at least 200gs on wagon like that.

My experience is that heavy wagons run much better than lighter ones,

Richard

 

[James]

Progress with modelling may have to occasionally take a back seat for a little while...

 

[Scale7JB]

Progress with modelling may have to occasionally take a back seat for a little while..

Hmmm... I know the feeling..

JB.

 

[Scale7JB]

Oh and congratulations by the way..

JB.

 

[James]

Fortunatel for me, Thomas is desperate to help me with my layout and would love a little railway of his own, so for his sake I will have to keep on with modelling! In the meantime, there's a house to rearrange, but this includes converting the garage!

 

[Rob Pulham]

Congratulations James