7mm Finney7 5972 Olton Hall ( aka )

7mmMick

Western Thunderer
I'm now deep into the A2/3 build, which seems to be one step forward two back at the moment. For some welcome relief i've picked up a commission build of the above. The build comprises of a Finney7 Hall and Collett 4000G tender. It will be DCC fitted and have working inside motion. I won't be doing a blow by blow account per say as @SimonT has done a great job elsewhere but i'll be posting little bits with a few tips to help out future builds where I can.

As always i'm starting with the tender as that usually helps motivate me to crack on with the loco build and it's always nice to have the tender completed on the shelf over the bench, waiting for it's first journey!

The tender kit is based on the usual MF compensation and is built in a number of sub assemblies. The main frames, footplate and tender tank. I'm still waiting for wheels so the upper works have seen the most attention so far. First the beginnings of the main frames, as it stands the wheels will be permanently trapped, which I don't like the idea of so I have a cunning plan! More on that later though as I have to prove concept first;

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You'll see here that the front brake pivot rod is missing. The instructions say to fit the rocking beam first, I wouldn't as it makes the front brake rod harder to fit. If you fit that first, fix and part off, the fit the rocking beam life would be much easier. Next the footplate, this is a series of laminations and although it doesn't look like much there's quite a bit of work to get here;
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If you're fitting the MF tapered Collett buffers don't fit the rear buffer beam before drilling out 3/16. The buffers holes are etched way undersized and if you fit it then try and open them out you're causing yourself some real pain;
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Buffer beam drilled for buffer housings. Next is the tank and this is where the main effort has been concentrated. The construction is again classic MF, a box section around which a large overlay for the sides and back with all rivet detail is fitted. There is also a large overlay for the tank top, which has lots of rivets to press. Don't be tempted to use the GW rivet tool here as the rivets are just too small. I have a basic rivet punch, which i've had from my 4mm days and that seemed ideal. The anvil is obviously much smaller;

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And finally i've started work on the main wrapper, which is very large! The flare was not fun to form but it's getting there. Still more work to do here before final fitting, check, bend, check again, a little more, check again..............

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Once the wrapper is fitted it's onto the coal space sides, a few more overlays and then final detailing. As it stands it's only really a small bag of etched bits and castings to fit, the main construction is 2/3 there. An enjoyable couple of days so far.

Oh and not to forget, i've cropped one of my own photos to cut my ugly mug out but here's the big reveal explaining the 'aka' in the title :D
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Cheers

Mick:thumbs:
 

P A D

Western Thunderer
Hi Mick,
You mention not using the GW rivet tool on the small rivets on the tank top. Couldn't the 4mm (or 2mm) anvil be used? Nice work as always.

By the way, how did the test build of the large Prairie turn out? It's one of the few GWR engines that I like and I really must have an F7 one at some point, to go with my Scorpio variant.

Cheers,
Peter
 

7mmMick

Western Thunderer
Hi Mick,
You mention not using the GW rivet tool on the small rivets on the tank top. Couldn't the 4mm (or 2mm) anvil be used? Nice work as always.

By the way, how did the test build of the large Prairie turn out? It's one of the few GWR engines that I like and I really must have an F7 one at some point, to go with my Scorpio variant.

Cheers,
Peter

Hi Peter,

I only have three anvils with my GW tool, the two 7mm sizes and 4mm, neither seemed to work well TBH. It may just be me but it pays to be fore warned and all that ;) The rivets on the coal space and tank top are very small.

It's still sat at the back of the bench mate, I want to get cracking on it again after the Hall. I've pushed it on a fair way but it got shelved for the A2/3 build and now onto the Hall as it's a commission. I reckon by Telford 2020 it should be looking something like. We have some in stock BTW :D

Cheers

Mick
 

Scale7JB

Western Thunderer
Hi Mick,

We have Pitchford Hall up at North Weald at the moment if you need any detail pictures, though I have no doubt the kit has it all covered.

JB.
 

Peter Cross

Western Thunderer
It's easy enough to make anvils for the GW. I've made them from 3/16 silver steel. He also does a punch with shoulder to make it a more pointed cone, compared to the standard, this is for half etched rivets.
 
Collett 4000G Tender

7mmMick

Western Thunderer
Ok so I’ve moved on somewhat from the last update and due to some home PC issues I’m having to work solely from my iPhone for updates and photos so apologies for the poor quality pics :D The tender is now complete all but a couple of tiny cast parts which I’ll mop up as and when. The one thing I really don’t like about the tender construction is that the wheels are permanently trapped ! I’m not happy with that at all so I thought of a couple of ways to overcome this. In the end I settled for brass tube on the centre frame and outside frame plates. A female and male section soldered to each and the male tapped 10Ba to accept a screw with a washer to hold in place. If I remember the centre section is 3/32 and the out 1/8?? Anyway this meant that I’ve been able to assemble and reassemble to my hearts content here. Pictures hopefully paint the picture;
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The securing screws aren’t fitted in the assembled pictures but you can see the black holes where they should be. Next was the footplate, which is straight forward;B38E6D06-B9D6-42EB-B862-C3CAB85FFDAD.jpeg295A0B70-4F9C-46B1-8B19-873DF38A19B8.jpeg
Then onto the tender tank. The tank wrapper and all the top coal space surrounds take sometime to get sorted and are a real fiddle at times but it really does look the part. Welded lamp irons are fitted as per the prototype;
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And finally a couple of the complete tender on its wheel sets;
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photo limit reached so onto another post.....
 
Hall Footplate

7mmMick

Western Thunderer
I’ve also been cracking on with the loco itself, which to date has been straight forward. The footplate is the usual Finney number of laminations and once together capture all the blot head and river detail and make for a strong assembly;

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Then the dreaded firebox! Luckily I’ve got some brass bar that I got free with a Javlin Black 5 years ago and this came in really handy for the firebox construction. The secret here was to just take it steady. Once the wrapper is on I got a good photo of Pitchford Hall and rounded the top corners and crown area, first with files and then wet and dry, getting progressively finer with the grades. Final polish was with some 1200 grit 482EF521-EDEB-4FA6-A084-7CA077349147.jpeg
The boiler and smoke box are rolled and soldered to N/S formers and are screws together with a 6Ba Bolt so that final adjustments can be made once fitted to the footplate. The boiler firebox joint is two 0.8mm wire pegs to ensure accurate alignment;
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And things sat together loosely for now
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I’ve also built the bogie and made a good start on the frames, more to follow soon;

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Scale7JB

Western Thunderer
Hi Mick, beautiful job!

I meant to come back to you about details on the Hall.

I was underneath it a couple of weekends back on New Years day, but I was on another engine. Jumped underneath to get some shots whilst the other fireman was clearing the ashpan and then told that I had to get out as they were late off shed. I can hopefully get some at half-term but don't know if that will be too late. Let me know if so and I'll try and get up there sooner...once the car is fixed.

JB.
 

SimonT

Western Thunderer
JB,
We have a stash on our Dropbox but could do with some of the bogie bolster area from the side and the front (low) as we are redesigning the bogie. I've got some of the bogie off the loco and in various stages of undress and again could do with some in running condition. Also the back and front faces of the cylinder as again I have some of the area being stripped down. Backhead details and it's overall look would be brilliant.
Cheers


Mick,
can you get the bogie pivot bolt through the bogie?;)
Simon
 

Scale7JB

Western Thunderer
Hi Simon, looking at the bogie, am I correct in saying this kit is for the un-modified hall?

Pitchford is up at GC for their gala at the moment, so will hope to get up there when it's back.

JB.
 

7mmMick

Western Thunderer
JB,
We have a stash on our Dropbox but could do with some of the bogie bolster area from the side and the front (low) as we are redesigning the bogie. I've got some of the bogie off the loco and in various stages of undress and again could do with some in running condition. Also the back and front faces of the cylinder as again I have some of the area being stripped down. Backhead details and it's overall look would be brilliant.
Cheers

Mick,
can you get the bogie pivot bolt through the bogie?;)
Simon

No obstructions here pal;
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Thanks for the heads up :thumbs::D
 

7mmMick

Western Thunderer
Hi Mick, beautiful job!

I meant to come back to you about details on the Hall.

I was underneath it a couple of weekends back on New Years day, but I was on another engine. Jumped underneath to get some shots whilst the other fireman was clearing the ashpan and then told that I had to get out as they were late off shed. I can hopefully get some at half-term but don't know if that will be too late. Let me know if so and I'll try and get up there sooner...once the car is fixed.

JB.

No worries at all pal. If you get chance a shot from the footplate down through the frames of the complete inside valve gear fitted would be great
 

P A D

Western Thunderer
Hi Mick,
Superb!

Looking at the side control on the bogie, it looks like the rod is soldered at both ends, so can the central bush move from side to side? I note in the overhead shot that you have change the rod for flat section, so can you explain how it works as on the face of if it looks like a neat idea.

Cheers,
Peter
 

7mmMick

Western Thunderer
JB,

They’re a real help to be fair mate, anything of a working loco is ideal cheers

Hi Peter

The Phosphor Bronze wire provides fairly stiff side control, over only running trials will tell if it needs adjustment. The rear bogie wheel rocks around 1.6mm steel rod to provide some compensation. I think with a suitable spring to add down force the bogie will work well? Thanks for your kind comments pal,

Cheers

Mick
 

oldravendale

Western Thunderer
I'm not familiar with the Hall (as a builder thereof) but certainly some of the Finney7 kits have side control on the bogie which is fixed at one end only, and with the other end held in a hole in the frame so that it can flex.

Brian
 

SimonT

Western Thunderer
A cruelly enlarged photo from the build of Albert Hall for the instructions.
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You can see the pb spring wire anchored at each end, The ring is made from two washers with a half etch for the wire to fit into. When all is solderd solid the wire is removed from inside the hole for the 6BA bolt.

Simon
 
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