7mm Martin Finney Stella question

[Kev T]

I've built the body and mostly built the chassis. So far it's gone OK with only a headache over the inside motion which is now working OK.
I've got to the stage to fit the outside frames and brake gear etc. and realised that there's no way to remove the wheels or motor when they're fitted. This will obviously be a pain for painting and maintenance when required.
Has anyone built this kit with the wheels removable? Is it possible to fit the outside frames to the body without compromising the chassis fittings?



Kev

 

[Longbow]

Funnily enough I have just emailed Finney7 asking more or less the same question. I have acquired a fully finished Stella that I want to chip, and I could not see how to get inside. Is my loco destined to be a permanent shelf queen?

 

[SimonT]

Gents,
I have partly built one for our instructions. The short answer is I cannot see an easy way.


The inner frames are firmly soldered to the outside frames but having the inner frames removable wouldn't necessarily help. This is because the extended axles go into the space of the outer axleboxes and these cannot be dropped out as the lower outer springs hold them in place. The leading driven axle is also held in place by the inner spring. The brake gear could be arranged to fold out of the way in the maner described by Mickoo and Adrian on the LNER Group Standard Tender.
I have a background task of designing a new chassis for the Aberdare where there is the same problem to solve.

If you find a way to do it, can you let us know how you did it! Good luck.
Simon

 

[Kev T]

Thanks Simon
that's what I expected. I'll have a look at making it all removable with 12ba fixings as per the MOK Armstrong, but I suspect it will either still not be possible or a such a hassle that it's hardly worth it.
Kev

 

[Dodger]

I have just started an original Finney Bulldog and have made the frames removable for the very same reasons.

 

[simond]

This might be a silly idea...

but could the outer frames be made to part down the middle, so the axleboxes can slip over the ends of the axles?

presume the buffer beam and maybe the footplate would have to be attached to the inner frames?

Atb
Simon

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

Another idea depending upon how much work you want to put in - uses the brake gear as a keeper plate. Based on SimonT's photo.

 

[Kev T]

Dodger, that's really quite a neat arrangement. Are the screws 12BA? My initial thoughts were to make the outer frames individually removable but I'll have a look to see if your idea may be possible for the Stella, as the springs and suspension units are all fastened beneath the outer frames and of course the brake linkage will foul.

Dave and Simon T, I'll have a look at these ideas.

Kev

 

[Dodger]

Hi Kev Yes I have used 12BA screws to attach the outer frames to the under frame.

hoping to post some information on what I have done so far with the Bulldog build.

Roger

 

[Ian Rathbone]

I’ve just painted a Stella. The frames fitted to the superstructure via two studs through the drag beam and a single screw under the smoke box. The brakes were removable, luckily, but all else was solid. I can see that future maintenance would be a problem but painting was fairly straight forward. Ideally you would paint as much as possible before final assembly, in particular the space between inner and outer frames. The outer frame can be sprayed but all remaining work inside needs to be brushed. Remember that the GW only painted the eccentric rods and cranks on the motion, the remainder being bright. Actually ‘bright’ should read ‘dull’ - gently blacken the unpainted motion before assembly. Inside face of the frames, motion bracket, eccentric rods and cranks are red oxide, not red.

Ian R

 

[Kev T]

It's been a while but it's ready for the paintshop.




I put it to one side when I lost the mojo after deciding I needed to address three issues I saw with the model. It wouldn't pull more than 2 coaches, It couldn't be stripped down for repair if built to Martins' instructions and it wouldn't go round a 5foot radius curve without the front wheels popping off.

The issue of load hauling was to pile in as much weight as possible, the boiler, firebox, ashpan and under the cab floor.



I solved the problem of being able to strip it down by screwing on the brake rodding in the normal way, and fixing the outside frames with a screw front and back, stiffening them with a length of brass channel at the front and as per the instructions locating the front of the frames between the back of the buffer housing and a piece of angle.




The resolution to the running problem was to strip the chassis down rebuild it with the narrower spacers and to replace the front axle locating rod with a piece of spring steel to load the front axle.

The upshot is that it will pull 7 clerestory bogies at scale speed [ish] on our less than ideal club layout.

I know the front spring has broken. I dropped the frame in the final clean up I'm debating whether to try to draw one and have it 3d printed, or see if I can get one out of Sanspareil. Mickoo's thread is inspiring me to have a go at 3D printing

Kev