7mm Dikitriki's Dark side: A WD 2-8-0

[28ten]

How does it compare with the MOK kit?

 

[Dikitriki]

How does it compare with the MOK kit?

Hi

I didn't set them up one against the other yesterday - it was a working day rather that a play day - so I can't as yet compare.

What I will say is that the San Cheng 8F is a corking model, and you would have to be a very good builder to build something better. The engine body and tender are very good, it is the engine chassis that lets it down. Most of you will know I am modestly anally retentive about chassis, so any criticism I have is bearing this in mind.

The valve gear is let down by the return crank (awful), lack of forked joints and general lack of bulk. There is something wrong at the front end, which I put down to the skeletal front bogie (devoid of detail and far too flimsy) and the front bogie wheel. There is a gaping hole in the sideframes where the ash pan should be seen through the frames, the brake hangers and shoes are insubstantial as are the spreaders. The exhaust steam and live steam injectors and associated piping are missing, and I don't like the pick-ups (which is more a personal choice). The cylinder detail is pretty good, but could be bettered.

That's being ruthlessly critical, and I am not considering that this is designed for the 'mass' market as a robust and trouble-free RTR, which role it fulfils admirably.
If I could pick up a sound body and tender with a defunct engine chassis, I would do so in a trice and be quite happy to replace the engine chassis to achieve a very good model indeed. I think then it would be quite hard to distinguish the MOK and San Cheng models (which show how good a fist San Cheng made of it in the first place).

Richard

PS: anyone know of a San Cheng 8F going cheap? Doesn't need to be working.

 

[Jordan or Plymouth Mad]

PS: anyone know of a San Cheng 8F going cheap?

Now there's a contradiction in terms...!!! :shock: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Dikitriki]

Gosh, last post 3 1/2 months ago!

It's not that I've been doing nothing, more that the layout has taken my energies, and I have spent little time at my workbench. However, I did manage to get to Reading yesterday, and acquired the materials to scratch build 2 LMS 42' non passenger full brakes. I'm waiting for bits to appear in the post, so I shalln't start for a week or so (that's one of my weeks, not the normal 7 day variety), but the spec is;

plastic card sides
Vac formed roof
Peter Cowling resin ends and headstocks
Peter Cowling vac cylinders, battery and regulator boxes
Sidelines bogies
Heywood buffers
Scrap box odds and sods

Apart from the fact I like parcels stock, it's so that I can just do bit of scratch building. (Or rather building using commercially available components. Is that really scratch building? I don't know.)

Anyway, one will be carmine, one lined maroon, both reasonably heavily weathered. It should be pretty straightforward, but I won't know until I try to solder the plastic card ;D

Richard

 

[Phill Dyson]

I would love to see a step by step guide on here Richard when you do make a start 

Phill  :wave:

 

[Rob Pulham]

I too look forward to seeing them Richard.

I do love parcels stock, coaching stock, in fact most kinds of stock

 

[Graham Powell]

Mind boggling!
rgds
Graham Powell

 

[Dikitriki]

I would love to see a step by step guide on here Richard when you do make a start 

Phill  :wave:

Hi Phil

I am waiting for the bogies (Sidelines weren't at Reading) and some resin castings from Peter Cowling which should arrive this week, but I don't really want to do too much without the ends (Cowling) as I will need to check heights. I guess it will be next weekend. I'm keen to start these as it should be a pleasant diversion from soldering brass - using glue to stick all the components together should be therapeutic.!

Richard

 

[Dikitriki]

Hi

I've spoken to Malcolm Binns of Sidelines this morning which completes the ordering of components for the parcels vans, one will be on rivetted bogies, one on welded, both with shell vents.

I've also totted up the costs for what will be a reasonably high-spec vehicle, and I reckon they are going to work out at about ?75 apiece, I guess about 1/2 the price of a comparable kit. I could have cut the cost by using Easybuild bogies, which I did consider, but the Sidelines ones are substantially better, and will give more weight which I will need on a largely plastic card and resin vehicle.

Now I just wait for everything to arrive!

Richard

 

[Rob Pulham]

That sounds really good value Richard. I eagerly await construction commencing.

I may wander down a similar path in the future - once you have paved the way of course

 

[Steph Dale]

Richard,

I think your pricing is pretty good at ?75 a pop.  In my, admittedly very limited, experience of building carriages from scratch the price tends not to be much of a saving over buying a good kit.  With care and malice aforethought it need not take any longer though.

For reference, the build of the 'Continental' that was covered on 'the other forum' worked out about the same as for a Slater's Maunsell, both in cost and I think time (although it's still not finished  ).  I have had to leave it longer between stages for solvent to evaporate out of the parts so they stayed flat and I've been working on other projects when thinking time has been required.

I hope you find it an enjoyable experience, I know I did.  But I will only be looking to scratchbuild coaches if they're timber-framed prototypes and not available from the trade.  Steel- sheeted, flush glazed vehicles are still going to be a pain, but there are plenty of other vehicles to choose from!

I'll be interested to see if you reach the same sort of conclusions as I did.

Steph

 

[Dikitriki]

Hi

Less than 24 hours after placing the order, the parcel from Sidelines arrived, with a stamp on it that cost more than I was charged for P&P. Fantastic service

Here's what you get for a pair of bogies (the other set is identical except for the rivetted/welded sideframes.

 

[28ten]

Will the bogies have any springing?

 

[Dikitriki]

Will the bogies have any springing?

No! My luddite construction methods mean rigid bogies, but the layout is very flat ;D

The bogies do have provision for 3 point suspension, but not springing. Having built a number of these, I don't see how the compensated axle can work well as the brakes are still attached to the frames, and don't move with the axle, meaning a big gap between tread and shoe unless you want to run the risk of shorts.

Richard

 

[28ten]

I thought a man  who fits inside motion would have a cunning plan for springing 

 

[Phill Dyson]

No! My luddite construction methods mean rigid bogies, but the layout is very flat ;D

Glad to hear it !  ;D 

 

[Dikitriki]

Hi

Postie has brought me an early Xmas pressie from Peter Cowling - the resin castings for the parcels vans. The picture shows the components for one van, all nicely cast and needing minimum cleaning up.

 

[28ten]

Those castings look really good, an improvement over whitemetal blobs 

 

[iploffy]

Hi

Postie has brought me an early Xmas pressie from Peter Cowling - the resin castings for the parcels vans. The picture shows the components for one van, all nicely cast and needing minimum cleaning up.

 

[Steve Cook]

They do look nice and sharp Richard, if the same was available for Gauge 1, I'd buy them in a flash.

It's not really scratch building is it? Oh well, I shall have fun anyway ;D

What else could you call it  ;D No different to building a loco from scratch, then buying a detailed backhead to go in it. Seems entirely sensible to me, and as long as you're having fun, who cares 

Steve