7mm Manning Wardle Old Class i: a self-designed 'kit'
- Thread starter John Baker
- Start date
John Baker
Western Thunderer
Most likely a Sharp Stewart long boiler, but time is a distinct issue currently!
RichardG
Western Thunderer
View attachment 245272
I want to keep the etches wrapped up until I start the build, but in the meantime here is a photo of the other parts in the kit.
All of the castings are in brass, and there are pieces of wood and veneer to make the buffer beams and footplate. Each piece of wire is labelled, as are the bags containing the small parts. The instruction book is printed in colour throughout.
The kit arrived beautifully packed, in a good cardbord box with this enclosed inside a fitted outer transit box. The packaging looked good enough for shipping worldwide e.g. Australia @Overseer if wanted.
So - so far, I am very pleased with my purchase. An excellent first impression
I have opened the box again! It's nice to let a kit mature for a while, but not too long. This time I unwrapped the etches too, and had a look at the instruction book.
This kit is so very different to the Slater's class F. At a glance, the wrapper for the saddle tank has been etched from some suitably thin brass and has the handrail holes already placed. And there are etched fold lines too! This was the most impossible part of the class F, so if this works then the other parts should be fine. Everything I have looked at so far seems to be here with a view to including it in the model and without sending the builder off to make or buy substitute parts.
I found a High Level 1219 coreless motor, and this happens to be the motor recommended for the kit. So I've only had to order up the Hump Shunter gearbox and the hornblocks.
The kit includes a pair of compensation beams. I seem to have bought the last two pairs of slimline hornblocks in stock at High Level Kits, so maybe Fate is telling me I should be building this with a fixed axle at the back and not CSBs.
I am not chomping at the bit to get started, rather taking in what the kit involves and thinking through how I will go about the build. I wonder if anyone else has made a start?
John Baker
Western Thunderer
Richard,
Unfortunately the compensation beams are only designed as cosmetic - there as you see them through the frames, but you may be able to modify them to be fully functional!
John
RichardG
Western Thunderer
I did wonder how to assemble them! I was on the brink of asking if there were supplementary instructions for adding suspension.
Please John, have you built your own models with a rigid chassis or with hornblocks? If you did use hornblocks, it would be very helpful to know how you arranged the springing or compensation.
I ask because I have no experience of making or fitting compensation beams or CSBs, and I don't want to spoil the kit. My first four locos have a rigid chassis or a rocking front axle.
Please John, have you built your own models with a rigid chassis or with hornblocks? If you did use hornblocks, it would be very helpful to know how you arranged the springing or compensation.
I ask because I have no experience of making or fitting compensation beams or CSBs, and I don't want to spoil the kit. My first four locos have a rigid chassis or a rocking front axle.
NewportRod
Western Thunderer
I started mine this weekend. It arrived last August and the package opened on Friday evening at the Missenden Modellers weekend.
This is how far I'd progressed by the end of the weekend.
Construction has gone very well so far, parts have all fitted precisely. The only point where one needs to make special attention is in pressing the rivets out, depending on the tool you use, you might find that the half-etched holes are too large to ensure that the die is centralised - witness the uneven rivets on the bunker side. I asked Kevin Wilson, the 7 mm course tutor at Missenden for his advice, and with a properly positioned gate and a doll with a head diameter that is right for the pitch of the rivets much tidier results are possible. As on the tank, which is conveniently out of focus behind the boiler tube!
Having read the instructions I decided to spring the leading two axles using High Level slimmed-down Hornblocks, and checking on my 'phone there were two sets available so I carried on and cut out the openings for them. Then when I got to my laptop they were out of stock! Strange that!
This is how far I'd progressed by the end of the weekend.
Construction has gone very well so far, parts have all fitted precisely. The only point where one needs to make special attention is in pressing the rivets out, depending on the tool you use, you might find that the half-etched holes are too large to ensure that the die is centralised - witness the uneven rivets on the bunker side. I asked Kevin Wilson, the 7 mm course tutor at Missenden for his advice, and with a properly positioned gate and a doll with a head diameter that is right for the pitch of the rivets much tidier results are possible. As on the tank, which is conveniently out of focus behind the boiler tube!
Having read the instructions I decided to spring the leading two axles using High Level slimmed-down Hornblocks, and checking on my 'phone there were two sets available so I carried on and cut out the openings for them. Then when I got to my laptop they were out of stock! Strange that!
RichardG
Western Thunderer
Truly, you couldn't make it up. PM sent.
John Baker
Western Thunderer
Hi Richard,
Most I have built as rigid chassis, however I did build one using horn blocks and some small (1.5mm diameter?) springs between the top of the block and the small tab protruding down from the horn block guide. If I recall correctly, I may have taken a belt and braces approach and secured the top of the spring with a spot of epoxy. Not necessarily conventional but it seemed to work OK!
Hope that helps,
John
RichardG
Western Thunderer
The slimline hornblocks are back in stock at High Level - I've bought three more pairs, along with their CSB jig. I'd like to build some kind of experimental chassis before I have a go at my Old Class i kit.