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5 Inch Gauge Manor Overhaul


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Didn't know where best to post this so have decided on here!

 

I recently purchased this 5" gauge Manor, built to a lovely standard, differing largely from the well known design by Martin Evans by having a scale boiler, correct profile frames with front extensions as per prototype etc. Winning a silver medal at an exhibition in the late 80's the engine was intensively run until early 90's, winning a 'Heavy Haulage' competition on the way, somehow hauling 28 people non stop for 1 mile (3 laps of Bristol Society of Model Engineers track) I couldn't quite believe it until I saw the certificate! Left unused for 17 years until I steamed it a couple of months ago it is fair to say that given the high level of wear she ran lovely, bit of citric acid in the injectors was all that was required for a couple of hours hassle free steaming after all those years sat idle, magic!

 

I intend to use the engine at Ground Level 5" Gauge Group events next year and have now started stripping it down for a thorough overhaul, every single pin and bush is worn, the eccentrics shot and the rear axle boxes are 'interesting' I may post a picture of them at some point just for the amusement factor. The tender leaf springs require re-tempering, the cross heads re-metalling, new piston rings, a tyre re-profile, new die blocks, the list goes on! The paint was tired, looks better in the pics than reality, heavily blistered and the lining worn away in many places etc. so a repaint is on the cards too, along with a nice new gauge frame and brake valve, a safety valve bonnet of the correct proportions and bogie wheels with the correct pattern of spokes. Enough to keep me out of trouble for the winter anyway! Will add further pics as the overhaul progresses if there is interest to see them. Wouldn't be complete of course without a renaming to 7820 'Dinmore Manor' so the plates are on order ;)

 

Cheers,

 

Mike

 

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Looks like a well built model Mike, they've been popular models over the years, there's quite a few of them about and they are usually reliable runners so obviously well designed.

 

I was wondering if that was Kempenfelt's Aspinal in the first photo, then I recognised the grubby overalls in the next...

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I was wondering if that was Kempenfelt's Aspinal in the first photo, then I recognised the grubby overalls in the next...

I wonder what he was scrounging this time? :D

 

It was nice seeing the two Manors double heading at Gilling earlier in the year. Looking forward to seeing the work on this one.

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That is indeed the one Paul! What a nightmare marathon effort that was! At 6pm on the Wednesday night it made its first ever moves in steam, minus cab and tanks, they were still in bare metal and were painted on the Thursday morning before a mass assembly of the engine and other odds and sods of finishing off by three of us working flat out till late ready to hit the road first thing Friday morning!!! It was worth it though, a thoroughly enjoyable weekend, The engine is sat on the coffee table in front of me as I type still awaiting it's lining out in January assuming her identical twin is completed in time!

 

 

Are you both Gilling regulars then? Did you take engines with you, might be able to put faces to names then!

 

Mike

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Superb. I'm really looking forward to this wqrite up, please don't spare the details. And do plenty of photos, please, too.

 

Will you now be changing your username to "Swindon Works", or even, "A Shop"? :lol:

 

I wasn't born until 1952, and lived near the River Humber, so never got to see a Manor in real life. Or a Grange........or a County.........I could go on....

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Erm yeah, thanks Paul :P

 

Pretty sure we ran out of steam round the corner after! I blame Kempenfelt for giving me a fire with holes in it and no high pressure injector :P. Its not the engine for a novice that as I found out when running it.

 

Craig, the Manor double header was indeed good to see, I know their owners well, maybe a triple header next time?!! I may well have spoken to you, I was there with my LSWR O2?

 

Mike

We did speak in the steaming bays admiring your O2 while I was helping Paul with the A Class. I don't have the infrastructure or money to get into 5" at the moment though I did enjoy Gilling the last couple of years.

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You're making excellent progress there Mike! Good to see you on here!

 

Ta for the piccies Paul, Craig looks petrified! :scared: I think he's good for another 6 years as a cleaner before I promote him to fireman/driver again! :locomotive:

 

Thanks for the interest Larry! Apologies now for hijacking the thread Mike, but here's a few more piccies! The first 2 were taken by Michael Topham and are 2 of my favourite pic's of the loco. I must get round to adding some vac pipes though!

 

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Good luck with the rest of the build Mike, if the 02's anything to go by then 7820's going to be a cracker!

 

Cheers

 

Paul

 

 

Before I forget, Larry (or anyone else) if you have any prototype pics of 52399 I'd love to see them!

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Apologies for intruding on this thread with something foreign! I was invited last year to a mates place which just happens to have a 5" gauge railway on acreage. There were quite a few locos there, all of NSW prototypes but one that caught my eye was an absolutely gorgeous D50 class 2-8-0. The owner of it did not like it being all bright and shiny, so he weathered it.... I think it looks fantastic myself.

 

Regards,

 

Craig W

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Blimey, it's been a bit busy in here, glad to see it has generated some interest! Nice to see some snaps of Paul's L&Y machine too, lovely engine.

 

The bit of spare time I have had this week has been used to make a start on machining the new eccentric strap castings that arrived through the post recently, I very nearly them back as they are certainly not the best and are requiring a lot of machining to get them looking something like 'right'. Seeing as 'JeffP' wanted picture updates then here goes!

 

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One of the four new castings and a worn out eccentric strap, one friend commented 'I have eaten onion rings that resemble eccentrics more than those castings do...!'

 

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Now Drilled, tapped, split, bored and faced both sides ready for mounting in the mill to take all the excess 'meat' off the castings.

 

Hope to have them finished next week then priority needs to turn to stripping the tender tank, cab, splashers etc. of paint so that they can be painted ready to go away for lining out early in the new year, whilst those are away I shall be able to crack on with the mechanical side of the overhaul again.

 

Cheers for the interest shown,

 

Mike

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