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SE Finecast 517

JDaniels

Entry posted by JDaniels

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I've come to a dead halt with the construction of this kit. The chassis commendably includes three different types of brake shoes, two types of brake pull rods and three types of guard irons. All you need to do is find a good photo of your chosen prototype and work from there. It wasn't until I looked more closely at the kit and prototype photos did I realise that my chosen prototype, 540, was quite different from the kit.

 

Firstly, as the kit is based on the Collett cab version initially that restricts you to those 67 examples so fitted. However even that apparently large number has to be pared back as many of these had the upper cab side corner of the bunker formed as a convex curve rather than the concake curve in the kit. Also, a few of those examples still retained their round top boiler. The biggest issue to my mind though is the difference between those examples with frames modified at Swindon and those modified at Wolverhampton. The Swindon conversions had straight steps and a very deep footplate valance whilst those modified at Wolverhampton had the more elegant steps with curved plating that the kit portrays along with a much narrower footplate valance. The steps in the kit can be cut back to represent the Swindon pattern and the depth of the valance in the kit more closely represents the Swindon conversion. Of the Collett cab versions, only 4 were modified at Wolverhampton.The impression I have from studying photos though is that the depth of the Swindon conversion valance can vary although always clearly deeper than the Wolverhampton conversions. I've attached a photo of the sides along with the chassis, smokebox and smokebox door. The valance to my mind is not as deep as it appears on some Swindon examples.

 

Talk of the smokebox and smokebox door demonstrates another difference. Most of the smokeboxes on the 517's were riveted although clearly other photos show plain versions which is what the kit has. The smokebox door in the kit is of a plain, slightly concave, pattern as used for example on the 48xx 0-4-2T but many of the 517's, like 540, had a dished smokebox door with rows of rivets above the door itself.

 

Finally, 10 of the Collett cab version had inside trailing wheel bearings. I already have one of these, 559, so particularly wanted the outside frame version which I think is more typical of the class.

 

Most of the above came from RCTS part 6 which is a mine of information. I did find a photo of one Collett cab example not mentioned in the book though, 558.

 

It's a case of finding a prototype that matches the kit, I'm spending more time looking through my books than modelling! It also needs to be a photo that shows the front of the loco. What I may have to do is use a photo of a prototype that was fitted with a Collett cab before that fitment was made but otherwise matches the kit.

 

The chassis is an intricate fret that builds up into a sturdy frame. I have cut out all the hornblocks as I'm going to use CSB suspension. One particularly clever touch was to have the two sides of the coupling rod etched one over the other so all that was needed was to fold them back to back using the half etched lines. The two sides came together perfectly aligned for soldering. The etch also includes some parts for the body such as fire irons hooks and lamp irons.

 

No wonder the GWR championed standardisation!

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Mikkel
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You have my sympathy, finding a way through the maze that is the 517 class is difficult enough, but with a kit that sets down those conditions it must be even more difficult.

 

A bit odd that the kit only provides for a Collett cab.

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JDaniels

You have my sympathy, finding a way through the maze that is the 517 class is difficult enough, but with a kit that sets down those conditions it must be even more difficult.

 

A bit odd that the kit only provides for a Collett cab.

Yes Mikkel, it's even more difficult than I imagined.

 

I spent last night poring through photographs, and there are 10 or so prototypes that are closest to the kit although I only have photos of half the ones fitted with a Collett cab. One issue though is the smokebox, all the photos I have show that this was riveted whereas the kit provides for a flush finish. Early photographs of the class, 524 at Abbotsbury in 1908 for example, show that at least some have a flush finish with no rivets but I've found no photos of the class in the 1920's with this feature. I wondered whether the boiler fitted dictated the smokebox but think this is unlikely to be the case.

 

When you study the photos you appreciate the variations in the class are staggering. One had a domeless boiler with a very tall safety valve cover that looked really odd.

 

Yes it's a shame that the kit is so restrictive. The M&L kit provided for Swindon or Wolverhampton bunkers and Belpaire or round top fireboxes. As examples with the older bunkers survived into the 1930's that kit was suitable for a wide time span, say 1900's to 1930's.

 

I've now got to select a prototype but the quality of the photo and availability of nameplates will decide which of the ten I select. But that's not till Thursday, off to Bath behind "Oliver Cromwell" tomorrow!

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