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Oxford N7


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Indeed. I have this one marked up as the future discounted sell off, which (if the mechanism proves a goodun) will be bought to provide a spare mechanism, my usual DIY sparing policy for any essential loco. With roughly a dozen at Hatfield under BR at end of steam, it is a very essential loco (and my two ancient kitbuilds are worn out). I'd guess that the majority of the sales of this model are going to be of the round top version in BR livery. Well, I know that mine will be...

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Indeed. I have this one marked up as the future discounted sell off, which (if the mechanism proves a goodun) will be bought to provide a spare mechanism, my usual DIY sparing policy for any essential loco. With roughly a dozen at Hatfield under BR at end of steam, it is a very essential loco (and my two ancient kitbuilds are worn out). I'd guess that the majority of the sales of this model are going to be of the round top version in BR livery. Well, I know that mine will be...

It will be a shame if they are, as it discourages other manufacturers to model pre-grouping liveried locos. In that regard it is unfortunate that only one example ever carried the more popular blue livery and that it's detail differences mean Oxford are unlikely to ever produce it.

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It will be a shame if they are, as it discourages other manufacturers to model pre-grouping liveried locos. In that regard it is unfortunate that only one example ever carried the more popular blue livery and that it's detail differences mean Oxford are unlikely to ever produce it.

There's allways rule one. :jester:

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Hello everyone. I’ve been into Monk Bar Models, York, and had one example tested. There is a slight whirring sound, but it’s so indistinct. Apart from that, it ran, at all speeds, on the test track, so smoothly and controllably, that I purchased it without further hesitation.

I will try it out on my layout after I get back home in the evening, but it’s looking good in all ways. It’s so heavy too, which clearly will further help with the good running. I don’t yet know what motor or flywheel is in it, but I think it’s a better set up than in the revised Dean Goods.

I will replace the tension lock couplings wth screw couplings, which eliminates that concern.

So, on the evidence so far, the N7 from Oxford Rail is looking as good as I was hoping it would do.

 

I will take some photo’s later on too, which I hope will add to the above posted video.

So, I’m most happy, and I’m looking forward to the LNER and BR versions yet to be released.

 

Rob.

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Hello everyone. I’ve been into Monk Bar Models, York, and had one example tested. There is a slight whirring sound, but it’s so indistinct. Apart from that, it ran, at all speeds, on the test track, so smoothly and controllably, that I purchased it without further hesitation.

I will try it out on my layout after I get back home in the evening, but it’s looking good in all ways. It’s so heavy too, which clearly will further help with the good running. I don’t yet know what motor or flywheel is in it, but I think it’s a better set up than in the revised Dean Goods.

I will replace the tension lock couplings wth screw couplings, which eliminates that concern.

So, on the evidence so far, the N7 from Oxford Rail is looking as good as I was hoping it would do.

 

I will take some photo’s later on too, which I hope will add to the above posted video.

So, I’m most happy, and I’m looking forward to the LNER and BR versions yet to be released.

 

Rob.

 

Excellent news :)

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I’ve just been thoroughly testing mine on my layout and it’s a beautiful runner, and now it’s had about three hours of running there’s no whirring left to hear, it’s totally silent as in Hornby’s recently released J36. The body is mazak, with only a small amount of plastic, i.e, the boiler fittings and bunker coal rails. The cab is nicely detailed, and the only parts to fit are the steam heat ‘bags’.

I will add that pony truck is very floppy, a bit like on the Bachmann model of the Lancashire and Yorkshire tanks, but it’s has not, so far, derailed. And the front driving wheel set has a form of compensation which helps to accommodate any rough bits of track work, and further helps the excellent running quality of this delightful model. Please note the the pickups are phosphor bronze, and are fitted to all six drivers, but not the pony truck wheel set. It has not, so far, stalled anywhere except on a section of my track which I found needed cleaning - which has been done.

So I shall now go to bed happy. And here’s a quickly taken photo’ which I hope you will like.

 

post-22631-0-75395500-1547593947_thumb.jpeg

 

Best regards,

 

Rob.

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I picked up my N7 today and overlaid it to John Gardner's drawings from the GERS and appears to me very good in all the principle dimensions and is very finely modelled.

 

The nem pockets are easy to remove (rear one remove trailing wheel plate screw and nem pocket comes out) and the loco looks a lot better in my personal opinion with screw couplings. I've used Roger Smith couplings and a bit of filing is needed to insert a very short shank into the the buffer beam and super glued in place.

 

The plastic coal will come loose with a little gentle effort with thin knife blade - I think there was a spot of glue holding in place. There is a flat area below the plastic coal to replace with real coal. The bunker railings are fine, so take care.

 

Comparing the model with the drawings, photos in Yeadons Vol 27 and the photo of no 1003 in GERS Journal 97 a few minor items appear to be possibly incorrect - I claim no expertise -   front top lamp iron is on the door whereas it should be on top of smokebox on this engine, chimney a bit thin (?),  top feeds to dome are missing, this engine was not originally vacuum fitted so remove LEFT-hand pipes front & rear. The additional pipe running down the right-hand side of the boiler I can't see either on the drawings or photo, was this added as part of the later versions with superheater? The handrail across the back of the bunker was also a later (1929) addition so to the bars over the rear windows (1925) and a lamp bracket is needed centre top on bunker rails.

 

The livery appears to "look" like the black and white photos, except perhaps the water tank vents should be black, not grey.

 

I use old ECM feedback controllers, which tend to make modern loco motors sound a bit noisy (albeit not Hornby's J15), but the loco ran very smooth and as most of the model is metal, pulled a nine coach train of bogie stock with no problem. 

 

I'm very pleased with the model, its a very complex class of engines with a long history and many variations. At less than £90 is very good value given the prices announced by other manufacturers and excellent that its in GER livery, even though I'm building a model of Colchester c1955! I certainly will buy the later BR version.

 

I would be interested to hear other comments - as I say I'm no expert and happy to do a little modelling to get it as near correct as possible..

 

Paul

 

edit sorry RE vacuum pipes should say LEFT-HAND side pipes; getting my left & rights muddled, put it down to an age thing!

Edited by PaulG
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The vacuum exhaust ejector pipe on the model is only correct for 7990-9. The first dozen never had it, being always air braked only, and the rest were LHD. In addition to being on the other side, the pipe was lower down on these engines, and did not pass through the firebox cladding.

 

D

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Other than changing the chimney, need to find a suitable casting, I've carried out the changes noted above and very pleased with the loco albeit a bit out of place at Colchester c1955. Had it pulling 16 bogie carriages round the layout!

post-665-0-70436300-1547799293_thumb.jpg

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Other than changing the chimney, need to find a suitable casting, I've carried out the changes noted above and very pleased with the loco albeit a bit out of place at Colchester c1955. Had it pulling 16 bogie carriages round the layout!

 

Was going to say this morning I saw a video on Facebook of one pulling 16 - looked great!

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I think that I will probably succumb and get one, especially as Colchester shed was the last allocation for 69612. A lot of N7's worked on the Clacton/Walton branches in their final years up to withdrawal with a couple shedded at Walton. Only slight issues for me are whether conversion to P4 will be possible, ideally as per my Hornby J15, and what work will be needed on the fronts of the tanks. Perhaps it's the way the photos are but all the shots/videos I have seen so far seem to show strange lines above the steps and ragged edges around this area. These really show up with the grey livery. Perhaps I am seeing things. Hope so.

 

Izzy

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Was going to say this morning I saw a video on Facebook of one pulling 16 - looked great!

 

I took a Britannia off the down Norfolkman and tried the N7, took it away no problem. Clan Stewart was in the other platform on a down Clacton, so the "kid" in me decided to take the Clan off and the result you saw on FB. My biggest worry was the super glued hook would come loose!

 

Paul

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Its slightly strange that I’m getting very interested in this model. As a life long Southern modeller the N7 was on the horizon but not a priority, but reading how good it is plus the reasonable price I’m having resurrecting thoughts of the Mersea island branch that I dallied with long long ago

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