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S7 scratch building


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A change from the normal today. 

 

My Minerva Manning Wardle needs a repaint and a new lift up smoke box door. I have had it modified to run on S7 track by Colin Dowling ( Eastside Pilot ). When I ordered my loco from Minerva they were offering them in 3 different colours.

I wanted plain black or green but they were only offering them in bright blue, red, and lined black. So I opted to have the lined black only to find out 12 months latter they were going to do a limited run of plain black ! Just my luck. I didn't like the bright red levers and the lining looks like one big yellow line when in fact there is a red line either side of the yellow which is so fine it gets lost and can't be seen from normal viewing distance. 

 

So so I decided to strip mine down and give it a repaint. I was expecting to see articles in all the magazines on people rebuilding these little locos and maybe on line to. But it has been very quiet on this front. 

The body comes off with just 3 small screws and is then broken down in to all the small components parts by brushing on white spirit to soften the glue holding everything together. It takes a few minutes for the the white spirit to work it's magic and then I have basically a kit of parts. Everthing is stored in a Ferro Roche chocolate box so that I don't lose anything because there are some very small components. 

 

When the smokebox door is removed it leaves a recess rather than a plain front so I have cut a couple of rings of black  20 thou plastikard to fit in the space left by the vacant door. I just need to fashion a new lift up door with new handrails. 

I have also removed the lining by scrapping with a number 9 flat scalpel blade because I thought the lining might be visible under any new paint.

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Hi Mike,

 

Lovely work on the wagons - they really do look good! 
 

I modified my Minerva Manning Wardle, I thought I’d posted some photos of it on my Elsbridge (Wharf) thread but I hadn’t so have taken some below for you to illustrate the changes I made to mine:

 

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The areas that I modified:

 

- new lift up smoke box door (I used a spare from a Slaters MW kit)

- new stovepipe chimney from S&D castings

- toolbox on left hand running plate at the front

- replaced the brakeshoes with ones that acted on all wheels - again spares from a Slaters MW kit)

- replaced the safety valve (thought the Minerva looked a bit weedy) and whistle (Slaters MW spares)

- shortened the cab by removing approx 8mm from the middle of it

- full repaint (Humbrol 131) and lined out using Posca paint pens

 

All very easy to do and quite enjoyable. I just need to summon up the courage now go give it a light dose of weathering.
 

Looking forward to seeing the progress on yours. 
 

Cheers,

 

Neil

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Neil, that's the first I have seen modified other than repainted ones. You have made a first class Job of it. I like the cab modification but I don't think I brave enough to cut mine down. I am not sure which of the cabs to use yet.

 

I have made a new smokebox door and added a couple of hinges with .6mm rivets from MasterClub. I have also added a handrail with 4mm handrail knobs. 

This is like going back to my childhood cutting up Airfix kits again !

 

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Here's one of mine as tended to by Colin Dowling. As this represents an 1880s built version (I've temporarily lost the Makers' Plate but it's in the 700s) I'll leave the smokebox as is. Its companion Twm Siôn Cati – which is still languishing in Colin's 'to-do' pile it seems – will have a replacement smokebox and a few other mods. If nothing else, the delay will give me the time to pluck up the courage to assault the model.

 

And then the weathering...

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Edited by wagonman
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Richard, your loco looks extremely good, did Colin do the repaint as well as converting to S7.

You should show us more of your work looking at the above photograph. I did see your article in the S7 newsletter about your layout plans for a mineral railway. I stayed in a small youth hostel just near where your layout is based about 20 years ago, quite remote part of the country.

 

I have decided to paint my Manning Whardle a light Highland Green. I gave the parts a grey undercoat before spraying them with a rattle can which is a Ford colour. I will let them harden overnight before attempting to reassemble all the bits and pieces. I what to paint the operating rods black to get rid of the bright red bits which look a bit toy like lMO. 

The smoke box door has come out well but it is hard to photograph. 

 

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The paint job is straight out of the box...

 

As for the rest, my production rate is vastly lower than yours – likewise the quality. Where do you get that special 'invisible' solder? :-)

 

Thanks to lockdown I have made some faltering steps, however.

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Built by the Metropolitan Carriage & Wagon co in mid 1860s for the Midland Rly. ~~~~~Some more built to the same design by Gloucester for the Spalding & Bourne Rly. Photo and 'drawing' in Midland Wagons Vol 2.

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Should anyone be remotely interested the other vehicles are GWR wooden Mink, PO lead wagon built by Glous in 1871, Wigan Coal& Iron wagon – except that I fitted the wrong brake gear so will have to find another identity – and an LNWR D21 Medium Cattle Truck. 

 

Shelf above is P4 stuff, but that's another story...

Edited by wagonman
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4 hours ago, Furness Wagon said:

whats the brake van?

Vehicle at the end of the train, providing accommodation for the guard, etc... :)

 

But you knew that already.

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Richard, it is good to see unusual wagons like the brake van, you should show us more. Are the rest of the wagons scratch built or is it just the brake van ?

 

Well I got up early and put most of the loco back together. I still have a couple of parts to add or replace. The carpet monster ate one of the safty valves  levers and the replacement I was making broke as I was cleaning it. 

 

I think painting the operating levers black has made a big difference IMO. I was disappointed when these locos were first announced that the plain black was not going to be a option. Then due to public demand, Minerva released a batch of plain black after I had already acquired my lined version. Perhaps Minerva has done me a favour because if plain black had been available I wouldn't have taken the trouble to repaint mine this shade of green. 

I need to replace the plastic coal in the bunker with real coal but where does one get some of that today. Obviously a heritage line but are any open ?  I also so need to weather it to a well looked after but slightly run down example.

 

 

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Edited by airnimal
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Coal? One of the advantages of living in the country is that you can pollute the world to your heart's content, so I have (or had) a bunker full of the stuff. I'm sure I can spare enough for a Manning Wardle size bunker. PM me.

 

The wagons in that photo are all bar the lead wagon scratch built. Back in the day, wagons were my main interest. Overall I think the rolling stock will be perhaps 30% kit.

 

 

Edited by wagonman
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Having lost one of the safty valves to the carpet monster I have made replacements, and it only took me 3 attempts to get it looking something like decent. I haven't put the nut and washer on the top of the lever untill I can find something small enough. 

 I haven't started the weathering yet or put the steps on. I broke one of the guard irons when I first got the loco and made replacements from brass and as yet they still have to be glued on. 

I haven't decided which cab to use but I think I will choose when I get a period crew and see how they best fit in. 

I will use real coal for the bunker and I wish to say a big thank you to Richard ( wagonman ) for the bag of coal that arrived in the post this morning. 

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1 hour ago, airnimal said:

 

I will use real coal for the bunker and I wish to say a big thank you to Richard ( wagonman ) for the bag of coal that arrived in the post this morning. 

 

 

There was a time when they arrived on the back of a lorry :rolleyes:

 

Lovely work on the engine.

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2 hours ago, Malcolm 0-6-0 said:

 

There was a time when they arrived on the back of a lorry :rolleyes:

 

Lovely work on the engine.

 

But that was when people had full size bunkers, not 1:43.5 scale models.

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I have done a small amount today before I went for a social distant drink with friends. I enjoyed the experience as well as the sunshine and a good walk. 

I have glued the guard irons on along with the steps but how long will the steps last ? 

They are made from plastic and only have a very small contact point to glue them under the footplate. I may make metal ones as a replacement.

i have started to tone down the paintwork but I am going to take this slowly for fear of making a pigs ear of it. 

 

I will break up the coal and place it in the bunker tomorrow. Plastic coal just doesn't look right. 

I remember as a kid the coal man coming and dropping it down the coal hole. We used the coal hole as a way of getting in to our Victorian terraced house when we locked out. Down the coal hole in pitch black and up the cellar steps which was never locked. We didn't have anything worth pinching because  we were poor. 

Would I go back in time ? Only for a look around and take more photographs. Bread and dripping,  no thanks. 

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