roythebus Posted September 1, 2020 Share Posted September 1, 2020 Looking through my collection of unmade and part-made kits, I found my SE Finecast P class loco, bought about 20 years ago from the Allypally show. I started building it, life got in the way and I never finished it, like so many other things. I fitted it with the small motor recommenced in the instructions but had trouble with that shorting out on bits of bodywork. Last week I stripped the chassis down and virtually rebuilt it. I found the Romford wheels running out of true for some reason. Anyway, I got it running again, but found the centre drivers still wobbly so it has to come apart again! During the test run I tried it with my 38-wagon test train and the little P class managed to pull it! I'll take a video of it next time it's on test. As an aside, the first loco I ever bought was the original Wills Finecast P class, cost £4/14/6d I think, plus Triang XT60 motor, Romford gears and wheels put it at over £14. I found that as well so will have to give that a run too! I've rebuilt that a couple of times over the years and I'm sure I changed the chassis for the original Wills with a later one when it lost the XT60. It's got to be worth restoring. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Il Grifone Posted September 2, 2020 Share Posted September 2, 2020 (edited) I've got the Wills GWR 94xx I bought years ago. She had been thrown together, painted a lurid shade of green*, and fitted to an ancient Tri-ang R.52 chassis with the steamroller wheels. Luckily one of the numerous adhesives that don't stick white metal had been used and I got as far as taking her apart and putting the parts in a box. I did get some plates - 9407 IIRC. She'll be going back in the box for now**, but I'm undecided, 1. leave the chassis well alone beyond fitting the later Hornby wheels, 2.fit the Will's etched chassis I have (still to complete of course) 3. either option plus correct the wheelbase. The Wills chassis was going under my Mainline 56xx body, but a Tri-ang chassis would do. I suspect the Mainline body is better than Wills effort and deserves the better chassis * It's supposed to be 'Malachite' I think. BR black is prescribed as a cure. Waffle alert! Very off topic! (Beyond presenting feeble excuses for not doing important things like model railways! ** I'm returning to Italy on Saturday, so I might take her with me to pass the time (SWMBO and our 2 dogs and 8 cats might may have other ideas here!) Our daughter got in with a local animal rescue and some of the rescues found a home. Can you look after him/her for a couple of weeks?.... We had rehomed one lot of kittens and then one of our rescues (a tabby point Siamese - enough said) presented us with some more! She was only five months old, so we mistakenly thought.... Dad is either her cousin also a tabby point or the black kitten who adopted us. He followed my wife and daughter home when they were out with the first dog (a Maremmana sheepdog). Both took an active part in raising the kittens which is unusual for male cats. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maremmano-Abruzzese_Sheepdog He is good at finding strays. He found three lost puppies as well, one of which has become dog number two). Edited September 2, 2020 by Il Grifone 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
roythebus Posted September 2, 2020 Author Share Posted September 2, 2020 Difficult choice, the Wills etched chassis are quite good and easy to build. Looking after stray cats, had enough of that with my previous mrs! 7 cats in all... 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wainwright1 Posted September 2, 2020 Share Posted September 2, 2020 I have two ex homeless cats, both Toms. I was looking after four outside, but one died and the other disappeared, I presume also passed away as he had been losing muscle, possibly thyroid or kidney problems. The two remaining ones are now nice house cats. All the best Ray Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayfield Posted September 2, 2020 Share Posted September 2, 2020 16 hours ago, roythebus said: Looking through my collection of unmade and part-made kits, I found my SE Finecast P class loco, bought about 20 years ago from the Allypally show. I started building it, life got in the way and I never finished it, like so many other things. I fitted it with the small motor recommenced in the instructions but had trouble with that shorting out on bits of bodywork. Last week I stripped the chassis down and virtually rebuilt it. I found the Romford wheels running out of true for some reason. Anyway, I got it running again, but found the centre drivers still wobbly so it has to come apart again! During the test run I tried it with my 38-wagon test train and the little P class managed to pull it! I'll take a video of it next time it's on test. As an aside, the first loco I ever bought was the original Wills Finecast P class, cost £4/14/6d I think, plus Triang XT60 motor, Romford gears and wheels put it at over £14. I found that as well so will have to give that a run too! I've rebuilt that a couple of times over the years and I'm sure I changed the chassis for the original Wills with a later one when it lost the XT60. It's got to be worth restoring. I have 3 on the go, a mixture of Wills, Wills Finecast and Southeastern Finecast The first thing to mention is that Southeastern Finecast sell their chassis separately, Dave will also sell you spares for either lost or broken parts or those required to upgrade Wills locos to the revised SEF versions Back to the P class The Southeastern Finecast one is being built as is in its revised form The first Wills loco has now got a Southeastern Finecast etched chassis and the revised parts The Second Wills kit came with the Branchlines etched chassis and etched and cast body detail set, certainly the etched chassis is slightly simpler than the SEF one, however it matches up with the Branchlines etched footplate I would certainly replace cast chassis for etched ones as you have freedom on choice of motors and gearboxes Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Il Grifone Posted September 2, 2020 Share Posted September 2, 2020 1 hour ago, wainwright1 said: I have two ex homeless cats, both Toms. I was looking after four outside, but one died and the other disappeared, I presume also passed away as he had been losing muscle, possibly thyroid or kidney problems. The two remaining ones are now nice house cats. All the best Ray It takes very little for a stray cat to become a house cat. They are very intelligent animals and well capable of looking after number one. I was amazed at how well our cat coped with her kittens. She is still only a kitten herself and quite small in size. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
roythebus Posted September 2, 2020 Author Share Posted September 2, 2020 10 hours ago, hayfield said: I have 3 on the go, a mixture of Wills, Wills Finecast and Southeastern Finecast The first thing to mention is that Southeastern Finecast sell their chassis separately, Dave will also sell you spares for either lost or broken parts or those required to upgrade Wills locos to the revised SEF versions Back to the P class The Southeastern Finecast one is being built as is in its revised form The first Wills loco has now got a Southeastern Finecast etched chassis and the revised parts The Second Wills kit came with the Branchlines etched chassis and etched and cast body detail set, certainly the etched chassis is slightly simpler than the SEF one, however it matches up with the Branchlines etched footplate I would certainly replace cast chassis for etched ones as you have freedom on choice of motors and gearboxes I may well keep the 1966 model as original as a historic model. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayfield Posted September 3, 2020 Share Posted September 3, 2020 9 hours ago, roythebus said: I may well keep the 1966 model as original as a historic model. Certainly feasible with the Branchlines chassis to build it with the same fixing points as the Cast chassis, this would give you the option of swapping chassis having both historic and modern working quality. I guess if the New SEF chassis was not a direct fit, alternative frame spacers could be used to adapt it, I just find the older chassis hard to mesh, also the gears and motors now are far superior Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigherb Posted September 20, 2020 Share Posted September 20, 2020 Mine is the Wills version. Only on apprentice money then I used the cast chassis and fitted a spare XO4 motor. Always runs well and can out perform anything the prototype could do. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
roythebus Posted September 20, 2020 Author Share Posted September 20, 2020 Yes, I have the wills version as well, it originally had the Triang XT60 fitted which I've probably still got kicking around in the spares box. I think the kit cost about £4/14/6 back in 1966! It took another 2 weeks paper round money to buy yhe wheels from Jones Bros of Turnham Green. How dis you manage to squeeze an X04 in there? My Finecast version with the little can motor can easily pull my 37 wagon freight train! I'll do a video of it later. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigherb Posted September 20, 2020 Share Posted September 20, 2020 14 minutes ago, roythebus said: How dis you manage to squeeze an X04 in there? Quite easily, that was what Wills recommended, it sits at a much shallower angle than normal. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
roythebus Posted September 20, 2020 Author Share Posted September 20, 2020 Interesting. Must be the later mk2 Wills chassis. I'll have to find my old one out. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
roythebus Posted October 7, 2020 Author Share Posted October 7, 2020 Here's a few pics of the South East Finecast model with etched chassis and small motor and a video if it loads on here. The P will pull about 35 wagons! Computer says video is too big to load on here. Shame really. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
roythebus Posted October 7, 2020 Author Share Posted October 7, 2020 (edited) I've loaded the video to FB if anyone knows me on there either on my own page or Lost Boys 1968-1988.. Edited October 7, 2020 by roythebus Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayfield Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 Looking very good, which gearbox have you used and is the motor the 1024 ? Which livery are you going to use? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
roythebus Posted October 8, 2020 Author Share Posted October 8, 2020 I can't remember the motor or gearbox I used! I got them about 15 years ago. I think BR black livery will be the easiest to do. If I want the SECR I'll buy the Bachmann version, ready painted. I really must post you that Ks Motorail bogie... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayfield Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 I am planning to paint one of mine in SECR livery, SEF do a transfer sheet, they are quite pricey but as usual got one second hand a third of the price I tend to pick up packets of spares, they were so cheap in the 80's/90's even taking inflation into consideration, now everything is so much more expensive. Just let me know how much I owe you for the bogie and postage and PM me your payment details Regards John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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