Quick update for a Airfix Fowler 4F.

[cypherman]

Hi all,

Just finished my latest little refresh of an engine. Found a very lonely and sad looking Airfix 4F in a local model shop at a really cheap price £19.00. So just had to have it. It was nice and simple restoration.

This is what I did.

Numbered the engine with a correct number. Put new BR logo transfers on it.

Serviced the engine.

Painted inside the cab.

Added lamp irons to the front of the engine.

Enhanced what looked like a starting attempt at weathering. Made it even dirtier.

Did a general touching up and repainting of areas I thought needed it.

Put new couplings on. Had to make replacement coupling brackets as the ones originally on had been partially cut away. It originally had 3 link couplings on. Still has them for show.

Re-did the buffers.

All the traction tyres had gone. So used Bullfrog Snot to replace them. Yes it really works.

Just made a fallplate for it. Just waiting for the paint to dry before fitting it.

It really did not need a lot to do. Just a bit of tender loving care, But that may have put a lot of casual buyers off as it needed work doing to it and that you cannot  easily get new traction tyres for the engine. So at the price I got it for I suspect that it may have ended up in the scrap bin for spares. But it has now been saved for future use.

It now pulls like the proverbial steam train.

Edited October 16, 2020 by cypherman

[cb900f]

Not trying to be critical but 44123 was a r/h drive loco. As a simple restoration project then maybe it is not that important.

 

Pete

[cypherman]

I chose this engine because It is preserved and I have a couple of good pictures of it. As you say whether it is right or left hand drive is not an issue for me.

Edited October 16, 2020 by cypherman

[33C]

Loving your work and i like an Airfix 4F ! Keep thinking it can't be to difficult to splice two together to make a 7F..........

[ikcdab]

Excellent job, well done. I love upgrading/refurbishment like this. It might look even better with a tender fall plate and cab doors. Simply made from platicard.

Great job, though, what's next?

Ian

[cypherman]

1 hour ago, ikcdab said:

Excellent job, well done. I love upgrading/refurbishment like this. It might look even better with a tender fall plate and cab doors. Simply made from platicard.

Great job, though, what's next?

Ian

Hi,

I have just fitted the fall plate. I was waiting for the paint to dry on it when I took the pictures so it was not yet fitted. It is fitted now. Just need to find a crew for it. The cab doors if I do put some on will be made from stiff paper or thin rubber sheet. that way it will have some movement and flex.

As for what is next. I fancy trying to turn one of these into one of these. Or a near approximation.

 

Edited October 16, 2020 by cypherman

[33C]

Looks tailor made, look at the running plate up-sweep over the cylinders and the line of rivets on the tanks showing where to cut. bit of cab/bunker/chimney work and put the kettle on!

[cypherman]

hi 33C,

Your idea of a 7F is interesting. 8F chassis, 4F cab and firebox and I think a B12 boiler. And perhaps a Hornby Duke of Atholl tender. If you use the old tender drive version it would mean you could play around a bit more with the underside of the boiler detail. Or if push really came to shove a Lima Crab tender drive. Thoughts for the future perhaps.

[Londontram]

Way back in the day on a regular Saturday visit to Gee Dee's in Nottingham to see what they had in there used to be Sat in there second hand display cabinet a loco I used to admire (drool over) and almost brought it was an 0-10-0 Licky banker made from two Airfix 4F bodies spliced together with one cab being used on the loco with the other grafted onto the tender for 0'10-0s distinctive tender cab.

  The 9F chassis was still free wheeling the whole loco being driven by one of the 4F tenders all though probably not very close to scale it still looked right with the only obvious visual fault I could see being the 9F standard single slide bar as opposed to the Midland double top and bottom slide bars.

 

 But alas I vasalated for to long (A bad fault of mine) and then one day I went in and it was gone.

   I've often thought over the years of doing one my self and this time giving it the correct slide bars.

 

 Maybe one day!

Edited October 17, 2020 by Londontram
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[BernardTPM]

9 hours ago, cypherman said:

As for what is next. I fancy trying to turn one of these into one of these. Or a near approximation.

In N gauge there's a GEM kit for one that uses the Farish 8F chassis. Would that work using a Dublo 8F for 00?

[Londontram]

32 minutes ago, BernardTPM said:

In N gauge there's a GEM kit for one that uses the Farish 8F chassis. Would that work using a Dublo 8F for 00?

I don't see why not, I seem to recall the motor sitting quite well back on the Triang chassis which shouldn't be to much of a problem as the cab and bunker will hide that nicely.

[cypherman]

Hi all,

Slight hic up with the fall plate. Realised I had made it too short. So I have had to make a new one this morning. Again now waiting for the paint to dry. As for the cab doors. I have not been able to find a single picture of the 4F having them.

Edited October 17, 2020 by cypherman

[AdamsRadial]

18 hours ago, 33C said:

Keep thinking it can't be to difficult to splice two together to make a 7F.

Chadwick does give details of this conversion in his book. He chose a Patriot body but I've also looked at the Airfix 4f several times. Another body source might be the Hornby "James the red engine" which I got in a mixed lot of shells a while ago and have yet to lay on top of a drawing, it's got promise.

[cypherman]

Hi all,

I have now finished this loco. So this is what I did to it in the end.

Numbered the engine with a correct number. Put new BR logo transfers on it.

Serviced the engine.

Painted inside the cab.

Added lamp irons to the front of the engine.

Enhanced what looked like a starting attempt at weathering. Made it even dirtier.

Did a general touching up and repainting of areas I thought needed it.

Put new couplings on. Had to make replacement coupling brackets as the ones originally on had been partially cut away. It originally had 3 link couplings on. Still has them for show.

Re-did the buffers.

All the traction tyres had gone. So used Bullfrog Snot to replace them. Yes it really works.

Made a fallplate and fitted it.

Got 2 crew out of my bodies box and painted them. Then stuck them in place.

Now has real coal in the tender. It was a little difficult as I have very little depth to play with.

Would like to put some lamps on it, but I have run out. So will have to wait until I order some more.

So here is the crew. They have just come on shift in their nice clean uniforms(Will not stay that way for long). Their hard worked and dirty 4F has been coaled up to the gunwales The water tank is full to bursting. They are ready to start shifting some trucks. The day starts..............

Just some extra piccy's to show what extra I have done.

Edited October 17, 2020 by cypherman

[33C]

16 hours ago, cypherman said:

hi 33C,

Your idea of a 7F is interesting. 8F chassis, 4F cab and firebox and I think a B12 boiler. And perhaps a Hornby Duke of Atholl tender. If you use the old tender drive version it would mean you could play around a bit more with the underside of the boiler detail. Or if push really came to shove a Lima Crab tender drive. Thoughts for the future perhaps.

I was thinking of glueing two Airfix chassis together, using the original tender drive and splicing two bodies together. (I don't like spending money!) If you've got the bits, go for it!

[33C]

2 hours ago, AdamsRadial said:

Chadwick does give details of this conversion in his book. He chose a Patriot body but I've also looked at the Airfix 4f several times. Another body source might be the Hornby "James the red engine" which I got in a mixed lot of shells a while ago and have yet to lay on top of a drawing, it's got promise.

James would make a perfect one of these.....

[Londontram]

5 minutes ago, 33C said:

I was thinking of glueing two Airfix chassis together, using the original tender drive and splicing two bodies together. (I don't like spending money!) If you've got the bits, go for it!

That would work with it being tender drive you've got a lot more Lee way with lining up everything and getting the rods to run freely than if it was loco driven yes I think that would work very well. One question. Just remind me even though it's tender driven does the loco have any flangless wheel? 

[Joseph_Pestell]

I don't have any reference books to check this - but I think the 7F boiler is a larger diameter.

[Londontram]

9 minutes ago, 33C said:

James would make a perfect one of these.....

Wow that ambitious thinking but I can see where your coming from where as the 7F or even the Licky banker are extensive conversions there is a family resemblance being all midland locos but this is something else. Mind you with the liberal use of plasticard and the vision its possible.

  I've got in my collection a DJH jumbo kit that's been.mounted on a 4F body and Tender drive not built by me I will add but I will say it works pretty well so really this should work too.

 

  Hmmm got me thinking now

[Londontram]

32 minutes ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

I don't have any reference books to check this - but I think the 7F boiler is a larger diameter.

We could split hairs here but I don't think any of us are talking precision rivet counting models here more just in the spirit of the original, a sort of if it looks right it is right idea. If you want to be pendentic then arent the 4F wheels 5ft (20mm in OO) where as the 7F is 4ft 8in (pretty much 18mm) but trust me side by side its hard to tell (one of my Jumbos is on a Hornby Jinty chassis with 18mm wheels and the one on the 4F chassis are 20mm)

Edited October 17, 2020 by Londontram
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[33C]

21 minutes ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

I don't have any reference books to check this - but I think the 7F boiler is a larger diameter.

Fowler 4F boiler dia. 4'  , 7F- 4' 1" -  later 5'. So not much in it. Razor saws aloft!!

[Joseph_Pestell]

I am no rivet counter. But I think the boiler diameter is an important part of the character of these locos. The 4F is really quite elegant for a humble freight loco. The 7F looks rather top heavy.

[Londontram]

4 minutes ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

I am no rivet counter. But I think the boiler diameter is an important part of the character of these locos. The 4F is really quite elegant for a humble freight loco. The 7F looks rather top heavy.

Possibly so I'm sure your right but I'm also sure Cyphermans thread is not the place to debate it. I just want to enjoy the ideas and speculations being thrown into the melting pot.

[AdamsRadial]

1 hour ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

I don't have any reference books to check this - but I think the 7F boiler is a larger diameter.

Chadwick gives details for both the early large-boiler 7fs and the later small-boiler rebuilds. The lengths were obviously greater in the 7F, the firebox in particular requires cutting and inserting an extra length. I suspect the 4F boiler diameter would be appropriate for the early large-boilered version.

[AdamsRadial]

1 hour ago, 33C said:

James would make a perfect one of these.....

Yes, but looking at the firebox and cab, I have a feeling the way ahead here would be the James chassis and tender drive, and a Triang B12 body... Annoying, I have the opposite, the James body, and a B12 chassis and tender.