Let's Build a 1366 Pannier Kit...?

[Guest WM183]

Hi all!

So a while ago I purchased a Majestic Models 1366 Pannier Tank locomotive kit, complete with wheels and a motor, from a member here. I've hemmed and hawed over what to do with my 7mm modelling in our new, strange post - Brexit environment, but I have decided that I want to build the thing. I have the kit, I have virtually all the parts; oddly, the gearbox came with a motor, and a box... but no gears, and one set of wheels has had the flanges turned off. Easy to remedy with a new set of wheels and some gears. I have a good Hakko temp controlled soldering station, a load of tools, and a number of kit and scratch builds in brass under my belt. Here we go.

This kit comes with uh... some caveats. It does not seem to be very highly thought of, and frankly, I can see why. The etches are plain, by any standard. Some of the white metal castings are rather... iffy. But, we will do our best to make a silk purse of it, or at least a red Naugahyde purse. The chassis etches are in nickel silver, but frankly... it's thinner than I'd like. I hope that once it's soldered up with spacers, it'll be workable enough. The connecting and coupling rods are solid, but as they're 3 layers I should be able to joint them. The chassis is designed for fixed axles, but at the very least, I want to spring the center axle. I have a set of Slater's hornblocks and guides, but have managed to misplace the spec sheet that came with them.  Can anyone tell me how high above the axle C/L the hornguide cutout should go? 

Also, the thing came with these turned brass spacers for building the frame. I uh... am not convinced I like. I plan to make new spacers. How wide should the frame be, from face to face, for 7mm fine standards? Though this is a dock tank engine, I don't plan to run the thing through trainset curves. 

 

I know I need to order a reamer for my bushings (ordered) and I need some way to keep the chassis square while I solder it - I am not sure what to do on that front yet. I have contacted Jim at Connoisseur about gears, as I am all but certain the box is his design, and I need some other lovely brass bits for the next wagon scratchbuild - teaser.

So, locomotive gurus, where does one begin? The instructions are, uh... how to put this nicely... hilariously, distressingly bad.

Edited October 5, 2021 by WM183

[Simond]

I think it would be fair to say that the kit is woeful.  Still, you have horns, wheels and a motor and some relevant experience which is a good start.

 

I built one of these many moons back.  I think I used the cab, frames, buffer beams and tank (milky bar) and made or bought just about everything else.

 

I made frame spacers from brass sheet - the Wild Swan books about 4mm brass loco construction are entirely applicable to 7mm, you just need to work out the different sizes!  My frame spacers were cut from a sheet - I cut a strip of the necessary width (about 25-26mm - allow for the thickness of the frames and a shim washer behind the wheels) with a scrawker, and then scratched grooves across it at 90 degrees, to make "L" section spacers.  These will provide rigid spacing, and mountings for your body to fix to.

 

Given the wheelbase, it certainly doesn't need the flanges removing, I haven't tried mine but I'd guess 3' easily, providing you use standard 32mm gauge track and standard Slaters' axles.  You won't need any side play beyond running clearance.

 

Whilst you have the scrawker and fretsaw and brass sheet on the bench, the cylinder formers needed to be recut - they are the wrong spacing - and a stupid design!  The motion bracket interferes with the conrods and coupling rods, and can't be used.  IF I can find my drawings, I'll post them on here.

 

I used Premier rods - buy the jointed ones if you are fitting suspension or equalising it. You will probably need to counterbore the leading coupling rod holes to recess the nut into the rod, as clearance is very tight.  If you ask Billy to do that for you, it might be easier if he can.

 

I turned a new chimney, dome and safety valve bonnet (they're easy as the tank top is flat!)

 

Sorry to give you loads of bad news...

 

 

[Miss Prism]

The fishbelly of the rods is overdone by a mile. Here's 1368:

 

[bgman]

8 minutes ago, Simond said:

I used Premier rods - buy the jointed ones if you are fitting suspension or equalising it. You will probably need to counterbore the leading coupling rod holes to recess the nut into the rod, as clearance is very tight.  If you ask Billy to do that for you, it might be easier if he can.

 

Totally agree with using Premier excellent products and Billy is very obliging too.

[Simond]

here's a crap photo of my loco, which after the trials and tribulations turned out ok, I'll try to find something better - see link http://www.gwr.org.uk/galdobson.html

 

 

Chris also built one, from an Agenoria kit - it wasn't much better, though I figure it was much more expensive - I should note that Agenoria have now changed hands so it is not a reflection on current kits

 

 

Edited October 5, 2021 by Simond

[brossard]

No experience with 7mm loco kits (although I have one to build one of these days) but some with 4mm.  Sounds like you have an aid to the scratchbuilder.  You may glean some knowledge from the late Geoff Holt's "Locomotive Modelling" in 2 volumes.  The books discuss 7mm loco scratchbuilding.

 

https://britishrailwaybooks.co.uk/books/ISBN/1908763019.php

https://britishrailwaybooks.co.uk/books/ISBN/1908763051.php

 

Looks like they are in stock.

 

A challenging kit will be all the more satisfying once it is done.

 

John

Edited October 5, 2021 by brossard

[Guest WM183]

Thanks guys.

I was hoping to avoid having to buy too much stuff, as Brexit tends to double the cost of whatever I buy now. Rods are ok, but I do not have a lathe yet, so will probably buy a chimney.  Sigh. If I have to spend 100 or more euros to make the kit work, why try to start with a kit?

[brossard]

33 minutes ago, WM183 said:

Sigh. If I have to spend 100 or more euros to make the kit work, why try to start with a kit?

 

Because you like a challenge?  Dapol and Minerva have some excellent GWR locos but there's no challenge to buying RTR.

 

Do you know this?:

 

https://www.lgminiatures.co.uk/

 

I haven't used the products myself.

 

John

[bgman]

1 hour ago, brossard said:

 

Because you like a challenge?  Dapol and Minerva have some excellent GWR locos but there's no challenge to buying RTR.

 

Do you know this?:

 

https://www.lgminiatures.co.uk/

 

I haven't used the products myself.

 

John

 

Since building in 7mm I have tended to replace some of the various parts from kits with Laurie's castings which I highly recommend together with his prompt service.

[Guest WM183]

Hi folks,

Laurie Griffin's shop has lots of great bits, but they all appear to be too early for a 1366? I would definitely use a LG chimney, safety valve, and dome!