Rebuild of a Springside 7mm scale GWR 14xx whitemetal kit

[Stephen Freeman]

In my limited experience, the body castings for Springside are extremely good, but the chassis isn't really up to the same standard (nothing wrong just very basic). I don't know if Slaters still do it but they produced a very good etched kit for the chassis, fully sprung if desired.

[hayfield]

4 minutes ago, Stephen Freeman said:

In my limited experience, the body castings for Springside are extremely good, but the chassis isn't really up to the same standard (nothing wrong just very basic). I don't know if Slaters still do it but they produced a very good etched kit for the chassis, fully sprung if desired.

 

 

Thank for the suggestion, I do actually have a Slaters version which I got out a bit earlier. It was another second hand buy from some years back, this time a completed model yes it has sprung suspension.

 

I also have a third 14xx which I wrongly assumed was a Springside model. Its less detailed, but has a similar chassis to the Springside one and also has plunder pickups on one side only, Slaters wheels so I guess has some method of making the chassis live. Do I need 2 autotanks ? I guess no, but as to which one to keep. All but the latest were bought about 5 years ago when I joined the local club and assisted with the o gauge layout. To be quite honest I forgot I had most of them. I blame it on the house rebuild which went a bit wrong when the first builder got into trouble.

 

But as I am more of a modeller than a player this latest rebuild is a pleasant change for me

[doilum]

I suspect that this is where the expectations of the 21st century meet the realities of mid 20th century white metal casting. A bit of "fettling" and " filling" were an accepted necessity. The only exception to this was the Sevenscale Pug, but this came at a considerable cost of almost 100 pounds, well over a week's wages in 1980.

This looks like an excellent opportunity to build your own chassis. At an estimated cost of less than a fiver it is certainly worth a go. The reward,if successful is immense.

.

[hayfield]

20 hours ago, doilum said:

I suspect that this is where the expectations of the 21st century meet the realities of mid 20th century white metal casting. A bit of "fettling" and " filling" were an accepted necessity. The only exception to this was the Sevenscale Pug, but this came at a considerable cost of almost 100 pounds, well over a week's wages in 1980.

This looks like an excellent opportunity to build your own chassis. At an estimated cost of less than a fiver it is certainly worth a go. The reward,if successful is immense.

.

 

The chassis is fine, infact it is very well built despite part of the trailing wheel was missing

 

As you say the reward is in the pleasure of building it

[hayfield]

 

This topic has remained quiet for several reasons, firstly the owner of Springside went on holiday then I went away. Also I have got involved with a project of building some turnouts and crossings to a continental style in 7mm scale. Plus for my birthday my family bought me a 7' tall radio controlled yacht

 

Well today I received a call stating all the castings I require have been made and I was relieved that the cost was just under £100, all I can say is the owner of Springside is very helpful and large orders are cheaper than ordering a few small parts

 

I think I have already said I have a part built Springside 45xx, missing motor and gears which I have. It has a very large bag of small spares but no exploded diagram showing what goes where, I am certainly missing the cab rear and firebox backhead so these will be ordered once I double check the parts against the plan/diagrams

 

 

 

For those who may be interested here is the slip, double timbers and closer spacing of the timbers are the obvious differences, there are a few compromises but its the style of rather than an exact replica 

 

[hayfield]

 

 

A box from Springside arrived this morning, small in size but with a lot of castings including several brass sprues. Plus the instructions for the 45xx I bought which has 2 main castings missing, plus over 60 small castings which I need the plans to identify 

 

My main issue is time at the moment, I have a double slip on the work bench and two more turnouts and a double outside slip in the queue 

[Kris]

Too many projects, not enough time. Something I suspect that we can all identified with.

[hayfield]

On Thursday I said the instructions arrived for the 45xx. Over the weekend I managed to check out the castings that came with the loco. Other than the cab back and firebox backhead, there was only 1 other casting missing. There are buffer heads, a brass etch, hand rail knobs and the castings missing along with various bits and bobs. And of course the motor and gearbox which I have in the spares box bought 2-3 years ago.  In some ways there is not much missing and the big ticket item (motor and gearbox will not cost me anything. So a second order will go in tomorrow

 

I have been having a slight clear out of surplus 4mm kits, sold two a few weeks ago and another 3 went this weekend, I cannot get excited about anything in 4mm so the modelling account is growing, initially I was going to get SR 0 gauge locos but it seems the GWR has taken over, plus there is nothing like the weight of 0 gauge whitemetal kit built locos and I keep looking at the Springside tender locos, my head says get a Collet Goods, but the Castle is not that more expensive. That's a long way off as I have plenty on and the kits I am selling are quite cheap. By the time I save up enough I would have changed my mind anyway

[John Besley]

Hello John

 

Just a quick question what diameter smokebox and boiler barrel is the 14xx chimney and dome designed for.... I am building a freelance miniture loco in 7/8ths and using a 32mm diameter waste pipe for the boiler 

 

How does this work out

 

John

[hayfield]

10 hours ago, John Besley said:

Hello John

 

Just a quick question what diameter smokebox and boiler barrel is the 14xx chimney and dome designed for.... I am building a freelance miniture loco in 7/8ths and using a 32mm diameter waste pipe for the boiler 

 

How does this work out

 

John

 

 

The smoke box diameter is 30.25mm, boiler 26.73mm

 

 

[John Besley]

H

4 hours ago, hayfield said:

 

 

The smoke box diameter is 30.25mm, boiler 26.73mm

 

Hmm... a bit of carefully fileing and some filler could solve the problem...

 

Got to be worth a try

[hayfield]

1 hour ago, John Besley said:

H

 

Hmm... a bit of carefully fileing and some filler could solve the problem...

 

Got to be worth a try

 

 

Or buy the correct size tube