A coarse scale Midland Spinner

[Johnson044]

Haven’t posted much for a while. Middle age has brought about the usual health issues- plus a strange and distracting new optical phenomenon which, until properly diagnosed and- hopefully- resolved- means I’ve rather lost the confidence to tackle anything that requires much in the way of accuracy- and the joints, cotters and oil corks for the coupling rods on my Lesham & Hereford double-framed goods are, rather depressingly, out of the question for a while. So. Something hopefully achievable to keep the modelling mojo going.

A while ago I bought this coarse scale stud contact Midland Spinner. The East Kent 0 Gauge Group auctioned off their model competition prizes- I arrived late for the meeting and bought it entirely on impulse, not having a proper look first and probably paying far more than it is worth- still, the money went to the club. A bit of a pig in a poke, to say the least. No-one seems to know much about the history and it looks like it has had several re-paints and partial re-paints over the years. I thought I could do something to revive it and, although not a one for coarse scale it called to me.

Having got it home I had a proper look and felt a little better- much older than I first reckoned and a bit of a curate’s egg.
 

[Johnson044]

The good bits: Generally well proportioned and sturdily made- the loco is extremely heavy. The basic parts have been neatly cut out and look about right. Boiler mountings look good – the dome and safety valve seem to be commercial castings and te chimney maybe home-turned. Certainly interesting, and someone has put their heart and soul into building it- using just what was available. Some of the lining not too bad.

The bad bits: Truly horrible driving wheels- the right diameter but turned down Gauge 1 jobs with only 16 spokes. A very curious arrangement with a rear pony truck with lots of side play and a front bogie likewise- with the simple hook and bar loco-tender coupling it must have hunted about all over the place when running. Painted Sellotape or similar boiler bands (nothing wrong in principle but past their best). A big slot cut in the underside of the boiler. No cab interior – just three big randomly placed nuts. I can do something about all of these, as I can for the paint job- but – 

The ugly bits. Rather inappropriate trailing and tender axleboxes, and the driving axle coil springs are extremely crude and off centre. The off-centre smokebox door is beyond me, being very firmly soldered in place.
 

[Johnson044]

Why not just leave well alone? Well- I felt the old girl had been fairly abused rather needed some TLC- the paint’s already been messed around with and I don’t think (sweeping statement) that the signs are there that the loco has much historic significance – so here goes.

I thought I’d set some ground rules.

1. I’d re-use as much of the model as I could.

2. No components or materials (other than paint or transfers) that I felt wouldn’t have been available to the original builder- nothing from Slaters basically.

3. I’d keep the detailing simple and to a consistent standard.

4. I wanted to capture the essence of a Midland Spinner rather than worry too much about too much accuracy.
So- here goes. 
A peek inside- anyone any ideas as to the make of the motor? This might help date the model. 
 

[Johnson044]

Dismantled and rubbing down process started. I couldn’t bear the rear axleboxes and springs- they were very firmly soldered on and I have had to do quite a bit of cleaning up after all the cutting and tweaking.

 

[Johnson044]

First mistake – there were some mould lines on the firebox safety valve, which I thought was varnished polished brass. I’m very cross with myself because the casting is plated white metal and I’ve irreparably damaged the finish with a few strokes of a file – once started, the plating just drops off.

[Johnson044]

I picked up some 7’ driving wheels from Ebay – 2mm too small as the prototype had 7’4” but much, much better in appearance. The trailing and bogie wheels are all under-sized anyway. The iron is quite soft and the crank bosses were easily turned away and the remaining bits between the spokes removed with a piercing saw and cleaned up.

[Johnson044]

New axleboxes and springs from scrap box. Simple shackles bent up from scrap etch. They are not quite right but capture the general appearance, I hope.

Rule 2 bit the dust when I saw that Laurie Griffin does a very nice casting for the driving axle springs.

 

I've greatly reduced the thickness of the 3 nuts in the cab and I intend to hide them with the firebox back plate.
 

[Nearholmer]

Are you sure that it isn’t a pre-WW1 Bing, with a new mechanism to replace the clockwork under it?

 

I’m wondering f it might be one that was heavily re-worked in the past.

 

A quick check would be what it’s made from. If tin, could be Bing.

[Johnson044]

If only it were, Nearholmer. No- construction is entirely soldered and mainly brass- and the parts have all been hand-cut rather than stamped out. The big slot under the boiler did, at first glance, possibly imply some sort of clockwork mechanism but no sign of a keyhole or holes for controls. I'd put it at 1940's at the earliest. I think I've probably done all the rubbing down and alterations now - no more clues as to history- and, unless someone can shed any light on the motor or recognize the model it's origin is going to remain obscure. I hope I can do it justice.

 

 

[Johnson044]

A piece of 1/16” brass from an old door finger plate cut to fit the slot under the boiler and filed to a curve. Just Araldited to the bottom of the mass of lead inside the boiler and the gaps filled with car body filler and smoothed off.

[Johnson044]

New driving wheels tapped 4BA and threaded on to the original axles. I need to bring the rear trailing axle about 3mm forwards and do something about the frame profile.

I have also picked up – ebay as usual- a firebox back plate (I was going to say “Backhead” but I think I've heard somewhere the Midland didn’t use that term?) – not the right one but it does fit rather nicely.
 

[Johnson044]

Here are before and after tender sides. Unlike those on the loco, the axleboxes, which were not remotely fixed flat, came off really easily and I’ve cut off the wrong spring hangers, shortened the springs and made some very simple brass shackles from scrap etch. I also flattened off the front of the axleboxes to give a general impression of the MR ones- not a true likeness but hopefully enough of a caricature.

The flat beading that is (to me) such a prominent feature on Johnson tender sides is just strips of ordinary A4 paper affixed with white PVA.
 

[goldfish]

May I suggest that the motors in the following listing bear a more than passing similarity with the motor fitted to the Spinner. A clue to the manufacturer perhaps.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/175704907719?

For further information about Read-Maxwell motors see https://www.milbromodelrailways.co.uk/vintagelocos.html#postwar

Edited April 28, 2023 by goldfish
Added furthe url.

[Johnson044]

Thanks Goldfish- from the link you posted it really does look like a Read Maxwell. There is no manufacturer's lettering but only a number, which I can't recall- I'll check when I get home.

 

Your link also very helpful with dating my EM gauge MR 4-4-0 

 

[Johnson044]

The motor does look like a Read Maxwell- I don't think there is much cause for doubt. The only markings are "1000" and "24". Is it likely that the 24 refers to voltage?

 

There are faint stirrings when full power from my trusty H&M Duette is applied but only limited and sporadic movement. I think that given the loco's likely future purpose will be the gathering of dust on a shelf all I think I will do is strip and clean and reassemble.

 

 

[Johnson044]

The frames, such as they are, are now repaired with a further fillet of solder. I don't think I shall do much more except paint and line and reassemble.

[Nearholmer]

The 24 probably does relate to designed maximum voltage.

 

I’n presuming that the magnet is dead. If so, life might be restored  by the attachment of some neo magnets, using the old magnet as nothing but a flux path.

Edited May 2, 2023 by Nearholmer

[uax6]

Have you put a meter across it? The 1000 could be the resistance of the windings.

I take it that you have done the usual cleaning of the commutator and the slots..

I agree with Nearholmers advice with the neo-mags.

 

Andy G

[Johnson044]

Thanks Andy G and Nearholmer.

 

Yes- I've done all the usual things with commutator etc- in as much as I can without dismantling the motor. The worm has been pressed onto the shaft as well as fixed with grub screw and the motor screws seem quite stubborn. There is some life in the magnet but it isn't brilliant. The purpose of the whole exercise is to give me a project that I feel I can tackle whilst eyesight issues are (maybe / hopefully) resolved and to keep mojo alive, so as I don't have any way of running a 24V coarse scale stud contact loco I'm just going to leave the motor as it is and re-assemble and paint now. The stud contact skate will go back on and I won't make any changes that will preclude someone in the future getting it up and running again.

 

Having messed about with axleboxes and driving wheels and removed most of the paint I will, of course, now find out that the loco was built by a prisoner of war under desperate circumstances and I have removed all the patina and significance from a historic artifact.......

[Johnson044]

Ok- well- I’ve had a go. I used Railmatch 650 Midland Railway Red and for the lining a mixture of Fox lining / corners and for the curves Humbrol Nr 24 yellow and 33 Black, brush applied. I kept most of the original lining to the cab upper and lower sides and the inner band of yellow to the splashers.

 

As the hand lining didn’t generally involve two bands of yellow with black between, only a single band of yellow  I found it (relatively!) easy to apply the yellow and overlay with the black. A bit wobbly.
 

[Johnson044]

The brass numerals are another deviation from my original plan to only use materials and components that were available to the original builder – these are from an old Peter Thatcher etch that I’ve had kicking around for a long time.

The crests are just screen shots from the internet, reduced, printed on ordinary photocopier paper and stuck on with pva- some Midland red carefully brushed around the perimeter to hide the cut white edges.

 

I patched up my earlier damage to the brass-plated white metal safety valve with a gold gel pen.

I made a stupid mistake with the lettering- I’d been given some elderly Slaters Methfix transfers by a chum – two sets with serif (tender sides) and two without (buffer beams). Not rocket science- so- guess what I put on the front butter beam? Yup. Not one of my better days. My first experience with Methfix- and I must say I prefer greatly to waterslide. So- I’ve added some serifs to the best of my ability to one set of tender side letters and painted them out on the front buffer beam. I think the loco and tender spring leaves should be black but red they will stay.
 

[Johnson044]

A very simple cab interior- side boxes from card and reversing screw and handle from scrap. Not my best but better than the nothing that was there before.

 

I’ve tried to keep within the spirit of the original build. The temptation to add sandboxes, brake gear, better wheels, better Salter Balance arms etc etc came and went from time to time and I’m glad I resisted.

 

I’ve been tempted to try to do a proper job of the wheels but decided in the end to resist trying to line them out. I know the wide steel tyres are pretty garish but this is coarse scale after all- and all of the loco wheels are about 6” too small- I’m not sure if painting the rims and lining them would improve the illusion but the loco is destined for a career in dust gathering and will certainly never grace the pages of MRJ so I’m going to leave things as they are now. 

 

Fairly pleased overall- I hope I've done the old loco justice and the original builder would approve.
 

[Ben B]

That looks wonderful; it had an appeal in its as-bought condition, but you've done a great job restoring it. That'd look great with a few Bing tinplate coaches, racing around a garden line, or even just on a mantlepiece :)

[Nearholmer]

Splendid!

[Johnson044]

17 hours ago, Ben B said:

That looks wonderful; it had an appeal in its as-bought condition, but you've done a great job restoring it. That'd look great with a few Bing tinplate coaches, racing around a garden line, or even just on a mantlepiece :)

Thanks Ben- I fear it's going to have a thoroughly undignified career with the second option!