RMweb Gold Worsdell forever Posted October 22, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 22, 2012 I spotted this a couple of weeks ago at an exhibition and when I looked inside I discovered it had not been touched, I don't think the bits had even been out of the box since the day they were packed and at £16.50 I wasn't going to let it go.I'd be grateful if anyone could let me know what class the kit represents as there is nothing in the instructions (other than it being a Johnson 2-4-0) and searching the wibbly wobbly web hasn't turned up anything definite.The chassis parts, this is where there could be problems, the plastic inner frames look a bit wonky and the teeth on the plastic gear are quite fine, if all does go wrong I've got a set of nicely etched frames and rods to start again with. The profile of the wheels looks quite good and that is a Buhler motor that came with it.Loco and tender, really quite nice mouldings, the buffers may be changed in the future and the coal in the tender will be replaced but it will be built as intended first then altered some time later.It's even got a driver and fireman!So, construction started...The loco body went together well, there was a bit of flash around the mouldings but they cleaned up ok, the joints needed a little tidying up when the solvent dried.The tender also went together well although some of the gaps between the coal rails are full of quite thick flash and cleaning them out was damaging the rails, these may be replaced later. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Alder Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 I have one of these in the to-be-redone pile- built it as per kit, and it ran, just, until it all jammed up, and has stayed like that for some decades now. Don't bother with the plastic chassis, trust me, and go with the brass one. An interesting project though, and you certainly got a bargain with it! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwealleans Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Something for the M&GN, Sir? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkC Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 It's a "1400" class locomotive, Paul. As you suspect, forget the chassis 'as is' - nice concept, but materials at the time weren't up to what's required... I've built a couple of these kits; I use a Perseverance chassis though - one was actually made for the later Ratio kits and is still available, iirc. That might be the one you mention that you have in your original post? Failing that, I'm pretty sure that Alan Gibson has one in their range. Regarding the tender coal rails, yes, replacing them makes a big difference. Again, in the later kits I'm pretty sure etched ones were supplied, It's a good-looking locomotive, & they were quite long-lived. Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Worsdell forever Posted October 23, 2012 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted October 23, 2012 Thanks Mark, the plan is to build the kit as it comes (the chassis is built and running) just to see if they did work, then it will be modified sometime in the future, the etched frames are quite nice and can be used with some Comet frame spacers and a High Level gearbox. I also thought it would be nice to see a finished kit built loco for such a small amount (plus a few pence for paint). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Worsdell forever Posted October 23, 2012 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted October 23, 2012 As mentioned in the previous post the chassis is built up and running, the bearings have been soldered in and if it fails the frames will make up into a reasonable runner. I've lubricated the gears with some Teflon grease and given it a bit of a run on the rolling road, the mesh feels a bit tight but it runs ok, although the grease has turned a bit black, hopefully this is just 'running in' but it might have started the wearing out process! The crankpins are the same plastic as the gears (different to the body mouldings) and are a push fit into the wheels, may last a while! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwealleans Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 I hope Metropolitan is watching. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Worsdell forever Posted October 23, 2012 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted October 23, 2012 This may beat Metropolitain's record, it's nearly finished! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Worsdell forever Posted October 23, 2012 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted October 23, 2012 Well, this is 'fair rattlin' on'... Tender painted, the buffer beam has since had a coat of red and the tender/loco coupling fitted. The tender top has been left loose as I will be replacing the 'coal' later. The loco has had more details and handrails fitted, photos later. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Rowsley17D Posted October 23, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 23, 2012 Well, this is 'fair rattlin' on'... Tender painted, the buffer beam has since had a coat of red and the tender/loco coupling fitted. The tender top has been left loose as I will be replacing the 'coal' later. The loco has had more details and handrails fitted, photos later. These Edwardian locos were certainly graceful looking, now in true Midland style you'll need a spinner to act as pilot. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Worsdell forever Posted October 23, 2012 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted October 23, 2012 Victorian actually Jonathan, late 1870s, but yes, very graceful looking, these perhaps not quite up to the standards of the North Eastern's 901s and Tennants... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poor Old Bruce Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 You may want to consider changing the Salter safety valves at some time. There should be two springs, side by side, instead of the single moulded one. Alan Gibson 4M616 is a brass dome with separate Salters, the springs may be available separately. In my 'Kits to do' stack, I have a part built 4-4-0 which includes a Percy chassis and the etched coal rails mentioned by MarkC. Looking at the Alan Gibson web site, there are frames listed for both '1400' and '157' Class 2-4-0s but it is the latter which is annotated as applicable to the Ratio kit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Worsdell forever Posted October 23, 2012 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted October 23, 2012 POB - see post No 7, it will get improved/detailed later. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
knobhead Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Lovely loco! The mouldnings look nice and crisp. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Worsdell forever Posted October 23, 2012 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted October 23, 2012 As promised, photos of the loco with handrails added. The tender coupling has been added as can be seen on the second photo, this has been slightly altered to shorten the coupling and the fallplate has been shortened to suit, this has also needed to be raised by .5mm as it was resting on the loco footplate. I have had to replace the sand pipes with brass wire as the plastic ones snapped. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwealleans Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 If you were pedantic enough to differentiate your Worsdells, you could retitle this thread 'W (T) F'...... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Worsdell forever Posted October 23, 2012 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted October 23, 2012 Well this must be the fastest I've ever finished a loco, started Saturday night and finished (or there abouts) on Tuesday afternoon! The crew is still to paint and then I may start on the jobs I would like to do to detail it. Anyway, I've really enjoyed this build and it must be the bargain of the year so far, the mechanism may not last very long but I can't see any problems rebuilding at a later date. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
49395 Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 No pressure to get the test track at the club finished then?..... Looks excellent, how heavy is it? Mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Worsdell forever Posted October 23, 2012 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted October 23, 2012 Mike, at the moment not very heavy, the weight for between the frames is badly misshaped and the one for the boiler needs a bit of filing but it may be easier to just pack lead wherever I can get it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrislock Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 You might like to look here... http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/877-chrislocks-4mm-blog/ You certainly got a bargain there as mie cost me 50 quid on the Bay of E!! Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
N15class Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 It looks really good. I was hoping it was going to end up red. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium BR60103 Posted October 24, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 24, 2012 Mine has been in slightly started state for over 20 years. I think there is a view of the underneath detail in Red for Danger. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkC Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 Great job, Paul. Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrkirtley800 Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 Eh Paul lad, at last you have seen the light, and built a very nice little engine. But what's this LMS and why a passenger loco in black. By 'eck Mr Johnson would turn in his grave OK so I don't recognise 1923. I built the Ratio 4-4-0 and it took some doing. It would have been easier to build from scratch. It runs OK now after years of trying, but sports a scratch built mainframe and Gibson wheels plus a motorised tender. So it is a two motored loco. Anyway if you want to do some running in we still have dual EM and 00 continuous run at home.. I can't see the club test track being ready for some time. Derek Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrislock Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 These locos were commonly repainted black in LMS days ( after 1927). Safety valve casing, salter valves and whistle should however be brass. ( This is according to the instruction leaflet only). The numbers supplied on the sheet omit the number I finally chose for mine - 137 - but I have photographic evidence of 137 at Kettering in 1933, as a condemned engine, in the sort of dirty black which rather appeals to me... What did you use to black your driving wheels as a matter of interest? Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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