Ruston Posted December 21, 2012 Share Posted December 21, 2012 I've been considering getting one of the above mentioned. I've found something on the interwebz that shows one under construction but none of the photos show a view inside the cab. So my question is: Does the kit have full cab/ boiler backhead detail? I only ask as the arrangment of the motor on the channel section frames makes it look as if the motor will fill the cab, like the 4mm version of this same kit does. Which means that it can't have any backhead detail... Hoping someone can help, Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
boeing757 Posted December 22, 2012 Share Posted December 22, 2012 Hi, Can't comment on the Tower offering, but I do have an unstarted Mercian Models etched kit. A quick look at the instructions shows that full back head detail is possible, and included in the kit, if using a Mashimo 1824 or 1830 motor. Not dissimilar price from the Tower offering either. Happy Xmas Bob Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
66C Posted December 22, 2012 Share Posted December 22, 2012 Hi Dave The motor is in the firebox so does not intrude into the cab - be prepared to spend some time getting the worm and gear mesh aligned for smooth running. Cab fittings supplied are minimal - so there is scope for additional detailing - but it would not be seen unless you open out the rear of the cab. This is mine: I have opened out the rear of the cab sheet and scratch built a new handbrake. The buffers are Barclay industrial from Invertrain as those in the kit bear no resemblance to anything on a Barclay. The whitemetal hand grabs and the whistle last about 5 minutes of handling so these have been replaced as well. Watch out for the front sandboxes - the kit position has them too far in and they foul the bottom of the smokebox. The steps are very heavily cast and can be filed to half their thickness for a better appearance. Another view: When you attach the cylinders to the chassis - watch the angle as the moulded-in angle is not quite right - the line of the piston rods should intersect with the centre of the rear wheels. Once finished the loco is a smooth and powerful (all the weight from the castings!) runner. Regards. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruston Posted December 22, 2012 Author Share Posted December 22, 2012 Thanks for the replies. I've just built a Mercian 16" Barclay so I'll now consider the options if I want a 14". Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
boeing757 Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 Thanks for the replies. I've just built a Mercian 16" Barclay so I'll now consider the options if I want a 14". Hi Ruston, I would be very interested in any comments/hints you may have regarding the Mercian kit. Off forum if you prefer. Cheers, Bob Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruston Posted December 23, 2012 Author Share Posted December 23, 2012 If you look in my blog you will find pictures and some information about the troubles I had building it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
boeing757 Posted December 24, 2012 Share Posted December 24, 2012 If you look in my blog you will find pictures and some information about the troubles I had building it. Ruston, Thanks for your response. Having read your comments, I was prompted to check the contents of my kit. Almost all seems to be there, one lost wax cross head casting has the piston rod detached, I will ask for a replacement though I note your comments regarding their suitability. I am not so sure now this model is going to be easy. Merry Christmas, Bob Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaf2u Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 I built a Mercian kit last summer. Although I would consider it a nice kit, and without having read Ruston's blog I am going to assume that I encountered the same problems he did - that of missing parts. I emailed the manufacturer, whose website proclaimed a desire to be a customer pleasing vendor, but never received a reply. All brake gear was missing, boiler drain cocks, and some other detail parts. Springs were poorly cast too. Makes a beautiful model nonetheless though, and converted me somewhat to considering more industrial locos in future. Gaf2u Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruston Posted January 14, 2013 Author Share Posted January 14, 2013 Was it the 16" Barclay? Whichever it was please post some pictures in the UK Industrial section. There's not nearly enough modelling gets posted in there. I didn't have a problem with customer service from the chap at Mercian but the problems I had with parts not being right have made me wary of buying another of that make, which is a pity because there's some nice industrials in their range. Having said that, and having looked again at the pictures posted of the Tower Barclay I think I'd risk another Mercian kit. The cab, especially the roof, on the whitemetal kit are simply too thick and don't look right. I suppose the ideal kit would have cast tank etc. with and etched brass cab. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hartleymartin Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 If the thickness of the cab side sheets worries you, it looks easy enough to make a new one in brass or styrene sheet. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boris Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 For a 7mm kit this is very cheap (£200 including wheels and motors), you do get what you pay for, the frames are a bit on the large side, there isn't much backhead detail etc. but it does what it is designed for, a cheap, easy to build starter loco in 7mm. Heavens above, you can get a working set of frames in an afternoon, motor and all! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matador Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 Hi Dave The motor is in the firebox so does not intrude into the cab - be prepared to spend some time getting the worm and gear mesh aligned for smooth running. Cab fittings supplied are minimal - so there is scope for additional detailing - but it would not be seen unless you open out the rear of the cab. This is mine: Barclay cab.jpg I have opened out the rear of the cab sheet and scratch built a new handbrake. The buffers are Barclay industrial from Invertrain as those in the kit bear no resemblance to anything on a Barclay. The whitemetal hand grabs and the whistle last about 5 minutes of handling so these have been replaced as well. Watch out for the front sandboxes - the kit position has them too far in and they foul the bottom of the smokebox. The steps are very heavily cast and can be filed to half their thickness for a better appearance. Another view: Andrew Barclay 0-4-0 loco 2.jpg When you attach the cylinders to the chassis - watch the angle as the moulded-in angle is not quite right - the line of the piston rods should intersect with the centre of the rear wheels. Once finished the loco is a smooth and powerful (all the weight from the castings!) runner. Regards. Would there be room inside for a DCC Decoder and speaker. David A Brit in the USA Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
66C Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 Hi David There is plenty of room in the boiler/tank casting for a decoder - that's where mine is. A speaker would be trickier - I think the best place would be down between the frames but there is not much room. One approach would be to use two smaller speakers rather than a single larger speaker. Regards. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matador Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 Hi David There is plenty of room in the boiler/tank casting for a decoder - that's where mine is. A speaker would be trickier - I think the best place would be down between the frames but there is not much room. One approach would be to use two smaller speakers rather than a single larger speaker. Regards. Well maybe a sugar cube speaker, one last question and please dont take this as a reflection of your build, does it have a waddle as some 0-4-0 do. I want a small Distilliary loco and it would seem to fit the bill. David A yorkshireman in the USA Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
66C Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 Hi David A waddle? - I suppose it has a slight waddle but I haven't really noticed. The chassis is basic - a lump of brass channel - but it is very rigid. The only thing that took a bit of time was adjusting the motor position to get a good mesh for the worm and gear. (I said that already!) As 7mm scale kits go, it is good value for money in that nearly everything is in the box and most of the assembly is glue or screw. If you search for Dailuaine distillery you should be able to find some pictures of their pug. There was also a Barclay at Aberfeldy distillery - a little research on the web should find a picture. The coal board - NCB - also used a lot of Barclays, again a search on Google should find pictures - there is a good one of NCB No 10 at Dunaskill if you can find it - very like the Tower kit loco. The alternative would be one of the Mercian kits but I cannot comment on those. Regards. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hartleymartin Posted August 23, 2013 Share Posted August 23, 2013 I have opened out the rear of the cab sheet and scratch built a new handbrake. The buffers are Barclay industrial from Invertrain as those in the kit bear no resemblance to anything on a Barclay. The whitemetal hand grabs and the whistle last about 5 minutes of handling so these have been replaced as well. Watch out for the front sandboxes - the kit position has them too far in and they foul the bottom of the smokebox. The steps are very heavily cast and can be filed to half their thickness for a better appearance. What would you recommend for a replacement whistle? I also need to replace some parts of the safety valves as I've damaged them, or at least I think I've lost the little curved bit that goes on top. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
66C Posted August 23, 2013 Share Posted August 23, 2013 Hi Martin I made a new whistle from 3 bits of wire and a bit of brass tube - the cast one with the kit was used as a guide. Mind you, most Barclays had their whistle on top of the cab - but a bit vulnerable on a model. For the safety valves, again, some wire and/or brass tube suitably bashed about should do the trick. It is relatively easy to fabricate small parts like these - certainly quicker than trying to track down a supplier. If you do not want to do a little bit of scratchbuilding, you should be able to source replacement parts from some of the 7mm scale specialist suppliers - the new product directory on the Gauge O Guild website is a good starting point. Regards. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
81A Oldoak Posted August 23, 2013 Share Posted August 23, 2013 What would you recommend for a replacement whistle? I also need to replace some parts of the safety valves as I've damaged them, or at least I think I've lost the little curved bit that goes on top. I'd be happy to send you at no cost a spare whistle and safety valves as fitted to the Ixion Hudswell Clarke locomotive. Have a look at the black locomotive in this picture http://www.ixionmodels.com/7mm_hudswell_clarke.htm If so, send me contact details by private means. Regards, Chris Klein Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
souwest Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 This is a very good kit. My first attempt in O gauge. I ran it at my local club alongside aConneusseur Nellie and the weight in the Tower Models was clear in its performance. Sadly it was written off when our house was flooeded. The ultimate indignity was the insurance underwriter calling it a "Toy train". That said when i sent in invoices and the comparative costs of a professionally built and finished one it turned out to be ( for the insurance compnay) a rather expensive "toy train". Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
81A Oldoak Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 This is a very good kit. My first attempt in O gauge. I ran it at my local club alongside aConneusseur Nellie and the weight in the Tower Models was clear in its performance. Sadly it was written off when our house was flooeded. The ultimate indignity was the insurance underwriter calling it a "Toy train". That said when i sent in invoices and the comparative costs of a professionally built and finished one it turned out to be ( for the insurance compnay) a rather expensive "toy train". My first version of Abersoch, my Cambrian Railways 00 gauge layout, was destroyed in the great storm of 1990 when the wind lifted the garage roof and deposited it inside the garage. I managed to retrieve some stuff, but most of it was a write-off. The insurance company's loss adjuster (aka loss reducer) was very understanding and, for example, valued all of my hand-built copper-clad pointwork at Marcway's then retail prices. There was no talk of toy trains. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kickstart Posted August 31, 2013 Share Posted August 31, 2013 Hi I am most of the way through building one of these at the moment. It has gone together quite well. I have done as much of the assembly as possible using solder, and the brass chassis is a pig to solder to. It absorbs a massive amount of heat, and stores it for ages. To solder the bearings in I landed up using 2 soldering irons. A large 80W on the bearing to put some heat in and using my 80W small tipped temperature controlled iron to actually do the soldering. Probably a couple of hours work to finish it off now, although that does mean stripping the wheels back out to paint the chassis. All the best Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hartleymartin Posted September 1, 2013 Share Posted September 1, 2013 A small gas torch might have been a good aid to help soldering in the bearings. With soldering such a bother, I'm surprised that you didn't just use super-glue to put the bearings in. I've been modifying the one that I bought ready built (then it got partially disassembled and rebuilt, rather like a prototype shunter!) and I think that the wipers on the backs of the wheels should be a little wider or there should even be a second pair of wipers on the front wheel to improve pick-up. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kickstart Posted September 1, 2013 Share Posted September 1, 2013 Hi If I had a small gas torch then I would likely have used one. One is on the shopping list for the next time I need to do something like this. I wanted to avoid using glue where possible There should be wipers on both axles. Fitting these is one of the jobs left to do All the ebst Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
81A Oldoak Posted September 1, 2013 Share Posted September 1, 2013 I use a small gas blow torch that I bought from Maplin for soldering brass axle bearings in place. It is very effective, but practice using it on some scrap first. Here it is: http://www.maplin.co.uk/pt-200-blow-torch-35518 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kickstart Posted September 1, 2013 Share Posted September 1, 2013 Hi Interesting. Might have to invest. It didn't help with me that I got the bearings in place then realised that on one axle they hadn't seated well enough and I had to unsolder them, clean them up and redo it All the best Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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