Finney 7 Princess/Coronation 46238 City of Carlisle

[jamie92208]

Morning all from a rather wet village in the southern uplands of Leeds.   

 

I have always thought that the Duchesses, as I know them were the best steam locos ever built.  I know I biased and others may have their own views but that's my opinion.   It probably dates back to 1960 when we had a family holiday at Dent and one lunchtime we had our picnic sitting in a field in the Lune gorge watching the West Coast Main Line, the site is now somewhere under the southbound M6.   As a 7 year old I though that the maroon Duchesses that we saw were fabulous machines.  Thanks to my late father's trainspotting diary I even know which ones we saw.  Living at Settle we didn't see many of them though one Sunday we emerged from the Methodist chapel to see one of them heading north on a special going like thunder.  I even saw one on Grayrigg bank in summer 64 when I'd just had 5 teeth out and was feeling rather sorry for myself but my day was brightened by the sight of one heading north.

 

Anyway I've always dreamed of building a decent kit of a Duchess.  As a 17 year old I even converted a Hornby Dublo one from 3 to 2 rail, using araldite as the insulation.   

 

After seeing the light and moving into 0 gauge I still wanted to build one but there were always other priorities for my Midland Based layout.  One of my very good friends in the  modelling world, Tony Bond, used to tell great tales of his spotting days at Tamworth and seeing them racing through with 16 on.  We often talked of building  a Finney Duchess.  Martin's retirement appeared to put paid to that dream and sadly Tony is no longer with us.  However when Finney7 started up I decided that now was the time and I just had to give it a try.

 

The piggy bank was raided and last weekend I picked two nice light blue boxes up at the Guild show at Doncaster.  

 

It's going to be a while before I actually start building the kit as I have  a lot of work to do on my Lancaster Green Ayre layout.  The kit will probably be built in France when we move there next year.  However there are some things that I can be doing.

 

I've read the instructions and sorted out the various variations that I will need to build. I've got a few books about the class and have decided to build mine as 46238 City of Carlisle as I was born in that city.  My father wasn't there, as was the normal practice in 1952, he as on Liverpool Exchange noting on the same line in his diary, James Born and 72002.     

 

I've also been able to offer up a motor gearbox that I have, to the drawings.  It looks as if will fit if I remove a bit of resin from inside the boiler.  

 

From what I can see the resin castings for the boiler/firebox, and the smokebox, look superb and the castings look to be very crisp, though I haven't opened the packets yet.

 

The instructions are comprehensive and well illustrated.  A suggestion made over lunch at Doncaster, was to laminate the instruction sheets and I might well do that to keep them from harm.

 

In the meantime I will save some pennies for the other parts that I need such as the wheels, name/number/works plates etc along with a few small items needed to make the wheels and boiler removable for painting.

 

It may well be a while before I can post any pictures of progress but I will when I can.

 

Jamie

 

 

[Horsetan]

I'm looking forward to the Brassmasters effort in 4mm scale - possibly ready next year.

[84B Oxley]

 

James

You won't regret building this kit, mine was a pleasure from beginning to end with no problems worth mentioning. I used Slaters' wheels and an ABC/Maxon combination for power.With plenty of room for lead in the boiler it will haul a good load, with just a hint of slipping on start. Just like the real ones!  I also added the inside connecting rods and crank axle but am not convinced it was worth the effort, I haven't seen them for years!

There is a lot in the kit, as you will find out. I recorded almost 450 very enjoyable hours on construction, including painting and lining (a mixture of Fox and HMRS). Photograph here was taken on 'Sykes Bridge' when it was on the exhibition circuit.

Good luck with it!
Jeff

 

[jamie92208]

46247 Sykes Bridge0011.JPG

 

James

You won't regret building this kit, mine was a pleasure from beginning to end with no problems worth mentioning. I used Slaters' wheels and an ABC/Maxon combination for power.With plenty of room for lead in the boiler it will haul a good load, with just a hint of slipping on start. Just like the real ones!  I also added the inside connecting rods and crank axle but am not convinced it was worth the effort, I haven't seen them for years!

There is a lot in the kit, as you will find out. I recorded almost 450 very enjoyable hours on construction, including painting and lining (a mixture of Fox and HMRS). Photograph here was taken on 'Sykes Bridge' when it was on the exhibition circuit.

Good luck with it!

Jeff

 

Thanks for that Jeff, I am looking forward to it but have 2 2P's and a 4F plus a 2-4-0 and others to finish first.  I will however post in due course when I start soldering.  I've got a Ron Chaplin Gearbox with a 2 start worm and a big swiss motor that will fit nicely.I also plan to use Slater's wheels and the inside motion but they will have to wait for the piggy bank to refill.

 

Jamie 

[JeffP]

 

 

The instructions are comprehensive and well illustrated.  A suggestion made over lunch at Doncaster, was to laminate the instruction sheets and I might well do that to keep them from harm.

 

Might I suggest you count them, then pop to one of the supermarkets, (mine came from Sainsburys) and buy yourself two of those plastic binders having clear pockets inside, A4 sized, one with enough pockets for the loco and one for the tender instructions?

 

I did just that with a Piercy A4, as yet unbuilt. Easy storage and they CAN be removed for scanning etc.

 

The folders come in different colours too, colour code your locos.

[Black Country Mon]

You can download the fantastic instructions at any time from the Finney 7 website if they get damaged/burnt/soaked/framed at all.

[Charles]

Hi Jamie,

 

He noted in his Diary "James Born and 72002".    I've done my research, fairly thoroughly I hope, and I can find no locomotive "James Born".   

 

I have reserved my Brassmasters 4mm edition, and like you, I think the Princess Coronation, is the finest steam engine ever created.   Not only as a consequence of demonstrable fact, but for similarly sentimental reasons. 

 

I hope the construction of your City of Carlisle will bring you every satisfaction, and I'm confident it will.

 

That said, and noting you have a few things on the go at the moment, perhaps you could also turn your attention to an almost pristine Clan Campbell.   The Clans, like the Britannia's, may not have been at the pinnacle of British locomotive development, but they were a fine looking locomotive. 

 

I am happy for you to have found your Duchess and wish you every success.

 

Best regards

Charles

[jamie92208]

Yes a Clan and a Brit are on my wish list along with finally finishing the 9F that I started 20 years ago.

 

Anyway I've obviously been taking lessons from politicians.  Having said that I wouldn't start anything until next year I did a U turn.  Nothing special but I found a rather nice motor gearbox that would do justice to the loco.   I tried fitting it into the beautifully moulded boiler/firebox unit and then offered it up to the drawing.   I then took it to the club last night for a brains trust as to the best way to mount the motor.

 

This is the motor gearbox and the boiler/firebox casting.

The motor is a Swiss coreless one and the gearbox was fitted by Ron Chaplin.

 

After some discussion we decided to mount the motor in the firebox leaving the boiler barrel for ballast.  It fits very nicely.

When the combo was offered to the drawing it appeared that the axle was about 3mm high so some resin will have to be ground off to lower the unit by that amount.

 

This shows the area that will have to be shaved off, fortunately there is plenty of resin.

Now I really must put the box away.

 

Jamie

 

 

 

[Horsetan]

Is there no drive extender for that gearbox, i.e. an additional gear to form the final drive, same number of teeth as the final one. Seems a shame to have to cut into that resin.

[jamie92208]

Is there no drive extender for that gearbox, i.e. an additional gear to form the final drive, same number of teeth as the final one. Seems a shame to have to cut into that resin.

 

It sounds like a good idea but the distances are very small the only shaving will be in the area below the firebox that's already got the main part hollowed out.  I don't think there's enough clearance to put another gear in.  However I will have another look.

 

I've just attempted to do some editing on the photo and hopefully this shows the area where I will have to shave the resin, it does seem to be about the thickest part of the casting.

Hope this makes some sort of sense.

 

 

Thanks

 

Jamie

Edited June 6, 2017 by jamie92208

[jamie92208]

No, I haven't abandoned the project but other life events have intervened such as a move to France and much progress with my layout for exhibition purposes. The layout is now installed in it's new home here in the Charente Maritime. As we've moved I no longer have access to some of the various locos that I used to borrow to run it. Next to my new work bench is a set of racking. One shelf has all my unbuilt or part built loco kits, another has the coach kits and yet another the wagon kits. The Duchess is there but has had to move down the queue as I've been concentrating on Midland stock for the layout so that I can run it.

 

However the Duchess will get built in due course and is probably about No 5 in the queue. Before I left the UK in June I bought a few more parts that I need, such as the cast inside cranks for the inside valve gear. I also ordered a set of name/number/works plates recently and they were waiting for me at my daughter's house when we came back over for Christmas. So the kit has it's proper identity documents.

Here they are and have now been put in the kit box. Hopefully progress will be made soon.

 

Jamie

[Shez]

This looks like a similar situation to those B17 "Huddersfield Town" plates you sourced for me off the second hand stall at Telford. We will probably be back in League 2 before she ever gets built. 

[jamie92208]

This looks like a similar situation to those B17 "Huddersfield Town" plates you sourced for me off the second hand stall at Telford. We will probably be back in League 2 before she ever gets built.

I've been watching the recent results and have refrained from commenting. Leeds might pass you on the way. I suspect that things will probably be moving next winter.

 

Jamie