Finecast N7

[hayfield]

Earlier this year I started to build a Wills Finecast N7, it was a cheap eBay buy as someone had butchered the chassis ( tried to make the rear wheel a pony truck), anyway I built the loco, bought a new chassis, built this one to EM gauge, painted the body, chassis and wheels. That was about it. About the same time a friend popped it and took a fancy to it, so I have a second chassis and body in the pipeline

 

Dust had settled and I am trying to pick up the courage to line it, quite some time ago I bought a pre-built Will version, missing a couple of bits and having an interesting home made Jinty (The Wills kit was designed for the Triang jinty chassis) replacement chassis with a D11 motor

 

I had a Mashima 1620 and a Branchlines Multibox hanging about and these tanks are big enough to take these motors, first time I have built a multi box, it went together well and like everything else now I know how it goes together the next one will take half the time

 

 

The paint has well and truly dried, after cleaning up the axle holes all went together and runs as sweet as a nut

 

 

sits nicely on the chassis, next up pickups

 

 

This is the culprit that started everything off, bought it cheap ages ago, no coupling rods or pony truck and Dave Ellis sold me the parts to fix it years ago, but the builder made a great job building it

 

 

Hats off to the builder, The D13 is far better motor than the X03 but the chassis was never finished even though the builder went to so much trouble. The Branchlines gearbox  is fitted to the chassis via the axle holes

 

 

Then via 2 gears to the wheels, runs really well, but wrong gauge and I can use the wheels on another loco

[hayfield]

Whilst I have the N7 out, i decided after 2+ years I would fit the parts I got from Dave Ellis (Southeastern Finecast)

 

 

The steps were soldered on and the condensing pipes fitted (glued) in place, only when I started to get the dust off I noticed the whistle is missing (it was in the bag of spares along with a pair of rear steps I cannot remember what I bought them for.

 

Next up is a quick paint of matt grey as a primer, then I have the issue of painting the new bits, I think a coat of satin varnish may bring the old and new colours together

[hayfield]

Fresh from getting a spray of Humbrol satin acrylic varnish which has married up the blues reasonably well, then I noticed one rear cab step was missing !!

 

Was it there anyway if so its not to be seen either in the railway room or shed ( spray booth) so it may well now be in the lawn.  Anyway without going to my spare step box I had a spare step from the other N7's, its now soldered in place and I am just about to touch up the paint. Both sides are missing the numbers (need to find some) and I am considering what to do with it.

 

I guess I could look out for one of the older Triang Jinty chassis and fit a rear pony truck. I could use the existing chassis either as it is (plus a pony truck) in 00 gauge or convert it to EM gauge and fit the motor mount directly to the axles, I do have a tampered with SEF chassis, but it would need extra surgery to adapt it ?