Finney7 LSWR L12

Dikitriki

Flying Squad
Hi,

This is exciting! Well, it is for me.....

The test etches for the L12 have arrived. There will be a number of amendments before they go into production, principally to allow for later variants up to BR period, but my brief is to build it in 1912 condition to check for fit and accuracy.

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We shall have to see what castings are appropriate from other kits in the range, and what new masters we need to produce, but that is Steph's department.

So, let's see how far I can get before Telford.

Richard
 

Steph Dale

Western Thunderer
Evening all,

I'm very grateful to Richard for him offering to do this test build. It will allow me/us to get the full kit available sooner as it saves me a great deal of time understanding Martin's original design and means I can continue with the re-introduction schedule. This kit will be my primary focus in the new year once the existing LSWR 4-4-0 kits have been retooled.

A year or two ago I got some way through working up an L12 (and S11 too, although that's a slightly different story), between Martin's retirement and the Finney7 team's involvement. So here I'm looking at a hybrid design, incorporating a number of the details I had worked up with the parts Martin has developed. What you can see here in the frets is a first attempt at converting Martin's original artwork for his P4 model into a 7mm scale version so we can see how it goes together. I've already done the adjustments to the frame spacers and cab interior for finescale and there's a set of fluted coupling rods included for checking too.

In terms of additions the most obvious parts to complete are the post-rebuild details; extended smokebox, different brakegear and injectors.

As Richard works through I'm adding details and further enhancements to the design (as befits a 7mm, rather than 4mm scale model). So what you'll see here is a good indication of what's to come, but there is a lot of work to do to get to a complete kit. Not least the castings...

Steph
 

Dikitriki

Flying Squad
Hi,

I've now soldered the footplate to the cradle, and buffer and drag beams to the footplate. It is solid and flat. I did check, after every solder operation that it remained flat to that point. I also added one of the cab/splasher sides. All going swimmingly so far.

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I will form the one-piece spectacle plate/splasher tops to the other cab/splasher side before I fit the second side to the footplate. I suspect it might be a bit of a tricky operation.

Richard
 

Dikitriki

Flying Squad
Hi,

Sexy curves time:)

Other side on and the cab front/splasher tops fitted to this side. I have tucked the other side under the footplate so you can see how the front fits: there is a recess on top of the running plate into which the front of the splasher top drops.

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The fit is astonishing - I had to do no filing whatever for it to drop in perfectly. I will accept I took great care in forming the splasher tops, and worked carefully from the top of the cab forward, but still.....

Richard
 

Dikitriki

Flying Squad
Hi John,

Just a series of different size rods and finger manipulation. The splasher top is half etched, so it's pretty easy to bend.....just a case of making sure that the bend is in the right place!

Richard
 

richard carr

Western Thunderer
Some great bending there Richard

I remember doing the Adams Radial tank a few years back, it required a good deal of patience.

Richard
 

Dikitriki

Flying Squad
Thank you JB.

Last night I soldered the second splasher top, and then made life difficult for myself......

I had had a right game on the Adams' Radial forming the boiler and firebox in the one piece, so I split them and made the firebox separate from the boiler. I decided to do the same thing from the outset on the L12 before realising, with the larger boiler, it wouldn't have been so much of a problem. On the Radial, the join is hidden with a boiler band. To my horror, I realised there is no boiler band to hide the join on the L12. So, I will have to make a perfect join between boiler and firebox or it will be all too visible. That's for another day.

There was no problem building the firebox, and I still like the idea of building and fitting it separately, but.....

Anyway, it did all fit, it's still all square. All I had to do was form the bottom reverse curve to fit nicely between the splasher tops, check the beading was even all way round both sides, and solder it up. There was only a miniscule bit of gap filling at the front, but that was probably me taking a bit too much off the former when decusping - you wouldn't be aware of it if I hadn't told you, and can't see it anyway!

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Richard
 
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