Gladiator 7mm Duchess

[P A D]

Hello, having recently completed building the Gladiator 7mm Duchess and written it up on RMWeb, I thought I would do an abridged version on here, to compare and contrast with Richard Lambert’s superb Finney 7 build, and the resurrection job that Roger Scanlon did on the ready built one that he purchased.

Having read Richard’s build and seen the model in the flesh at Leigh and Doncaster, I just had to have a Duchess. However, the F7 kit is beyond my budget so I decided to see what I could make of the Gladiator version. Before I bought it, I was aware that there was an issue with the width of the cast resin firebox. I spoke to David Hill on the phone and he was quite open and frank about it, and then having inspected the kit at Doncaster, was happy that I could solve the problem.

As you can see from this photo the diameter of the joint at the front of the firebox does not match the brass boiler tube which is correct.



After making various checks and measurements, I decided that it needed widening by about 1.5mm. To do this I cut it down the centre line on the top and added a T shaped insert of 60 thou plastic card, fixed with epoxy.




This gave an improved fit, but the ring on the front was still a little small. This was widened by dipping the front of the casting in a pan of boiling water, then gently spreading with a suitable length of wood, and cooling in cold water.

The rivet detail on the firebox was also on the heavy side as can be seen in the last photo, so I removed them all and replaced with Scale Hardware items. Much better.


It was also clear that the firebox was not tall enough so a further insert was needed at the bottom to raise it up. This also served the purpose of providing a point where a bolt could be used to screw the casting to the running plate. For a more secure fitting, I also added a plate to the gap at the rear which is then bolted to the cab front. This then meant that I could make the smokebox, boiler and firebox as one detachable unit. I experimented with 40,60 and 80 thou plastic card and settled on 40 thou. That’s the 80 on top and the 40 below.


And after cutting an aperture for the motor and gluing in place with epoxy. It was made slightly wider than the box to represent the flange at the bottom, which I filed off before fitting the base.


Here’s a view inside the box showing the brass plate with 8 BA nut glued to the rear plate (80thou plastic card).


And from the rear. I had to add a further layer of 20 thou plastic card as their was a gap at the top. The thin brass sheet allowed me to solder thin strips of brass either side to replace the vertical beading which was very prone to damage.


Here’s the boiler glued to the firebox. Further plastic card packing was needed to fill the gap created over the rear splasher by raising the box.


Here’s how it bolts to the running plate and cab front. Whilst I’ve been building the kit I’ve left off the bolts and nuts through the running plate as it’s very rigid withou them. I’ll put them back after painting to get a tight fit.


And in place later in the build.


Another error is the length of the smokebox, which is 2mm too long. Fortunately the extra length is at the rear behind the back row of rivets so is easy to rectify. If you don’t cut this back then the smokebox overhangs the front of the large steam pipe casting when it should be flush. I’ve seen a number of these on various websites with the smokebox overhanging. I’m not sure but I think this affects the David Andrews kit also.

The panel lines at the front were scribed on and the rivets added (Scale Hardware). In fact I think these are screws on the prototype as are the ones on the firebox cladding.


Once the firebox was sorted out, everything else was pretty much as per the kit instructions. One further mod I made to the boiler, was to make a representation of the front support bracket. I’ve not seen it on model before so maybe it’s a first?

 

[P A D]

It’s only seen from the side so I passed on making the vanes that are spread across its length.


This is the running plate under construction and as can be seen it’s quite vulnerable to damage at this stage for making subsequent additions.



To reduce the risk of damage, I made this simple cradle to rest it on whilst working. To allow the boiler to sit in place it was necessary to make a recess with the mini drill and a grinder.


Here’s the boiler and firebox just placed on the running plate. This was before the firebox was heightened.



Next up the running plate details. I have to thank Richard here for the inspiration to add all the lubricator pipework after seeing his model. The photos on his thread were a great help and these were supplemented with photos of City of Birmingham which I managed to go and see whilst on a business trip. Here’s the completed running plate with the boiler in an advanced state above. The handrails are removable by the way. I had to add the larger of the two inspection covers behind the front gravity lubricators as these were not half etch as the smaller ones were. Again inspired by Richard, I added the hinges from 0.45 mm brass rod.



The valve “thingy” behind the lubricator was spotted on Duchess of Sutherland so after I was sure it was al
so on in BR days, a representation was cobbled up from 16 BA nuts, bits of tube and wire. It’s not perfect but passes muster.




The inspection covers on top of the valve chest also needed scribing as they are not etched, and again the hinges were added from wire, and the lifting lugs from some small brass pins. An overlay was made from thin shim for the front where the piston tail rod covers are. The lamp irons, not fitted at this stage are from Peter Roles.



Everything else above the running plate is as per the kit although I did replace the w/m ejector with a a cast brass one from Ragstone. The safety valves are also Ragstone as in the kit simple etched representation is supplied so solder under the 4 apertures in the roof.

The boiler back plate needed some additional parts to improve it and following Richard’s lead again, I added a plate with nuts to the bottom so that it could be bolted in place and allow for easy removal for painting. Here it is after the bottom plate was added, with the Ragstone castings placed in holes on the top.



And after completion and fitted in the cab. The Fire hole doors needed modifying lower the tray to the right height, and the operating levers were made from scratch to replace the supplied w/m ones, as was the regulator. Other bits and pieces were cobbled up from castings in the spares box and so are not accurate, but fill in the gaps. The cog on the reverser was made from a modified thumb wheel from a compass as this was not included.



Here’s the reverser before fitting.



The roof is detachable and can be slid in from the rear via strips of brass soldered each side and slotted onto the turn ins at the top of the cab side sheets. I have added an extra layer of brass to the cab front just above the back plate so that I can epoxy it in place after painting.



The front end was completed with replacement castings by Ragstone for the smokebox door handles, and Laurie Griffin for the coupling.



Moving on to the frames, these were built more or less as per the instructions, using the top hat bearings supplied. The front and rear ones are fixed with the middle one allowed some up and down movement with a simple n/s wire spring acting on it, and also preventing it from rotating. Here are the basic frames with the wheels in place. The middle axle was not sprung at this stage.



The valve gear is designed to be de-mountable but requires some modification to set it in forward or reverse gear. I set it in the forward position.




The valve rocker levers are simple etches and I modified these to give a more prototypical appearance. To ease removal of the gear, I cut them short of the pivots on the frames but from normal viewing angles this cannot be seen.


Sorry for the disjointed post earlier. I have written the whole thread in word and hope to cut and paste adding the photos as one post but I see there is a limit to the number of files that can be added in one go. I'll complete the rest of it tomorrow.

Cheers,
Peter

 

[warren haywood]

What a brilliant bit of modelling, magic

 

[simond]

Looks fantastic. And good timing too. I bought a semi-complete, and rather good looking, Duchess of Hamilton at the BnB at Reading. It will receive some cosmetic treatment in due course, but primarily needs the chassis working on. It appears to have been “re-framed” with Premier frames, and there’s a bag of goodies waiting to be added. The only problem I’m aware of at this stage is one return crank is loose.

Looking forward to the rest of the build!
Simon

 

[P A D]

Thanks Warren and Simon.

Moving on, the Maxon motor and ABC 2 stage gearbox drive on the rear axle with the motor tucked up into the firebox, and held in place with tape and a simple spacer. Electrical pick up is via simple phosphor bronze wire wipers acting on the back of the wheels.



An additional spacer was added for the rear and middle wipers, but the front ones are mount via the rear valve gear retaining bolt. Because of the proximity of the wipers to the boiler, I have added a strip of masking tape to the boiler above each wiper set. I replace that with insulating tape after painting which won't be seen.



The rear pony truck is a simple affair with an inner frame for the wheels held in place with 8 BA bolts. Since these photos I have added a shouldered captive 6 BA bolt for the pivot and replaced the 8 BA bolts with shorter ones.



Some filing of the top corners of the spring hangers and the bracing between the extended frames, was needed to increase clearance for running through curves.

The bogie is again quite simple but also needed some modification to improve clearance. Here it is after completion.



And with the side bolsters cut short and the pivot point moved to the rear slightly to move it forward so the rear wheels clear the front brake hangers, which also needed filing. To be safe I moved the front steps forward slightly as well and whilst none of this is prototypical, it is barely noticeable and the loco will run through 5 ft curves.




The tender was again quite straight forward being similar in design to the various other Stanier tenders on offer from Gladiator/David Andrews. The only tricky bit is making the inner chassis removable whilst being able to fit the frame cross members, particularly the rear one because of the water pick gear. At Ozzyo’s suggestion, I made the rear one captive by the brake gear and after the chassis is in place, the ends slot into lengths of “u”shaped brass soldered to the inside of the out frames. Some detail on the rear bunker plate had to be made, as did the slacking pipes and operating levers for the water valves. I also added the “L” shaped brackets over the springs, again inspired by Richard’s build.

Here’s a few shots of the completed tender.



Here is the model broken down into its component parts (apart from the two chassis). The smoke deflectors are fixed to the handrails which will be added after painting and the knobs glued into the holes. The lower inside edges of the deflectors will be glued to square rod on the running plate. As can be seen the the boiler, cab roof and back plate are all removable so should make painting relatively easy. It will be finished as 46233 Duchess of Sutherland in BR lined green with the early BR logo, hence no AWS or speedo fitted.

That's all I've got time for now, but I will post further shots of the loco and tender together later.

Cheers,
Peter

 

[P A D]

Here are some more detail shots of the completed model. First the cab roof with the replacement castings from Ragstone. I have sprayed the resin firebox to cover the plastic card modifications just to tidy it up for now.



The joint at the top of the boiler cladding had to be scribed and the retaining screws are tiny rivets by Scale Hardware. The boiler band cleats are from Laurie Griffin and replace the etched one that come in the kit. The lubricator piping can also be seen from this angle. The lubricator castings were too large and needed about 2 mm cutting of the back to reduce them to the correct size.



Here's a shot of the inside of the turn in on the tender side. The support brackets and slacking pipe were not included and were made from scratch after seeing them on Richard's build.



Here's the right hand injector. The brass pipe unions ahead of the cab were not included and came from modified bits from the spares box. The site screen will be added between the windows after painting and the two etched holes in the plate need to be filled as they are not on the prototype.



And the right hand injector. The cover for the piping at the bottom edge of the fire box was made by cutting some brass tube in half and filing to size.



Here's a couple of better exposed shots of the tender rear and front that I took in daylight today.

More additions below the drag beam plagiarised from Richard's build.

And a better exposure of the loco front. I spy a bent lamp iron on the right hand side.



Here's the inside of the cab again but this time with the roof on.


Here's a view of the right hand valve gear and front end. The triangular bits on the end of the slide bar support were made from waste etch and the cylinder relief valves (front and rear) are from Ragstone.



And the left side.

Here are some shots of the completed loco and tender.



Well that's all for a while until I can start the painting. As I said at the start, there is a more detailed write up of the build on RMweb for those who may be interested.

Compared to the Finney 7 kit, it is clearly much less refined, but for the money it's good value and captures well that bulky muscular look of the prototype. The issue with the firebox (which was not difficult to overcome) may not appeal to some, but David Hill is working to replace it with an improved casting, so in future it will be more straight forward.

Thanks again to Richard Lambert for his inspiring build of the Finney 7 kit, which I found most helpful in building my model.

Cheers,
Peter

 

[Scale7JB]

Bloody marvellous Peter.

JB.

 

[Locomodels]

Silk purse and sows ear comes to mind. Very well done.

Paul.

 

[P A D]

Silk purse and sows ear comes to mind. Very well done.

Paul.

Thanks for the kind words Paul.

However, I don't agree with the "Silk purse and sows ear " analogy. Apart from the issue with the cast firebox (which is being rectified by Gladiator) and the over long smoke box (easily rectified by the builder), it's a good kit and easy to build. The etched parts fit well and the castings are in the main good quality, but in some cases can be upgraded if desired by aftermarket items.

Cheers,
Peter

 

[P A D]

Bloody marvellous Peter.

JB.

Many thanks JB.

 

[freelance7]

A very nice model Peter.

Paul

 

[BrushType4]

Superb modelling there.

 

[dibateg]

Inspirational Peter, its a stunning piece of work, you are an absolute craftsman!

Now, where is my solder scraper....? !!

Tony

 

[P A D]

Inspirational Peter, its a stunning piece of work, you are an absolute craftsman!

Now, where is my solder scraper....? !!

Tony

Hi Tony,
Many thanks. That's much appreciated coming from a builder of your quality.

Unfortunately I have to spend too much time with the scraper, so I need to improve my soldering.

Thanks also to Freelance7 and Brush Type 4.

Cheers,
Peter

 

[P A D]

I'e been finishing off the painting of my Gladiator L1, so the Duchess had been on hold for while. However, the L1 is nearing completion apart from lacquering, weathering and glazing. Here are some photos of where it's up to.



And a couple of close ups of the injectors which are white metal but have been painted brass then toned down with a black wash (as have the painted copper feed pipes).

Cheers,
Peter

 

[freelance7]

Peter,

What a lovely and inspirational piece of work, may I ask, what did you use for the lining?

Paul

 

[P A D]

Peter,

What a lovely and inspirational piece of work, may I ask, what did you use for the lining?

Paul

Many thanks Paul.

All the lining and lettering are waterslide from Fox, apart from the tiny "RA7s" which are HMRS. I wish I could do it by hand with a drawing pen and spring bow pen, as I collect drawing instruments and have dozens at my disposal. However, I don't have the skill to use them and it would take a lot of practice for me to get anywhere close to what I can achieve with the transfers. Here's how I marked out the tanks with masking tape to aid the alignment. First the corners are added then the straights are filled in when the corners are dry and hardened. I only add about 1.5 inch lengths at a time as they are easier to manipulate into place, and I find I make less cock ups and have to scrap and start again.



The transfer sheets come with the straights in grey, cream and red, plus the corner pieces and some large radius curves. These latter items were just right for the bend on the valance. The joint between the bend and the straight was a bit tricky to mitre the joint so I touched up any gaps afterwards with Humbrol gloss using a 000 brush. The difficult bit is the triple bend on the bunker next to the cab lookout. For that I use a right hand bend cut in half at 45 degrees plus a cut down piece of curve. This shows how I did it.


Here are the corners added.


And the completed panel with the tape (Tamiya low tack) removed. At this stage I had touched up the joints, but further work was needed after it had dries to finish it off. It's not perfect but look much better from normal viewing distances. These are cruel close ups and they show every spec of dust.

Once I get this lacquered, weathered and glazed I can get on with painting the Duchess. After that I have a Martin Finney A3 which I picked up on ebay at a good price, and I'm itching to get started.

Cheers,
Peter

 

[Dan Randall]

Using low tack masking tape as a guide is an excellent idea - nice job.


Regards

Dan

 

[freelance7]

Peter,

Thank you for the informative post, I do like the idea of using low tack masking tape to line everything up.

Paul

 

[Scale7JB]

Unfortunately I got the curve on the bunker wrong on mine... Can't quite bring myself to a respray and new lining though..



JB.