Y'all correct chaps, a Warren Shephard 72xx, to be fair the GW rivet tool isn't going to work I'm afraid.
I did some test rivets on the carrier etch, it barely dented it, there's no half etch indent on the rear so you're effectively trying to punch full thickness 0.7 mm brass, it ain't having it, not unless you're prepared to stand on the lever, run the risk of breaking something, distorting the material. Even with a half etch indent you're still pushing the tool to my mind
The first few lines of the instructions say it all, like the County, an aid to scratch building, as such I'm not even going to attempt to scratch build these parts designed by pipe smoking men in stove pipe hats, certainly not above the frames.
I'll use them as a template and cut my own in much thinner gauge, I did consider working up some etches, but with a current turn around time of six weeks, plus the one or two to draw I've decided to roll my own, break out the hand tools, shun technology and frankly, probably make a right balls of it all
, plus, it's only a tank engine, how hard can it be.......
The target engine is 7219, one of the first batch and as such the cab/roof joint is different from the rest, in as much as it's a one piece upper side rolled at the cant rail into the roof, later engines have a distinct joint here, the cab side remains vertical right up to an over hanging roof panel.
As such the kit does not facilitate that detail, so, not with standing the HMS Unsinkable (or should that be Unfloatable due to the excessively thick plate work) I'd have to make my own new sides anyway.
Anyway, given all the above, the kit comes from a different era and design critieria, we can't justifiably criticise it for that, it will build a model and I've seen some pretty good ones after trawling the net.
So, onward, a few hours at the bench and we have a set of frames jury rigged up, my primary concern is the frame width and 6' radius curves, it'll do it with the fine scale spacers but boy oh boy do you have some side play to control, easily +-2mm.
The rear radial frame extension is a lap joint and thus far I can see only one row of raised rivets, rather than fight the rivet tool I just grabbed a packet of turned rivets, drilled a load of holes and soldered them in; lazy is as lazy does.
There's a whole bunch more where the frames jog in, probably a huge stay in there which looks like it's supporting the firebox heel as well. I'll add more rivets there in due course.
There are two critical pinch points, the rear radial truck and the leading driving axle, both require minimal side control, the other three can do as they wish, except they can't really, the issue with so much side play is the knuckles in the coupling rods, they'll be so sloppy it will probably have an affect on running.
I still need to jog the frames between the rear and trailing intermediate axles, yes I should of done it in the flat but the kit came second hand and the instructions were missing.
I politely asked Warren very late last night if I could get hold of a copy and by mid afternoon they were in my inbox, stellar after sales service in my books
Anyway, only after virtually completing both sides did I know where, and by how much, to add the jog. Once the jog is in then I think I can probably widen the frames overall by 1 mm, easily achieved by trimming down the Scale 7 spacers.
. Swindon Frame plan and sections that can be any size you want in your drawing app. The frames are 'interesting'.
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