7mm Martin Finney 7mm Duchess

[Dikitriki]

Almost ready to start the initial reassemble.

The inside valve gear - a bit of a misnomer really, because it's only the connecting rods. The valve gear itself is driven by a rocker arm from the outside valve gear.










And the last chassis bits:

The main driving wheel springs - they are all engraved as to their location, R 1 & 2, L 1 & 2 and the screws.



and the leading axle brake spreader. This hooks over the transverse pulls on the second axle spreader and clips in holes in the back of the leading brake hangers. No way to get the leading inside cranks out otherwise.



I may be gone a while.

Richard

 

[Dikitriki]

Busy day today, cleaning, washing and polishing.

The cylinder unit:













That's it for today.

Heyside are playing hosts to the Arakoola gang this evening and the layout room needs a bit of a tidy. It's all go!

Richard

 

[john lewsey]

Hi Richard how do you get it to stick together without any solder

 

[Dikitriki]

Hi Richard how do you get it to stick together without any solder

Ah, it's the new Finney7 molecular bonder, on sale Guildex 2042 (but don't hold me to it)

Richard

 

[john lewsey]

I should have guessed

 

[Silverystreaks]

Really fantastic work Richard

 

[Cliff Williams]

Superb work.
I can also tell you are afflicted by OCD, placement of the parts geometrically on the cutting mat shows up well.
I dare you to shake it up a little and take a pic randomly....you can do it!

 

[Ressaldar]

Oil dripping from the box on the slidebar would be a nice touch! Great stuff Richard, I look forward to being part of the scrum around Stand 128 over the week-end

cheers

Mike

 

[Dikitriki]

Thanks all, I hope it will be all back together later in readiness for tomorrow, but another long day is ahead of me!

Reassembly is going well.



You can see the loco springs screwed in, and that the heads are not visible with the wheels in place.



The inside motion is in. The frame with the slidebars in fact screws into the main cylinder unit, so it's rattling about at the moment. The leading brake pull rod is now clipped securely in place.



I have shorted out one side - is that wise on this big a loco? - using my usual method.



Off to polish some valve gear now.

Richard

 

[Dan Randall]

Excellent work Richard and a great advertisement for the Finney7 range.


Regards

Dan

 

[Dikitriki]

Thanks Dan,

One of the main reasons for the number of photos, apart from general interest (I hope!), is so that they can be used in the instructions.

Here's the left hand side of the valve gear all polished up. It will be retained on the cylinder frame by the 2 screws shown, the larger through the expansion link, the smaller throught the lifting arms (from the back). The valve gear is permanently set in a slight forward gear, the radius rod being pinned to the expansion link below the mid point holes.



Richard

 

[Dikitriki]

And in place on the cylinder frame:









This has to be attached to the chassis, and only then can I add the rocker arm and inside valve rod. That is a fiddly operation.

Richard

 

[Dikitriki]

The rocker arms and inside valve rod.



The bearings have a washer soldered on the bottom so that the arm is kept level in operation. The 2 adjuster arms (I don't know the proper name) are a bit of a fiddle but are crucial in keeping the movement linear instead of arced.

Richard

 

[Scale7JB]

Magnificently quick building.

I can see the instructions for this kit being something akin to 'War and Peace'!

JB.

 

[Dikitriki]

Magnificently quick building.

I can see the instructions for this kit being something akin to 'War and Peace'!

JB.

Not quite - a lot of work was done before. A substantial amount of the current work was tidying and photographing. having said that, I've pretty much been full time on it for most of the last 2 weeks.

The instruction manual will be big.... but it's a big and a flagship kit. If just a few more people look at the instructions, which will be online as well, and think 'I can do that', then it will have been worth it. It's about demystifying the build process.

Richard

 

[Dikitriki]

Right, got there

The inside valve gear fitted. I had to do it upside down (the model, not me) as the bearing kept dropping out!







Time to put it all together to see what it looks like

Richard

 

[Ressaldar]

A beautiful beast, shame that you have to put the body on really.

cheers

Mike

 

[3 LINK]

A stunning model and with instructions and photos of the build like you say should hopefully give some modellers the confidence " to have a go".

I guess you must be very busy this evening Richard, but just a thought. How about putting a " suggestion box " on the stand, so we can all give you our wish list of what locos we would like to eventually see F7 create.

Cheers,

Martyn.

 

[daifly]

How about putting a " suggestion box " on the stand, so we can all give you our wish list of what locos we would like to eventually see F7 create.

I suspect the Richard et al are wise enough to know it would need to be a very big box! Best avoided I suspect. Potential sales for 'box' suggestions probably in single figures for many!
Dave

 

[dibateg]

Looking forward to seeing it!