7mm Peter's workshop. LNER V3 CLASS

[Peter Cross]

Hi all

This is being constructed from an Ace models kit. It is of mixed parentage. Some of the etches have McG0wens on and others are drawn by William. With luck they should all fit in the right places. I expect like others in the range it will take a little builder input.

The Pictures came in an odd order. So not as I constructed.

The frames together with all the wheels on. Ready for all the detailing.


Hopefully this method of side control and springging will work for the radial axle. It seems to from a short test I did.

The radial before adding to the frames.

The frames and side beams during modification and making.

The radial in place. It has been working very well, apart from one tight spot. I am not sure if it would ever get into the position when working. But I will rectify it before long.

The side beams and front axle pivot beam, which still needs the support fitting at lose end.


I will post more shortly. Hope you will find this build interesting

 

[Dikitriki]

Hope you will find this build interesting

Hi Peter,

Welcome to WT.

I shall be most interested to follow this build. For my money, and I speak from personal experience of this kit, it is at the very top of my 'worst kits on the market' list.

But don't let me put you off

Richard

 

[Peter Cross]

I don't mind a challenge. I sometimes think they improve the model making quicker than the fall together type.

I have found a little that needs some thought already, that will be shown in the next post hopefully.

 

[Peter Cross]

I have started the footplate so I can make sure it all will fit together as it should. It is a two part footplate so I made a start at the front.


The saddle fitted nicely but there is no way the cover for the cylinder casting will work, as you can see in the photo the gaps would be enormous. It would also be to wide and to long. I will scratch build them later.



The etch for the frame where they show above the footplate are to small so I will redo these too. I will add the buffer plank and the drop iron, then get on with the rear half.

 

[Peter Cross]

I have manged a bit more on this. I remade the cylinders to something that matched the drawing a bit better.


The bunker was the next and fitted well once bent in the right place, the instructions were a bit off. The tank sides and boiler have been tacked together to check alignment. Now it is back to the bunker and cab rear while I can get in, before fitting the tanks together properly.

 

[Scale7JB]

Good work, looking alright so far...

JB.

 

[Peter Cross]

Good work, looking alright so far...

JB.

Thanks.
Some bits are trial others are great. I think the redrawn parts are in general slightly better, but may have follow to closely the originals.

 

[Scale7JB]

Anything in particular peter? Looks like the front splashers might need to be widened a bit for finescale to hide the wheels?

JB.

 

[Peter Cross]

I took the side off again. added the tank tops and representation of the inner tanks. I also did the tank handrail. This was done by filing the shank of the knobs down to half thickness and soldering to the inside face of the sides. looks good from the outside and neat on the inside.

The bunker tops were made and added along with the beading. Just the fragile bits to do.



The kit supplied bit for the bunker front have been added. there is nothing for the front half of the cab except the backhead. Does anyone know if the side tanks came into the cab? If so how far and how high?


The sides were tacked in place again to check that everything was still in the right place. The cab front was also fitted this time and the boiler was test, with a little fettling it was to me all looking neat and dandy. Will solder it all up next session.



Think it is time to get the frames finished and running.

 

[Peter Cross]

Anything in particular peter? Looks like the front splashers might need to be widened a bit for finescale to hide the wheels?

JB.

Yes I agree with that, it is sort of on my to do list. The most annoying bit were the undersize cylinders. The smokebox and boiler were too large a diameter, which is harder to correct in pre rolled ones. also being pre rolled it would be difficult to rivet the smokebox for the post BR ones.

It is really lots of little things adding up. To me it looks like it should, so thats good. Typical of the faults they give the wrong position for the bunker curves, when in the right place the parts all fit together apart from the hopper tops which are far too small. Details for the rear half of the cab but nothing for the front.

I have turned a corner with the build and feel positive about it now, the faults are niggles not disasters as they were at the start.

 

[7mmMick]

Looks spot on Peter and as you say looks as it should. I have to say until I read your last post I thought the kit looked quite good but it's obvious that it needs lots of work. I'd heard bad things about the kit before but that said I've heard bad things about the DJH kit as well so I suppose both have their drawbacks. Can I ask please what you have used for the beading on the bunker back, it looks really nice

Can I ask what castings you've used on the cylinder please? They seem to be brass, did they come with the kit or sourced elsewhere?

Although I can't help with the tank detail as all my stuff is packed for the house move I would have thought the tanks will protrude into the cab in some way, I would be surprised if there were none. Looking forward to the next instalment,

ATB Mick

 

[Peter Cross]

Looks spot on Peter and as you say looks as it should. I have to say until I read your last post I thought the kit looked quite good but it's obvious that it needs lots of work. I'd heard bad things about the kit before but that said I've heard bad things about the DJH kit as well so I suppose both have their drawbacks. Can I ask please what you have used for the beading on the bunker back, it looks really nice

Can I ask what castings you've used on the cylinder please? They seem to be brass, did they come with the kit or sourced elsewhere?

Although I can't help with the tank detail as all my stuff is packed for the house move I would have thought the tanks will protrude into the cab in some way, I would be surprised if there were none. Looking forward to the next instalment,

ATB Mick

Thanks Mick

I suppose for the it is far better value than DJH. I have never built any of their 7mm stuff I was put off by the 4mm. The last one I built, granted it was for my own layout. Was a SR S15 the only bits I ended up using from the kit was 3/4 of the tender and a much modified boiler casting.

I would much rather make and alter parts in a £200 kit than a supposedly high quality kit.

The beading is half round wire from Metalsmiths, 0.7mm. The parts for the cylinders is very poor, The valve guides come as a casting in whitemetal or an etch but only for the guides nothing for the valve extensions either side of the cylinder. I made these from wheel bushes with the shoulder reduced, and the etched parts added to these. I will not say they are correct but to my eye I think they past muster. Again the crossheads and piston gland are bits from the kit modified along with scratch built extras. Again if this was for me I may of sourced castings from elsewhere.

There is the problem of getting stuff halfway through the build too. It is not the case of putting things on hold for a week while the parts arrive. With customs and the poor postal service here it can take 3monthes to get parts.

 

[Peter Cross]

The battle has been won. The valve gear has been assembled and is working.

As much as it was a fight I think it looks OK now. I did complicate it by want the front end to look as though it actually does something.







The work required to the kit parts is as follows, You have to remember it came like a 4mm kit, just a single layer etched parts. So very basic for 7mm.

The connecting rod was made three layers rather than two. Holes actually the distance apart.
Eccentric arm shortened and hole re drilled.
Eccentric rod doubled to make forked joint.
The link was OK just needed tube adding to keep it in the right place.
Reversing arm shortened and doubled for fork onto the radius rod.
The radius rod doubled for forked joint, but left single for link and reversing arm.
Combination lever left single but the top holes for radius rod, and valve spindle,
Union link remake completely.
The valve rod, couplings for the combination lever and the dummy 3 to 1 gear at the front all scratch built.




A trial fit of the body it was discovered that the expansion link cut out was in the wrong place, and the connecting rod fouled the footplate curve at the front of the tanks. Once attacked with the mini disc all was well.



I then finished the step support, added the balance pipe and the pipes for the injectors. I then noticed the the han brake gear is very visible so this was added as there is nothing in the kit or mention in the instructions.



I refitted the carrying wheels to check the clearances for a final time, Just a little fettling of the pony was required. I have added mounting points for their control springs. Thats the frames done ready for stripping and painting. PHEW!!!!!!!




I had been playing with the 0395 by the test track. When checking the V3 the 0-6-0 looked like it was to a different scale. This beastie is huge.



Now I just need to win the war.
There is very little left in the box, but seems so much more to be added to the body.

 

[Genghis]

Looking good. Once I have finished the Gladiator Director, I will be building the DJH V1. It will be interesting to compare the two.

 

[Jon Fitness]

Lovely job Peter. I'm slowly building myself up to construction of my first outside valve gear loco so posts like this are very much appreciated!
Jon F.

 

[Peter Cross]

Looking good. Once I have finished the Gladiator Director, I will be building the DJH V1. It will be interesting to compare the two.

I expect it will fit together better than this one, but not sure if any more accurate.

 

[Peter Cross]

Lovely job Peter. I'm slowly building myself up to construction of my first outside valve gear loco so posts like this are very much appreciated!
Jon F.

It is not that hard to do, but pick a kit where it is a bit more accurate than this one was.

 

[Peter Cross]

The front and rear lamp irons have been fixed except the smokebox door which will be done when the low melt comes out. The destination board bracket are also on. I just need to adde the buffer housings and the vacuum and steam heat pipes.




You will also see the front steps and extra guard irons are also on. The boiler hand rails and steam exhaust ejector pipe were nexxt on. Very happy with these although the hole for the ejector pipe was the wrong side and 2 handrail knob holes in the wrong place.




Nothing for it but to try the chimney dome and smoke box door in place. The roof needs fitting and detailing and that's the end of the hot soldering. I final believe that this is now looking like a V3. Soon be time for the paint shop.




I think the front step needs looking at. Damn photos show up everything.

 

[Scale7JB]

Damn, I might have to buy an Ace kit?

JB.

 

[AJC]

Damn, I might have to buy an Ace kit?

JB.

Hmm, wasn't the V1 that DJH markets now actually originated by Piercy Models? They are certainly listed separately on the DJH website and they certainly look to be of a higher standard than Model Loco's UK output. I've only ever seen one of their B1s close too (Bob Alderman built it) and this looked very much better than anything I've seen from DJH in 4mm and in much of their 7mm range.

The 4mm S15 is a bit of a disaster area, as Peter suggests, their U/N/U1/N1 is also 'interesting' - a friend is reconstructing bits from one into a rebuilt River - and there are certainly quite major dimensional problems with other examples in the 4mm range (which even Tony Wright, the great proselytiser for the range admits about some of the LNER pacifics) but it may not be reasonable to make this particular comparison. I freely admit to knowing nothing about this particular prototype, however. From what I can see above, the platework on the ACE model looks good; I'm less than convinced by what I can see of the rest of it, particularly the chimney and dome.

Adam