7mm Pug advice

[P-J.S.]

I like plotting and planning, in fact I'd probably say my favourite bit of the hobby is coming up with new ideas, and only every so often do those ideas make it to fruition. I'm currently in the middle of my 0-14 project (teaser photos elsewhere), and getting that moving again after a few years of stop start progress, however whilst I am actually working hard at uni on my penultimate assignment procrastinating sketching up a new idea (to get it out of my system honest Guv!) which tis basically a small S7 shunting layout (and by small I mean self contained in 88" x 22").

Obviously to shunt you need a loco, and whilst the Kernow/Dapol Beattie Well Tank is very nice... there is only one choice for a first 7mm SG loco in my view... the clichéd L&Y Aspinall Pug, twas the first kit I ever built (in Dapol form aged diddly squat), first 4mm loco, basis for my first 7mm NG loco (the red Bagnall in my avatar is the second, both Wrightlines whitemetals kits on the pug chassis, also my first whitemetal kit).... so yes I have a very clichéd fondness for them.

The question here though comes down to which of the following four options is the best for building a S7 version?

My understandings:
1) Sevenscale (now Springside) Kit: Looks a good kit, comes with wheels motor etc, but is lots of pennies, is whitemetal mostly so nice and weighty... looks really nice too, but appears to be missing the slide bar covers...

2) Agenoria models version: its a brass kit (I don't like building etched brass kits, I can, I just prefer not to), and the model shown on the website doesn't quite look right... the saddle tank looks squished...

3) Tower Brass: very very very many pennies.... but a very nice model, would obviously need re-gauging...

4) Scratchbuild.... well.... fun, less expensive, but relies very heavily on me... and finding some scale drawings so I don't have to work from the Hornby OO model!

I think I'm leaning between options 1 or 4... views? What have I missed? Also.. can you get S7 wheel sets to fit into the Peco Toad brake van kit?

(PS thanks for listening to my ramblings!)

 

[Dog Star]

.. can you get S7 wheel sets to fit into the Peco Toad brake van kit?

Yes - I have done so with our AA3 model, I used Exactoscale etchings for the axleguards and left the Webster mouldings in the box.

regards, Graham

 

[adrian]

1) Sevenscale (now Springside) Kit: Looks a good kit, comes with wheels motor etc, but is lots of pennies, is whitemetal mostly so nice and weighty... looks really nice too, but appears to be missing the slide bar covers...

I built a Sevenscale kit many moons ago - pre Scale7 days. It does go together very well and looks the part.

I made my own slide bar covers from a bit of nickelsilver sheet - very easy to do. As for building it to Scale7 I think the only pain would be the chassis, which if I remember correctly was a one piece fold up unit. So that would probably need splitting and new frame spacers making.

I'll have a look tonight and see about a couple of photo's for you. I seem to remember the other tweaks I made were a light springing on the front axle, I replaced the conn rods and coupling rods with steel versions, and the dummy inside motion supplied in the kit - it is possible to make it working inside motion!

 

[adrian]

Here is that rather cruel close up - showing too much dust.

As I remember now - the slide bar covers are included as an etch in the kit but they are supplied flat and you have to put the bend in to clear the crosshead nut - which is probably why 99% of kits are built without them fitted. You can just make out the valve gear in the chassis cut-out. A couple of eccentrics on the rear axle and pinned joints means that it all works.

 

[Steph Dale]

I'm with Adrian on this. I built a couple of the Sevenscal pugs getting on for 15 years ago and really enjoyed the experience. If I were building one now I'd be looking at fitting it with a High-Level gearbox and Mashima motor rather than the D13 I think was originally supplied. I'd no doubt also be doing something in terms of springing or compensation.

I'd keep an eye open for a Sevenscal one too; I think the casting quality was better than the more recent Springside kits, although the quality of the metal they use now seems cleaner to work with.

Steph

 

[adrian]

I'm with Adrian on this. I built a couple of the Sevenscal pugs getting on for 15 years ago and really enjoyed the experience. If I were building one now I'd be looking at fitting it with a High-Level gearbox and Mashima motor rather than the D13 I think was originally supplied. I'd no doubt also be doing something in terms of springing or compensation.

I made my own gearbox for it with a Mashima motor. I could then remove the motor yet still leave the gearbox attached to the axle and chassis. Springing on mine was simply elongating the front axle holes in the chassis and soldering a couple of spring wires to act on the brass bushes. Although given the weight of the loco with all the castings it probably isn't required as it'll steamroller out any undulations in the track work!

 

[Steph Dale]

I made my own gearbox for it with a Mashima motor. I could then remove the motor yet still leave the gearbox attached to the axle and chassis.

Adrian,

In terms of 'off the shelf' solutions either High-level or DJH gearboxes will allow you to do that. Actually, there's a thought, the DJH gearboxes are superb. I'm also wondering what Slater's new RG4 replacement is like...?

I s'pose we'd need to check that Slater's can still supply the pug wheels on 1/8" axles.

Steph

 

[dltaylor]

Whats this PJ? Lured by the hedonistic world of standard gauge???
I would go for the Springside model myself, its known to be a really good kit, and as you say, will weigh a ton.
Looking at the Agenoria website I see what you mean about the tank, but I think that example has just been poorly formed, rather than being a fault with the kit.
Good luck,
Dave.

 

[P-J.S.]

Thank you all, those photos by Adrian look really good. I shall start saving up for a Sevenscale/Springside Pug kit then. I'm at the Reading show in May so will see what's available there for a nosey at.
And Dave... mayyebbbee... or it may be part of Bladricks cunning plan for the Clun....

 

[Simon Dunkley]

... or it may be part of Bladricks cunning plan for the Clun....

Hi,
Welcome to the forum!

You are probably aware of this, but in the museum at Clun are the plans for a proposal for a railway up the Clun Valley as far as Newcastle. Not been and visited, so cannot vouch for the level of detail, but there is a basis there.

Iain Rice's plan for Clun, which was essentially a re-working of Bishop's Castle, took a few liberties with the available space (and turnout radii!), but still provides some interesting ideas.

 

[adrian]

In terms of 'off the shelf' solutions either High-level or DJH gearboxes will allow you to do that. Actually, there's a thought, the DJH gearboxes are superb. I'm also wondering what Slater's new RG4 replacement is like...?

Very true - but this was 1982/83 so very little was available at the time;I was still on pocket money income then so it was much cheaper to make my own from a few bits of brass.

 

[P-J.S.]

Hi,
Welcome to the forum!

You are probably aware of this, but in the museum at Clun are the plans for a proposal for a railway up the Clun Valley as far as Newcastle. Not been and visited, so cannot vouch for the level of detail, but there is a basis there.

Iain Rice's plan for Clun, which was essentially a re-working of Bishop's Castle, took a few liberties with the available space (and turnout radii!), but still provides some interesting ideas.

Hullo Simon. I am indeed and have visited it, and read through the other proposals that are at the Shrewsbury Archives. Rice's plan is very nice but stops east of the Clun Bridge, my plans for the Clun are actually 2' narrow gauge, and does fit with the topography, but that's another thread

Re the pug, I really like the idea of sticking a great big motor in it, and what with it being a weighty kit to start with it should make it capable of pulling "enough"!

 

[Scale7JB]

I believe the Sevenscale pug kit was initially produced by our very own Peter Hunt, though I'm not sure if it was the cast or etched footplate version..

Definitely keep an eye out on eBay, as I've seen a few of these kits pop up on there..

Oh, and welcome to the S7 fold, you know it makes sense . By the way, there is a S7 challenge on at the moment, though I fear you may have misse the deadline..

JB.

 

[P-J.S.]

There is currently a "Sevenscal" kit on Ebay which I hope I may get away with sneaking a bid on (if it doesn't go about tooo too many pennies) If I do get it it looks like a little redesign of my 7mmNG plans to incorporate a S7 tuning fork to shunt.....