7mm Finney 4992 Crosby Hall

dibateg

Western Thunderer
I'm following in Micks footsteps again! This is an original Finney kit from sometime ago and was purchased by my client second hand. Some prep work had already been done, but like any old kit that's had the etchings exposed to air for some time, they are somewhat tarnished. I much prefer a brand new kit with shiny etchings. One thing I've noticed is that the nickel-silver seems to be very hard. It does come with some very nice Harris wheels though.
I've made a start on the frames, they won't be compensated and I elected to use Slaters hornblocks which are quicker than making up the etched ones in the kit.
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The running plate has already been folded up, it will need a clean....
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7mmMick

Western Thunderer
Make sure you give yourself a bit of room with the footplate overlay pal. I cleaned mine up and was happy with a snug fit until I started fitting the splashed tops and fronts later and I wished I’d given myself half a mm here and there. I got round it but easier to do it now, looking forward to seeing it come together mate. Should be fairly quick as the tender is done
 

dibateg

Western Thunderer
I didn't quite get that message in time! Thanks anyway Mick, the splasher tops were a bit of a fiddle, but got there in the end. Running plate now married up with the frames.
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The firebox was pretty straight forward, I turned down some David Andrews spacers to build it. I'm just deciding what to do about the washout plugs, fit separate ones or a Dikitriki solution....
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Boiler and smokebox completed. The boiler is a typical Finney development. Roll it up and it fits perfectly
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dibateg

Western Thunderer
I can now reveal...………………………………….. the answer was the Dikitriki way. The etched strips to represent the washout plugs wouldn't pass muster I'm afraid. Strips of lead flashing were soldered inside the firebox with 145. Then drilled 2.1mm by hand and not all the way through. That leaves a nice indent to drill the rest of the way 0.75mm. Short lengths of 0.8mm square brass can then be soldered in with 145 and the iron set to 220 degrees. Any cock ups can be patched with solder and re-drilled. It looks untidy on the inside, but that will be tidied up a little. Cladding bolts are mums brass lace maker pins with the heads filed to a hex. Just need to tidy the cut ends.
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Well, there not much else to do on a day of intermittent sleet showers...
 

dibateg

Western Thunderer
Sorry Simon...

I've got a good stock of spare castings from the JLTRT kits, so found some for the oil feed cover, ejector pipe supports, snifters sand rod cranks and sandbox lids. I put the loco in forward gear as that's what it will be doing most of the time. The etching for the crank rather dictates that. The sander rodding is half etch and very flimsy.
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7mmMick

Western Thunderer
Looking good mate, I like the casting for the sanding rods, much easier than messing about with the small etched parts, I used some brass tube to beef mine up. I hope the top feed is the earlier type as fitting the drivers side after all that gubbins is fun! Guess how I know :)):rolleyes:
 

dibateg

Western Thunderer
Yes - I should have fitted the top feed pipe earlier! It was a fiddle. Copper washout covers from Malcolm Mitchell, there is just the white metal fittings to put on now. I used 0.6mm brass wire for the ATC conduit, it was the stiffest wire I've ever come across... Chimney is just plonked on. Nearly there.
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P A D

Western Thunderer
Very Nice Tony,

I see you've soldered the mud hole covers as Mick did. I prefer to use epoxy as suggested in the instructions as it allow time to adjust them. Mind you, I still got one wrong on the 3P!
Cheer,
Peter
 

dibateg

Western Thunderer
Thanks Peter -
I'm just more comfortable with solder. If I make a mistake, I can move them... I do use glue for some things..

I've got as far as I can with the body, its been so gloomy here I've had trouble getting a decent pic. I'm struggling for castings for the frames and other details, without Hobbyhorse and MM1 only doing a few, I'm going to have come up with some bright ideas... I need to get a decent clean up as she is looking a bit patchy...
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I like making up back heads, with a bit of a tidy this one will be done. It's slightly simplified and I always spray the actual casting before adding the fittings. They can then be coloured as desired.-
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dibateg

Western Thunderer
Crosby Hall has been in abeyance for a while, but the AGH wheels arrived after being insulated on both sides. I also managed to get some, but not all of the castings from MM1 models. So I've been pressing on with the frames. I managed to find some brake stretcher castings in the spares box and also used some brake hangers from Warren Sheppard. I wasn't able to get a set of leading springs ,so they've been knocked up from the etches and filed to a similar profile to the cast ones.
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I also had enough castings to complete the cylinder unit. If it looks a bit odd, it is, as this model has to negotiate 4 foot radius curves, so the front is not very pretty as the inner faces of the cylinders have to be ground away to clear the bogie wheel. I move the front relief valve to the same position as the one on the rear, so at least there is something there. They are also on the prototype, mounted on the casting and not the cover, so I mount them on the etching to poke through the cylinder cover. Surprisingly once the model is all together it's not that noticeable. It still needs cleaning up..
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7mmMick

Western Thunderer
That brake gear is a massive improvement and I really like the cylinder castings Tony
 

dibateg

Western Thunderer
I'm grinding along with this project in the mornings and it took ages to work out how to fit the vacuum pump - even though I have done it before. It has to be removable as the AGH wheels have the axle attached and need to go in at right angles to the frames. With the parts I had the pump sat too low below the running plate, so I had to extend the crosshead arm. After a fair bit of cursing, I worked it out and it stands on two studs. Nearly there...
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dibateg

Western Thunderer
Well, I've just about got this one over the line so its ready for a track test and then paintshop.

The messy rear frames are where I took the sand boxes off as they should be spaced out from the frames, I used some brass 'U' channel for that. So I need to tidy that up. There are some MM1 castings, injectors, crossheads and slidebars, brake stretchers.. The balance weights on the centre drivers were just a plain etch, so some proper chunky ones have been made from plastic card.
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To accommodate the taper pin for the AGH wheels, a 2mm hole is drilled through the final drive gear. I don't bother fitting the grub screw. Mounting channel for the sand boxes self evident.
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The vac pump needs to be demountable to allow the AGH wheels to be fitted, so it's mounted on some studding. I had to extend the arm off the crosshead. I couldn't find a casting for the weighshaft, and that highlights a problem I've been having obtaining suitable castings...
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As this loco has to negotiate 4 foot radius curves I had to resort to some subterfuge for the ATC pick up, so it's cut down and mounted on the bogie. Something needs to be there, otherwise it looks too empty under the buffer beam.
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In model railways there are often compromises, but I don't think the front end looks to bad with the cut away cylinders. I do need to be a little more dilligent with my cleaning up though...
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And sideways on, she looks rather fine. I'll put proper crank pin nuts on after painting.
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Back to LNE engines next, thank goodness....
 
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