7mm Schools Class Build

Hi Rob,

Well all three Schools class I'm building are from the David Andrews stable. To be honest, there are issues with the design, as there are for most kits, but they aren't so bad as cause any serious problems. You just have to take care and check the fit of parts.

Examples are:

Holes in the cylinder stretchers for positioning the piston and valve castings are too far inboard.
The cylinders sit too high in the frames.
Cheesehead bolts for securing the cylinder assembly foul the bottom of the smokebox.
Strengthening fillets required where the slidebars are mounted to the motion bracket
No indication in the kit as to where the "covers" for the lubricator pipes along the boiler should be....it's a case of guess.

Ian

Lancastrian said:

Hi Rob,

Well all three Schools class I'm building are from the David Andrews stable. To be honest, there are issues with the design, as there are for most kits, but they aren't so bad as cause any serious problems. You just have to take care and check the fit of parts.

Examples are:

Holes in the cylinder stretchers for positioning the piston and valve castings are too far inboard.
The cylinders sit too high in the frames.
Cheesehead bolts for securing the cylinder assembly foul the bottom of the smokebox.
Strengthening fillets required where the slidebars are mounted to the motion bracket
No indication in the kit as to where the "covers" for the lubricator pipes along the boiler should be....it's a case of guess.

Ian

Click to expand...

Thanks, Ian. Duly noted.

Regards, Rob.

Work does continue on the Schools class locomotives.

Modified exhaust steam injector. The cast whitemetal steam pipe required extending, which was done with a length of brass tube and careful soldering.


The modified (beefed up) reversing gear also now looks the part.


Smoke deflectors have retaining brackets fitted. The instructions recommend looping the half etched brass parts around the handrail, but I opted for 0.9mm brass tube soldered to the etched parts instead, which the handrails can slide though and hopefully provide a firmer purchase.


The lovely Diane Carney nameplates are also fitted. I dispensed with the basic etch backing plate in the kit, as on the prototype they are designed for each individual plate. 0.6mm rivets have been added too. I must have a look at the black marks under this plate before continuing with painting.


Ian

Smokebox door time for one of the locos.
Holes drilled in one door hinge strap for the row of rivets which started to appear on the locomotives in the post-war era. One row completed, next one to do.


The numberplate has been fitted in place using 16BA nuts and bolts.


Ian

Another fairly cruel close-up, but it does highlight the "quality" of the casting. Rivets all in place and the top lamp iron also fitted, along with 0.7mm rivets to give it additional strength.



Ian

30908 "Westminster"


30924 "Haileybury"


Both completed and ready to go to their new home.

Ian

The two Schools now residing at their new home, on the SR7mm Group railway.


They then appeared "on Shed" with two other Schools (San Cheng) and ex-LSWR T9 and an ex-SECR L, all 4-4-0's.



I had the "Power car" from the 4-EPB I built back in 2011 (IIRC) back this last week to install a second Canon motor, as I'd hoped one to replace the Mashimas would be sufficient. However, this unit always suffered from the wheels not running concentric to the axles. I believed this was due to deformities in the insualted plastic centres. Whilst the bogies was apart, I investigated the axles to check them and found the following:

I then machined the stubs off in the lathe and having used a centre drill to spot the end, drilled through the axle with a 3mm drill. A length of 3mm N/S was then machined with two stubs to give a tight fit on the wheels. This was inserted into the axle and Loctite was used to hold it in place.
This is the result:

The wheels now run so much better and I may turn my attention to the other powered bogie at a later date if it warrants the same treatment.

Ian

Schools number 3 has had it's frames erected


Next step is to fit the hornblocks for the rear axle and then some final detail parts. Unfortunately the etches for the sandpipe brackets are missing. It seems this kit was bought second hand as it has a replacement etch for the frames and some other items, but not the sandpipe brackets. Looks like I'll be scratchbuilding them for this build.

Ian

Hi Ian,
Thanks to your help my second Schools has been finished and painted by Paul Moore, very lightly weathered.

I am now into my fourth Schools, the first Whitgift was sold years ago and I still regret selling it! Now I am working on a commission build of 30925 Cheltenham.

As for the missing sandpipe brackets, doubtless you will know they are part 99 and having just checked my etches they are on the etch with the principle cylinder etch.

Cheers
Roger

Morning Roger,

That has turned out very nice, and Paul has done an excellent job as usual.

Now, to the etches....



As I built the tender over a year ago, its etches were put to one side and the brass etch on the left in the above photo was with them. As you can see, the kit also has a N/S etch for the same parts, hence my assumption that the sandpipe brackets were missing, as well as some balance weights. The other additional etch with the kit is for the frames and other items and is marked "Schools - Rob Healey".

Ian

This maybe the same kit I sold on a few years ago? I’ve built quite a few David Andrews Schools kits in the past and occasionally used to commission Dave to supply certain etches from the kit for one reason or another. Dave would always oblige and put my name on the etch so he would know it was for me, but for the life of me I’ve no idea how that etch turned up in the kit you have?
When I sold the kit, it included a mashima 1833 motor and a set of Hobbyhorse SR clack valves which I always used instead of those tiny generic ones which for me always spoilt the look of the boiler.

Hi Bob,

This kit is one I've been commissioned to build for another member of the SR7mm Group, of which I am a member. There are no Hobbyhorse castings with the kit and it has been provided with an MSC motor/gearbox combination. Interestingly, it came in a brown box with a picture of a Schools taped to the box lid. It does look as though someone started to build the kit and then stopped after the frames were made, hence the extra set of etches.

Thanks for the information though, as it does clear up why the etches have your name on them.

Ian

Schools class number 3, well actually 30932 "Blundell's" has progressed fairly quickly after the hiatus of it being on the back-burner.
As she was on 20th July.


21st July.
The cyliner drain pipes were cut back, as per the previous two examples, and I made some more prototypical looking covers for them where they pass across the front footstep backing plate. 0.7mm brass tube and some brass C channel. Photos prior to clean up and the pipes being dressed back.



This is how it looks with the front steps in place.


22nd July.
One issue with the previous builds was the "flimsy" etch which represents the lower portion of the firebox front. I built it up with an additional piece of 28thou NS.

Brass original


NS addition soldered to the rear.


26th July.
Nameplate backing plates soldered in place with a nameplate temporarily fitted (Blutack).


28th July.
Cast whitemetal parts for the oil pipe feed exits from the cab front were replaced with items filed from rectangular brass bar.


Covers for said pipes made up from more C channel brass to replace the flat etched item provided. Don't worry about the gap at the cab end, as the boiler assembly isn't bolted in place in the above photo.


3rd August.
Smoke deflectors fitted. Additional brackets made from some 1mm x 1mm brass angle help to keep them "robust" on the lower portion of the running board.


Ian

5th August.

Two of the missing castings from the kit were for the covers at the base of the firebox between the splashers. David Andrews was unable to provide replacements, so I fashioned them out of 10thou NS, which was a bit of a "biatch"...no doubt Nick Dunhill would have them made in about 5 minutes! Anyway, they are in place, don't look too bad and paint will hide any shortcomings.


7th August.
The absolute pain that is the whitemetal casting for the exhaust steam injector and feed pipe. Etched brass flanges and copper or brass wire made it an exercise in needing four hands ! Also, there is no sensible way of attaching the injector casting to the footstep backing plate.


11th August
Almost ready for priming. Only a few detail parts to add now, steam and vac pipes, coupling bracket and the lifting links. Other pipework will be added once I'm happy with how the boiler will be removeable. Handrails will be left until after the whole is painted.


Ian

Looks Bob on Ian nice work.

AdeMoore said:

Looks Bob on Ian nice work.

Click to expand...

Ade,




Now on to the next project.

Ian

Ian outstanding that. Top work.

Running in on the SR7mm Group rolling road.

Nice one Ian. I saw and photographed Blundells at Ashford Works immediately after withdrawal, complete but sans nameplates so it holds a bitter sweet memory for me.

Brian

The three Schools, lined up at Great Victoria Street station.