Heather Kay
Western Thunderer
I know, a corny title, but it sort of fits with this breed of loco. I have been commissioned to build a JLTRT GWR 57xx pannier tank. The build will - hopefully - be pretty straightforward and pretty much straight out of the box.
Having discussed with the client what he's after, which more or less comes down to "I want a 57xx and I don't really mind which one it is", we've settled on building 7752 with the welded tanks. The only reason for choosing this loco is because I have photos of it to hand (in the MRJ article by Ian Rice, "The Ubiquitous 57", kindly copied to me by members of this forum), and because I don't have any further prototype references being more of an LMS/BR Midland Region modeller at heart. Thanks also to Graham "Dog Star" Beare for loaning me a book to help me pin down build dates, lot numbers and so forth.
7752 is preserved and still running, having been sold out of BR service to London Transport. The loco is currently wearing its LT livery and number L94.
GWR 5700 'Pannier Tank' Class 7752 (L94) by Stuart Axe, on Flickr
I will be finishing 7752 in the post-1928 GWR livery of plain green, as being worn by another preserved member of the class, No 5764. In fact, this is the finish I shall aim for at the end.
GWR Class 5700 No 5764 Pannier by Peter Broster, on Flickr
The only additions to what's in the box have been the wheels, motor, gearbox, crew, some tools, replacement ATC parts, and eventually making the loco DCC ready with a speaker and associated electrickery fitted.
So, let's see what we have in the box...
Is that it? Well, yes, it is. The etches tell me the kit is about a decade old now. The upper works are brass, the chassis and associated parts nickel silver. The boiler, firebox, smokebox and pannier tanks are a solid cast resin block. Ziplock bags contain the whitemetal and lost wax brass/nickel silver castings, handrail knobs, fixing bolts, springs and buffers.
I added these parts. A driver and fireman, plus a selection of tools from Heroes of the Footplate. ATC pickup shoe and cab fittings from Hobbyhorse (even though the parts are actually in the kit, the plain fact is the Hobbyhorse ones are much nicer). Slater's provide the gearbox and motor, and the wheelsets.
I have still to acquire the DCC and sound parts.
This is the one-piece boiler and tanks casting. Laurie has warned me that little flare at the bottom of the smokebox is vulnerable, so until I need this part it remains in bubble wrap and in the box.
The whitemetal parts. Splashers, top feed (not needed for this build), smokebox door, backhead, sandboxes, dome, chimney, various toolboxes, ATC battery box and some pipework. Most of the castings are clean, but the toolboxes and dome will need some fettling. I might get Laurie to send me a better dome, to be honest.
On to the brass stuff, of which there is a lot. Axlebox keeper plates, springs and shackles (only four, because I think the cab end ones are volute), bearings and hornguides.
Screwlink couplings, brake cylinder, steam and vac pipes, lubricators, handbrake cover for the back of the cab, buffer stocks, cab springs and tank fillers, lamp brackets, tender tool brackets and sandbox filler lids and smokebox dart. The curved plates are to help form the bunker.
Cab fittings - many of which I am currently unable to name . I look forward to learning what they are and where they fit!
Boiler and footplate fittings, including the classic safety valve bonnet (which will be painted, sadly). The chimney is also devoid of the copper top. Poor little pannier tank.
Finally…
Alternative tank fillers for the 8750 variant of the type, which can be built from this kit with some other extra parts. Not entirely sure why these are included, but here they are.
According to the packing list, there should be various gauges of wire. While I can source these from my shelves, they should be in the box, so a call to Irvine on Friday will be needed (holiday north of the border on 2nd January, of course).
I've made a start by cleaning up and blackening the wheels. I plan to try and get a running chassis fairly quickly. This build will be in series with the Mk1 RMB I know you're all itching to follow. The coach is currently still in the research phase, and I plan a couple of site visits to real vehicles in the not-too-distant future before I feel happy beginning the build in earnest.
Having discussed with the client what he's after, which more or less comes down to "I want a 57xx and I don't really mind which one it is", we've settled on building 7752 with the welded tanks. The only reason for choosing this loco is because I have photos of it to hand (in the MRJ article by Ian Rice, "The Ubiquitous 57", kindly copied to me by members of this forum), and because I don't have any further prototype references being more of an LMS/BR Midland Region modeller at heart. Thanks also to Graham "Dog Star" Beare for loaning me a book to help me pin down build dates, lot numbers and so forth.
7752 is preserved and still running, having been sold out of BR service to London Transport. The loco is currently wearing its LT livery and number L94.
GWR 5700 'Pannier Tank' Class 7752 (L94) by Stuart Axe, on Flickr
I will be finishing 7752 in the post-1928 GWR livery of plain green, as being worn by another preserved member of the class, No 5764. In fact, this is the finish I shall aim for at the end.
GWR Class 5700 No 5764 Pannier by Peter Broster, on Flickr
The only additions to what's in the box have been the wheels, motor, gearbox, crew, some tools, replacement ATC parts, and eventually making the loco DCC ready with a speaker and associated electrickery fitted.
So, let's see what we have in the box...
Is that it? Well, yes, it is. The etches tell me the kit is about a decade old now. The upper works are brass, the chassis and associated parts nickel silver. The boiler, firebox, smokebox and pannier tanks are a solid cast resin block. Ziplock bags contain the whitemetal and lost wax brass/nickel silver castings, handrail knobs, fixing bolts, springs and buffers.
I added these parts. A driver and fireman, plus a selection of tools from Heroes of the Footplate. ATC pickup shoe and cab fittings from Hobbyhorse (even though the parts are actually in the kit, the plain fact is the Hobbyhorse ones are much nicer). Slater's provide the gearbox and motor, and the wheelsets.
I have still to acquire the DCC and sound parts.
This is the one-piece boiler and tanks casting. Laurie has warned me that little flare at the bottom of the smokebox is vulnerable, so until I need this part it remains in bubble wrap and in the box.
The whitemetal parts. Splashers, top feed (not needed for this build), smokebox door, backhead, sandboxes, dome, chimney, various toolboxes, ATC battery box and some pipework. Most of the castings are clean, but the toolboxes and dome will need some fettling. I might get Laurie to send me a better dome, to be honest.
On to the brass stuff, of which there is a lot. Axlebox keeper plates, springs and shackles (only four, because I think the cab end ones are volute), bearings and hornguides.
Screwlink couplings, brake cylinder, steam and vac pipes, lubricators, handbrake cover for the back of the cab, buffer stocks, cab springs and tank fillers, lamp brackets, tender tool brackets and sandbox filler lids and smokebox dart. The curved plates are to help form the bunker.
Cab fittings - many of which I am currently unable to name . I look forward to learning what they are and where they fit!
Boiler and footplate fittings, including the classic safety valve bonnet (which will be painted, sadly). The chimney is also devoid of the copper top. Poor little pannier tank.
Finally…
Alternative tank fillers for the 8750 variant of the type, which can be built from this kit with some other extra parts. Not entirely sure why these are included, but here they are.
According to the packing list, there should be various gauges of wire. While I can source these from my shelves, they should be in the box, so a call to Irvine on Friday will be needed (holiday north of the border on 2nd January, of course).
I've made a start by cleaning up and blackening the wheels. I plan to try and get a running chassis fairly quickly. This build will be in series with the Mk1 RMB I know you're all itching to follow. The coach is currently still in the research phase, and I plan a couple of site visits to real vehicles in the not-too-distant future before I feel happy beginning the build in earnest.