BR W1 Class 60700 - Nick Dunhill's Workbench
Prepared by Tommy Day
Author Nick Dunhill
Here we go on another exciting adventure. I know this build has been covered recently on a thread by Richard Lambert but I had a minor hand in the development of this kit and now it's time to make a couple of them myself.
So far I have found the kit to be wonderful (I have no financial associations, only social, with the Finney7 co-op) and it's by far and away the best kit I have ever made (I've never built an MOK Kit!.) I have a penchant for hidden detail, but looking through the comprehensive instruction booklet it appears my trusty piercing saw will be largely redundant during this one.
First you make a load of sub assemblies….
and then put some bends and overlays in the frames
If you carefully do as instructed it just falls together
One is a commission but the other is for sale. One will represent the loco as running in the 1950s and the other is the choice of the new owner! If anyone is interested in owning the second loco, and has any specific building requirements, get in touch quickly……
Apr 12, 2019#2
Nick Dunhill
….only a short post this week. Anyone hoping for an 'Ha-Hah!' moment will be disappointed. I just followed the excellent instructions and it just sort of evolves.
I did add some castellated nuts to the coupling rods though,
And some extra ribs to the front bogie stretcher buried way-down in the frames,
Coming along very nicely. BKE (Best Kit Ever!) Get yourself one, or better still buy my second build, it's very reasonably priced!…….
Apr 20, 2019#3
Nick Dunhill
….doesn't look like I made a lot of progress this week, but the bogies, Cartazzi and bissel trucks took a couple of days to complete. Also I fitted up the axleboxes and got myself two rolling chassis. Had a problem with the Slater's wheel crank axle. I soldered it all up in my usual reliable way and the crankpin let go of one of the crank webs while I was cutting out the centre section of axle. Very annoying, I await more 120deg axles from Slater's….
I tried to re-align and re-solder it but without much success………
Apr 27, 2019#4
Nick Dunhill
…..it's only been a short working week, but I managed to get 2 sets of brake gear fitted. I also made all the slidebars, fitted up the crossheads and made the connecting rods. There were a lot of components to prepare, but everything fitted up perfectly once again, so another tick to the Finney7 co-op.
As can be seen the big end on the con rod for the middle cylinder has to be made to split to fit up to the journal. Also some will like the 3D printed plastic brake blocks, that will avoid accidental shorts. Care is needed handling them as they're a bit brittle. Personally I think they're a solution to a problem that doesn't exist and there's plenty of other potential areas for a short! Valve gear next……..
May 5, 2019#7
Nick Dunhill
….this week has been about valve gear, motors and lubricators. I started by assembling all the valve gear components and pinning them together, 2 days work for 2 pairs. As you can see I laid them all out on a sheet of paper, took a deep breath, and to my surprise managed to fit up each set in 30 mins with no binding or associated trauma. (Eat your hearts out modellers assembling ACE kits!!) The mechanical lubricators and their drive rods did push my soldering patience to it's limit (there is an option to make it static) but it does work flawlessly. The 2:1 levers all fitted up without any conniptions too. But the best bit was that I fitted up a motor and gearbox and the whole chassis/wheels/motion assembly went round a 6' rad curve first time. I retired to my front parlour at that point for sherry to contemplate why other manufacturer's kits require the use of an angle grinder to achieve such success so easily. (Just to reiterate I have no financial attachment to the Finney7 co-op, just the experience of a modeller!) To be serious for a moment the kit is very complex and has many parts, but they all do fit as they should. Here's a few pics:
Inside con rod fits up nicely!
With a careful bit of shimming at the crank pin the outside con rods pass gracefully through the ends of the lower slide bars with no binding.
And it did only take 30 mins per side to fit up all the valve gear, honest!
And next we fit up the bodies………sneeky peak below!
May 6, 2019#15
Bob Alderman
Nick
As ever I'm enjoying the build.
Did this loco have the perfume bomb to warn of an overheating inside big end? If so where is yours?
May 10, 2019#25
Nick Dunhill
……so this week I had meant to sort out fixing the body up to the chassis. I made the footplate and soldered all the overlays on.
But the weather here in jolly old Sheffield was pretty wretched from tues onwards, and machining lumps of resin mouldings in a small room creates an almighty mess, so I decided to wait until the weather improves next week and do it outdoors. So on to the cab in the meantime. The main cab etch has lots of overlays. I also like the idea of attaching everything to the cab side sheet before folding it into a cab shape. Soldering and cleaning up is much easier this way. Similarly the cab floor is much easier to sort out when it's not in the cab. I did my usual planking job and when all folded up I was jolly happy with the results.
A good trick I have discovered for forming a fall plate into a gentle curve involved sticking it with paper glue to a suitably sized rod. The rod/etch/conveyor belt chunk sandwich is placed in the jaws of a vice and squeezed. The rectangle of conveyor belt deforms as the rod presses into it as the vice is tightened. Hence the etch nearly assumes the diameter of the rod.
To fill the time towards the end of friday afternoon I made a start on the backhead.
More backhead and body action next week……
May 10, 2019#26
DavidL
Nick,
Are the cab floors finished with real wood laminate, or is it a paint job? Either way, it's an excellent job!
David
May 11, 2019#27
Nick Dunhill
Hi David
It's some veneer I bought years ago from a model boat shop in Shalesmoor, Sheffield. Long gone now….
Nick
May 11, 2019#28
Bob Alderman
Nick
Your forming using a piece of rubber is/was used for complex 3D shapes in presswork. I think it was called hydroforming.
The rubber deforms over the shape exerting an even pressure in every direction. I came across it at work where complex panels were formed for airframes, now the realm of composites.
Bob
May 11, 2019#29
Nick Dunhill
Interesting Bob. I first used it for forming the flares on a GCR tender. The etches in the kit were long and slender and difficult to curve. A friend suggested I should come and avail myself of his (ridiculously massive) hydraulic press. He happened to have bits of old conveyor belting lying around and we quickly welded up a form tool. Passed an afternoon happily. I couldn't think of another reliable way of curving a long thin etching, especially when they start to get thicker……like this fall plate.
May 11, 2019#30
DavidL
Thanks Nick. Does anyone know of a suitable alternative?
David
May 11, 2019#31
Nick Dunhill
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-BIRDSEYE-MAPLE-VENEER-OFF-CUT/333185298247?hash=item4d93642f47:g:ergAAOSwj4hc0Ftj
Hi David,
If I needed more I'd be looking at something like the above. There's loads more on eBay too.
Nick
May 11, 2019#35
Buckley10339
I use Poppys cab floor thin ply for doing all my cabs.Once weatherd it looks the buis.I have also used it for floors for lowmacs and well wagons and bolster wagons.
Pat.
May 11, 2019#37
Davenport20954
www.poppyswoodtech.co.uk do a range of 7mmm scale laser cut ply including a cab floor panel. Or use individual planks.
Their wagon lining kits look good, amongst the many other things. The wooden wagon body kits are also interesting; especially if you want a rest from soldering!
(just a happy customer)
David
May 17, 2019#42
Nick Dunhill
…..this week has been about the cab. I have done most of the detailing and building.
The chevrons are printed from a file on Google images, and the sight glass safety glass is 2 x 2 mm acetate rod. I then just followed the kit instructions and photos.
There's a few more odds and sods to go on the backhead but I'm waiting for castings from LGM. I made the cab roofs too. They're a bit tricky to shape but I used my trusty slip rollers with some very thick card to help support the voids.
A bit of careful soldering and…
I also made a start on the ashpans, they're the last large structure apart from the body, must get round to that. Daunted by the thought of having to manipulate a resin body, it's kind of death-or-glory isn't it?
Bodies next, unless I can find something else so I can put them off for a bit longer, I prefer things that can be soldered………..
May 24, 2019#47
Nick Dunhill
….well fortune favours the brave and I now have 2 x W1 looking models. The bodies weren't much trouble at all in the end, after all the avoidance measures. Do what it says in the instructions and all will be well. Bit of sanding here and here and some glue. Do the sanding bit by bit, test fit and a bit more material removal etc etc. I used some home made sanding discs in my mini drill, it's very messy so do it outside!
I used epoxy, sparingly. It's a difficult job cleaning off any that splurges out……I had to do it on one!
Then you just have to read the instructions and fit all the body parts. The handrail and ejector pipe make the model come to life. I added paper spacers under the inspection hatches, to bring them out flush with the surface of the body. Also the valences are quite tricky. They're very thin and have to be soldered to something thicker with a very thin overlay. It's a distortion nightmare waiting to happen, so be very quick with your soldering iron!
Just the chassis fitting out to go. Two pages of instructions left, so should be done by the next time you read this!…….
May 24, 2019#48
Nick Dunhill
Oh. I made a splitter (?) for the smoke unit to be fitted to one of them. I'd be happy to hear the thoughts of anyone who had any experience of an ESU smoke unit, will it send smoke up both chimney flues adequately?
May 24, 2019#49
DLOS
Nice work, Nick.
The 'secret' is just to let it all splurge out, better than not using sufficient, and then to leave it to reach the 'cheesey' stage - after about five hours or so - by which time it will scrape away with a wooden tooth pick … just like cheese, without doing any damage to the job. Is what I do.
David
May 24, 2019#50
DavidL
Yes indeed David, and that's what I do. But go off and forget about it at your peril! DAMHIKT!
David
May 25, 2019#51
Nick Dunhill
Hi chaps.
I never thought to use 12 hour cure epoxy, I always use rapid set stuff. Ironically I left it all to cure overnight anyway. It was quite a difficult job picking cured epoxy off the moulding.
I never really got on with resin, I've had some bad experiences of it in the past. I found it difficult to work and attach things to. I found that the fillers that I use are about the same hardness as the resin so it's difficult to smooth over joints without losing the subtle curves of the body. On the other hand it'd be very hard to make such a complex shape out of flat metal, and it's saved me hours of work. I think the Finney7 lot are using a new type of material that's a lot more resilient though, and in the end it went well.
Nick
May 31, 2019#59
Nick Dunhill
……done! Fitted up the injectors, sanding gear and cylinder drain cocks. Just the paint etc…..
I'll post a few more pics when painted……..
Jun 3, 2019#60
DLOS
… and whistle control cable 
David
Jun 4, 2019#61
Nick Dunhill
Ah yes, I'd forgot about that, thanks David!
Jun 4, 2019#62
—-
Davenport20954
I guess there is a practical limit to the fine detail that can be added (for us mere mortals). But in my few models I have always tried to include a red grain of wheat bulb in the fire box. The glow of this adds a bit of realism as the model passes by; especially if the glow lights up the cab area.
Look forward to seeing the above loco painted. Another work of art. I hope it gets used and not just displayed; they come alive on the track.
David
Friday at 11:20 AM#65
Nick Dunhill
……I have added a few extra fittings to the cab and backhead not in the kit
I also added the Bowden cable that operates the whistle. It is attached behind the ejector pipe and pulls a lever on the whistle valve (thanks PAD!)
Also in progress are a couple of modifications to the non-corridor tenders I built for the loco.
Next I complete the minor mods to the tender……
Yesterday at 8:20 AM#73
Nick Dunhill
Oh stupidly/unwittingly I built the wrong tenders. The LNER corridor and non-corridor tenders moved around a fair bit between A4s A3s etc to suit the work they were doing. E.g. Kings X to Edinburgh express locos had corridor tenders for crew changes on the move, Kings X to Doncaster non-corridor tenders were fine. The W1 was allocated to Donny and did the same trains each day in the 50s. Morning; Donny to Kings X, afternoon; Kings X back to Doncaster, so it only needed a non-corridor tender. Its original corridor tender, when it was the Hush-Hush, and then rebuilt as the W1 up until the early 40s, was re-allocated to Union of South Africa and still exists on the preserved loco. (Please correct me if this is inaccurate!)
At the time when I first started on this project (2015ish) Martin Finney stuff was out of production so I built Dave Andrews non-corridor tenders ready to go when I got loco parts. Now there's nothing wrong with the DA tender at all, in fact its an excellent kit and I was able to build some highly detailed tenders from them. The thing I overlooked was that DA designed the tender to be paired up with his A3 kit (he never did an A4.) Turns out that A4s have a much taller and wider cab than an A3, and although these tenders were built to be paired up with A4s, when passed down from A4 to A3s they had to be modified. The front was reduced in height to suit the cab height of an A3 and the sides were furled in at the front to suit the narrower cab. Dave's kit reflects this so the tenders I built were too short at the front (by a mile) and straight-sided to suit an A4 (or W1.) So they were a bit of a mongrel, not suitable for either an A3, A4 or the W1. So I couldn't save/sell them as A3 tenders and start again, and Richard and the rest of the Finney7 co-op lot took pity on me and offered to sell me some etches to build new bodies on the DA chassis.
Jun 21, 2019#80
Nick Dunhill
….well the Finney7 tender body footprint was identical to the David Andrews one. Some adjustments of the tags on the body side and rear and they located in slots in the DA footplate. So re building the tender was a bit of a doddle, just follow the instructions and bam!, 2 new tenders with the correct height front.
I transplanted all the detail parts from the DA to the F7 tender. Handrails, lamp irons, all the controls off the tender front, and added some wooden veneer to the platform.
Jun 21, 2019#81
Nick Dunhill
The F7 tender body certainly has more details than the DA one, and when the two tender rear panels are placed together the difference in profile becomes very apparent.
All that was left to do was the fabrication of a draw bar and a final check that it went round a 6' rad curve. It did and without any chopping. This is the first time I have done a large 7mm kit and not had to reach for a slitting disc to get it to traverse a 6' curve. Well done to F7 for an amazing kit. It went together very well, with perfect fitting etches. The body did need a bit of very minor surgery to make it fit, but it was achieved very easily.
Finally I made a paper template for the rubber cover between roof and tender fairing, and when satisfied cut one from thin rubbery material.
So there we have it two W1s off to paint. I heard an interesting story surrounding the fitment of the rubber cover on A4s and the W1. Apparently the wind rush over the uncovered cab roof and tender fairing created a venturi effect in the cab resulting in low pressure and all kinds of swirling dust and ash on the footplate, making work very difficult for the crew. The rubber cover solved the problem.
Incidentally I have a set of etches left over for the F7 footplate and chassis available to anyone who may find it useful. Etches only, no castings. I could probably sort out a copy of the instructions too. Offers?
Jun 25, 2019#84
Davenport20954
Have to ask; what is the black goo in the tender?
David
Jun 25, 2019#86
Nick Dunhill
The black goo.
Both models are required to have a full coal load, a shame given the hours spent embossing rivets in the coal space, and the excellent design of etchings. I like to use ground up coal to represent coal, and stick it in place with either diluted water based acrylic matt varnish or if not available then enamel varnish diluted with white spirit. I like to fit a plastic shelf inside the coal space to facilitate this, and seal it in place with epoxy resin, as it is not dissolved by white spirit or water. It's a good idea to make this area watertight to prevent damage to the paint, chassis, wheels and sanity. The black goo was the cheapest epoxy resin available at my local hardware shop, Crookes Hardware. It is Gorilla brand and is awful. It's lumpy, very smelly and goes off frighteningly quickly so doesn't flow well. I will never buy it again, however it is cheap, has done the job and will soon disappear under a bed of carefully positioned coal
Jun 25, 2019#89
Davenport20954
Nick, thanks for the goo update. I tend to go for balsa block based coal loads that can be removed (to view the rivets!). Of course, you could model a nearly empty tender, as may be the case at the end of the day; thereby leaving some detail on display.
How does liquid water (as used in layout ponds etc) compare cost wise? Would at least give you one last glimpse of the rivets.
David