"South Eastern Finecast" 'N' Class loco kit.

This was another of my Ebay buys a few months ago. As can be seen from the box where it says a Triang chassis can be used, it's quite an elderly kit, but I've no inclination to even look for a Triang chassis, especially if it has the 'road-roller' type wheels of old! Unlike the "Schools" Class kit from SEF I'm just starting on (another Ebay buy with etched chassis kit!) this kit has no chassis, wheelpack, motor/gearbox, or indeed instructions, which may make for an interesting build, although hopefully I now have enough knowledge of kit construction to be able to manage without. I priced up a chassis kit (£37.50), wheelset(£43) and motor/gearbox (£34.95) +P&P on the SEF website, and I'm looking at around £120 before I pick up the soldering iron, but then I saw a Bachmann "N" Class motorised chassis on Ebay, and won it for £31, so now when I make a start on this model, all I have to do is make it fit! If the kit's intended for the Triang lump, then the relatively miniscule Bachmann chassis shouldn't be too hard to shoehorn in, and although the chassis isn't 'DCC Ready', that's easy enough to deal with and it runs sweetly enough anyway. Lack of instructions shouldn't be a problem either, as I already have a Bachmann "N" Class to copy from!
Keith.

 

I've now got most of this "N" Class loco body soldered up, and got the Bachmann RTR chassis and body to fit properly, not too far to go before final assembly and paint, but I've completed the tender for both this loco and also the SEF "Schools" class I'm building (together with the "W" Class) in between as time, inclination and supplies of the extra parts not included in the kits allow. I've just ordered the Mashima motor and gearbox for the "Schools" from Chris Gibbon at "High Level Kits" (not going for the SEF version as I prefer the Mashima), but I have to admit that assembling the Walschaerts valve gear on '00' gauge loco's is hard going for me at least, as (A) I haven't a clue what all the parts are called and the kits seem to assume that you do, and (B)it's pretty hard on my eyesight at 71, not to mention trying to use tiny (and VERY fiddly) rivets to assemble this valvegear. I've given up with the rivets, and am using brass 'Lacemakers pins' which are easier to use, just solder, cut off excess and file flat. I have all the necessary decals, name and smokebox number plates for all 3 loco kits, just need to slog on and get them completed. More as progress allows, here are the two completed tenders, "N" Class to the right, and in case you're wondering what the wires showing are, they're from extra pickups on the tenders.

 

A nother view from the rear of the tenders.

 

Never tried a lining pen Ron, it'd probably look like an AC waveform if I did! Just decals from my usual supplier, Fox Transfers. Name and smokebox plates for loco's also from them, I just wish all my parts suppliers were as fast as them!
Keith.

 

I managed to complete the "N" Class this morning after satin varnish spraying the loco yesterday, all that was needed was assembly of body to chassis and slight alterations to the wiring from the tender pickups. I decided rather than hard-wire the tender to the loco, I'd use a set of the tiny 2 pin plug & socket assemblies suggested a while back by Rob Pulham (Thanks Rob). This pic shows the setup.

 

The Bachmann chassis has 2 pairs of 'rivets' underneath, of which one set can be seen centrally to the right of the Phillips screw in the previous pic. The second set is almost under the small white socket superglued under the cab end of the loco. These 'rivets' actually hold the loco pickups in position, and are in electrical contact with them, so all that is needed is clean the heads up, tin and solder the shortened socket wires onto them, observing that tender wheel polarity matches that of the loco. The wires to the plug are similarly soldered onto the 'bus-bar's' of the tender pickups (now black painted so they virtually 'disappear') the with plug and socket connected, the loco was tried on the tracks. As I'd fitted a DCC decoder and set up the loco chassis a while back, now with assembly complete, it was 'good-to-go'. It's pictured here with my Bachmann RTR version of the same loco class, 31404, whereas my 'hybrid' is 31405

 

Here's a closer pic of the finished loco.
Keith.

 

I think the most difficult part of the entire build was putting the 'boiler band' decals on. The choice was either spray body, put decals on then add handrails/piping etc and 'touch in' the paint, or (as I did) fit handrails/piping then spray entire body, cut 'boiler band' decals halfway along their length, 'fiddle' each half around/under the handrails, slightly overlapping each half at the top of the boiler. It was an awkward job to say the least, but it seems to have come out ok in the end. Just got the "Schools" and the "W" Class to finish now, valvegear on both models are taxing my patience somewhat presently!

Keith.

 

Being retired helps Jeff! At 71 I might be queueing up for "Gods waiting room", but I can find plenty to pass the hours on in the meantime.


Keith.