DJH OGauge W1

Discussion in 'Kits, Kit bashes & Scratch builds' started by paul blythe, Nov 27, 2022.

  1. paul blythe

    paul blythe Full Member

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    A recent purchase from Ebay. Rough body casting from what I assume is a DJH W1. It was advertised as an A4 but was clearly from a W1 looking at the photos of the larger cab. Couldn't resist for £25 I'm sure most of the bits I can't scratch build will be readily available from the usual suppliers. I do have vague recollections of DJH selling castings as factory seconds at a show and judging by the slightly misshapen cab roof which droops I assume this is the source of this casting. I think its fixable so no worries. It would explain why the rest is missing 20221127_153358.jpg 20221127_153415.jpg
     
  2. Andy_Sollis

    Andy_Sollis Staff Member Moderator

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    Around 25 years ago I had a fascination with this loco. So much so, I paid for a spare A4 body and set to cutting and extending it..

    needless to say, the rear pony truck fell apart as I couldn’t solder or superglue the monkey metal I had acquired from the school workshops with the Hornby casting. (Or was it the other way around? )

    it’s still sitting in the loft with a Hornby smoke unit on the chassis in a grey primer..

    one day… I shall return to this “bodge job!” :avatar:
     
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  3. paul blythe

    paul blythe Full Member

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    i have a few of those projects. i suspect this will be very long term one as i gahter together bits of various lner pacifics to complete it. Suprisingly for a single obscure loco there are 3 kits that i know of in O gauge that have been produced. its certainly a beast of a loco
     
  4. Rob Pulham

    Rob Pulham Happily making models Staff Member Administrator Feature Contributor

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    It's this very casting that was the impetus for Finney7 to produce their kit. Or rather three people who had been independently building the DJH kit and trying to over come it's shortcomings collaborated. Ultimately two of them went on to become part of the Finney7 team and the finished kit was incorporated into the range.

    I will watch with interest how you get on.

    I have a similar slow burn project in the form of a P1 that I have been gathering bits for as and when, So far I have a Hachette boiler and cab from the A3 along with a few other bits so a long way to go before I actually start to build anything.
     
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  5. paul blythe

    paul blythe Full Member

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    that is very interesting Rob . It would be interesting to know the shortcomings. the cast cab is a little clunky but it wouldn't be too difficult to fabricate a new one in brass or nickel sheet. im not 100% familiar with the W1 but have studied a4's a lot. i notice the casting doesnt have the distinctive bulged shoulders that a4's have and the smokebox looks a little slab sided. from normal distances it looks like a w1 though. i just need to figure out how to make the rest. if i cant procure a w1 chassis i suspect it would not be too tricky to modify and a3 or a4 chassis to fit.
     
  6. Andy_Sollis

    Andy_Sollis Staff Member Moderator

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    That’s right.
    There would be the original herring bone Hush Hush in the battleship grey with the HP boiler and then 2 A4 style bodies.. with and without valances.
     
  7. Rob Pulham

    Rob Pulham Happily making models Staff Member Administrator Feature Contributor

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    Hi Paul,

    If you search for W1 on Western Thunder you will find a thread on it where they started the process and then a subsequent build of the finished kit by Nick Dunhill.

    I have one in my collection and may build it next when I have finished the ones that I am on with.
     
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  8. paul blythe

    paul blythe Full Member

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    Ive had a quick look and those finney kits do look nice dont they. I managed to find the orignal thread on the DJH kit too. it looks like other than the overthick cab sides that most of the complaints they had where regarding parts i dont currently have so it looks like a goer. Ive managed to procure some A4 chassis frames from the Hachette partwork which I should be able to modify to suit by remodelling the cartazi truck area
     
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  9. paul_l

    paul_l Staff Member Administrator

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    Pop corn at the ready ........
     
  10. chigley

    chigley Full Member

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    Its really only the rear chassis cartazzi truck thats different, but if you look on finney7 instructions it may be of use,:scratchchin:

    Ken
     
  11. paul blythe

    paul blythe Full Member

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    Yes

    your correct an A3 or A4 chassis is pretty much identical other than the trailing axles at least for modelling purposes.
     
  12. paul blythe

    paul blythe Full Member

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    maybe dont get the popcorn out too early i currently only have the body and some frame on theyre way from ebay
     
  13. Rob Pulham

    Rob Pulham Happily making models Staff Member Administrator Feature Contributor

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    The other thing to be aware of is that the cylinders bulge out a lot more than those on the A4. It's one of the reasons that Finney7 didn't initially provide side skirts to build a pre war example as they couldn't work out how to bend the etch in two planes. The eventually came up with a solution and I have a set now to allow mine to be pre war with the corridor tender.
     
  14. chigley

    chigley Full Member

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    I was just about to say that, it was to allow for the larger cyl's used on the W1

    Ken
     
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  15. paul blythe

    paul blythe Full Member

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    It's one of the failings of the djh kit. The casting appears to not take into account the larger cylinders
     
  16. Rob Pulham

    Rob Pulham Happily making models Staff Member Administrator Feature Contributor

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    Ahh, another reason for the Finney7 development I suspect.
     
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  17. paul blythe

    paul blythe Full Member

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    i get the feeling the designers at djh just thought "ah its just a stretched A4", made the boiler and cab longer and left it at that.
    The casting is reasonably soft so it may be possible to minipulate a bulge into it or make a new overlay from thin brass. i will build it in later non skirted condition which will make it easier
     
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  18. Rob Pulham

    Rob Pulham Happily making models Staff Member Administrator Feature Contributor

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    In that ca
    In that case you will need a non corridor tender to go with it. I have heard good things about the former ACME tender that now resides with William at Ace. It would certainly help keep the costs down.
     
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  19. paul blythe

    paul blythe Full Member

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    I have a feeling that the acme kit had a streamlined corridor tender which is wider than the non corridor one but may be wrong. There's a few options including aces own kit so don't think I'll ha e too much trouble. Haveing built a right price non corridor tender in the past I don't think it would be too difficult to scratch build even as they are relatively simple..
     
  20. Rob Pulham

    Rob Pulham Happily making models Staff Member Administrator Feature Contributor

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    You made me shudder just thinking about a Right Price tender, let along trying to build one... By coincidence he lived in the next village to me when I lived in Wakefield.
     

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