Horsetan

A resistance soldering unit, used with solder paint / solder cream, will also work well, and you will achieve some very neat, controlled joints.

Yes please! Basically everything between 171's frames: driving cranks, eccentrics, all motion parts, cylinders, piston glands, etc. Hope I'm not asking too much!

That's what happens with careless breeding...

Incidentally, all of the earlier build photos that I put in my posts are not showing up now when I view this thread via my PC, yet they are visible on iPad or Windows Mobile. *scratches head, puzzled* Rich: The footplate/cab/splashers are up, and I was wondering whether to press ahead with the smokebox, boiler and firebox anyway, as they have no effect on the chassis. I can't properly start the chassis until I have the drawings, as I have to see what's involved with the cylinders and inside motion, as much will need to be formed from scratch. I am wondering whether I could adapt one of Martin Finney's inside motion kits - the LSWR T9 motion set looks closest in terms of the crank webs and eccentrics. David: Half the problem for me of printing a drawing from a CD image is that the resulting print may not be to a consistent scale. Also, my printer can only do A4 size. I'd prefer to have a working drawing from the start, large enough to see everything, and then scale off that.

My apologies to everyone who's been waiting patiently for things to progress on 171. I've been experiencing a frustrating year trying to track down drawings, photos and information about no.171's inside motion and leading driving cranks. I finally had a reply from the RPSI and its Locomotive Officer about a month ago, after offering a donation to 171's Overhaul Fund, but it all seems to have gone dead again. I know that the RPSI are constantly busy, and even more so with "Q" class no.131 potentially coming to life next year, but I do sometimes wonder whether they tend to leave honest enquiries hanging in the air. 'tis difficult not to feel neglected. Working inside motion was always going to be something I wanted to install in my model of no.171; it is visible between the frames and - in 21mm gauge, at least - there is plenty of room to fit it in. However, it turns out that, being originally built by Beyer Peacock & Co., "S" class drawings are held in the archives of the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry. I discovered this by pure accident when a small JPEG image popped up during a Google search. Following the link took me to MMSI, and a larger image which is clearly the "S" class engineering drawing. Praise the Lord, it is a cross-sectional view and even shows the inside motion and cranks in some detail. One thing that was also clarified was that the frame outlines of the SSM kit are very close to the original drawing - previously I had thought the kit frames were weak - so a lot of care will be needed to install the mounts for the sprung suspension. I am now going to have to invest at least fifty quid in an A0-size working copy, supplied by the Museum - assuming of course that they can scan one...... That's almost as much as I paid for the kit!!

Please remember those of us who would be wanting to build it in 21mm gauge......with inside motion if possible! Make that three, but only if I can build the chassis to 21mm.

I'd be interested if there was provision to build the loco and tender chassis in 21mm gauge, with provision for sprung suspension. Any information about 461's inside motion and cranks would be useful.

*waits*

I think they are volute springs, which are quite long travel.

That would be Guinness Export. Same grade as the stuff they sell in Jamaica, where Guinness is known as the Jamaican First Aid kit The really unfortunate thing is that much of the standard Guinness sold / served on "the Mainland" tastes watery. Not like the full-bodied stuff I used to drink in Clare.

This evening, the instruction sheet order was skipped somewhat, and the backhead (part P48) was removed from the etch, and inserted into the cab floor that I'd formed earlier: When dealing with something like this, hold it in a small vice and always try to solder it in from the rear, so that you don't risk obliterating the etched detail: The first attempt left a bit of a gap under the backhead, as will be apparent from the photo, so some fiddling with the iron was needed before it was properly seated. The backhead must sit at a perfect 90-degree right-angle to the cab floor, otherwise there is a risk that adjacent parts may not fit correctly. Next part to come off the fret is P51, described in the sheet as a "platform upright": This is a simple plate with small wings to be bent 90 degrees: You have to mount it underneath and at the very rear of the cab floor, and only hairgrips will make it stay there whilst you get your soldering iron in: Use your tack-soldering method to keep it in position: ...before flowing and finishing the joint. I think I used a bit too much solder in this one: Test fitting the cab floor/backhead module between the cab sides now gives us this: The instruction diagram suggests that there should be no gaps between the vertical sides of the trailing splashers and the horizontal plates which now form their tops. In reality, there are noticeable gaps as can be seen, so these flaws will need some correction. Whilst I was thinking about how to deal with that, I couldn't resist sliding the firebox (which comes ready-rolled) into the cab front (there will be an overlay to be added later), just to see how it looked...... I'm just after realising that this topic has magically become a "sticky"! Deadly!