Adams Radial tank in progress. Note the footplate tool box with hasp, staple and lock, all in the kit though the etched parts take some finding.
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My Finney 7 Adams Radial tank took one step forward and two steps back! Intending to avoiding the knock knee'd effect I initially used the widest frame spacers in the kit, as advised in the instructions for finescale. However having soldered everything together I realised when I tested the chassis on my track here in the studio that all was far from well. When the overlays were soldered on they would add 0.9mm to the overall width of the frames and that would leave hardly clearance for the wheels to go round let alone negotiate the curves on layout in Carlisle. So it all had to be disassembled, taken to bits, easy really, took no time at all! Then I rebuilt the chassis with the middle spacers provided in the kit, which allowed me another 1mm, not much, but probably enough. The photo shows the chassis at this stage, it rounds my 5 '6" curves well enough without the overlays... attaching these is the next job.
The chassis is now complete, apart from brakes and some other small details, and crucially it runs reasonably well though the motor gearbox in place is only a temporary one I had in stock, I need to substitute it with one with a more powerful motor. The engine's small boiler and the position of the transverse compensation beam pivot restrict the choice of gearbox and unfortunately there is no possibility of including a flywheel if I go for the larger 1833 motor. The chassis grudgingly negotiates the 5ft 6" curves on my test track here in the studio, though not in reverse yet, however I think this is just a springing problem with the rear radial axle. I only have pick-ups on the front bogie at the moment, wire wipers that is, on one side, the wheels on the other side are shorted with wire soldered between the boss and the rim.
I hope I can arrange wiper pick-ups bearing on top of the driving wheels, I think there's room for a strip of insulation board between the drivers on which to mount the wipers; below the frames it's just too busy, there's no room for them.
More progress reports to follow as things develop,