The Python, an all purpose "Brown" Vehicle. PDF version
The kit arrives as a large flat
pack with the etches taped to some stout card and a
couple of bags of bits and pieces, mostly castings.
The instructions run to 7 pages, 2 of them contain
a total of 32 short paragraphs of rather terse, and
in places incorrect, instructions, which appear to
be a poor re-hash of those for the
Siphon C.
2 pages contain diagrams of the
etched sheet with numbered parts.
There is a good
scale drawing and 2 pages of diagrams to shew how
various parts work.
The first instruction says to punch out the bolt heads in the sole bars but not the centre 4 on the side marked 'A'. For this vehicle, there is no such marking, or need of it.
Instruction 12 calls for wire of 45mm in length when 51mm is required. This is sloppy proof reading.
The sides and ends ready to be assembled.
The diagonal hand rails at each end are not catered
for so rather than drill holes, I flattened the ends
of the rails and soldered them in place.
Like the Siphon C the door handles were replaced with Slater's cast brass fittings. Back to Top
The window bars have
neat fittings, which when lined up by fitting them
in place with a long length of wire in the top set
of holes; provide readymade mountings for the wire
bars.
That for the door however lacks any fitting on one side and required a support to be made up to support the wires at one end.
Here are all the
components ready to be assembled. In many ways, it
is similar to the
Siphon C kit. As can be seen, I replaced the
buffers, vacuum and steam pipes and couplings. The
spring hangers were missing but a 'phone call to
Scorpio resulted in a set arriving next day. Full
marks for service.
They turned out to be white metal cast from exquisite masters but far, far too frail. The J hanger on one snapped off as I lifted it to fit. I substituted a set of cast brass long spring J hangers from CPL, which needed the springs bending flatter and the centre of the supports removed to fit but they made a robust job.
The
original axle boxes were fine.
However, what was
not fine was the compensation unit which did not
fit. The etched hole in the floor was too small
and had to be opened out and one of the fold-up
supports for the pivot wire had to be removed and a
substitute scratched up. In this picture it can be
seen that it will need to be moved again to prevent
too much fore and aft movement.
Here, the body is largely complete. The footboard supports are designed to use etched parts and wire but I substituted Slater's cast brass supports instead.
To prevent the sides bowing in, two cross pieces
were soldered in just under roof level. The etched
part for the roof is far too wide as for this
vehicle it needs to sit between the rain strips that
are soldered to the top of the sides, not much point
then in providing and etched part.
Also, fitting
the glazing after painting would be, probably,
impossible once the roof was soldered on so it
needed modifying. After cutting it to the correct
width, which required a great deal of careful
measurement, it was rolled to shape and the edges
bent over to the vertical. It is such a small turn
that even the hold and fold could not cope with it
so I had to use pliers, not ideal.
Back to Top
Four shaping pieces were cut from 1mm thick brass sheet using the ends as a master and soldered in to hold the roof to shape. Now it can be fitted, as in this picture, temporarily to check for square. It will be glued in position once painting is completed.
The pictures in Russell's book shew one vehicle with rain strips on the roof as well but that is the vehicle that was specially strengthened for carrying elephants, the remainder had neither strips nor ventilators on the roof.
Here it is ready to go to
Ian's paint shop.
Aside from the poor quality of
the castings, the grossly oversize roof and the
poorly fitting compensation unit, the kit is well
designed and makes up into a good representation of
the prototype but, not for the beginner.
The manufacturers were sent this review and, though they said they wanted to respond, some three weeks later I had heard nothing.