Ah ha, someone else doing the same loco! My one has hit a bit of a plateau of late - really ought to get on with it to be honest!

If you don't mind a bit of positive criticism, I'd strongly advise sorting out that infill under the smokebox. My 44687 was the first one I did the operation on, being as it was fully open to view. it's much easier to do on the Caprotti ones anyway. Also, the chimney was a lot more centred on the smokebox top on the final two, unlike the rest of the Caprottis.

Looking good! What era are you doing this one in? Pre or post AWS fitment?

Tim

Tim,

Of course, always keen to hear some positive advice. If you discount trainsets of my youth, I've been modelling less than a year so I've a lot to learn!

I'll certainly look at the bit below the smokebox. If I think I can do it without damaging what I've done so far, I'll have a go. Interesting about the chimney too. I had about 15 pics, all front 3/4 view, and so went off the scale drawings in a back issue of Railway Modeller. Although mine matches the drawings, it doesn't quite look right. Thanks for pointing it out.

It's an AWS fitted loco, 1962. I hope. Bash plate, cylinders and pipe run along the left hand footplate fitted as closely as I could find info on.

Thanks for your help.

Iain

No worries! I've got the Ian Beattie scale drawing for the thing too, somewhere! Mine's due to be in summer 1961 condition, post overhaul, without AWS gear. I have two highly useful shots from the Colour Rail catalogue - one online (b/w) and the other as a slide.

If it's of any use, I'll set up a blog post of my own with the many faces of Black 5s tomorrow. Oddities such as making a part-welded tender from the Hornby example being one. I've got 20 of the things and none of them are the same.

Tim

Hello Iain

The engne looks really good, you have done a fair few modifications to it which is fantastic as you have created something individual. At the end of the post though you made the comment of...

There are many things I would have liked to have done better........

It sounds like you have given up on it, is there any reason why you cannot do the extra mods to it to get an engine which you will be totally happy with? Things like that would bug me until I had done them.

Missy

Tim,

Thanks - any advice always much appreciated.

I was working from the drawings in RM March 1999, and looking at them again, they certainly indicate the chimney well forward of where it looks in pictures. I wonder whether I might have also used an incorrectly dated photo as I thought aws was fitted by 1962? Maybe not.

I sit idly wondering whether the Comet cabsides for 46256/7 would be a better basis than these. Again, maybe not! More likely the Comet LRP caprotti 5 cabsides, but they aren't available separately.

I'm quite pleased with a few aspects of it. The brassmasters bits go together well, as they did on 2 other normal black 5's that I did. The front end apart from the infill under the smokebox is ok. Gibson handrails are good. The running plates in the kit were made for the old black 5 and were way too short, as well as completely the wrong shape, so I made them myself. Had to do the same with the motion bracket and the sand boxes.

Much like the 46256 that I built and learned a lot from, both from doing it and from yours, I now fancy having a second go!

Iain

Hello Iain

 

The engne looks really good, you have done a fair few modifications to it which is fantastic as you have created something individual. At the end of the post though you made the comment of...

 

It sounds like you have given up on it, is there any reason why you cannot do the extra mods to it to get an engine which you will be totally happy with? Things like that would bug me until I had done them.

 

Missy

Thanks Missy

I'm not unhappy about it at all, just trying to learn from it. I am pretty new to these techniques so overall I am quite satisfied at this stage. I might do some more to it before I paint it.

Thanks for your comments though, much appreciated.

Iain

Hi Iain,

A cracking little loco you have there.

On the Colour rail site there is a pic of 44687 in Aug 61 with no tell tale AWS reservoirs on the footplate. Similarly with 44686, however by July 63 she has been fitted, so maybe your idea of 62 is feasible.

Should the handrails stop short of the spectacle front ?

Good side views of both locos are rare but I feel that it looks as though the front edge of the chimney lines up with the back edge of the steam pipes (if that makes sense).

Pete

Hi Pete,

Thanks. I think you're right on all counts! I hope someone can confirm it was aws fitted by 1962. Or 44686 to be honest? I did choose 44687 as the pictures I had showed it was spotted further south west than 44686, and so I could be slightly more correct in justifying having it. Mind you, as there's one element of fiction in the setting, some would argue that there's no point being correct with everything else.

The handrails are errrr.... deliberate a mistake... Ought to try to change them

Iain

Hi all,

Ive got a couple of questions, and a problem.

Can anyone confirm whether I should leave or remove the AWS fittings if I am looking at 1962? If not, I'm going to leave them.....

What would be the best primer to start the painting with? I have a Halfords grey, but it was not the easiest thing to use last time and I am wondering whether I should try something else.

I've had a look at the infill under the smokebox and I'm not sure I can remove it without messing up the front end. I'll know next time and I can do it to normal Black 5s, but this had the front frames removed and white metal ones added: it was quite flimsy.

The problem:

I can't get the chimney off, at least while using reasonable force. I used Roket max to stick it, drilled a locating hole and the fit was good. Any suggestions?

Not sure whether this is best posted in here or in the forums - what is usual round here?

Thanks,

Iain

Hi Iain,

your primer Q. might already be covered by a previous topic, but for best chance of a comprehensive reply I'd post these in this forum:

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php/forum/26-questionshelp/

as things can get overlooked here in the blogs

Sorry not to have any of the answers though.

Iain, here's a picture of 44686 on the Llandudno Junction scrapline in April 1963, with an AWS reservoir on the footplate. I don't think it could have gone from newly-fitted with AWS (presumably at a works visit) to this state in just over 3 months, so I think you would be safe in saying that 44686 had AWS equipment during 1962.

That is a very good effort & you've certainly done the model justice i've a caprotti black 5 kit here waiting to be built which isnt far away. The detail on the front end of the loco is very neatly done i hope i can reach the same kind of standard with mine.

Simon.

Jamie,

Thanks, good advice!

pH,

Thanks - that's very helpful and what I wanted to assume, I think, but you have expressed it clearly enough for me make a decision! Photo evidence seems to be similar for 44687 as 44686, but nothing clear out there from late 61 to early 63.

Simon,

Thanks for your kind comments. I'm no expert so I'm sure you can do yours justice. If you're using the Crownline kit and a modern Black Five as the basis, I'd be more than happy to pass on any pitfalls that I encountered.

The front end is much improved by some of the Brassmasters bits - slidebar support bracket (adds a lot of strength to the very flimsy slidebars as well as looking a lot better), cylinder details, lamp irons, AWS bashplate etc, plus the Gibson bogie wheels tidy things up a lot in my view. Definitely replace the smokebox door handrail, especially as you need to replace all the boiler handrails anyway. Crownline coupling hook plus a Smiths screw link work well.

Don't even try to use the white metal running plates - they're for the old Black Five and I doubt they even fit that. I made my own out of black plasticard, as well as some small support brackets. Plastic weld these together and I'm sure it is way stronger than the superglue bond on the white metal inner edge that was suggested. If you start with a Black Five with the correct boiler fitments, and a rivetted/part welded tender, I'm sure that makes things easier too. Have some brass rod handy for the reversing rod, NS and copper wire of various grades to fabricate the sand pipes, AWS conduit, some other pipe/tube/run from the Driver's side to the reverser, Caprotti shafts needed a fair bit of tidying up and they are quite soft old white metal. Beware! Make up your own Caprotti motion support bracket out of plasticard or fret waste. Generally, much fettling and filing of white metal parts is needed, but they do fit OK when you've done that.

Oh, and remove the under-smokebox infill before you start, and don't stick the double chimney down with NASA strength glue until it's in the correct place........!

Iain

Crownline were rarely any good at rendering cabside windows of the right size and position. Even today at PDK, Paul Hill's artwork still hasn't quite mastered the task....

Dear sir I am trying to create same using GBL as starting point....your lubricator and assembly onto rear wheel are very good. Can you point me to the Ian Beattie drawing...which railway modeller...please...much appreciated

March 99 I think, but the drawing is flawed at least in terms of chimney position so beware.....

I did recently find a better one, but can't recall where at the minute.

Iain