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Black 5 questions


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I acquired a Brassmasters Black 5 from the estate of one of our club members Phil Baxendale who passed away a few months ago. It runs very well and seems to be a short firebox vertical throatplate, domeless boiler with a riveted tender. As I know very little about things LMS and plan to finish it off in a BR livery for use on Aylesbury, I need some numbers and info as I want to match the condition of the loco modelled to a suitable number.

 

Help please

 

David

Edited by David Bigcheeseplant
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Anything between 45000 and 45224 for a short firebox Five, albeit a few were modified to take the LFB boiler later on. Your photo is very dark, but I will go into my guides to see if any numbers match the condition.

 

I didn't know Phil had passed away. Very sad. He was a good laugh, and he built quite a few Princesses....

Edited by Horsetan
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From memory there weren't that many in the number series Horse mentioned allocated to the GC, most seemed to be from 453xx onwards or the 44xxx range.

I'm no expert on black 5s but there are many variations so photos would be your best bet if possible.

I'm away from home so can't check books I'm afraid but I'm sure someone will be along soon with the relevant information

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Black 5 orders started with no 5000 (later 45000) and worked up to 45499 (?)  then backwards in batches from 4999 (44999)  Which is why 45000 - 45224 were the early "Short Firebox" / Sloping throatplate boilers.  These sloping throatplate boilers were supposed to be the Bees Knees in the 1930s but it does not seem to have made much difference and the best performances of the Jubilees were by the straight throatplate version, so snake oil sales springs to mind...

5020 was the first in service, Crewe were too busy watching their shimmering black paint finish dry on 5000-19 while I think it was Vulcan Foundry got their finger out and delivered 5020 etc.

Edited by DavidCBroad
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The top feed pipe outside the boiler cladding only featured on as built condition to the first Vulcan Foundry lot  # 5020-5069 delivered August 1934 - January 1935. By BR days this had changed to standard inside the cladding condition. It probably disappeared at the first boiler change in 1936/7 for this batch. Thus your engine could only accurately be in LMS livery.

 

Tom Robertson

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Looks like I need to remove the pipes and change the chimney at least to get it to a BR condition, Brassmasters dont seem to have downloadable instructions on their website which would help me. I don't want to do to much to the model but if I can either carve off the pipes or get a replacement resin boiler, which means I could go for a domed boiler, which I guess would open my number choices up a bit too. Although 45215 still seems a front runner at the moment as I have now found three photos on the G.C. from the late 1950s

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Black Fives were a minefield for modellers once boiler changes and flush/rivetted/welded Tenders started to be exchanged on works visits. Pipes under cladding, pipes on top, tall chimneys, short chimneys, frame conversions to take sloping throatplate boilers and so on. By BR days you definitely need photos of the loco you intend representing. 'Stanier 4-6-0's' (David & Charles) of 1977 is a useful book although it is likely more up to date books have since been published.

Edited by coachmann
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Yes. The RCTS, Wild Swan and Irwell have all published modern multi-volume histories on the Black Fives 

 

 

This is also a good book on the details and differences which is suitable for modellers. Shop around as you can probably get it for much cheaper.

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stanier-4-6-0-Class-Locomotives-Detail/dp/0711030146/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1504480123&sr=8-3&keywords=locomotives+in+detail

 

 

 

Jason

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Looks like I need to remove the pipes and change the chimney at least to get it to a BR condition, Brassmasters dont seem to have downloadable instructions on their website which would help me. I don't want to do to much to the model but if I can either carve off the pipes or get a replacement resin boiler, which means I could go for a domed boiler, which I guess would open my number choices up a bit too. Although 45215 still seems a front runner at the moment as I have now found three photos on the G.C. from the late 1950s

Quite frankly just leave as is, number it as one of the few English allocated available. To be honest,  all the times ( innumerable) I visited Willesden shed, in the early 1960's, there were many visiting locos from obscure sheds up north, and wondered how the hell they got there. I know Willesden was only used as the southern end depot for the GC line from Jan to Sept 1965, but who's gonna know ? :sungum:

Edited by bike2steam
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I have the Wild Swan books but it takes quite a bit of time to work out the variations and changes contained in the books. I am in no rush to finish the model as there are plenty of other models I need to do first but I like to ensure models have numbers and are correct to the livery, rather than apply a number that does not match the model, I may be acquiring a couple more of Phil's Black 5s one is numbered 4986 so will see if that one fits into what I require.

 

David

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4986 does come with a self weighing tender. I don't really want to mess too much with Phil's as he was a good friend hence I wanted an easy path to completing these models without distracting the work that Phil did. These engines run really well and have Ultrascale wheels in most cases.

 

Some locos need painting others need minor work to finish them off but do run. Phil was the team leader on the Aylesbury project so think it is important some of his locos get to run on the layout.

 

David

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  • 2 years later...
Guest Jack Benson

Just bumping the thread with a similar issue, my own Black 5, acquired as built and destined to replicate one of the very few domeless examples that ran on the SDJR. I did have some concerns about buying a kitbuilt loco but this DJH example runs perfectly, it merely needs renumbering as 45056 (ex 71G Bath Green Park), some lining and a large, early British Railways lion emblem. The tender was swapped for a welded version when the loco received AWS equipment sometime in the 50s.

 

20200306_BLK5_1.jpg.705556acc9979a529f535cf9f8b657f5.jpg

 

45056 Euston 1960

 and

45056 Manchester Exchange 1960s

 

pse note the AWS air reservoir on the footplate and AWS plate below the buffer beam. These would not have been fitted until later in the 50s.

 

Cheers

 

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Just a superficial observation, be very careful with the size of the cabside numbers.  Locos repaired at St Rollox works in Glasgow (ex Caledonian works) after repainting had 10" thicker cabside numbers instead of the standard BR numbers which were 8" high.  Very few Scottish based layouts I have seen have locos with  these larger numbers.

 

I spent my train spotting days in the 1950s on the Midland & WCML.  When we saw a loco with the 10" high cab side numerals we all cheered & shouted that it must be a 'cop' before we found out what it was!  Oh happy days.

 

Peter

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On 10/03/2020 at 11:17, Jack Benson said:

Just bumping the thread with a similar issue, my own Black 5, acquired as built and destined to replicate one of the very few domeless examples that ran on the SDJR. I did have some concerns about buying a kitbuilt loco but this DJH example runs perfectly, it merely needs renumbering as 45056 (ex 71G Bath Green Park), some lining and a large, early British Railways lion emblem. The tender was swapped for a welded version when the loco received AWS equipment sometime in the 50s.

 

20200306_BLK5_1.jpg.705556acc9979a529f535cf9f8b657f5.jpg

 

45056 Euston 1960

 and

45056 Manchester Exchange 1960s

 

pse note the AWS air reservoir on the footplate and AWS plate below the buffer beam. These would not have been fitted until later in the 50s.

 

Cheers

 

Black 5s are difficult to get right.   Unlike later GWR 4-6-0 Locos the deep cab running plate does not line up with the tender running plate The top edge of the deep cab running plate lines up with the  very thin tender running plate which sort of jars visually while the tender and loco steps should be broadly in line. Worst issue with LMS locos is they ran with cab doors shut and look wrong (to me) running with cab doors open.

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  • 1 month later...
Guest Jack Benson

A final bump

 

45056 has been completed as the prototype was allocated to Bath Green Park in the early 50s and coupled to a riveted tender.

Further examination revealed that the model is not DJH but Brassmasters as confirmed by the builder, John Brighton, now retired, of Steamline, Sheffield. 

Livery variations abound, unforunately an image of 45056 on the SDJR has not been found only multiple images from the mid 60s, therefore a best guess until proved wrong.

 

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Cheers

Edited by Jack Benson
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  • 3 months later...
Guest Jack Benson

Two rather better images of 45056 as one of dome less examples allocated to BGP in the early 50s. The rather poorly tender has been rebuilt as the internal chassis was prone to warp. The remainder of the model is a tribute to Brassmasters.

 

Cheers and Stay Safe
 

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