neal Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 That’s great, thank you! Was worried these might have been held up by the Houthis. I assume you will contact pre-orderers for payment… Best Wishes, Neal Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellis Clark Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 Hi Neal, We will indeed :). All the best, Ellis. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monkey28 Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 what batch is Eric Treacy in? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellis Clark Posted January 6 Share Posted January 6 14 hours ago, Monkey28 said: what batch is Eric Treacy in? Hi there, They will be in the first batch due later this month. All the best, Ellis. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellis Clark Posted January 19 Share Posted January 19 The first batch of our Black 5s are finally in stock! It has been over four years since we set foot on this incredible journey and it brings me great pleasure to tell you that today the first batch has arrived in stock with us! The website is fully up to date, with LMS lined, plain black and BR plain black models in stock, both DCC ready and DCC Sound fitted. Here’s a Reminder of the Black 5 Specifications… Super detailed die-cast, brass and plastic construction ABC Gearbox (Built in the UK) Maxon motor with ball bearing racers Super detailed cab Sprung axle boxes Removable working loco lamps Firebox glow Detail pack with snow plough included with every model DCC Ready Will negotiate Peco 2nd Radius curves & Setrack Points (40.5"/1028mm) Un-numbered models supplied with transfer sheets DCC Sound Versions: Zimo MS950 sound Decoder Boom box double speaker (located in the loco) Zimo exclusive sound project with 20+ functions, created by Paul Chetter Pre-Orders We’ve just begun the mammoth task of fulfilling pre-orders. If you have a pre-order for one of the models which has come into stock, then you should be getting a call from us shortly! If we can’t get through to you on the phone, we’ll drop you an email. Alternatively, feel free to give us a call if you’re “in and out”. A Couple of ‘Bundle Buys’ If you find yourself thinking “What shall I run behind my Black 5”, then we have a few ideas and therefore, ‘bundle-buy’ options for you… The Black 5 was known as the “go anywhere, do anything” locomotive, meaning in their long life span of 32 years, for our Armstrong Whitworth build batch at least, they hauled a varied amount of different vehicles. Naturally, Stanier coaches and other LMS carriage stock would have been used whilst in LMS livery, alongside various freight vehicles. In BR days, they would, of course, often be seen hauling BR Mk1s and Stanier coaches in BR livery, however as they made their way up, down and across the country, they could be seen with Gresleys, Thompsons, Presflos, etc… At this stage, you might see where we’re going with this. So here’s a few bundle buy options: 10% off the Total Order Value When Buying a Black 5 and 3 or more Darstaed coaches This means, for example, if you bought a Black 5 (DCC Ready) with 3 Darstaed Blood & Custard Thompson coaches, you would pay £1,472.40, instead of £1,636. 10% off the Total Order Value When Buying a Black 5 and 5 or more Presflos This means, for example, if you bought a Black 5 with DCC sound and 8 Presflos, you would pay £1,561.43 instead of £1,734.92 We still have in stock some of the award winning Darstaed Mk1s finished in West Highland livery. We’re looking forward to running a rake of these with a Black 5! Want to Collect Your Model in Person? We’d love to welcome you to our showroom to collect your model in person. If you haven’t been before, then let me take this opportunity to market our cosy showroom. Located just off Shortbank Road in Skipton, our showroom has been a popular part of our business for nearly 7 years now. We pride ourselves on offering award-winning coffee, hot and cold beverages, and flapjack! All are welcome and we have an ever-changing range of products, both new and pre-owned. Our Address is: Unit 2 Toller Court, Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD23 2HG. Some Sat Navs take you around the back of the building, so you just need to head back on to Shortbank road and turn onto Toller Court. Toller Court is half housing, half business units - so it’s often misleading when heading up the turnoff. Once in Toller Court, you’ll see the signs for our showroom. A Range of Payment Options Alongside standard payment options such as debit/credit cards and PayPal, we also offer two ‘spread the cost’ options. Option 1 is PayPal’s ‘Pay in 3’ (simply select PayPal as your payment method, log in to your account and if you’re eligible then you will be able to select it). Option 2 is ClearPay, new to our website. This option will be available at Checkout for you to select. Part Exchange Service We’re happy to offer a part exchange service on our Black 5s. If you’d like to enquire about this, feel free to call the office (01756 701451) or email Dave (dave@ellisclarktrains.com). FAQs Whose chip and sound files are you using? The DCC sound variants come fitted with a Zimo MS950 decoder and a double boom box speaker, both of which are located in the loco. The sound files have been recorded exclusively for our Black 5 by Paul Chetter, using ‘45407’ (whilst on the Jacobite) and ‘45231’ whilst running the ‘Lakelander Tour’. A full week's worth of sound recordings trimmed down into our sound project. What Radius will it go around? We’re proud to say that our Black 5 will negotiate both Peco 2nd curves and Peco Setrack points. Weathering & Customisation We have a range of different weathering options which can be applied to our Black 5s by our very own Neil Armitage. You can use the link below to view the services and costs available, and add it to your basket with your Black 5. We currently have around a 2 - 4 week lead time. Nameplates We have a small amount of Black 5 nameplates in stock, should you wish to take advantage of our naming/numbering service. Here’s a list of the nameplates we have in stock from Fox Transfers. Lancashire Fusilier '5407/45407' Lanarkshire Yeomanry '5154/45154' Glasgow Highlander '5157/45157' Glasgow Yeomanry '5158/45158' Ayrshire Yeomanry '5156/45156' Alderman & A E Draper '5305/45305' Sold Out & Low Stock Models Within this first delivery, there are a number of variants which are either sold out or very low on stock. There is a chance that some pre-orders are not completed and so these will become available again. If you notice a variant which is sold out, please email Hannah (hannah@ellisclarktrains.com) and we’d be happy to let you know should one become available. VAT Vat is automatically deducted from the price of our Black 5s for all our overseas customers. The price should be displayed on the website with the VAT already deducted. All the best, Ellis. 15 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Fair Oak Junction Posted January 19 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 19 Mmmm, those are some handsome looking models! 👌 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
neal Posted January 19 Share Posted January 19 45337 is on its way!!! As excited as a 10 year old - who says this hobby is dead! Neal 3 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellis Clark Posted January 19 Share Posted January 19 1 hour ago, neal said: 45337 is on its way!!! As excited as a 10 year old - who says this hobby is dead! Neal Hi Neal, Very well said! We love your enthusiasm :D. All the best, Ellis. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium lankyandy Posted January 23 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 23 Mine has arrived today and it’s a fantastic model. Looks great, runs so smoothly and sounds brilliant. well done everyone at Ellis clark for producing such a great model. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
neal Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 Mine landed today, beautifully packaged and in perfect condition. The manual is a joy, however appears not to mention how the body is removed to access the DCC socket - can you help Ellis? Neal Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellis Clark Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 1 hour ago, neal said: Mine landed today, beautifully packaged and in perfect condition. The manual is a joy, however appears not to mention how the body is removed to access the DCC socket - can you help Ellis? Neal Hi Neal, I can indeed! Please see the attached PDF. I'll post a paper copy out to you too. Very sorry this wasn't included with the model. All the best, Ellis. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
neal Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 (edited) Many thanks, she is a beauty! Neal Edited January 23 by neal Image too large! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium thegreenhowards Posted January 24 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 24 Hi Ellis, Mine arrived yesterday and I’ve been playing with it today. What a fantastic model! The most expensive model I’ve ever bought but well worth it. Once I’ve got the transfers and my garden railway is set up for the summer I will feature 5407 with a rake of your green and cream Mk1s. A questions if I may: How do I move the working lamps? I want an express passenger configuration for the West Highland Line (I.e. bottom left and right). Is it as simple as just picking them off? If so fine, but I don’t want to damage anything! I got the 18 page glossy but didn’t get the leaflet mentioned above on DCC installation which I would like as that will be a job for the medium term. I will email Hannah for that. Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
neal Posted January 24 Share Posted January 24 (edited) Decoder fitted, CV’s tuned and running like a sewing machine. It was a challenging installation, but not impossibly so. Thanks to Ellis’s instructions, we got the boiler off, with a couple of pipe casualties. This was somewhat inevitable given the glued connections from boiler to running plate, however these were relatively easy to fix back on. When the boiler is off, it’s easier to handle with the front lamp cable unplugged. Once open, the vertical pcb and decoder mount appears sized for the Zimo chip. My ESU Lokpilot 5L fitted, but the lugs at the top of the mount had to be trimmed as the decoder is slightly too wide to fit below these. It is still clear inside the boiler. The ESU chip has 38 pins, 4 of which are redundant (not sure why they provide these?!!). You don’t need to remove these when fitting, as these clear the pcb socket (which is for a 34 pin chip). The mount is plastic so there is no risk of shorting. There is a small PCB which is screwed onto the mount above the decoder socket. I had to remove this to adjust the mount, but it screwed back on ok once the decoder was installed. The cables are a little wild inside the firebox, and care is required in returning the boiler avoiding ‘trappage’. On the track, default CV’s need the feedback parameters adjusting for this chip. Critically 52 should be 0. I’ve tweaked others marginally. Lamps (directional) are F0, firebox F6. I hope this might be of use for those doing their own thing with a decoder. More than once I wondered whether the bother was worth the saving against a DCC fitted one, but not all can run to the price difference, and some just don’t want sound. Apologies once again I failed to take pictures of the install! As Ellis suggests, take care when removing the front bogie. That cost me 30 minutes looking for the spring which made a bid for freedom. Didn’t realise how dirty the dining room floor is! I still need to add detail parts, but that’s for another day. Anyway, it’s a great model, with a beautiful motor and drivetrain. Congratulations to ECT on this project. An 8F to follow……? Neal Edited January 25 by neal Grammar, punctuation, correction 4 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super-Sloth Posted January 25 Share Posted January 25 This is the first o gauge loco I’ve ever ordered. Sadly for me it looks like I’ll have to hang on for batch 2 for the lined models! Having done a little research it seems there are all sorts of voltages suggested to run O dcc sound models anywhere from 15 volt right the way up to 24 volt for some of the German outline models with smoke generators? Is there any particular recommendation from the sound chip manufacturer? kind regards, Jon M. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellis Clark Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 On 24/01/2024 at 12:20, thegreenhowards said: Hi Ellis, Mine arrived yesterday and I’ve been playing with it today. What a fantastic model! The most expensive model I’ve ever bought but well worth it. Once I’ve got the transfers and my garden railway is set up for the summer I will feature 5407 with a rake of your green and cream Mk1s. A questions if I may: How do I move the working lamps? I want an express passenger configuration for the West Highland Line (I.e. bottom left and right). Is it as simple as just picking them off? If so fine, but I don’t want to damage anything! I got the 18 page glossy but didn’t get the leaflet mentioned above on DCC installation which I would like as that will be a job for the medium term. I will email Hannah for that. Andy Hi Andy, Thank you so much for the kind words. Your transfers are ready for the post on Monday morning. 1. For the lamps - it is just just as easy as pulling them out. 2. A few people had some missing paperwork - sorry about that! Everything is going in the post on Monday for this. In the meantime, here's Dropbox link for all the Black 5 paperwork: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/eki86qsarclt4y2m1m7kf/h?rlkey=6tpe0818bedd94mef8a4iqvli&mc_cid=a27835bde5&mc_eid=9e789dcb40&dl=0 All the best, Ellis. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellis Clark Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 On 25/01/2024 at 23:18, Super-Sloth said: This is the first o gauge loco I’ve ever ordered. Sadly for me it looks like I’ll have to hang on for batch 2 for the lined models! Having done a little research it seems there are all sorts of voltages suggested to run O dcc sound models anywhere from 15 volt right the way up to 24 volt for some of the German outline models with smoke generators? Is there any particular recommendation from the sound chip manufacturer? kind regards, Jon M. Hi John, We use a few different ones in the office, including Gaugemaster's Prodigy, an NCE Powercab and a Lenz system. Personally, I like the NCE Powercabs :). All the best, Ellis. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ressaldar Posted February 2 Share Posted February 2 I received mine last week but only just got round to playing with it, mainly due to the Club DCC layout being temporarily out of commission due to trackwork alterations. So mostly been on the rolling road and just sorted out the sound conundrum and the 'cyclic toggle' When delivered it comes with ready to run on Peco radius two trackwork so there is a bit of work in putting in the 'scale' options pieces which I have now completed, making a really lovely model. regards Mike 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellis Clark Posted February 5 Share Posted February 5 Evening all, We've just launched a video on our YouTube channel with Neil showing you how to fit the detailing pack to your Black 5. You can watch it here: All the best, Ellis 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellis Clark Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 Afternoon all, The next batch of Black 5s are now in stock and live on the website. This includes the first of the BR late crest lined models, No. 45337, both with and without DCC sound. Furthermore, we have plain black and BR plain black versions, both numbered, unnumbered and with/without DCC sound now in stock. Head on over to the website for the latest stock! All the best, Ellis. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium thegreenhowards Posted February 7 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 7 Here’s my first attempt at ‘The West Highlander’ (forerunner of today’s Jacobite) running on the EKOGG test track today. The loco will become 5407 once I have the LMS transfers which I think are in the post. I was impressed by how well she handled the five weighty coaches and she drew a fair bit of favourable comment. Andy 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
neal Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 A couple of weeks in, and I am very happy with the loco. Detail addition is not without trial. The cylinder front face and infills are a firm interference fit but nice. Similarly drains and front steps fit ok with requisite adhesive. I used cyano for the drains and UV activated epoxy for the steps. These need to be fixed with care as they are weak at the middle step. The diagonal brace is a smidge long and the hole into which this fits needs opening out slightly to fit with steps vertical. Not sure about the snowplough. I don’t think this is an interference fit as the manual suggests but wasn’t going to fit this anyway. Similarly AWS tanks and pipework were omitted on the basis I this was a pre 1961 prototype. The fine pipe to the running board looks fiddly, and a cyano adhesive job to a finished painted surface would be tricky. I looked at fitting the speedometer, however whilst removal of the relevant coupling rod pin screw allows this to engage with the slot revealed, the screw head is too fat to seat within the speedo crank without fouling the arm when rotating. In addition if tightened fully this binds the connecting rod to the wheel preventing the model from running freely. I gave up on this detail. Again I am not sure 45337 had this feature in service. The cab doors are very fine, and these have a groove which seats onto a ‘blade’ moulding behind the cab handrail. Again this is not an easy fit, and I had to notch the blade on the model to allow these to fit cleanly. This requires some manhandling which is not conducive to the very fine pin and hole connections between the moving door leafs. Mine disengaged a couple of times and were then very loose. When fitted the leaf hinges nearest the cab was glued for security. The ECT video covers some of these issues, and notes that the cab doors might best be glued in a suitable position. It does not note the shortcomings of the speedo cable connection, and does not mention the snow ploughs. Another posted video suggests that ECT will be supplying new speedo cable connections and beefier cab doors. I don’t know if this is the case. I did spot that my tender was bereft of one guard iron. ECT provided one very quickly when I raised this with them which is great service. This was an easy fit. I also today received the missing DCC fitting guide, along with extra instruction manual and 2024 catalogue. Sadly this does not feature an 8F…☹️ I have seen a few images of locomotives and tenders, and would note some variation in the registration of tender logos, both BR emblem and LMS. I would note that one side of my tender has the late BR emblem some 8mm nearer the rear than the other, and well behind the centre wheel axlebox. Accepting that there were disparities in the location of emblems on the prototype, this doesn’t worry me (and otherwise the finish is fine) - others might take umbrage with such details. It runs fine with the ESU decoder described in prior post. I am now torn as to weather lightly. So the detail parts are a challenge, but better than those supplied with Hattons A3/A4. Just be careful in handling, the boiler handrail posts are very fine (possibly underscale?) Some ECT pre production images have shown some instances of breakage, and these would be a tough fix. I don’t mean to criticise such a beautiful model. Hopefully these pointers will help others and might be considered in future releases and other models. Neal 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super-Sloth Posted February 15 Share Posted February 15 (edited) Mine arrived 2 days ago. I’m absolutely blown away by this model. I switched scales from OO to O in November, so I haven’t exactly been waiting long for this to arrive, unlike the majority. This was the very first O gauge model I ordered but not the first to arrive. The first to turn up was a Dapol terrier that I bought for track testing purposes, so I thought I knew what to expect in terms of size… Not even close. Upon lifting the lid to reveal the model… I had to leave the room for a moment. What an absolute monster! I wasn’t prepared for the size of this thing. P&P is beyond reproach. The massive box that arrived protected the contents with enough packing peanuts to fill TWO Tesco’s carrier bags. I’ll be recycling this for probably a year! The quality is absolutely astonishing. Hand on heart, I wasn’t expecting much from the sound. Steam sounds are often a bit twee, but this is absolutely next level. Easily the most realistic steam sound I’ve experienced. You’ll never replicate the real thing, but every exhaust beat has “bass-y” quality to it - totally beyond expectation. … and then there’s the motion. So smooth. So balanced. I even ran the thing up to max power - something I NEVER do and this thing just sat there with the wheels whizzing round - no rocking left and right, no bucking, nothing. Just smooth and balanced. You could set a coin on the cab and it’d just stay there such is the quality of engineering. Probably the height of praise came from my wife; “That’s easily the nicest model you’ve ever bought”. She’s right, too! Very much looking forward to the next announcement. I didn’t know who you guys were until October / November last year, but you’ve certainly gained a very happy (and hopefully repeat) customer! Best regards, Jon M. Edited February 15 by Super-Sloth 1 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellis Clark Posted February 19 Share Posted February 19 On 14/02/2024 at 20:05, neal said: A couple of weeks in, and I am very happy with the loco. Detail addition is not without trial. The cylinder front face and infills are a firm interference fit but nice. Similarly drains and front steps fit ok with requisite adhesive. I used cyano for the drains and UV activated epoxy for the steps. These need to be fixed with care as they are weak at the middle step. The diagonal brace is a smidge long and the hole into which this fits needs opening out slightly to fit with steps vertical. Not sure about the snowplough. I don’t think this is an interference fit as the manual suggests but wasn’t going to fit this anyway. Similarly AWS tanks and pipework were omitted on the basis I this was a pre 1961 prototype. The fine pipe to the running board looks fiddly, and a cyano adhesive job to a finished painted surface would be tricky. I looked at fitting the speedometer, however whilst removal of the relevant coupling rod pin screw allows this to engage with the slot revealed, the screw head is too fat to seat within the speedo crank without fouling the arm when rotating. In addition if tightened fully this binds the connecting rod to the wheel preventing the model from running freely. I gave up on this detail. Again I am not sure 45337 had this feature in service. The cab doors are very fine, and these have a groove which seats onto a ‘blade’ moulding behind the cab handrail. Again this is not an easy fit, and I had to notch the blade on the model to allow these to fit cleanly. This requires some manhandling which is not conducive to the very fine pin and hole connections between the moving door leafs. Mine disengaged a couple of times and were then very loose. When fitted the leaf hinges nearest the cab was glued for security. The ECT video covers some of these issues, and notes that the cab doors might best be glued in a suitable position. It does not note the shortcomings of the speedo cable connection, and does not mention the snow ploughs. Another posted video suggests that ECT will be supplying new speedo cable connections and beefier cab doors. I don’t know if this is the case. I did spot that my tender was bereft of one guard iron. ECT provided one very quickly when I raised this with them which is great service. This was an easy fit. I also today received the missing DCC fitting guide, along with extra instruction manual and 2024 catalogue. Sadly this does not feature an 8F…☹️ I have seen a few images of locomotives and tenders, and would note some variation in the registration of tender logos, both BR emblem and LMS. I would note that one side of my tender has the late BR emblem some 8mm nearer the rear than the other, and well behind the centre wheel axlebox. Accepting that there were disparities in the location of emblems on the prototype, this doesn’t worry me (and otherwise the finish is fine) - others might take umbrage with such details. It runs fine with the ESU decoder described in prior post. I am now torn as to weather lightly. So the detail parts are a challenge, but better than those supplied with Hattons A3/A4. Just be careful in handling, the boiler handrail posts are very fine (possibly underscale?) Some ECT pre production images have shown some instances of breakage, and these would be a tough fix. I don’t mean to criticise such a beautiful model. Hopefully these pointers will help others and might be considered in future releases and other models. Neal Hi Neal, Thank you so much for your feedback. This is exactly what we want, as we will always strive to improve model after model :). We'll add these to our list of alterations and considerations for future production. All the best, Ellis. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellis Clark Posted February 19 Share Posted February 19 On 15/02/2024 at 22:37, Super-Sloth said: Mine arrived 2 days ago. I’m absolutely blown away by this model. I switched scales from OO to O in November, so I haven’t exactly been waiting long for this to arrive, unlike the majority. This was the very first O gauge model I ordered but not the first to arrive. The first to turn up was a Dapol terrier that I bought for track testing purposes, so I thought I knew what to expect in terms of size… Not even close. Upon lifting the lid to reveal the model… I had to leave the room for a moment. What an absolute monster! I wasn’t prepared for the size of this thing. P&P is beyond reproach. The massive box that arrived protected the contents with enough packing peanuts to fill TWO Tesco’s carrier bags. I’ll be recycling this for probably a year! The quality is absolutely astonishing. Hand on heart, I wasn’t expecting much from the sound. Steam sounds are often a bit twee, but this is absolutely next level. Easily the most realistic steam sound I’ve experienced. You’ll never replicate the real thing, but every exhaust beat has “bass-y” quality to it - totally beyond expectation. … and then there’s the motion. So smooth. So balanced. I even ran the thing up to max power - something I NEVER do and this thing just sat there with the wheels whizzing round - no rocking left and right, no bucking, nothing. Just smooth and balanced. You could set a coin on the cab and it’d just stay there such is the quality of engineering. Probably the height of praise came from my wife; “That’s easily the nicest model you’ve ever bought”. She’s right, too! Very much looking forward to the next announcement. I didn’t know who you guys were until October / November last year, but you’ve certainly gained a very happy (and hopefully repeat) customer! Best regards, Jon M. Hi Jon, Wow! Thank you doesn't quite cut it. I shared this with the team on our WhatsApp chat (I hope you don't mind). They were all blown away by your kind words. All the best, Ellis. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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