Railroad Crosti 9F

[Pandora]

http://www.Hornby.com/media/partsandspares/schematics/1436400000/HSS414CrostiBoiler9F_1436450480.pdf

 

The under-boliler feedwater heater, is it integral to the  chassis casting or is it  removable part?

 

 

If a rebuilt Crosti is required, then it will have to go to reveal the famous daylight of the "Spaceships"

 

Will the Crosti body fit  the Railroad 9F?

[Pandora]

92021 is paired with  the low sided tender:

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/holycorner/8234744858

 

The majority of Crostis had the high-sided tender,

 

Is 92021 the sole example with such a tender?

['CHARD]

Ah - but, look closely.

 

The tender is right for 92023, which doesn't present a problem.  I now realise that my issue is actually that by the time of their move to Kingmoor, the second exhaust and its distinctive smoke deflector had been removed.  

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/16749798@N08/4253719391

[toboldlygo]

Thanks for the pics 'toboldlygo', now can that pre-heater tube be removed ??mmmm.

 

By the looks of it, it's part of the casting for the chassis

[toboldlygo]

92021 is paired with the low sided tender:

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/holycorner/8234744858

 

The majority of Crostis had the high-sided tender,

 

Is 92021 the sole example with such a tender?

All the Crosti's were originally equipped with BR1B tenders, as far as I am aware.

 

That photo of 92021 is clearly after she was rebuilt and she did get a BR1G in her last years (1965 onwards) of service.

 

Also 92023 got a BR1G in 1966

 

 

92024 had got a BR1G in 1965 and then a BR1F in 1966

Edited August 28, 2015 by toboldlygo

[stewartingram]

^{I picked up a late crest version from T4U today, their 1st one sold though early crest ones have already sold a few. The loco-tender coupling can be close coupled; just remove the tender screw and move the coupling along a hole. No breaks rods or brakeblocks, just to confirm. Sweet runner. It will be renumbered as 92025, I have seen a photo of this recently on Peterborough East shed so that makes it an honorary GE loco (!). I think it was rebuilt by then but Rule 1 applies.}

 

^Stewart

Edited December 9, 2017 by stewartingram

[toboldlygo]

Think I'm getting carried away here...

 

[bike2steam]

Thanks - think I just heard an almighty gert penny drop !!

[bike2steam]

All the Crosti's were originally equipped with BR1B tenders, as far as I am aware.

 

That photo of 92021 is clearly after she was rebuilt and she did get a BR1G in her last years (1965 onwards) of service.

 

Also 92023 got a BR1G in 1966

 

 

92024 had got a BR1G in 1965 and then a BR1F in 1966

All the first 5 had tender changes, the last 5 kept their BR1b's to withdrawal, yes all started with BR1b's, changes happened after conversion to conventional operation.

[Brian Kirby]

There was no brake gear with the old Airfix now Dapol kit, in any version that I have seen. 

Quite right 34BD©, i stand corrected, AFAIK the other 50 year old Kitmaster/Airfixs had it, it's definitely on the Bulleid, maybe those 9F wheels were just a little too close together for the brake blocks to be modelled? Apologies for not replying sooner, but RMdubya seemed to go tits up this afternoon, i'll go back and amend my post above. I'd rather have plastic brake blocks to avoid shorting, so maybe it's time to get out the black plasticard? Rodding can still be metal. BTW everyone, don't be tempted to drill out that blank chimney, that's the lid. No kidding, they've even modelled the fold down lid, which was only opened when lighting the loco up from cold, then it was shut down for in service, hence the handrails either side of the chimney for the fireman. Just like a giant teapot really.     BK

[frobisher]

I know. I was just wondering why.

It's a Railroad spec model after all...

[Sweeps]

Being a railroad model but still costing £120 I'm sort of relishing the chance to try and improve it or do a bit of modelling as we used to do in the olden days. Any hints tips sources of parts would be most welcome.

[farren]

Dose anyone have drawings for the break shoes gearing? Don't mind trying to build some but a drawing is always a nice thing to work from.

[toboldlygo]

Quite right 34BD©, i stand corrected, AFAIK the other 50 year old Kitmaster/Airfixs had it, it's definitely on the Bulleid, maybe those 9F wheels were just a little too close together for the brake blocks to be modelled? Apologies for not replying sooner, but RMdubya seemed to go tits up this afternoon, i'll go back and amend my post above. I'd rather have plastic brake blocks to avoid shorting, so maybe it's time to get out the black plasticard? Rodding can still be metal. BTW everyone, don't be tempted to drill out that blank chimney, that's the lid. No kidding, they've even modelled the fold down lid, which was only opened when lighting the loco up from cold, then it was shut down for in service, hence the handrails either side of the chimney for the fireman. Just like a giant teapot really.     BK

 

Actually there should only be a handrail on the right hand side of the lighting up chimney, not the left. It has been gone over on this thread before...

[Guest]

From the discussion going on, it appears that the Hornby Franco Crosti 9F is a hit and a good starting point to make modifications.  Any observations on detailing the early versions around 1956?

[SDJR7F88]

Got mine out today for the first time and started filming a review. There's a lot to cover and with the amount of re-takes I've been doing while filming it has taken some time to do so!   The camcorder has just ran out of battery so have calling it a day half way though... (It's taken me 4 hours to just get the first 12 minutes to get it too what I feel is an Ok Standard)!    Will hopefully continue tomorrow. 

Anyways here's a few screen shots of what I have got so far. Really is a magnificent model!

Hope these are of help! 

Edited August 28, 2015 by SDJR7F88

[Brian Kirby]

Actually there should only be a handrail on the right hand side of the lighting up chimney, not the left. It has been gone over on this thread before...

Thanks Toboldlygo, i've now removed the offending handrail, working on the front steps now. I've also used the closer coupling option between loco and tender, seems fine on 3ft radius, even down as far as 2'6", it might even manage down to around 2ft?  BK

[Pandora]

The Crosti is indeed a hit and I think that bodes well for a version for the rebuilt version.

 

  If Hornby choose to release a rebuilt Crosti, then it may well be the last piece to complete the  jigsaw picture for the mid-sixties steam modeller, in that every class of steam loco in service during the period is available to an accurate standard RTR.

 

1967 and 1968 are covered,and may apply over a wider period,  How do the years 1964 1965, 1966 etc, fare against the RTR criteria?

Edited August 29, 2015 by Pandora

[Tim Hall]

My Crosti seems happy enough on 2ft 6 inch radius, which is the tightest I use. When were the BR Standard Class 2s (84xxx and 78xxx) withdrawn? Can't quite remember. Think they went reasonably early as largely displaced by DMUs, closures etc

Edited August 29, 2015 by Tim Hall

[Pandora]

Thanks Toboldlygo, i've now removed the offending handrail, working on the front steps now. I've also used the closer coupling option between loco and tender, seems fine on 3ft radius, even down as far as 2'6", it might even manage down to around 2ft?  BK

If you have a Hornby 9F, do you think the chassis and bodyshell  are compatible with the Crosti,

Edited August 29, 2015 by Pandora

[gismorail]

I would agree with all that has been said about this new model. Hornby have a big hit here there's no doubt about that well done to the big red box firm excellent. (yes praise to Hornby !!!!!!!)

I do keep asking myself though 'Why has this model been produced and why in Rail Road ??? ' 

I just keep thing that there's been some deep thinking gone on at Hornby over this model, and I wonder if it's a sign to the future.

 

Now as we all know and many of us are probably guilty Hornby has taken a real media hammering over the last couple of years and as a company on the stock exchange that's a pretty serious state of affairs when it's coming from stockists and customers, as it does not give investors a great deal of confidence to invest. Plus as we all know the supply chain situation from China is an ongoing battle that the company has to address. 

 

The move to direct sales to us the customer will no doubt improve the profit even though it's been widely criticised from within the hobby but when one looks to the way retail sales patterns are going it's quite the normal way to market a product in this day and age. Coupled to the fact with Hornby's directive that no more new model samples will be supplied to magazines is very interesting along with BRM's announcement only last month that they are looking to get modellers to do reviews on new modellers ......... now do you see where this is going !!!!!!

 

This thread on the Crosti 9F has been one of the best reviews of a new model that Hornby could have wished for ........ The real end user is doing the review and wealth of knowledge from people who are at the heart of the hobby now that's a proper review ...... The cleaver bit has been that any criticism or faults have been 'forgiven' because it's a Rail Road product...........go and count how many times that's been said so far !!!!!!

 

So maybe Hornby are more in tune with it's customers than we have given them credit for .... it's been a model that's got everyone in the hobby talking about ....I mean think about it a BR Crosti 9F in ready to run for just over £100 who would have thought it years ago. If Heljan had not done the Garret for Hattons maybe it would have been that model that we would be talking about and it could well be that's were the lead for this idea has come from when you consider the good publicity that Heljan have had from producing the early prototype's.

 

But I honestly feel that the clever but about this model is the fact that it's been produced under the Rail Road banner ...... the basic model is there for all to own and run , many will be more than happy with the model as it is , many of us will no doubt weather it and renumber it to our desired locomotive of choice and their will be some, as this thread has suggested, who will add the missing or desired improvements that their skills can produce .  

 

At the end of the day I think Hornby have hit on a winner here and maybe this is the way forward for this manufacturer.

Well done Hornby    Excellent 

[coachmann]

  If Hornby choose to release a rebuilt Crosti, then it may well be the last piece to complete the  jigsaw picture for the mid-sixties steam modeller, in that every class of steam loco in service during the period is available to an accurate standard RTR.

Hardly. BR Std Class 2 2-6-2T, BR Std Class 2 2-6-0, LMS Caprotti Class 5 and scores of engines from the LNER and Scottish Regions.

Edited August 29, 2015 by coachmann

[Dunsignalling]

Many seem to consider that Hornby have pitched the Crosti 9F somewhere between their premium and budget ranges but I think they know exactly what they are doing on this one. 

 

It has been clear for some time that many fittings on the super-detailed locos beloved of collectors and enthusiasts are just too delicate for the "lads and dads" market. It is equally apparent that some of the "recycled" older tooling used to produce the Railroad range up to now is, by modern standards, unsatisfactory for either segment. 

 

The Crosti 9F is different, it is robust enough to be "played with" but a sufficiently good model to satisfy many of the rest of us, with or without a bit of tweaking. In short, exactly what many of those who comment on such things have been asking for. OK, the price is significantly north of £100 which would have attracted howls of anguish not so long ago. However, all but the most diehard critics seem to have got the message that future big, highly detailed locos in full passenger livery are unlikely to come out much below £150.

 

All-in-all, the Crosti shows us how Hornby have developed the two-level (Design Clever) concept of the P2 and 'Duke of Gloucester' into a single specification acceptable to a wide spectrum of customers. As a statement of what Hornby want Railroad to be, I find it very encouraging. However, it appears that the RRP of the next main range loco (the S15) which is, in many ways, quite comparable to the Crosti (size, livery, outside valve gear) will be less than £20 more, suggesting that the gap in pricing between the two ranges may be closer in future than we may expect.  

 

John

Edited August 29, 2015 by Dunsignalling

[Hilux5972]

Hardly. BR Std Class 2 2-6-2T, BR Std Class 2 2-6-0, LMS Caprotti Class 5 and scores of engines from the LNER and Scottish Regions.

I'm pretty sure he meant the BR Standard classes.

[Downendian]

BTW everyone, don't be tempted to drill out that blank chimney, that's the lid. No kidding, they've even modelled the fold down lid, which was only opened when lighting the loco up from cold, then it was shut down for in service, hence the handrails either side of the chimney for the fireman. Just like a giant teapot really.     BK

Spot on Brian for the version modelled by Hornby. But when the Crosti gubbins was removed they reverted back to conventional ventilation of course.

http://bristol-rail.co.uk/wiki/File:Mangotsfield3.jpg

My Golden arrow version is after the removal of the Crosti equipment.

Neil