LMS Black 5 5025

I knew I wouldn’t get it all

 

Afraid not, Strathspey have their own professional painter. Everything is done in house, loco's and coaches. All lettering and lining is hand painted, even the crest on 46512's tender, the only transfers used are the large carriage crests. The exception being when six coaches were painted over the winter of 2014/15 to form the dining set, some transfers were used to save time.

 

Murray is an incredible painter. Makes it look so easy while I struggle to paint a wall without painting something else entirely.

 

I've just come across this little montage featuring 5025 on I presume am test run. What's more I quite agree with those who have highlighted that she now has a taller chimney and the centre platform under the smokebox making quite a difference in '25s profile [for the better IMO], makes her stand out in the pack.....

 

Hang on, I'm confused. The picture in post #294 shows her with the step in 1982. Recent pictures show her without. (And the pictures in post #303 have vanished.)

 

The photos in 303 are fine on my P.C. It's all done with smoke and mirrors/Photoshop................ Seriously the Strathspey have retro fitted out 5025 as near as possible to her original as built condition, all things considered for a locomotive that's 80+ years old.

 

Anyone know how a double chimney black five performance compared to single chimney LMS class 5.

thanks

 

As an aside, I have recently had someone, who claimed to be a former employee at the Swindon test plant, tell me that 92220 had its front end badly damaged in a yard collision. Because it was planned to be preserved, after being stored for a while was moved to Crewe where, in secret, its identity switched onto another 9F in much better condition. Now, normally, one would look at all the motion parts and see what number they are stamped with as a starting point - we know that they moved around between locos but 92220 was so new that this would be unlikely and most would be expected to bear 92220- but my informant says that this was anticipated and the motion was swapped. Where would one look deeper for more evidence? Axleboxes, perhaps, but finding the stampings might not be easy unless the loco was being overhauled.

I listened politely to the story, but I've a feeling I've heard it before and have heard it dismissed as apocryphal - can anyone shed any light?

 

I think Railway Mag had a feature about this some years ago, it was put to bed by someone high up on the engineering side of the NRM at the time. (Ray Towell maybe?)

 

I believe that 92220 was withdrawn following a minor collision in the yard at Severn Tunnel Junction in ? May '65. The damage to the front end was slight and sorted out at Crewe when stored there. I think evidence of this is still visible if you know where to look. I think the story of an identity swap is one of those urban myths that keeps rearing its head. Interesting that you never hear which loco was supposed to have swapped places with 92220, nor when the last 9F was dispatched from Crewe for scrap.

Peter

 

Peter, I could well be wrong on this but I have a recollection (possibly from the same article in Railway Mag) that apparently 92203 is supposed to be 92220? I do think it’s all total BS though in my own opinion.

 

Is this another example of someone putting 2+2 together and getting 5? Certainly 92220's restoration at Crewe seemingly occured in Jan '67, about the same time that 92203 was overhauled as one of the last locos to be shopped there (only a month before 70013 became the very last). So repair to minor collision damage would have been well within Crewe's capabilities at the time. But then why would you return a once damaged 92220 to traffic as 92203, which worked for another nine months, for no obvious reason? As you say - total BS.

Peter

 

Talking of 'Black 5s'.......

 

I doubt this will help except the date ,92220 Crewe Works 27/08/1967,in a shed on its own. Hand held 1/25 sec exposure ,sorry about the shake.

 

I've just found another feature on the 'Tube to baffle/confuse MellishR. This one shows 5025 in action back in 1990 at Aviemore.-

 

This has been posted on Facebook by Vanilla Moon Photography of today's unveiling. Looks rather pleasant!

 

Rather pleasant = The Muts Nuts!!

 

Fabulous!

 

Surely the restoration team must get an HRA award for this

 

Oh my... That looks sensational! Another trip to Aviemore is required...

Congratulations on an incredible restoration!