7mm Gladiator NER/LNER/BR G5

Rob Pulham

Western Thunderer
Something a little different on the workbench for me at the moment a Gladiator G5 which is to be finished in BR livery as one of the last G5's to be shedded in Leeds. I am building this for a friend who is too busy with other things to build it himself. The kit originates with George Norton and came to Gladiator via John Shelly of Fourtrack Models - according to the instructions.

A bit of research using the relevant copy of Yeadons and RCTS Green book show that the last two G5's in Leeds were 67262 or 67325 they were at Neville Hill until 1658. Sadly photos are thin on the ground, I haven't found one of either loco so far.:(

The kit is to be pretty much an out of the box build but it was supplied with Hobby Holidays Hornblocks for the drivers and Finney hornguides for the bogie. I say hornguides because when I check the hornblocks themselves are those that come with the kit and are significantly bigger than the Finney ones (I have some that I was able to check against. This has meant quite a bits of filing to get the horn blocks to fit but I got there.

I also blackened the wheels and replaced the standard 12ba nuts and bolts with 10ba and tapped the crank pin bushes. Also included in the kit are a pair of Premier rods that look to be approx. half the depth of the etched ones which I made up just incase. More research needed me thinks.

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Next I started to prepare the frames and then encountered a bit of a challenge - The frames have compensation built in in the form of fold up guides and compensation beams.
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The challenge that I can foresee is getting the HH hornblocks in square because there is no fixed axle to use as a datum with my chassis jig - that and the frame spacers are loose in their slots.......

The plan at the moment is to fold up the built in rear guides and temporarily fit some hornblocks. Use this as the datum to fit the front pair of HH hornblocks and then use those to set the rear pair - having assembled the frames before starting on this. But I am open to alternatives:thumbs:
 

adrian

Flying Squad
A bit of research using the relevant copy of Yeadons and RCTS Green book show that the last two G5's in Leeds were 67262 or 67325 they were at Neville Hill until 1658. Sadly photos are thin on the ground, I haven't found one of either loco so far.:(

Have you had a look at Transport Treasury? It's one of my first ports of call for photos as they do list loco numbers on their search system.

So for example from http://www.transporttreasury.co.uk/page211.html
MM661 67262 G5 (LF) stn pilot with van at Leeds City 8/8/58

and from http://www.transporttreasury.co.uk/page155.html
G129 67262 Inside station Leeds City *** (light and shade shot)

Finally from http://www.transporttreasury.co.uk/page162.html
ES3993 67325 G5 (RR) Malton shed 23/9/56

Finally have a look at Colour Rail. Go to the UK Steam section and search on the loco number. I can't work out how to link to the photo directly but they do have this one dated 23rd Sept 1956

Screen Shot 2015-04-05 at 08.28.26.png


Hope that helps

p.s. Just spotted - in the colour rail photo another one hiding in the shed- 67262?
 
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adrian

Flying Squad
Brilliant, thanks Adrian:thumbs:
No problem - I can recommend getting prints from both companies, I've had great service from them over the years. It's always worth going back and checking these sites as they are adding more and more to their lists.
 

Rob Pulham

Western Thunderer
I have just ordered the 3 prints from the Transport treasury, the Colour rail one doesn't really give me much in the way of details that I need sadly.

Thanks again.
 

Rob Pulham

Western Thunderer
More reading of RCTS Locomotives of the LNER part 7 this morning has revealed that neither of the potential choices was fitted with Push Pull gear. Further finds are that although both were fitted with vacuum ejectors I cannot confirm that either had a steam brake fitted and the Westinghouse pump removed. Sods law dictates that 67260,263 and 264 all had the above modification but no confirmation of 262 or 325 receiving it. Hopefully that will be one of the details revealed by the photos once they arrive.
 

Rob Pulham

Western Thunderer
One step forward, etc..... a proper Doh! moment

I hit the next snag this afternoon, the Finney hornguides that I spent the time filing to fit the horn blocks yesterday were miles too big for the bogie frames. So big that to have attempted to reduce wouldn't have left anything.

So plan B was build the bogie straight out of the the box with the built in compensation which I did and it runs as sweet as a nut.

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There are plenty of etched washers in the kit to take out some of the sideplay.

IMG_7507_zps4r9hnoiw.jpg
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
It's a shame none of these NE locos worked into the London area, I have an eye for some of their tank engines and some Scottish classes too, I might be forced to apply rule 1 if you keep posting shots of these little blighters ;)

I like your blackened wheels, mine never got that black on the A1 tender :confused:

Addendum, a quick 'casual' toe in the water browse on the web produced this site, you may already have found it.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/79991911@N06/sets/
 
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7mmMick

Western Thunderer
I'm loving the look of this build Rob. I've quite a few photo's and Yeadon's if you don't have it. I also have a couple of detail drawings somewhere ( or photo's of ) so just give me a shout if you need anything. I'll have a look through later for the loco's you mention:thumbs:

Mick

P.S Don't mention G5's JB :))
 

7mmMick

Western Thunderer
Just had a quick look Rob,

First picture is copy write to Mick Nicholson and the second 53A models. 67337 is my chosen subject but shows the vacuum controlled push pull fitted and the second is nearly '325 :)):thumbs:
80A.5 - 67337 Botanic Gardens[1].jpg
G5 0-4-4T locomotives 67326 & 67280 in store at Bridlington goods shed - 081957..jpg

ATB Mick
 

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Rob Pulham

Western Thunderer
Thanks All,

Mick I would appreciate anything that you have, I plan on a G5 of my own at some point although mine will be much earlier and I will like you chose a Push Pull fitted example because I like adding the details.

'324 and '326 seem to have been the subject of many photos but 325 seems to have been a bit shy.
 

Rob Pulham

Western Thunderer
My wheel blackening method is a combination of ideas picked up from fellow members.

I start by putting them in a bowl of hot soapy water (cheap pound shop washing up liquid - not kind to your hands but does the job on the wheels). I then scrub them using a sheet of household pan shiner and place them in a stainless tin.

Once I have them all scrubbed I dry them using an old hair dryer that I have in the workshop. The stainless tin helps keep the heat in (a tip I picked up from Martyn @3Link). Keeping them warm seems to be the key to getting a good coating.

I then drop them in a jar of very well diluted (another tip picked up from a someone on WT and it appealed being a tight fisted Yorkshireman:))) metal black for steel. In this case it's Carrs because I had it on one side preferring Birchwood Casey and working on the principle that if it didn't work I hadn't lost anything because I probably wouldn't have used it in any case.

I then left them for about 15 minutes while I got on with something else. The jar I use is a clear square based jar that had Tesco Cranberry sauce in it originally but it has the advantages of being clear so you can see how well the blackening is going, a wide neck for access and being broad based and quite low in height you are unlikely to knock it over.

From there it's out into my stainless tin again this time filled with clean water to neutralise the blackening solution. Then drain the excess water and dry (I do it with an old rag). Lastly I rub/polish the wheels with kitchen towel or a cotton bud to get the finish visible in the photos. It's so much better than my old method of painstakingly applying with a cotton bud (although it worked).
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
I think the trick is the dilution of the solution, I've been applying mine neat with a cotton bud and it didn't go well, in fact it went better if I dropped them whilst still moist with neat solution into a tub of water and left for ten minutes, therefore, the dilution of the solution appears critical to the effectiveness of the blackening.

I'll give your method a try later today and see how it goes :thumbs:
 
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