# Aster Class 5 in full-size



## tacfoley (Jan 3, 2008)

Mornin', All. After the latest ASTER Hobbies model, the British Railways Class 5, hit the tracks, a good pal down in the bottom end of God's Own State [the one just above the state that begins with C] found me this while looking for a recipe for vulture pie.

Of course, this big one - http://www.youtube.com/user/PoathAr...AmZ_Z1B8Yw - would be **** to put in most backyards, and uses a progidous amount of coal. Another downside is that it would probably fall off most folks' tracks, even Dr Rivet's.

I make no apologies for the rather odd voice-over commentary, apparently ALL commentators and new-readers went to the same elocution school and as a result, spoke as though they had a throat full of razor-blades. I certainly don't recall anybody that *I * knew who sounded like that. 

Enjoy.

tac
www.ovgrs.orghttp://www.ovgrs.org/
Supporter of the Cape Meares Lighthouse Restoration Fund


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Tac, 

Not sure which wideo you intended, but i got a page of "Poath Archives". The NYC 'Twentieth Century" video was/is great !


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## david bunn (Jan 4, 2008)

No Class 5 Tac but really enjoyed the Pathe News DRGW film. 
David


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## tacfoley (Jan 3, 2008)

That's odd - when I open up http://www.youtube.com/user/PoathArchives#p/u/16/xAmZ_Z1B8Yw it goes straight to 'wash and brush up'. 

tac 
www.ovgrs.org 
Supporter of the Cape Meares Lighthouse Restoration Fund


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

OK. It worked now. (Your first link has a "-" after it: "../PoathArchives#p/u/28/xAmZ_Z1B8Yw -" which the second one does not.)


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## tacfoley (Jan 3, 2008)

Posted By Pete Thornton on 12 Oct 2010 08:44 AM 
OK. It worked now. (Your first link has a "-" after it: "../PoathArchives#p/u/28/xAmZ_Z1B8Yw -" which the second one does not.) 


o.

V sorry.

tac


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks TAC;

Always admired the Black Fives. Never had the model in OO. Had an Airfix OO tapered boiler Royal Scott for a short time. Only a few of my LMS OO models survived the move to large scale. Most of my OO and HO got sold to finance said move. I did save some representatives from all the Big Four, plus a few BR locomotives. Sadly, through no fault of their own, they are now shelf queens in one of my mother's old china cupboards.

Yours,
David Meashey


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

That site is WONDEROUS! Lotsa goodies to view.


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## Cougar Rock Rail (Jan 2, 2008)

Fantastic site, thanks Tac! 

I really liked this one: 

http://www.youtube.com/user/PoathArchives#p/u/58/oyulmyICuHw 

Keith


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## peter bunce (Dec 29, 2007)

Hi Tac, 


Excellent! Thanks for finding it - but wasn't everything so clean!


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## Bill Swindell (Jan 2, 2008)

Is it true that British locomotives don't have headlights? I noticed it on the video and on a locomotive that I worked on for another fellow. If so, how do they watch the track in the dark.


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## tacfoley (Jan 3, 2008)

Posted By Bill Swindell on 12 Oct 2010 04:21 PM 
Is it true that British locomotives don't have headlights? I noticed it on the video and on a locomotive that I worked on for another fellow. If so, how do they watch the track in the dark. Yes, it's quite true. British locomotives have marker lights/illuminated panels that are actually train-type head-codes for reading by signalmen in the old days when ALL signal boxes [switch towers] were manned. The signal-man would confirm the type of train by observing the position of the three lamps or in daytime, white markers on the front of the loco. One was positioned on each side of the buffer beam, and one just above centre on the smokebox or smokebox door. On modern locos, as I hinted, there are digital illuminated panels front and rear [all Class 1 locos over here are either double-ended or run in made-up sets with a loco traction unit at each end].

As to why they were simply lamps and not headlights, it's simple one to understand for a number of reasons - 

1. In UK all main-line [Class 1] railways are fenced in - cows do not normally stray onto them, nor do pedestrians, known in railway parlance as 'trespassers'. Fines for trespassing have been in place since the beginnings of the railways over here, and still vary from costing you £100 to costing you your life. So, in theory there should be nothing ON the track - why should there be, when it's all enclosed?

2. Train drivers [engineers] learn the routes *exactly*, and do not need to use headlights - what is going to get in the way of a train? [see above]. In any case, by US/Can standards these routes are pitifully short, albeit amazingly complex. The landscape here might be small, but by golly it can be VERY variable from a topographical POV, with numerous stops for leaves/frost/anything you can think of. Locos don't have a steering wheel, even over here. Remember that the railway locomotive was a British invention









tac
http://www.ovgrs.org/
Supporter of the Cape Meares Lighthouse Restoration Fund


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## Bill Swindell (Jan 2, 2008)

If there are no headlights, I would think the engineer (driver) could then run with his eyes closed since he can't see the rails anyway. I must admit that wiith no lights, rewiring for battery & R/C on a model is even simpler.


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## tacfoley (Jan 3, 2008)

Posted By Bill Swindell on 13 Oct 2010 11:35 AM 
If there are no headlights, I would think the engineer (driver) could then run with his eyes closed since he can't see the rails anyway. I must admit that wiith no lights, rewiring for battery & R/C on a model is even simpler. Well, he still has/had signals to observe and speed restrictions, too, especially if they were temporary for track repairs and so on. But you're right, wiring up a British steam loco means that you can get away without having to do loco and tender lights - except in the cab, where there might [/i] have been a small light, but not always. The fire kept the cab well-lit, remember. 

Modern locos here are just the same as they are anywhere else as far as the cab interior lighting goes - a mix of disco/children's party.

tac
www.ovgrs.org
Wupporter of the Cape Meares Lighthouse Restoration Fund


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By tacfoley on 13 Oct 2010 02:10 PM 
Posted By Bill Swindell on 13 Oct 2010 11:35 AM 
If there are no headlights, I would think the engineer (driver) could then run with his eyes closed since he can't see the rails anyway. I must admit that wiith no lights, rewiring for battery & R/C on a model is even simpler. Well, he still has/had signals to observe and speed restrictions, too, especially if they were temporary for track repairs and so on. But you're right, wiring up a British steam loco means that you can get away without having to do loco and tender lights - except in the cab, where there might [/i] have been a small light, but not always. The fire kept the cab well-lit, remember. 

Modern locos here are just the same as they are anywhere else as far as the cab interior lighting goes - a mix of disco/children's party.

tac
www.ovgrs.org
Wupporter of the Cape Meares Lighthouse Restoration Fund


I have seen photos of English engines with them... usually looks like what amounts to a cheap lantern "flashlight" mounted on the buffer beam on the right side of the loco front. 

At least, that is where Thomas has his!


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## Curmudgeon (Jan 11, 2008)

Gota watch out for that "stale coal". 
That will really mess up your day. 

Obviously, Limey Laws on crewmembers stepping on the railhead are certainly different than stateside. 
I've heard voices like that before. 

Someone once fathomed a guess it was a lot of high-altitude stuff with no pressurization, but I think that was a guess.


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## tacfoley (Jan 3, 2008)

Here y'are. 

http://www.uksteam.info/gwr/hcodes.htm 

Now you'll ALL know as much as me. 

tac 
www.ovgrs.org 
Supporter of the Cape Meares Lighthouse Restoration Fund


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## david bunn (Jan 4, 2008)

Check out the 15min 1958 Zephyr ride to Durango,starts in early century San Francisco and ends with a ride behind,in and on top of #478 to Silverton,plus gunfights,mines and a shotgun wedding!Great stuff.
David


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