Silver Sidelines

Engines that travel on the railway network must have lamps.   Hornby 8F fitted with Kenline ex LMS lamps The business of fitting lamps has recently received a much needed boost with the introduction of Hornby’s New Black Five Caprotti which came with factory fitted working lamps.   I thought the working lamps rather bright and white.   I replaced my lamps with the provided spare Hornby lamp irons.   In turn I added what I think is a far more discrete black Kenline ex LMS non-working lamp held in place using double sided tape. Hornby Caprotti Back Five fitted with Kenline lamp In the early 1980s Mainline Palitoy introduced their Manor Class engines, one of the first models I believe to have been factory fitted with lamp irons.   It would be around 2005 when Bachmann used the same Manor bodyshell for their Cambrian Coast Boxed Set and fitted the engines with dummy white lamps.   I was not impressed. Bachmann Od

The train arriving is Hornby’s Caprotti Black Five. Hornby R30227 aka 44755, very well packaged It has been advertised for a long time.  I placed an order and then I cancelled the order.  I didn’t like the look of the fitted lights.  However it has now been pointed out that the lights are removable – so I placed a second order and the engine has been delivered. Straight out of the box it ran very well.  Very well packaged, no broken or missing parts, thank you Mr Hornby. I had two issues.  I thought the lights far too prominent and since the engine only weighed 235gm it could not haul a decent train up my hills.  My old split chassis Bachmann Jubilees weigh 315gm and I have ballasted my older Hornby Black Fives up to 294gm - a difference of nearly 65gm with the new model.   I suspect part of the problem is that a factory fitted smoke generator Capriotti is promised and the chassis has been engineered with a big space for the missing equipment.  (Perhaps Hornby should have supplied a du