Bowande Black 5

guterzug said:
Hello everybody,
I'm new in this forum, I'd like to start a live steam adventure and so I'm searching for some information.
I'd like to buy a live steam loco and I was thinking of buying a Bowande Black 5; unfortunately there is little - almost nothing - about it online (this old thread is the only one I've found).
Can anybody gice me some suggestion about it? How does the loco work? is it woth buying it? does it have any minus?
thanks a lot for any help you can give me,
greetings from Italy
Alberto
Click to expand...

Hi Alberto - I bought one of the early Bowande Black Fives and although I'm generaly very pleased with it - it does have a number of problems ....

Bowandes understanding of poker burner design leaves something to be desired. In the one supplied with the loco there were too few slots and they were much too wide. The second one they supplied had many more slots and they were much narrower but it still required the addition of stainless steel mesh to get anything like acceptable performance. Howerver it was still no match for the Roundhouse FG design which incorporates holes instead of slots. I believe Bowande have now given up on poker burners and have gone over to the radiant ceramic type.

The taper on the boiler was not pronounced enough on the early ones - but this was later corrected.

The brass etches for the cab construction was very thin and vulnerable to damage - later corrected.

The supplied pressure gauge was hopelessly small and never worked - I replaced it with a much better gauge from Blackgates.

The filler for the cylinder lube oil was obstructed by the smokebox door making it very dificult to use.

The water gauge glass is too small at 5mm - it should be 6mm as per Aster practice.

On the plus side there are many good points ...

The general standard of construction and detailing is better than that of Aster who were widely regarded as the best in the business - there are no ugly exposed phillps screw heads.

The lining is far more prototypical than the Accucraft version and it not only incorporates the red and white lines, but also the gray as well.

There are none of the dreaded white metal components - everything is in finely cast brass.

The replication of the water pick up gear in the tender is outstanding and could easily be made operational if you wanted to.

So on balance I think it is a worthy model and I would certainly buy from Bowande again - hope this helps .... :)
 
hello John,
that's an interesting feedback you give me, thank you a lot.
the loco I have found should be the new version, with ceramic burner and new boiler. it looks like a well made model, just the loco seems to be to high on its wheels: is there any possibility to adjust the axle springs?
does it work regularly at slow speed?
it seems to be "silent" from the video I saw: am I wrong?
it would be really kind of you if you could post some pics, for example of the loco from beneath, the spring details, the front boogie and some other parts that you think can be interesting.
meanwhile I thank you very much for your review
Alberto
 
Slightly off topic, but I have not had any response to requests for A4 information. Mine was 'brand new' but the safety valves lift far to early, and the manual says working psi of 70.
Perhaps no one rates them?
 
Old Buffer said:
Slightly off topic, but I have not had any response to requests for A4 information. Mine was 'brand new' but the safety valves lift far to early, and the manual says working psi of 70.
Perhaps no one rates them?
Click to expand...
If you can get a Society to Test it for you they should be able to reset the Safety Valves at the same time to reflect correct Blow Off Value. Did you get a Certificate when you bought it to confirm that the Boiler had been tested to reflect a Working Preasure of 70psi?
 
Hi Dunnyrail, thanks very much for your reply.
I did receive a certificate as delivered tested to 150 for 80 psi running. Out of date when I purchased loco, but all quite in order.
I don't think it had been steamed other than perhaps at the factory, but the excessively long oiler arm binded badly no matter where its driving wheel crank was set, and could not have been missed. Setting the bypass valve is also taxing me at the moment
These are small errors in such a complex and impressive model, and I 'm sure can be resolved. I hope to get to show when Bowande are there, just missed the woking G1 .
It just seems slow to get up steam, and lacks pressure. But I know model engines don't set themselves up.
Amazing model though. Regards Robert.
 
Old Buffer said:
Hi Dunnyrail, thanks very much for your reply.
I did receive a certificate as delivered tested to 150 for 80 psi running. Out of date when I purchased loco, but all quite in order.
I don't think it had been steamed other than perhaps at the factory, but the excessively long oiler arm binded badly no matter where its driving wheel crank was set, and could not have been missed. Setting the bypass valve is also taxing me at the moment
These are small errors in such a complex and impressive model, and I 'm sure can be resolved. I hope to get to show when Bowande are there, just missed the woking G1 .
It just seems slow to get up steam, and lacks pressure. But I know model engines don't set themselves up.
Amazing model though. Regards Robert.
Click to expand...
Boiler certainly appears to have been correctly tested to double Working Preasure so that is good. Are you in the G1 Society? If not might be worthwhile thinking about . There is a Chiltern Group near enough to your area with Cheshem and Amersham noted on their meets. If you got to some of their meetings I am sure you would get some positive guidance from an expert or two that will be able to meet face to face. Quite likely someone will have a similar Loco to yours or know someone who has and sorted one.
 
The Gauge 1 Model Railway Association welcomes everybody who models standard gauge railways, steam, electric or clockwork, in scales that run on 45mm gauge track. That includes 1/32 [British/US/Can and European outline] and Japanese/Australian/NZ/Commonwealth that runs on 3ft 6in - Cape Gauge, to the scale of 1/30th. Even the 1/29th scale Aristocraft Class 66 is welcome!

Google G1MRA for details of the website.
 
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