SRFB 5000B Class 4-6-0 | No.5000 'Lampman'
- Silver Rail Freight Board -
5000B Class 4-6-0
Although the SRFB prioritised freight traffic, mixed traffic locomotives were still needed to handle the sparse passenger services and daily mail trains. While a handful of mixed traffic locomotives had been inherited from the GSIR, all had been built according to the previous "small engine policy." A suitable contender was required, and so the locomotive that rolled out of Hanspur Works in 1925 was the prototype for the 5000Bs: a class of 4-cylinder 4-6-0s intended to handle express freights and mail services. The 5000Bs performed admirably during testing and the first batch of five locomotives was completed in 1927. Crews appreciated the spacious and comfortably arranged cabs, whereas maintenance teams resented the gargantuan boilers which made accessing the internal valve gear difficult. Furthermore, the 5000Bs were known to be very fuel inefficient which restricted their range to the Sawyer Isles despite their excellent weight distribution. However, this design proved to be an adequate foundation for the SRFB's roster of passenger and fast freight locomotives, so much so that many modifications would be made well into the 1950s, even with the proliferation of diesel traction. One notable modification was the addition of more brake blocks in order to eliminate the 5000B's tendency to "drift", even with the brakes clamped down. All 5000Bs survived through the wartime years while maintaining their positions on the priority services but withdrawals of unmodified class members would begin in 1964, with all being retired four years later. Only one 5000B remains intact in preservation.
This build represents No.5000 'Lampman' which, fittingly, was responsible for "The Lampman": an express TPO service that ran between the network's eastern and western regions. She appears in as-built condition, painted in Experimental Maroon between 1925 to 1936.
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INSTRUCTIONS:
- Load coal into firebox
- OPEN Dampers
- Air compressor ON
- Light firebox
- Wait for boiler pressure to reach 223psi
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NOTES:
- Fitted with air brakes and TDWS (TDWS is used as a warning system to stop the locomotive if not acknowledged after a few seconds. It will sound and light up on the driver's instrument panel after about 2 minutes and reset once acknowledged.)
- Key to disconnect locomotive from track is located under the front bufferbeam.
- Brakes release fully at ~14.5psi (decrease fully to RELEASE brakes, middle position to HOLD brakes, increase fully to APPLY brakes).
- The buttons for live / exhaust injectors are located behind the fake red valves on the boiler backhead (these must be turned on as well as the tender valves when injecting water).
- The button for the air compressor is located under the fake red valve near the fireman's seat.
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