Big Bertha Rides Again

There are two photos of BB I hadn't seen before. At least it confirms the logo and the direction on the right hand side. :) I'm still unconvinced about the lining. There appears to be one but it may be just a light effect. In any case its not sufficiently clear enough for me to get a paintbrush out.

I don't recall ever taking photos of trains when I was a kid in the UK. Or if I did, none of them survived.
 
pcas1986;bt1344 said:
There are two photos of BB I hadn't seen before. At least it confirms the logo and the direction on the right hand side. :) I'm still unconvinced about the lining. There appears to be one but it may be just a light effect. In any case its not sufficiently clear enough for me to get a paintbrush out.

I don't recall ever taking photos of trains when I was a kid in the UK. Or if I did, none of them survived.

Paul: Here is more evidence of BR58100 in Lined BR black. Granted, it's a model but do people buy expensive kits and then paint them inaccurately? Scroll down to lot: 4458 'Big Bertha', enlarge the picture.

If you don't mind I would like to add a lining to your BR58100 model, strictly for my own use of course, would you be offended if I posted a screenshot on the forum?

Thanks, Rob.

http://www.vectis.co.uk/page/viewauctionlots.aspx?auctionid=87&dayno=1&section=1433&Start=20
 
You can if you wish but maybe I will do it after all. The model has other differences such as four Ross Popp safeties and the rearmost handrails on the front footplate are missing. There is some mention of handrails in the text so maybe they are unfitted. The red bands around the boiler appear to be in the same location as the bands I applied to the model.

The painted bands around the boiler will probably be the hardest part. Does anyone have a close up of the multicoloured bands similar to those on the tender? I've got a bunch of books and mags I can look through as well.
 
ps. The name Vectis (the auction company) got my attention. It is the name of the bus company on the Isle of Wight where I lived as a child. My dad was a IOW native and was a Vectis bus driver for a while. The word Vectis is Roman and apparently was the Roman name for the Isle of Wight. Just a bit of trivia. Its about the only place in the UK that I might be tempted to move back to. At least there are no motorways there.
 
The auction site text does say that the handrails aren't fitted, they're in the kit box! Glad you've decided to go ahead with the BR black lined. The cabside and tender had a light grey/white outer stripe, a black gap then a red inner stripe. The boiler bands were double red stripes. Here is a pic with some detail of the cabside of 44871. The tender lining is the same.

44871.jpg

Imageshack

When I was in the RN and based in Portsmouth for a while I visited and stayed on the IOW many times, a very nice, beautiful part of the UK. The bus company, if I remember correctly, was known as Southern Vectis, green livery with gold lettering. No motorways indeed but absolutely thronging with tourists in Summer!

P.S. Thanks for the permission, I will probably go ahead and do the lining for myself.
 
Last edited:
I don't know when I will get around to it as I have a couple of scripting things to do for others. Plus the weather has eased from below freezing to a nice day for the first day of spring so the garden needs some work.

My father was in the RN during the war and I was in the RAN for 20 years before working for defence for another 20+. Never got to the UK during my Navy time but did for a work visit for Navy purposes in the late '90's as I recall. Most of our deployments in those days were in the far east and mid Pacific.

I also lived in Fareham for a while and went to a college in Southsea for a couple of years before emigrating.
 
I know Bertha was a big project, given how much research had to be done in order to find details about the locomotive, and she is of a fairly complex design but what of a 'simpler' locomotive?
Lets say a Class 56, because I cannot for the life of me find any for Trainz. I would have thought they would be much less work than a steam loco. You could probably get away with using any old 'CO' bogie and type 5 engine-spec. Surely diesels must be a lot quicker to 'build' than a steam engine.
 
Last edited:
Diesels don't really interest me so I'm not inclined to make one. Although I wouldn't say never. :) Maybe some day. I'm really a steam engine fan and particularly tank locos. Someone mentioned a saddle tank loco that was rather appealing but I couldn't find any scaled drawings.

VinnyBarb and others make some really beautiful diesels with a lot of attention to detail and texture
 
pcas1986;bt1389 said:
Diesels don't really interest me so I'm not inclined to make one. Although I wouldn't say never. :) Maybe some day. I'm really a steam engine fan and particularly tank locos. Someone mentioned a saddle tank loco that was rather appealing but I couldn't find any scaled drawings.

VinnyBarb and others make some really beautiful diesels with a lot of attention to detail and texture

It wouldn't happen to be the GER A55 would it? The 0-10-0 tank engine prototype?
 
Edweird;bt1396 said:
It wouldn't happen to be the GER A55 would it? The 0-10-0 tank engine prototype?

No, it was an 0-4-0 from memory. I haven't been able to find the discussion.
 
pcas1986;bt1401 said:
No, it was an 0-4-0 from memory. I haven't been able to find the discussion.
Any chance it was a 0F/Pug? Or maybe a Holden 101 tank? Or maybe I'm just displaying wishful thinking?

I can name many 0-4-0s if you want me to. :p
 
pcas1986;bt1405 said:
Have you changed your avatar? It now covers most of your user name - as does mine. Or at least it does on my monitor.

For me, everyone with locomotive avatars have it covering their name, or at least most of it. I wonder if it's something to do with screen resolution?

Also, I just noticed on that link about Smokey Joe so I've had a poke around the internet. The Y9 is virtually the same as the CR 264 Class, minus the buffers, safety valves and cab sides. What about drawings for one of those and adapting it?
 
Last edited:
Edweird;bt1410 said:
LINES! SHE HAS LINES!
On the tender and around the cab number but none that I can see on the boiler. I think this is the only colour photo I've seen of Big Bertha. It always puzzles me why UK locos painted black tend to have a greenish tinge in photos. Perhaps its the way film was processed in those days.
 
pcas1986;bt1413 said:
On the tender and around the cab number but none that I can see on the boiler. I think this is the only colour photo I've seen of Big Bertha. It always puzzles me why UK locos painted black tend to have a greenish tinge in photos. Perhaps its the way film was processed in those days.

This often happens to printing, as it gets old the black ink/dye often turn green or purple.

Also, I've just noticed in that photo, she appears to have an electric lamp on her tender too. Just above the right buffer as you look at it.
 
Last edited:
The plot thickens!
The Pocket Book of Railway Locomotives by Peter Kelly has colour picture of BB, quite good quality. The description reads: "The Lickey banking engine 'Big Bertha' with it's BR number of 58100 stands ex-works at Derby in lined-out BR black livery"
Not only does BB have lining on the tender and cabside, but on the cylinders too!
 
bigberthabrlinedblack.jpg

Imageshack

This how I think Big Bertha might have looked like in BR days. The reskin isn't perfect due to the way pcas1986 has mapped the textures but I think it gives the general idea of her appearance in BR days.

Rob.
 
She certainly didn't have that livery for her entire BR service, but obviously she DID have it at some point.
 
Back
Top