What Ifs, and Locos that never were.

This Image, Model Railway News circa 1940 something was posted in the Thompson Thread



It struck me this was quite a fun exercise, so I knocked together this as a Hawksworth era single.



The boiler is a genuine variant used on Dean Singles. I figure if Churchward couldn't get a taper boiler to fit who was I to try. Cab and motion is off a Hawksworth County (lets not discuss whether the relative position of wheel and cylinder is practical - please) and running plate is Grange inspired. The factor of adhesion night be a bit sub optimal: I make the Tractive effort 15.300 assuming a 200psi boiler.

 

I like this but I think green or post war black would suit it better. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/gallery/image/42519-lms-2-8-2-as-preserved/

 

Probably pushing it to say this one nearly got built, but it did at least come out of the drawing office of a genuine railway works - no prizes for guessing which one!



Tom

 

That would make for an interesting modelling project for somebody more skilled than I, using perhaps the body and tender of a Hornby T9 and the chassis of a Hornby Caley single as a basis.

 

I do like 'what ifs' and 'never weres'
Here are a few...

Peppercorn's R1


Stanier's monster


Colin Packer's 8MT Mikado


Ian Mellor's 8MT Mikado


Ian Mellor's Std 8F


If Riddles's team had designed a BR Standard steam shunter instead of the 08

 

Thats an impressive beast Martin Im guessing its a wartime design?

 

Its a big old peice of kit . Wouldnt wany to get in its way!

 

Would look better in apple green with a single chimney and without those god-forsaken smoke deflectors ...

Tom (hat, coat, stepping into SdKfz 222 and beating a hasty retreat...)

 

GWR Cathedral Class by Nick Parsons- http://www.gwr.org.uk/galparsons1.html

 

Isn't that just a Stanier Princess Royal with difficult-to-get-at valve gear?

Tom

 

Yep, that's why the 6201 lot don't want to paint their loco green, it'll confuse people ;-)

 

Certainly looks like a Princess Royal which a few changes like valve gear and the hawksworth tender.

 

Yep. I've also made this in model form (but nowhere near as good quality) - just needs two willing donors.

 

Some interesting "What ifs" and assorted mutants. I've a book along similar lines by Robin Barnes called "Locomotives that never were" published by Jane's back in 1985. The book contains a variety of water colours showing some quite interesting might have beens, for instance a Pacific version of the P2 Cock o'the North complete with the "poppet" valve gear. This Pacific being an A4 numbered 22 and named after a certain Duck [Mallard], the picture is set at Kings Cross around 1947 hence the renumbered version. The acompanying explanation goes on to say that if the "poppet" gear had proven succeful then Gresley was considering a Pacific version of the P2 as well. It also has a small boilered LMS 4-6-0 numbered 5407 [Paddy Smiths' now Ian Rileys' engine] and goes onto say that the LMS/Stanier had considered such a machine for some of the Highland [Scottish] lines. There are also some quite weird and wonderful Bullied designs to, not to mention Swindon ones too....... Granted some would never have made it off the drawing board, but some perhaps would have, but, for the Second World War, i.e. the Gresley 4-8-2s or Stanier 4-8-4s......

 

I've always fancied the idea of a Stanier 4-8-4. A Duchess is a big loco, but what would that look like?!

 

Come to think of it, I think the Stanier was a 4-6-4 rather than 4-8-4. Still a huge beast, there's also a Maunsell 2-6-2 which looks possible like an enlarged Schools 4-4-0.

 

I've always fancied the idea of a Stanier 4-8-4. A Duchess is a big loco, but what would that look like?!

Not much different to a Duchess I would have thought. 6'2" drivers might allow a slightly bigger boiler, but in the end the loading gauge limits height and width and they'd probably have thought twice about having to provide 75ft turntables.