Consett Ironworks Kitson A No 5 of 1881 0-6-0T back in steam

Nearly a month since I took these but been busy to put it mildly - Easter saw the wonderful Consett Ironworks A No 5, built by Kitson in 1881, back in steam. Despite appearances it is actually a side tank, not a pannier tank. I can highly recommend a visit to the North Tyneside Steam Railway to have a ride behind this unique locomotive, I think the only 'long boiler' design in steam, at least in the UK? The length of the line is just under two miles, which I didn't realise, and was surprised at



One of those rare locomotives that even looks good from the rear









At Percy Main



'Gronk' at Middle Engine Lane





Returning to Middle Engine Lane











End of the day



Other exhibits in the Stephenson Railway Museum

 

What an interesting loco.

 

Great news!

 

great set. One day I shall try to get there, some interesting stuff

 

There is also 'Killingworth Billy' of 1813, an early locomotive but in a later modified condition, an RSH side tank, one of the large Bagnall 0-6-0ST's and a Consett Ironworks diesel

 

Thanks for uploading those pictures, she's a fine loco indeed.

 

Why do you say that?

 

That's what people who have been/are involved with the overhaul and operation of the locomotive have stated a number of times on facebook, something to do with the tanks actually being supported by the frames - looking at the photographs you can see the plating at the rear clearly, and at the front if the two boxes (sand?) were removed, it would be seen that the plate where the smokebox door is situated is flat and reaches down to the footplate

 

I guess it depends on your definition of a pannier tank. My understanding is it is one where the tanks do not reach down to the footplate (to allow access). This is an advantage of a saddletank and a pannier tank is claimed to have the benefits of a saddletank but without the disadvantages of both the high centre of gravity and the complexity of fitting it over a Belpaire firebox. Many GW Pannier tanks (perhaps all of them - I'm no expert) have the tank supported from the frames and by a bracket off the smokebox The method of support is not a defining requisite. If it was, most GWR Pannier tanks wouldn't be Pannier tanks!

 

Lovely loco, remember seeing it in the 'classic trains' tv series narrated by John Peel. Great to see it back in steam.

 

The GWR inherited one of these at the grouping (Cardiff Railway #2, Kitson #2458 built in 1882) which all sources seem to have regarded as a pannier tank... Its long gone ( 1925 ) which highlights what a special survivor this pannier tank is...

If the association Pannier tank/GWR really bothers them they should reflect that their loco predates the first GWR pannier tank by some 17 years...

 

That's surprisingly handsome looking for an industrial

 

Easy one. Panniers are baskets slung on either side of a Donkey or similar. Thus a Pannier Tank has the tanks supported by the boiler not the frames. You can't really call tanks Pannier Tanks merely because they look like the GWR version a bit. These are clearly supported by the frames, not the boiler.

 

A really beautiful and very interesting loco. One of these days I really must make the journey to see her!

 

So most GW Pannier tanks aren't Pannier tanks, then? I see.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/C...e:Pannier_Tank_engine_1501_at_Bridgenorth.jpg

 

show me how the tanks are supported on the frames. I have never heard of this and I don't have one handy to look closer

 

Neither do I but seeing as you are still in denial, have a look at:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/taffytank/4660506613/in/set-72157616946450535
Note the support bracket between the injector and the tool box and the support off the smokebox at the front. There were variations from class to class but they all had two supports in similar positions. Early GWR Pannier tanks had tank support brackets attached to the boiler but they were always under the tank and never had supports slung over the boiler.
They are called Pannier tanks because they look similar to pannier baskets. At the end of it all, the Kitson is a Pannier tank, no matter what the present custodians might think.

 

show me how the tanks are supported on the frames. I have never heard of this and I don't have one handy to look closer

If you look again at Steve's first photo of 1501 you can clearly see the front support brackets just behind the cylinders (and the rear ones behind the second and third driving wheels).

 

Photo Cropped from above...

At the front you can readily see the support that goes onto an I section girder that goes across the frames. In the middle the main support is a bit more difficult to see as its in shadow, but its a big structure that is fastened (presumably bolted) to the frames.
On a 5700 the front supports are to the smokebox, but on a 9400 they are even more clearly independent of the boiler...

The Photo linked by Steve above shows the main supports nicely on the 57xx, its the open box like affair just behind the toolbox.