Gresley V4

A thread to discuss the finer points of Gresleys 'Pocket Battleship', -liveries, - names and what the V4SLT will add to this cheeky wee engine.
Perhaps somewhat previous given that this new build is still at the CAD-book stage but why not.

AFAIK Liveries with any provenance would be Wartime (L)NE(R) Black, LNER Apple Green, British Railways Apple Green, BR Lined Black Early Crest....

Names - the trust tends to go its own way here . 'Sparrowhawk ' maybe

Likely to see ?:
A P1 sized tender.
Roller Bearings on axles
Single Kylchap
Composite/ fabricated cylinder block
Steel welded boiler without thermic syphon.
Air Brakes and Sanders
Electronic 'Locomotive management'...
'Improved' Conjugated gear ?

 

Nooooooooooooooooooooo! Not liveries.................

Foxy

 

Aw Come on, what else ...

 

Personally I think it's a good move. The originals never fulfilled they're potential. Be good to see how a top notch one handles a full jacobite....

 

It won't, the Jacobite is a WCRC operation, they may have an additional train operation in mind but just because they once worked on the WHR it doesn't mean the new one will

 

Names - 'Capercaillie' to reflect its Scottish ancestry.

LNER Group standard all welded, roller bearing Tender.
Multiple jet blast cap, (something not quite as noisy as a Kylchap, yet giving improved performance.)
Cast steel Monoblock cylinder casting (already too light on its feet to go down the fabrication route)
No light alloys to be used for the same reason.
Franklin/Lenze rotary gear (if space allows and, if it has been proven first) or 'Improved' Conjugated gear.

Just looking from a different angle...

 

Like that name - Does anyone use it as a brand (Potential sponsorship) ?
- The P1 Tender chassis should be able to handle up to 18 Tonne per axle - 5000 gallons/6 tonnes coal without looking out of place
- With you on the Blast pipe about the noise, which suggests things are a little too 'tight' but also suggests smoke deflectors wont be needed...
- Having spoken to the engineer in question its not believed that the fabricated set up will be significantly lighter, on P2 at least, a problem easily solved with Lead.
- I hope the Franklin gear is a success also and if so why not use it, but I dont think we are in the majority on that.

- Think I might have mentioned that introducing a slight angle to the cab front / windows would be useful , aesthetically pleasing and be more in line with the 'Brand image' ?

- Suspect that a derogation to run at 75 would be sought.

Now I dont know enough about the Jacobite operation to know for sure -But I cant see under the current set up why in the future a rival TOC with its own rolling stock
couldn't bid to run that 'Franchise...' Who knows, Sturgeon*might Nationalise it !

*(other pway rolling stock is available...)

 

The Jacobite is not a franchise, it's an in house operation by WCRC, an additional service could be run on a different path if there is one or maybe FW to Crainlarich. I'm not sure what you mean by brand image, surely the object of the exercise is to replicate as far as possible the original design to fill the gap in LNER locomotive history. As far as sponsorship is concerned the obvious one is Famous Grouse but if they want to continue on the chicken theme ( the unnamed one was always unofficially known as Bantam Hen) there is a Scottish breed called a Scots Grey which I think sounds ok

 

Name, apparently.

 

Thanks Johnb. How do obtain a Path - you apply for it no doubt, but if theres a conflicting interest - do you bid for it ?
Clutching at straws, I just like V - cabs
Scots Grey sounds far too familiar...
How about 'Henery (I'm a chicken-)Hawk '- but then you would have to replace the whistle with a (Foghornleg)horn....

 

I'm not sure of the details but I think the A1 trust's TOC would put in for the operation with NR as a regular repeat itinerary much as they now do with a one off tour

 

Scots Dumpy?

 

LNER 4901 "Capercaillie" did, of course, become "Charles H Newton", and later "Sir Charles Newton", BR 60005! Is the original nameplate somewhere in the bowels of the NRM?

 

Bantam Harrier.

Continues the theme of Tornado (Harrier Jump Jet) and also Bantam Cock/Bantam Hen as the Hen Harrier is an endangered bird in Scotland.

 

Trouble is, unlike the Tornado, the Harrier is no longer in the UK's military inventory. Doubt they'll name it after the Harrier's replacement though as F-35B just doesn't sound right.

 

The UK military almost always names its hardware, Eurofighter is a Typhoon in the RAF, so I'm sure an F-35B will be called something. Another suggestion for V4, given its connection with the West Highland Lne would be Culicoides impunctatus, the Latin name for the infamous midges!

 

The USA are calling it the Lightning II, presumably after the P-38. Colloquially it's known as "Budgie."

 

Not a good choice, I think the P38 was known as the widow maker. Continuing on the Hawker theme ours could be called a Tempest.

 

Early versions yes but not so the later versions. ANyway, there will only ever be one Lightning, English Electric's finest but we digress.
XN768 + XN793 Gutersloh 1969 by KING COBRA 92, on Flickr

 

Indeed, although a V4 has plenty of potential, I'm not sure on the choice of a loco that was tailored for the West Highland Line that in the event may see very little use on the West Highland, certainly the smaller wheels limit when 62005 and 61994 can do on other mainline routes away from North of the Central Belt.

Mixed feelings, but nice to see what one could do, but would it prove as useful as an A1 or even P2 ?.