Poultney Reversing Gear

I'm currently reading the RCTS books on the BR standard locomotives. In the section about the Standard Cl5 4-6-0's there is a one sentence statement: 'Poultney reversing gear was installed on 73105-9 and 73120-4 in place of the normal BR hand screw type.' Nothing else about this is written. I've never before heard of Poultney reversing gear nor this variation in design on the standards. I've tried to find out more information but the only reference I have so far found is that E C Poultney, with Locomotive Valve Gears Ltd and Albert Reidinger obtained patent No.660,035 in October 1951 for 'Improvements relating to reversing gear for steam locomotives.'

Guess a visit to the Patent Office is called for but, before I do, does anybody know anything about this equipment? Was it later removed or did it remain on the locos until withdrawal? The 10 locos were from the standard Walschaerts build and spent their entire life allocated in Scotland.

 

There's a few references on the web to the Poultney system, such as here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A23148650

I would imagine that the system's reversing gear would be some sort of steam operated set-up.

 

Don't know why my Google and Ask trawls didn't pick that one up but it refers to the Poultney 'system' which I think is something quite different. References on Steam Index indicate that Poultney seems to have been a bit of an inventor and dabbled in various railway patents. The few photos that I have turned up of the drivers side of the locos concerned don't indicate anything obviously different from the standard version but the equipment may have been removed by the time the photos weere taken. Is there anything in Cox's book on the Standards? I don't have a copy of that.

 

The NRM have drawings of this reversing gear as applied to the Std 5s in their Standard Locomotives Drawings Archive. They are on aperture cards in the Doncaster section. The drawing nos are SL/DN-K 618 to SL/DN-K 640. The Arrangement drawing is SL/DN-K 637.
The official Drawings list indicates that Poultney Gear was fitted to 73100 to 73109 only, not 73120-24.

 

Thanks for this. I guess a visit to York will need to be on the cards , now. As for the numbers, I can't really say anything. I'm only quoting from the RCTS book. It does give 73105-9 and 73120-4 as being from the same Lot No. (404) with 73100-04 being to Lot 402.

 

Thanks for the factual input Peter.