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Bongos - the Thompson B1 locos


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I’m interested in learning about the detail differences that existed between members of this class.

 

I have copies of the relevant RCTS and Yeadon Register and also the “Power of” book, but I wondered if there were any other subject specific books I might consult?

 

Thinking about magazine articles, back in the “dark ages” titles like Model Railways and Model Railways Illustrated contributed an immense amount of valuable information across the modelling spectrum.

 

One that springs to mind, though not clearly enough (!), was an occasional series about locomotives in (I think) Model Railways. Their approach consisted of a series of hand drawn sketches supported by text covering key details about a given loco. This was quite different to the more traditional side, end, plan views of a locomotive. An example of the latter is, I believe, the B1 drawings in the November 1976 edition of Model Railways.

 

I seem to remember the SECR “H” class and the LSWR “M7” were treated to the detailed sketch approach, but of more immediate relevance, so also was the Thompson B1.

I’m fairly sure the article used the familiar term “Bongo” in its title.

 

I wonder if any member could give me any pointers to further information, either generally or more specifically ie in terms of the article I’ve mentioned.

 

Any help or guidance would be very gratefully received

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The articles you are thinking of were generally called "Bazzing Around", and written by Bernard Wright.  They appeared in the magazine Model Railways certainly in 1971 and 1972,  I cannot locate my copies of later MR mags in the pile, unfortunately, so I can't say how long they lasted. However, most of these consisted on comments on railway infrastructure, with sometimes only one photo as illustration, although I think later loco based ones went under the same title.  However, Bernard also contributed his distinctive sketches to a number of detailed articles on locos, some by John Gardner, such as Buckjumpers and Bulleid Pacifics, and some with his own drawings, i.e. GWR Dukedogs, which didn't carry the Bazzing soubriquet. I seem to recall the Bongo article, but I haven't come across it yet.

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The first 40's tenders had a horizontal beading strip just below the cut outs on both sides. The remainder had plain sided tenders. however four of the first forty (1010/1011/1038/1039) received second hand six wheel tenders from A2/1 locos when they received 8-wheel tenders (1946 or thereabouts).

 

There's also the matter of two types of smoke box door which Tony Wright has outlined in his Wrightwrites thread.

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Some had electric generators and lights fitted at the factory and I have seen picture of both a single and double toolbox on the tender.  I believe some tenders had an extended coal box such that it cut the water scoop dome.  Have no references to say which had which.

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The first 40's tenders had a horizontal beading strip just below the cut outs on both sides. The remainder had plain sided tenders. 

What you see isn't actually a bead. It's the edge of the separate top sheet overlapping the lower. Later tenders had sides cut in one piece.

 

The Nim.

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I'm looking at renumbering a couple at the moment, and I've come to the conclusion that it is perhaps even more important than usual to find a reliably dated photo to work from. One engine I'd like to have carried all three variations of smokebox door during its short life, but the wrong one for my period. The early engines were not generator fitted, but I have a photo of one that clearly was at some stage of its life. I can't find that mentioned in any of the reference books, which all say that the change occured at 61190.

 

If more detailed information exists, I too would be grateful to know about it.

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  • 1 year later...

Holy thread resurrection, Batman...

 

... can anyone assist me in finding photographs of the Thompson B1s in LNER colours?  I've just surfed the whole of the Rail-Online archive and I'm fairly certain all of them were BR liveries - some in Apple Green from 1948, admittedly.

 

Can anyone assist with some pre-Nat images?

 

As a quid pro quo starter, I found this wonderful image and will be recreating this very engine from the 61026 model I have:

 

318941-0.jpg?v=63660021513537

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I did just have the same thought - at least to pass on what I have - so I'll index the book photos I have in this post, and I have 'Big Four', so I'll include them.  Prepare for edits...

 

All with unshaded Gill Sans, unless otherwise noted.

 

LNER 4-6-0's at work

 

1000 Springbok, dirty green, 12/7/47

1158 & 1159, apple green (ex Vulcan, black cylinders) 5/47

E1051, ex-works black - possible LNER lined red - with 'BRITISH RAILWAYS', 7/2/48

1003 Gazelle, apple green, black cylinders, 29/7/47

1282, apple green, full LNER livery, 5/6/48 (with electric lamps)

1222, apple green, 8/47

61251, apparently lined apple green - with 'BRITISH RAILWAYS', 7/7/48

1123, apple green, 9/3/47

61163 & 61111, both apple green - with 'BRITISH RAILWAYS', 20/7/48

1223, apple green, in charge of 'The Master Cutler' 13/10/47

1112, filthy, but possibly lined black! On freight duty.  Summer 1947

 

The Big Four in Colour

 

1100, apple green, August 1947

1134, almost ex-works apple green, 1948

 

Colour-Rail website

 

1018 apple green 1947
1028 apple green 1/1949
1029 apple green 6/47
1083 black with block lettering, 1948
1119 apple green, yellow buffer letters, 5/47
1154 apple green, 6/1948
1183 apple green 1948
1187 apple green 9/47
1268 apple green 1948
1277 apple green 6/48
61081 apple green, BRITISH RAILWAYS, 1948
61163 apple green, BRITISH RAILWAYS, 20/9/1948
E1299 apple green, BRITISH RAILWAYS, 8/1948
61322 apple green, BRITISH RAILWAYS, 1949

 

RCTS Online

 

1042 apple green, with mounts for nameplate, ??
1119 lined buffer beam implies apple green, ??
1017 Bushbuck, apple green, 1947

 

Edited by FoxUnpopuli
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