A Search for Broad Gauge Locomotive Drawings

[Compound2632]

I'm afraid I've been reading Ahrons again. In his chapter on the broad gauge engines, he mentions the convertible 0-6-0STs, and all the ones in your photos match his brief resume. But your 0-4-4T No. 3548 is one of a batch Nos. 3541-59 that he says were built in 1888-9 as 0-4-2 saddle tanks with 7'0" coupled wheelbase and 9'6" to the trailing wheels. He says 'these engines had a tendency to "waggle their tails" somewhat' and that the last engine, No. 3560, 'came out with short side tanks and a trailing bogie with Mansell's wooden wheel-centres.' Your photo shows that was not the only one. So were some converted, or more than one built new as 0-4-4Ts? They can only have given three years' service as broad gauge engines.

 

With these convertibles, I suppose the drawing situation cannot be hopeless - there must at least have been drawings made when they were built! According to Ahrons, there were no drawings for the 4-2-2s in their final condition. He writes of Mr. William Cave, who was in charge of Swindon C shop, where the engines were repaired: 'He was a walking encyclopedia of detailed dimensions, and knew every one of them by heart. This was just as well, for there were no drawings of the celebrated 8ft singles, the old drawings of 1847 having become quite obsolete, since all the dimensions had been altered. About 1888, drawings were begun ... for every dimension that found its way into those drawings Mr. Cave had to be consulted. This work formed one of the drawing office "stock jobs" and I am not sure that they were ever completed. A good many of us did bits at them until called away to something more urgent.'

 

[E.L. Ahrons, Locomotive and train working in the latter part of the nineteenth century Vol. 4 (Heffer, 1953) - the chapter on broad gauge engines was first published in The Railway Magazine in 1915; Ahrons was a pupil of Dean at Swindon from 1885 and then on the drawing office staff from 1888 to 1890.]

[Annie]

All very interesting indeed.  Thanks for that.  Sounds like I'd best confine myself to the saddle tanks since I'm more likely to have some success with those.

[5&9Models]

What about Mike Sharman’s Oakwood Press book, packed full of BG loco drawings?

ISBN 0 85361 314 1 

[Annie]

53 minutes ago, 5&9Models said:

What about Mike Sharman’s Oakwood Press book, packed full of BG loco drawings?

ISBN 0 85361 314 1 

The problem with finding drawings is that the same old early period ones get recycled again and again in books as well as side elevation only ones derived from 19th century copies of the 'Engineer'.  Mid and late period drawings of any Broad Gauge engines in more than just a side elevation are very difficult to find and these are the ones I'm looking for.

I have got Mike Sharman's book on order from a Uk bookseller and I'm hopeful that it will be useful.

[Regularity]

2 hours ago, Annie said:

The problem with finding drawings is that the same old early period ones get recycled again and again in books as well as side elevation only ones derived from 19th century copies of the 'Engineer'.  Mid and late period drawings of any Broad Gauge engines in more than just a side elevation are very difficult to find and these are the ones I'm looking for.

I have got Mike Sharman's book on order from a Uk bookseller and I'm hopeful that it will be useful.

Oh dear.

the book is drawings taken from “19th century copies of the 'Engineer'”...

[Annie]

That's a nuisance, it's getting so I can immediately pick a 19th century drawing from the 'Engineer' from quite a way way off.

[Annie]

It hasn't all been a dreary lack of success though.  B&ER Vulcan 4-4-0ST as rebuilt by the GWR.

 

[Compound2632]

10 hours ago, Annie said:

Mid and late period drawings of any Broad Gauge engines in more than just a side elevation are very difficult to find and these are the ones I'm looking for.

 

 

This may be because not even the Great Western had any. I posted the relevant bit of Ahrons above:

 

 

[Annie]

10 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

 

This may be because not even the Great Western had any. I posted the relevant bit of Ahrons above:

 

 

Yes I remember you doing that Mr Compound.  Fortunately the chap who is making my digital model for me has the intelligence and skill to pull together such drawings as might exist as well as surviving photos to create a proper 3D model.  He's made a lot of digital locomotive models and he's very good at it.

Once my wallet stops screaming I might even ask him to make another Broad Gauge engine for me.  A 'Buffalo' would be ideal since they worked everywhere in Cornwall.