Images of tablet exchange fittings to Bulleid pacifics

[Guest Jack Benson]

Hi,

 

As a spinoff from a thread, elsewhers, on Bulleid light pacifics on the S&DJR, a revelation occurred when our long held belief that BLPs were not fitted with tablet exchange apparatus was blown out of the water.

Unfortunately, all our books featuring the BLP seem to either show no apparatus (not SDJR locos), RHS images or simply much too small for pratical purposes.

Can we ask for images of the apparatus as fitted to BLPs so that we can get the position spot-on?

We are especially interested in the three locos allocated to BGP in the mid 50s.

 

Thanks for your help, we will respond and publish images of our chosen subject, Crewkerne as running in 1954.

 

Cheers

 

JB

 

 

[KeithHC]

I am glad you have asked that question I was also wondering what they looked like. I had done a interweb search but to no avail.

 

Keith

[Guest Jack Benson]

On 2 October 2019 at 12:27, KeithHC said:

I am glad you have asked that question I was also wondering what they looked like. I had done a interweb search but to no avail.

 

Keith

 

A welcome gift from a fellow RMweb member. The catchers were temporary fixtures and removed when required.

 

cheer

 

JB

[pH]

There are pictures of 34004 with a catcher during its use over the Highland main line in the Locomotive Exchanges in 1948. Two are while taking water at Blair Atholl, but they're from almost head-on - the catcher is visible, but not distinct. And there's an almost side-on picture of the left side at Perth shed, with the only patch of steam in the picture obscuring the front lower corner of the tender!

 

Edit - two pictures at Aviemore in 'Steam World' issue#140, for February 1999. A three-quarters one of the left side, but detail of the catcher isn't great. However, there is also one of the cab, with the Nine Elms crew and Inverness conductor driver - and a closeup of the catcher mounted on the cabside! Obviously a different arrangement from the one in the picture above, so not relevant to the Somerset and Dorset, unfortunately.

Edited October 18, 2019 by pH

[Guest Jack Benson]

3 hours ago, pH said:

There are pictures of 34004 with a catcher during its use over the Highland main line in the Locomotive Exchanges in 1948. Two are while taking water at Blair Atholl, but they're from almost head-on - the catcher is visible, but not distinct. And there's an almost side-on picture of the left side at Perth shed, with the only patch of steam in the picture obscuring the front lower corner of the tender!

 

Edit - two pictures at Aviemore in 'Steam World' issue#140, for February 1999. A three-quarters one of the left side, but detail of the catcher isn't great. However, there is also one of the cab, with the Nine Elms crew and Inverness conductor driver - and a closeup of the catcher mounted on the cabside! Obviously a different arrangement from the one in the picture above, so not relevant to the Somerset and Dorset, unfortunately.

Possibly the tablet apparatus was not compatible with the SDJR's Whittaker system and required a different method/location of attachment?

 

Jb

[pH]

18 hours ago, Jack Benson said:

Possibly the tablet apparatus was not compatible with the SDJR's Whittaker system and required a different method/location of attachment?

 

Either Manson or Bryson - I don't know how to tell the difference between them.

[Right Away]

Here's a web image, unfortunately not much detail of the apparatus.