Thompson A2/3 on the GC London extension

[Helmdon]

I did ask this a few months ago on another forum, and this is not trying to get different advice, because I got the answer I expected and have done a lot more reading/self education since.

 

But for the sake of throwing the question over to a different audience, and notwithstanding rule 1...

 

I'm building a layout based on the GC London Extension in Northants in the 1950s. Any sightings of Thompson A2/3s on the line, ever, other than the press/publicity appearance of the class lead at Marylebone? Even on a diversion?

 

I'm guessing not but would love to be wrong. They're wonderfully ugly bits of brute power and when Hornby release Steady Aim I want one!

[slilley]

The best I can do is No 500 Edward Thompson at Marylebone for its naming on 31st May 1946. Only mention in the RCTS Locomotives of the LNER Part 2A.

Edited June 1, 2020 by slilley

[Helmdon]

37 minutes ago, slilley said:

The best I can do is No 500 Edward Thompson at Marylebone for its naming on 31st May 1946. Only mention in the RCTS Locomotives of the LNER Part 2A.

thanks, that's what I think too sadly, unless anyone out there knows different.

 

such a shame, when I've managed to turn up pretty well everything else* interesting from the big 4 (and the GT3) - oh well. 

 

I'm strictly LNER with the odd GW interloper though, no interest in Duchesses or Bulleid pacifics (both of which *are* ok for the route)

 

Current stud:

L1

O1

O4

O7

D11/1

Modified Hall

K3

B1

B17

J11

 

V2 coming when the new one is released then that's me done I think (until someone does a B16).

 

Just got to find a way of crowbarring in the A2/3...

[TravisM]

Not wishing to reinvent the wheel regarding “Rule 1” but I’d still get one with the explanation that it took over from a failed loco at short notice from a point “up north” and it’s back working from Marylebone 

[Helmdon]

19 minutes ago, jools1959 said:

Not wishing to reinvent the wheel regarding “Rule 1” but I’d still get one with the explanation that it took over from a failed loco at short notice from a point “up north” and it’s back working from Marylebone 

 

yes if all else fails (pun intended) - the other obvious gap for the route is the A3 but I've never liked them so it can stay a gap. 

[Engineer]

Up front admission, that my various specialist subjects don't qualify to comment on main line matters, other than the relevance of the LondonExtension to the Metropolitan. 

 

When I first saw the question, I immediately thought of seeing various images of A3s on the southern half of the route, and also of seeing [in my distant past] a mid-1950s speed-distance curve for an A3 with 9 coaches/300 tons over the Met route Harrow to Aylesbury. 

 

Now I see the note a little while ago excluding A3s, I can't helpmuch more ... but I did remember a picture seen recently in another search.  It shows a Pacific, wrong class in this case, on an empty 'Pigeon' train on former GC territory, I believe.   Could such a working provide a 'long-distance'  excuse? [copyright image link sourced via Flickr and seems to have shown the picture by itself]

 

 

 

[cbeagleowner]

I’ve looked into this a bit in the past. I’ve not nailed an A2/3 on the Extension. However I believe that Peppercorn A2 Happy Knight was at Annesley fir about a week?  
 

What I can say is that:

a) there is a photo of Apple Green A2/3 Ocean Swell at Sheffield Victoria on a running in turn from Donny. Fir that matter there is a pic of the W1 there. ImGine that an A3 broke down...
 

B) York engines Got to Annesley And there were A2/2’s there. 
 

c) They ran Pacifics on Charwelton back in the day - maybe Tony Wright could shed some info. 
 

I can also offer you as a one off Silver Link in the early 50’s (one day only)

 

This site has good info about stuff at that shed. 
http://annesleyfireman.com/id9.html

 

Books that are good / I like on the extension that will give you a good idea of stuff on the line:

 

celebration of steam: the chilterns

great central then and now: mac hawkins

great centrals London extension: Robert robotham

 

though not the extension, the foxline books  are good. They will take you from Manchester to Nottingham. And the Bell code books. 

 

 

[great central]

Not quite what you're looking for but I can offer 60503 Lord President arriving at Nottingham Victoria from the south.

Mark 1 eyeball only I'm afraid from a much younger me, the memory has stuck with me although I was probably only 4 or 5 at most. The first big named loco I can remember seeing, it must have made quite an impression and is far more vivid than seeing lots of it's cousins on the ECML.

As you're aware from the Annesley fireman website, York locos worked there regularly and, more likely in later years, were often borrowed for their own workings.

Over the years I've determined to have a model, intending one day to build one, and my initial happiness at the Hornby announcement was soon dispelled, back to the build route I suppose, ah well!

[Helmdon]

1 hour ago, great central said:

Not quite what you're looking for but I can offer 60503 Lord President arriving at Nottingham Victoria from the south.

Mark 1 eyeball only I'm afraid from a much younger me, the memory has stuck with me although I was probably only 4 or 5 at most. The first big named loco I can remember seeing, it must have made quite an impression and is far more vivid than seeing lots of it's cousins on the ECML.

As you're aware from the Annesley fireman website, York locos worked there regularly and, more likely in later years, were often borrowed for their own workings.

Over the years I've determined to have a model, intending one day to build one, and my initial happiness at the Hornby announcement was soon dispelled, back to the build route I suppose, ah well!

 

thanks - I think I'll just crowbar it in somehow. I'm a bit of Thompson fan so it would be good to do it - and the smart GC timings would have given them an opportunity to show what they could do, although the lighter loadings wouldn't have needed it. Even when the A3s came onto the London Extension I think the V2s were coping...

[Helmdon]

10 hours ago, cbeagleowner said:

I’ve looked into this a bit in the past. I’ve not nailed an A2/3 on the Extension. However I believe that Peppercorn A2 Happy Knight was at Annesley fir about a week?  
 

What I can say is that:

a) there is a photo of Apple Green A2/3 Ocean Swell at Sheffield Victoria on a running in turn from Donny. Fir that matter there is a pic of the W1 there. ImGine that an A3 broke down...
 

B) York engines Got to Annesley And there were A2/2’s there. 
 

c) They ran Pacifics on Charwelton back in the day - maybe Tony Wright could shed some info. 
 

I can also offer you as a one off Silver Link in the early 50’s (one day only)

 

This site has good info about stuff at that shed. 
http://annesleyfireman.com/id9.html

 

Books that are good / I like on the extension that will give you a good idea of stuff on the line:

 

celebration of steam: the chilterns

great central then and now: mac hawkins

great centrals London extension: Robert robotham

 

though not the extension, the foxline books  are good. They will take you from Manchester to Nottingham. And the Bell code books. 

 

 

 

 

Thanks - the "Celebration of Steam" is a new one on me, I've got the other 2 - will search it out.

 

Unfortunately I'm focused on Woodford Halse as my MPD (condensed down to 4 road shed for reasons of space) but with the turning triangle, cenotaph, etc, with the line south from there as far as Helmdon viaduct (editing out Culworth) so little scope for any of the top link passenger stuff to be on shed. My loco list above is right for Woodford in the 50s (minus the D11/1 but that's a bit of GC mascot for me even though it would have been rarely south of Nottingham (and occasionally Leicester) by then).

 

Annesley is a location I'm dimly aware of by comparison to near total immersion in the stretch roughly Woodford Halse to Calvert!