Where to start looking for info (after google) on GWR Locos

[dougidle]

Hi!

I've been working on an EM gauge model of West Bay on the Bridport branch since just after Christmas and am finally in the position of having some working track and a working loco. I'm now getting more interested in making sure the locos are more accurate to those that would have run on the line. The two in question are 57xx 4660 which according to Gerry Beales excellent book spent time on the branch between 1943 and 1945 and  48xx 4803 which was around at the same time. 

 

I've been able to work out a little bit about both locos - they were both shedded at Weymouths at around the same time and I think that as a new loco during the way, 4660 would have been in black for the period I'm modelling which is the late forties. Apart from that I have very little info on her. 4803 I have no idea about - I hope she'd have been in green as I'd like at least one green loco on the layout.

 

I have quite a few photos of 4803 from the excellent book about the Abbotsbury line although these are mostly from the BR period. Quite often I see posts here or in the modelling magazines where people have extensive knowledge on locos and can produce dates of when they were refitted, what liveries they were in etc. As a new comer, where can I find all this information please? Where's a good place to start?

 

Just to be clear, I'm not asking for the information, just some pointers on where to start looking for it 

 

Thanks,

Doug

[TravisM]

Flickr is worth a try 

[Steamport Southport]

The GWR section on here. And these for starters.

 

BR Database

 

http://brdatabase.info/

 

GWR Modelling

 

http://www.gwr.org.uk/

 

Great Western Archive.

 

http://www.greatwestern.org.uk/

 

Useful tip. Put GWR and the locomotive number into Google and then look at Google images as well.

 

Eg. GWR 4660

 

https://www.google.co.uk/search?source=hp&ei=vamQX6mFNqOLlwTY7YeQDA&q=gwr+4660&oq=gwr+4660&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQAzoICAAQsQMQgwE6BQgAELEDOgIIADoICC4QsQMQkwI6CwguELEDEMcBEK8BOgUILhCxAzoOCC4QsQMQxwEQrwEQkwI6CAguEMcBEK8BOgYIABAWEB5QxARY0hdglBtoAHAAeACAAYEBiAG7BZIBAzYuMpgBAKABAaoBB2d3cy13aXo&sclient=psy-ab&ved=0ahUKEwjp17aQ0sbsAhWjxYUKHdj2AcIQ4dUDCAk&uact=5

 

Jason

Edited October 21, 2020 by Steamport Southport

[Innerhome]

Irwell Press Pannier Papers No 2 Ian Sixsmith gives 4660 as St Philips Marsh 6/43 then Weymouth 1/46 then St Phips Marsh 29/1/49 and has one 3/4 view photograph of 4660 at St Philips Marsh - no date but wearing late BR crest 

[Steamport Southport]

Always check with as many sources as you can.

 

I've found loads of errors in the Pannier Papers and Prairie Papers books, especially in the captions where the book even contradicts itself!

 

Photo of 5193 where it says it was always a South Western engine until it moved to South Wales. Whereas it spent nearly 20 years allocated to Stourbridge from new until moving SW in the 1950s. Yet the allocation part of the book is correct.

 

 

Not a criticism of the books or authors, just that mistakes happen and captions are often written by somebody else.

 

 

Jason

Edited October 23, 2020 by Steamport Southport

[dougidle]

Thanks Both - I am hoping to get the Pannier Papers book for Christmas - good to know that it has a photo of her in.

 

I've also had a poke about the gwr.ork.uk and greatwestern.org.uk sites and they're really useful. 

 

Thanks again,

Doug