Class 27 pre Tops "T" indent under the side window

[40034_Nick]

Hi All,

 

I have noticed that the Heljan class 27 Pre tops have a "T" indent under the side window. Whats it for? ( that said, I cant find any pre Tops real life photos in the net with this "T" indent).

Thanks

 

Nick

 

[Dagworth]

It was for token exchange equipment 

 

Andi

[40034_Nick]

Ohhh interesting. Thanks

 

Do Tokens come with the Heljan models?  

[Strathyre]

27s never had them fitted but the 26s did

 

Paul

[Dieselbob]

Hi Nick

As Dagworth said its for token exchange.

See attached drawing

Cheers & Stay Safe

Bob

[mcowgill]

27006 at Mallaig in 1974 still with it's tablet recess after TOPS renumbering 

https://railphotoprints.uk/p582944081/h2547E801#h2547e801

[40034_Nick]

Interesting.. Thanks guys

[Dagworth]

good picture halfway down this page https://www.derbysulzers.com/class26c.html

 

Andi

[Halvarras]

I've just checked my Heljan Class 27, green D5361, and the tablet catchers are correctly not supplied, for that one at least.

 

A quick rundown of classes with tablet catcher recesses and whether the equipment were fitted:the

 

Class 17 - D8500-8616 - not fitted

Class 20 - D8028-8034 - fitted / D8070-8127 - not fitted

Class 21 - D6138-6157 - fitted

Class 24 - D5114-5132 - fitted

Class 25 - D7611-7623 - not fitted

Class 26 - D5319-5346 - fitted

Class 27 - D5347-5369 - not fitted

Class 31 - D5671-5676 - fitted

 

Class 20 - when the equipment fell out of use in the late 1960s D8028-8034 lost the top part of the catcher but the lower arms remained in place for some time. I am beginning to wonder whether any of this batch ever carried green livery with small yellow panels - they appear to have survived in plain green for so long they either gained full yellow ends or went straight into blue. I believe Bachmann issued D8113 fitted with catchers but this was incorrect.

 

Class 26 - note that this list includes D5319, a Pilot Scheme loco. This had been retro-fitted with recesses by 1965 and later gained the catcher equipment. It was still green small yellow in mid-1969. As with the other recess-fitted locos (except Class 31) the conversion required the fitting of sliding cabside windows on the driver's sides but the original drop panes were retained on the secondman's sides. This was the only recorded instance of a loco being retro-fitted in this way, it would be interesting to know whether there was a Class 26/0 conversion programme which never progressed beyond the first one.

 

Class 31 - these were the only non-Scottish locos with tablet catchers and were so fitted in the mid-1960s for working the High Dyke mineral branch in Lincolnshire. The catchers were of a more compact design than the Scottish variety and were fitted into recesses in the driver's side cab doors.

 

[Steven B]

I've pictures of these with the token exchange mechanism fitted, but never in use. How were they used? Did the driver have to hang out of the window to load/unload them with a token?

 

Steven B.

Edited February 12, 2021 by Steven B

[Alex TM]

Hi Nick,

 

Only those class 27s that were destined from new for the Scottish Region received the catcher recess; you'll also note that the cabside window slides horizontally rather than vertically on these locos.  The frame on the horizontal sliders are out of vertical so are easier to spot.

 

As far as I know the recesses were also plated over after the introduction of TOPS.

 

Hope that's of use.

 

Regards,

 

Alex.

[giz]

Nice closeup of a tablet catcher on a 24 on David Ford's Flickr site:

 

 

Edited February 13, 2021 by giz