Forward! Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 Hi all, Did Swindon works have dedicated shunting engines? I'm interested mainly in the Grouping era, but I would be curious about any periods. I know of the famous specialised pannier crane tanks, but wondered whether they also allocated shunting engines to the works, or just took whatever was available from the Swindon shed, or even utilised superannuated locos that had been brought in for scrapping? The reason I ask is I am lucky enough to work (when not working from home!) in the restored old Swindon drawing offices, and I have begun to build a little 8ft diorama/shunting plank which I can use to play trains when the main layout is stored away. Will 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold BMS Posted January 4, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 4, 2022 Interesting project - OO or N? In the 50s-early 60s, if not before, they used South Wales Cos 0-6-2T - I'm aware of ex TV As and O4s on their last work. (Used to pass the works on SW trains 1953-60 6 times a year and was frantically writing down numbers while trying not to miss any.) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forward! Posted January 4, 2022 Author Share Posted January 4, 2022 (edited) Hi BMS, Thanks! My project is 00. I am lucky enough to have copies of the original drawings for most of the buildings. And if there's anything else I need, well, the STEAM museum and archive is just across the courtyard! Here's a good picture of an ex-Welsh 0-6-2 living out its final days at Swindon. Wonder whether they did the same with withdrawn stock from absorbed companies in earlier times? Not all of it was 'Swindonised' in the 1920s and 30s. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Swindon_Works_Shunter_geograph-2941846-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg I'm like most modellers- I have enough locomotives in the collection to model Paddington at rush hour... including a lot of mainline traction that really ought to be hauling 14 carriages to look anyway realistic. So a little display diorama seemed like a good way of getting them out their boxes for a bit! The area in front of the drawing offices was often used to photograph ex-works locomotives, and there are a few sidings such as coal drops for the buildings' heating systems. There was also a turntable immediately next to the drawing offices until about 1920, and with a bit of artistic licence, I'm going to retain it on my model. All in all I think it would be a nice little project. Will Edited January 4, 2022 by Forward! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forward! Posted January 4, 2022 Author Share Posted January 4, 2022 Seemingly yes? https://www.rail-online.co.uk/p434946399 <a href="https://www.rail-online.co.uk/p434946399/eea6b4025" title="1359 1930s Swindon"><img src="https://www.rail-online.co.uk/img/s/v-10/p3932897317-2.jpg" width="400" height="244" alt="Rail-Online: Other railways &emdash; 1359 1930s Swindon" /></a> Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Prism Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 The 1366 tanks spent a lot of their lives shunting the works: https://www.rail-online.co.uk/p192640751 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Harlequin Posted January 4, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 4, 2022 You might be interested in Swindon's Simplex shunters as something a bit different. Google "Swindon Simplex" for photos from various libraries. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DK123GWR Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 (edited) A bit before your time, but there was this: The base model needs a lot of work, but don't worry - after the latest price rises it only costs £50.99! Edited January 4, 2022 by DK123GWR Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Chris116 Posted January 4, 2022 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 4, 2022 26 minutes ago, DK123GWR said: A bit before your time, but there was this: The base model needs a lot of work, but don't worry - after the latest price rises it only costs £50.99! The new price may be over £50 but you can pickup them up secondhand for under half that. The more modern examples in a second hand bin will run a lot better than older versions so it is worth spending some time checking them and a local model shop is the place you need to do that. Sadly, not all of us have a local shop but once exhibitions are possible again their secondhand stalls can be very useful. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimC Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 (edited) Probably wrong to think of Swindon Works as a single unit in this context. AIUI the loco works used withdrawn engines with a bit of life left, and supposedly the welsh 0-6-2Ts were popular because nice roomy cabs. Presumably they ran them until something broke and then grabbed another. The 1366s (and presumably earlier equivalents) duties were in the wagon works. I haven't heard what was used in the carriage works. Edited January 4, 2022 by JimC 2 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 3 hours ago, Forward! said: Hi all, Did Swindon works have dedicated shunting engines? I'm interested mainly in the Grouping era, but I would be curious about any periods. I know of the famous specialised pannier crane tanks, but wondered whether they also allocated shunting engines to the works, or just took whatever was available from the Swindon shed, or even utilised superannuated locos that had been brought in for scrapping? The reason I ask is I am lucky enough to work (when not working from home!) in the restored old Swindon drawing offices, and I have begun to build a little 8ft diorama/shunting plank which I can use to play trains when the main layout is stored away. Will They had a Fowler 0-4-0 Diesel like this one from High Level Kits. It was fully lined in green. Mark 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steamport Southport Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 4 hours ago, Forward! said: Seemingly yes? https://www.rail-online.co.uk/p434946399 <a href="https://www.rail-online.co.uk/p434946399/eea6b4025" title="1359 1930s Swindon"><img src="https://www.rail-online.co.uk/img/s/v-10/p3932897317-2.jpg" width="400" height="244" alt="Rail-Online: Other railways &emdash; 1359 1930s Swindon" /></a> I seem to recall reading that at least one of the Cornwall Mineral Railway 0-6-0STs was used for a while, that sort of confirms it. I was considering getting one of those cheap Kernow 1361s to convert to one of those. Photo of a 1361 here newly outshopped "With pannier 2148 which was withdrawn in February 1952 but worked as works shunter until the autumn of 1953" https://www.rail-online.co.uk/p322233449/h377B51B2#h377b51b2 So that probably confirms that many locomotives used were locomotives on their last legs. Jason 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Johnster Posted January 4, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 4, 2022 I doubt if 101 actually ever did any shunting, or any work at all; it was intended as a proof of concept oil fired loco and, once the concept was proved (i.e. the loco steamed successfully and met it's design specifications), it seems to have been put aside. There were alway plenty of engines withdrawn from traffic but steamable to provide whatever shunting was needed, and for some parts of the works they would need to be powerful enough to haul the biggest locomotives of the day dead around tight curves and turnouts. These would be used until they became unuseable and replaced with whatever had come in for disposal the day before. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshall5 Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 (edited) 11 hours ago, Harlequin said: You might be interested in Swindon's Simplex shunters as something a bit different. Google "Swindon Simplex" for photos from various libraries. This is a 7mm scale G.W. Simplex I built from an Impetus kit c. 30 yrs ago. Ray. Edited January 4, 2022 by Marshall5 grammar 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cctransuk Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 7 minutes ago, Marshall5 said: This is a 7mm scale G.W. Simplex I built from an Impetus kit c. 30 yrs ago. Ray. Funnily enough, the 4mm. scale version of this kit appeared on Ebay within the last couple of days. I was tempted, but resisted! CJI. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steamport Southport Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 3 hours ago, The Johnster said: I doubt if 101 actually ever did any shunting, or any work at all; it was intended as a proof of concept oil fired loco and, once the concept was proved (i.e. the loco steamed successfully and met it's design specifications), it seems to have been put aside. There were alway plenty of engines withdrawn from traffic but steamable to provide whatever shunting was needed, and for some parts of the works they would need to be powerful enough to haul the biggest locomotives of the day dead around tight curves and turnouts. These would be used until they became unuseable and replaced with whatever had come in for disposal the day before. it was Swindon Works shunter for about six years. That is one of the only things about it that is known fact. The oil burning version looked nothing like what it did later. it had a saddle oil tank for a start. Jason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cctransuk Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 4 minutes ago, Steamport Southport said: it was Swindon Works shunter for about six years. That is one of the only things about it that is known fact. The oil burning version looked nothing like what it did later. it had a saddle oil tank for a start. Jason Thank you, Jason. Why do certain people make these wild assertions concerning matters about which they clearly have not the slightest knowledge? If you had not put matters in their correct light, that misinformation about 101 could easily have become 'fact'. CJI. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steamport Southport Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 It's difficult finding images of it. ISTR this is in Swindon shed. Image found online but I think the same photo is in the relevant RCTS volume. It was still being used as an experiment as I believe they were considering using a similar taper boiler for the 0-4-2Ts and 2-4-0Ts. You can see the family resemblance to a Small Metro. Jason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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