Some LNER A4 Coronation Livery Questions

[AdamOrmorod]

Hello, this is my first topic so hopefully I'm doing everything correctly. I'm getting a Hornby 4491 Commonwealth of Australia for Christmas (hopefully) and am aware of the livery errors (wrong font, wrongly positioned tender lettering and chrome strip, undersize smokebox number) and I intend to put them straight, but I have a few questions about some of the finer details of the livery, specifically after the tender was cut down (February 1938)

 

Firstly, was the front of the vacuum return pipe (runs along driver's side of boiler) a brass coloured metal as per usual, or was it a steel coloured metal? I have seen models with the latter but never a colour picture of a real A4 with one.

 

Secondly, when was "Class A4" added to the bufferbeam? I have seen pictures of the same Coronation A4s without it earlier in their lives but later with it, but again I don't have a clear one of 4491 in 1938.

 

Lastly, is the center lamp iron on Hornby's A4 bufferbeam too low? On prototype pictures there seems to be plenty of space for the 7 1/2'' numbers and "Class A4", yet on models with the correct sized numbers, it looks a bit cramped.

 

If anybody has any books with a colour picture of 4491 too could they please tell me what book it is, as I want to weather her one day and a colour photo of her would make it a lot easier.

 

Thanks in advance,

Ade.

[jwealleans]

For colour pictures the book you need is LNER Locomotives in Colour which has both 4489 and 4496 in colour on pages 36 and 37. I'm not sure I've ever seen a colour picture of Australia in Coronation condition.

 

There is some good colour footage of 4483 on the Coronationin 1938 on Youtube (search for 'York pot pourri') and there are other colour photos of blue A4s, some quite dirty, about. I think you'll be working from those rather than hoping for an undiscovered shot of 4491.

[coachmann]

For colour pictures the book you need is LNER Locomotives in Colour which has both 4489 and 4496 in colour on pages 36 and 37. I'm not sure I've ever seen a colour picture of Australia in Coronation condition.

 

There is some good colour footage of 4483 on the Coronationin 1938 on Youtube (search for 'York pot pourri') and there are other colour photos of blue A4s, some quite dirty, about. I think you'll be working from those rather than hoping for an undiscovered shot of 4491.

I couldn't locate the York Pot Pourri. While searching Youtube I was surprised at the sheer volume of copyright commercial video uploaded by individuals. So much for copyright. I will have to see if any of mine are up there....

[jwealleans]

http://www.yorkshirefilmarchive.com/film/pot-pourri-york

 

Here you go, Larry.  The good stuff starts about 5 1/2 minutes in, IIRC, after the swimming policemen .

[AdamOrmorod]

For colour pictures the book you need is LNER Locomotives in Colour which has both 4489 and 4496 in colour on pages 36 and 37. I'm not sure I've ever seen a colour picture of Australia in Coronation condition.

 

There is some good colour footage of 4483 on the Coronationin 1938 on Youtube (search for 'York pot pourri') and there are other colour photos of blue A4s, some quite dirty, about. I think you'll be working from those rather than hoping for an undiscovered shot of 4491.

Unfortunately, while I very much enjoyed seeing Kingfisher pass with the Coronation, my questions regard only the 5 Commonwealth A4s and the one seen at around 8 minutes (could it be 4498? Can't be sure) wasn't clear enough for me to see the bufferbeam detail. I will certainly get the LNER Locomotives in Colour book though, but from looking at the pictures you mention are you able to answer any of my questions?