Jump to content
 

Can anyone identify this loco?


MarkSG

Recommended Posts

  • RMweb Premium

The loco is a Dean Achilles class 4-2-2.  These locos were rebuilt from 2-2-2 format after the Box Tunnel derailment on the 12th Sept 1893. The locos started to receive wing panels to thier tenders from around 1905 so I suspect the photo taken around 1900?

Link to post
Share on other sites

Please could somebody tell me how the track formation on the left is described or classified? Is it an outside single slip?

No, its an inside single slip, just curved so that the slip road is straight and the two crossing tracks curved.

An outside slip would have the switches outside of the diamond not inside as here.

Keith

Link to post
Share on other sites

No, its an inside single slip, just curved so that the slip road is straight and the two crossing tracks curved.

An outside slip would have the switches outside of the diamond not inside as here.

Keith

  A straight slip then, or am I being stupid as usual. Very interesting though

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

I would think more likely intended as an ash pit so engines taking water at the column can clean out the grate.

Keith

It's more likely to be an inspection pit.  Such pits seem to have been quite common at more important GWR through stations and some lasted into the early 1960s.  I presume the idea was that they allowed access to the inside motion and saved the Driver/ whoever from having to go in 'over the top' (which wasn't a practical proposition anyway on many GW engines of course).

 

From what i can remember of the one at teh country end of Platform No.4 at Reading the pits were not very deep thus being more like inspection pit construction rather than the deeper ashpits and I can't remember ever seeing large quantities of ash in one.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Umm. Thats not a slip. Its simply two points condensed into each other.

I guess you could argue its a straightened slip, but at that, its operation is not that of a slip.

 

Any single slip is effectively just two turnouts superposed into the same space.

Link to post
Share on other sites

The loco is a Dean Achilles class 4-2-2.  These locos were rebuilt from 2-2-2 format after the Box Tunnel derailment on the 12th Sept 1893. The locos started to receive wing panels to thier tenders from around 1905 so I suspect the photo taken around 1900?

 

Yes, I agree, but only the first thirty (3001-3030) were built as 2-2-2 or converted from broad gauge 2-2-2. The real Achilles class (3031-80) were built as 4-2-2 from 1894 to 1899, with conversion of the earlier engines also starting in 1894.

 

It's difficult to see, but I think this one has small clack valves and vertical feed pipes below them. This would suggest either that it is one of the final 1897-9 batch as these were fitted from 3096 onwards, or the photo is within a few years of this date as they were soon fitted to most of the class. The engine appears to be fitted with socket lamp irons which were replaced on most main line engines from 1903. Also, the only visible wagon livery is the 1894-1904 type, although this would have persisted a few years until repainted. Perhaps more importantly, there are no examples of 1904 livery.

 

I'd go for 1898-1904.

 

Nick

Link to post
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...