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Ex Cambrian 2-4-0T

johnarcher

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Quarryscapes

Quarryscapes

Posted
Posted

The Mainly Trains chassis was indeed designed by Iain Rice.  The springing arrangement of the leading pony axle is not that brilliant and there are not too many options for improving it.  Also - in a rare contrast to the normal situation - the EM frame spacers are a bit too wide.

 

One thing that caught me out with the Seaham tanks is that they went to Swindon for alterations twice.  The first time was immediately after the Grouping, when they had most of the work done.  I believe that all three then went back to Oswestry.

Then a few years later, they returned to Swindon a second time to have their bunkers extended again - upwards this time.  I'm fairly sure 1192 went first and after the work was done was sent to the West Country, never to see Wales again.  I think 1196 went next.  I also think there was a bit of a gap between 1192's second visit and 1196's, but that 1197 followed quite soon after.  I also think 1196's brief visit to the West Country followed her second trip to Swindon.  1197 went straight back to Oswestry after both her visits to Swindon.

All this is based a lot of head-scratching and looking at dated photographs of the trio in various locations.  There might be fewer "thinks" if there weren't so many gaps and I could be more confident of the dates on some of the photographs.  Tanat Valley of this parish might be able to provide a more accurate picture.

 

The Gem kit is based on the locos after their second visit to Swindon.  When I built mine I was slightly puzzled by the way the bunker came halfway up the rear windows of the cab but did not realise why until some time afterwards, when it was far too late to do anything about it. (My layout is set pre second-visit)

All my studying of pictures resulted in a long list of differences between the trio being compiled, from which I can state with conviction that the Gem kit is undoubtedly 1197.

 

Woohoo! I remembered something right! 

 

Any change of the list of details being published, I obviously haven't studied them carefully enough as I can't tell them apart! 

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mike morley

mike morley

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I've got the list somewhere, but I'm on my fourth laptop since I compiled it (the second failed after three days, the third lasted forty minutes!) and it would take a while to track it down.

I put it up on a thread similar to this one a couple of years ago and it might be quicker to track that one down.  You search for that, I'll start going through flash drives and we'll see who finds it first.

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mike morley

mike morley

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Re-reading my list makes me realise that there is still one unanswered question - roof vents.

Did they have any and, if so, what way were they orientated?

I've not been able to answer the question because I've not been able to find any photos of the trio from a high vantage point - and that is despite their natural habitat (The Tanat Valley) including Blodwell Junction where the overbridge was one of the areas favourite photographic locations.  A high level picture should also solve the mystery of 1196's tank vents.

 

And while we're on the subject of Blodwell Junction, take a look at the telegraph wires in most of the pictures taken from the bridge.  Was traffic going over the bridge expected to limbo under them?  The wires appear to barely clear the parapet!

 

PS.  As Purple Moose is your local brewery (lucky #####!) that's not much of a prize, is it?  How about a pint of Monty's Mischief instead?

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