Welsh Highland Conundrum

[JohnDMJ]

I'm just back from a fantastic weekend break in Caernarfon organised by Ffestiniog Travel taking in the Snowdon Rack Railway, the Welsh Highland Railway and the Ffestiniog Railway. The tour also included tours at Dinas and Boston Lodge Works!

 

At Dinas, Garratt K1 was parked at a platform road sporting a 'Do Not Move' label whilst undergoing some major repairs and it was possible to see both sides.

 

 

 

Now, if you look at the right hand side of the bunker, you see:

which shows the 'do not move' notice and a nameplate identifying her as K1.

 

Now, wander around to the left hand side:

and zoom in on the nameplate (note that the 'do not move' notice is still in shot!)

 

Why does this plate identify her as K2?

 

None of the railway staff I asked could answer this one; anyone here any ideas, please?

 

TIA

[PhilH]

I found this on another forum, although of course it's unsubstantiated:

 

'The preserved loco, by the way, is mainly K1 with some cannibalised bits from K2'

 

Perhaps both numberplates are someone's idea of a joke?

[invercloy]

I seem to remember hearing that it was more of a K1/K2 mix than K1...

[mcowgill]

Before K1 was shipped back to Beyer Peacock in 1947 a complete locomotive was assembled from the best bits of the two (K1 & K2). I believe that the boiler (and so probably the whole boiler/cradle/cab section) was from K2. The boiler was replaced with a new one during restoration but I'm sure there is plenty of K2 running along with K1.

 

Martin C

[Adrian]

Why does this plate identify her as K2?

 

None of the railway staff I asked could answer this one; anyone here any ideas, please?

 

 

From the late Dr Ben Fisher's WHR site about the K1

http://www.whrsoc.or...roject/k1-f.htm

 

About halfway down.

With the refitting of the loco's plates, the opportunity has been taken to add a K2 plate on one side of the hind engine, and a K1 plate on the other. This reflects the fact that the loco is a mix of parts from the two locos; not only is the boiler frame from K2, its works number (5293) has also been found on some major motion components. As explained on the K1 in Tasmania page, it now seems clear that the boiler units were swapped between K1 and K2 while still in service (and not in 1947 as once thought); it is nevertheless possible that some parts from K2 (such as the motion parts) could have travelled back to the UK and formed part of Beyer Peacock's reassembly work, when much is known to have been done to the motion.

 

[JohnDMJ]

From the late Dr Ben Fisher's WHR site about the K1

http://www.whrsoc.or...roject/k1-f.htm

 

About halfway down.

 

Thanks for the information, guys.

this link might be the one to which you refer, Adrain?

[DavidB-AU]

A loco should be identified by its frame. Boilers and motion gear are designed to be swapped or replaced. If the frame is works number 5293, then the loco should rightly be K2 and not K1.

 

Cheers

David

[Ohmisterporter]

A loco should be identified by its frame. Boilers and motion gear are designed to be swapped or replaced. If the frame is works number 5293, then the loco should rightly be K2 and not K1.

 

Cheers

David

 

Not so straightforward with a Garratt though. There is a frame for each engine plus the boiler cradle. For example, the WHR swaps engine units around between NGG16 locos, when the need dictates. This is an extra flexibilty that is appreciated by the traffic department.

 

Geoff.

[PaulRhB]

Not so straightforward with a Garratt though. There is a frame for each engine plus the boiler cradle.

 

 

Quite right if you go by percentages then the two engine unit frames would make it K1 so I think the solution adopted is the most honest approach and means that neither loco is lost to history. At the end of the day it is as close as you are going to get to the original engine and that in itself makes it a historical record much the same as the replica L&B engines under construction allow us to experience something that would only exist in photos otherwise.

[DavidB-AU]

Simple answer - call it K1½.

 

Cheers

David