Class 46 with MU jumpers?

[55020]

I am about to populate the buffer beam on a Bachmann 46.  Bachmann do include MU jumpers, but a photo review of every member of the class seems to demonstrate that the 46s never had MU jumpers fitted.

 

However Marsden & Fenn's BR main line Diesel Locos' excellent reference book does have a line drawing showing a 46 with the jumpers (DWG189).  Is the line drawing simply wrong, or did any of the class actually have MU jumpers at some point?

 

 

Steve

[BR traction instructor]

The easy answer is no they didn’t and that will be correct for 99% of the class 99% of the time but almost always an obscure fact pops up to show that there was a trial at some point.

 

BeRTIe

Edited July 17, 2022 by BR traction instructor

[Pandora]

Is the sprue or bag of parts common to Class 44 / 45 /46?

What of the first batch D11 onwards later Class 45  , as built did they have end doors for multiple working?

if they had end doors would they also have multiple working  wiring connectors?

Edited July 17, 2022 by Pandora

[Hairy Bear Digital]

Yes the 44/45/46 did have multiple working connections as built. They were removed after a few years as found to be not required.

As for the bag of sprue parts, there a bit crudely moulded, but fit as per period modelled.

Lack the air brake pipe and steam heat if I remember.  But available  elsewhere. 

[55020]

27 minutes ago, Hairy Bear Digital said:

Yes the 44/45/46 did have multiple working connections as built. They were removed after a few years as found to be not required.

As for the bag of sprue parts, there a bit crudely moulded, but fit as per period modelled.

Lack the air brake pipe and steam heat if I remember.  But available  elsewhere. 

 

The moldings are a bit crude, I agree, and are incomplete.  A bit of modelling will be taking place!

 

As I'm modelling a TOPS loco, I think it will be safe not to include the MU connections.

 

A search of earlier era photos does show that they were originally fitted, as you highlighted (not my photo).

 

 

https://www.rail-online.co.uk/p1065213468/h824D9C7F#h824d9c7f

 

Thanks for the responses, much appreciated.

 

 

Steve

[Hal Nail]

1 hour ago, Hairy Bear Digital said:

Yes the 44/45/46 did have multiple working connections as built. They were removed after a few years as found to be not required

For my 7mm blue star fitted 46 I used some class 40 spares. The stars on the yellow panel seem to have been abandoned slightly earlier than the pipes themselves.

 

edit: started this before the most recent post. Dont think the OP needs to worry by TOPS.

Edited July 17, 2022 by Hal Nail

[Hal Nail]

2 hours ago, Pandora said:

What of the first batch D11 onwards later Class 45  , as built did they have end doors for multiple working?

Yes, the first 5 class 45s had both end doors and split headcode boxes as built. These were later replaced, usually with the later one piece centre headcode although have a feeling I read that one went straight to marker lights.

[keefer]

I thought the MU gear was removed by the mid '60s but here's a pic in Robert Carroll's Collection on Flickr, of D178 in 1966.

Other locos have it removed before then, so working to a dated image is necessary.

(Post edited to correct incorrect info)

Edited July 17, 2022 by keefer

[HGR]

As an asside, 45 138 was floating around in 1983 / 1984 on such as the Newcastle - Liverpool Trans-Pennines sporting blue stars ! No multi jumpers of course (notwithstanding the ETH jumpers that would be re-using the same positions).

 

[Hal Nail]

15 hours ago, keefer said:

I thought the MU gear was removed by the mid '60s but here's a pic in Robert Carroll's Collection on Flickr, of D178 in 1966.

Other locos have it removed before then, so working to a dated image is necessary.

(Post edited to correct incorrect info)

Had I come across this pic, I might well have done that loco rather than 148 and opened up a wider time era. Laothe to risk modifying the headcode to a one piece now Ive finished it tho!

 

Just out of interest, were the rear sandboxes usually removed at the same time as the multiple connections or a separate round of tweaking?

Edited July 18, 2022 by Hal Nail

[russ p]

Has any actually seen a picture of peaks of any class actually working in multi ?

[Covkid]

As has been corrected here, yes 46s were built with blue star MU but it was removed quite quickly - probably at their first classified works visit. 

to clarify that blue star MU involves a "male" jumper and a "female" receptacle as well as a dummy receptacle for the "male" jumper to be retained when not in use.  The "male" end was mostly under the driver's side corner with the "female" receptacle on the secondman's side inboard of the buffer. 

 

In addition to the orange headed cables there were two res air pipes one each side, which had yellow ends, and next to these were the thinner regulating air pipes with heads painted white. Upon removal of the blue star, the yellow res pipes were retained. 

 

The original Bachmann blue star cable for the class 24s and class 25s was moulded incorrectly.  In that the fixed connection to the buffer beam was inboard of the driver's side buffer (painted orange) and the dummy receptacle mounted on the cab / bufferbeam corner was designed for the "male" head to be retained in the dummy housing. This differed in shape on class 25s compared to every other blue star class, because it had a spring loaded cover which had to be swung away to plug in the "male" end.  I believe the "peak"s had the same arrangement asthe class 24.s 

[Halvarras]

A couple of years ago I fitted the bufferbeam detail to a Bachmann Class 45 D67 (changed to Bristol's D38) in early 1960s condition, which a photo confirmed needed the MU equipment fitted. As mentioned by @HGR above, the earlier MU and later ETH jumpers use the same positions and Bachmann only supplies the latter - presumably they are supposed to cover both purposes. Hmmm. Since it is easier to make large things smaller than vice versa I set to work with craft knife and files to make the fittings at both ends of the 'cable' look more MU and less ETH - this is where the chunky nature of the mouldings was an advantage as they took the punishment without breaking. Also being painted orange I think it was worth the effort.

The job was finished with Heljan receptacles and Hornby R7200 screw link couplings.

 

The projecting brackets are a bit ugly when not used so I cut these off my model of 45001 (a resprayed 45114 - about all it was good for! BTW I swapped the underframes of these two Peaks which moved the air tanks from the one which didn't need them to the one which did. Of Bachmann's first four 45/46 releases only 46053 was correct!)

[45125]

22 hours ago, Covkid said:

As has been corrected here, yes 46s were built with blue star MU but it was removed quite quickly - probably at their first classified works visit. 

to clarify that blue star MU involves a "male" jumper and a "female" receptacle as well as a dummy receptacle for the "male" jumper to be retained when not in use.  The "male" end was mostly under the driver's side corner with the "female" receptacle on the secondman's side inboard of the buffer. 

 

In addition to the orange headed cables there were two res air pipes one each side, which had yellow ends, and next to these were the thinner regulating air pipes with heads painted white. Upon removal of the blue star, the yellow res pipes were retained. 

 

The original Bachmann blue star cable for the class 24s and class 25s was moulded incorrectly.  In that the fixed connection to the buffer beam was inboard of the driver's side buffer (painted orange) and the dummy receptacle mounted on the cab / bufferbeam corner was designed for the "male" head to be retained in the dummy housing. This differed in shape on class 25s compared to every other blue star class, because it had a spring loaded cover which had to be swung away to plug in the "male" end.  I believe the "peak"s had the same arrangement asthe class 24.s 

The air pipes when fitted were white not yellow. The painting of pipes and cocks in various colours came about in the late 60s. 

 

Al Taylor.

[Hal Nail]

Asking more in hope than expectation but does anyone have a good photo of the drain cock (?) right underneath the battery box covers in the original configuration?

[45125]

On 19/07/2022 at 14:40, Hal Nail said:

Asking more in hope than expectation but does anyone have a good photo of the drain cock (?) right underneath the battery box covers in the original configuration?

Do you mean the one for the boiler water tank?.

[Hal Nail]

On 21/07/2022 at 11:08, 45125 said:

Do you mean the one for the boiler water tank?.

Not sure - isnt that at one end? There is something smack in the middle under the battery box covers between the bogies, where the air tanks were added later on. Some sort of "tap" which i need to scratch build as I've left a gap at the moment.

 

Edited July 26, 2022 by Hal Nail

[Mike57]

The 2021 Bachmann Class 20 has MU jumpers to scale and might suit an early green Bachmann Class 44/45/46 - you can get them from the Class 20 detail packs on the Bachmann spare website. The holes on the Class 44/45/46 are a bit too big so will have to use some good non drip glue or filler or both! Make sure you choose the 2021 spares.

 

https://Bachmann-spares.co.uk/product/class-20-body---20174-br-blue-full-yellow-end-32-035b/e3202-200-20

[russ p]

Interesting that Peaks don't have the body to bogie jumpers like 40s , presumably there were multiplugs under the body somewhere 

[45125]

On 22/07/2022 at 10:05, russ p said:

Interesting that Peaks don't have the body to bogie jumpers like 40s , presumably there were multiplugs under the body somewhere 

Russ, the 27 way connection was underneath and was very prone to water ingress.

 

Al Taylor.

On 21/07/2022 at 11:16, Hal Nail said:

Not sure - isnt that at one end? There is something smack in the middle under the battery box covers between the bogies, where the air tanks were added later on. Some sort of "tap" which i need to scratch build as I've left a gap at the moment.

 

A Peak has three water tanks, two are in the boiler room either side of the door from the cab at no2 end the other is between the battery boxes.

[slilley]

All three varients of Peak were fitted from new. As early as December 1961 BR engineers were discussing the equipment's removal as an economy measure. When it was removed the Engine Control Pipes should have been removed at the same time, but on some examples they remained a while longer.

 

I shall discuss this in a little more detail in my forthcoming book on the Peaks due out this time next year.

[Hal Nail]

2 hours ago, slilley said:

I shall discuss this in a little more detail in my forthcoming book on the Peaks due out this time next year.

Will said book feature a large clear photo of the elusive central water tank tappy thing by any chance?!

[slilley]

18 hours ago, Hal Nail said:

Will said book feature a large clear photo of the elusive central water tank tappy thing by any chance?!

Well I am still scribbling the words, 63,000 and counting. Once I get onto the pictures in a few months time I will let you know. I will certainly look to include said tappy thing if I can find a suitable picture of it. I do have some of the various Peak varieties in their very early days so might be able to assist.

 

Simon

[robertcwp]

On 17/07/2022 at 17:49, keefer said:

I thought the MU gear was removed by the mid '60s but here's a pic in Robert Carroll's Collection on Flickr, of D178 in 1966.

Other locos have it removed before then, so working to a dated image is necessary.

(Post edited to correct incorrect info)

I suspect that is just prior to the loco being refurbished. Apart from the removal of the MU jumpers, the other indication that it has not been refurbished is the lack of the odd-shaped grille on the side - there is instead the original access panel. I think most if not all 46s gained the grille, as did some 45s. Note the grille and lack of MU jumpers in this image:

 

D154_undated_Tamworth HL by Robert Carroll, on Flickr

[Halvarras]

On 05/08/2022 at 09:14, robertcwp said:

I suspect that is just prior to the loco being refurbished. Apart from the removal of the MU jumpers, the other indication that it has not been refurbished is the lack of the odd-shaped grille on the side - there is instead the original access panel. I think most if not all 46s gained the grille, as did some 45s. Note the grille and lack of MU jumpers in this image:

 

D154_undated_Tamworth HL by Robert Carroll, on Flickr

 

Also headcode panel conversion from split centre to single centre - D138 - D173 were all so modified. Why was this considered necessary, since corrosion shouldn't have been an issue on c5-year-old locos? There was a series of articles in Traction magazine years ago which may offer the most logical answer (IMO!) and it concerns the mid-60s class 45/46 refurbishment programme. As you say, some Class 45s were also modified to single panel with extra side grilles, I reckon the endgame was to have all of D11 - D193 tidied up and looking the same, as per D154 above, however according to the articles the budget (unsurprisingly) ran short so although the internal technical changes continued the external cosmetic changes didn't. The flush ends with twin marker lights introduced from the mid-70s at least forced a consistent front end appearance on the two classes, although even then 100% was not achieved.

 

However all Class 46s eventually looked like D154, that was achieved, probably due to relative simplicity. D154 was an exhibit at the St Blazey Open Day of 2nd May 1970, still in GSYP livery, and I did an engine room walk-through expecting to emerge somewhat oil-stained......nope, not a spot - either somebody had given it a thorough clean or other people's clothing had.....! The following year it briefly ran in GFYE livery, not many Peaks did.