Longhaireddavid Posted January 29 Share Posted January 29 Hi everyone. I have now moved from US outline to GWR. I have four locos - 2 x pannier, 1 x 23XX and 1 Manor. I want to put drivers into each but not sure which side they sit. I have a feeling that GWR was left hand drive. Is this correct? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Metr0Land Posted January 29 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 29 No, GWR is RHD, but moving to GWR is the right choice Plenty of help available on here. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMS2968 Posted January 29 Share Posted January 29 No, they drove from the right. Many pre-grouping companies drove from the right but the LMS, LNER and SR standardised on the left. The GWR, as ever, went its own way. 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickham Green too Posted January 29 Share Posted January 29 33 minutes ago, LMS2968 said: ... the LMS, LNER and SR standardised on the left ... ... eventually ! 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
osbornsmodels Posted January 29 Share Posted January 29 Quote which side they sit. and often stood rather than sat. 2 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bécasse Posted January 29 Share Posted January 29 3 hours ago, osbornsmodels said: and often stood rather than sat. I would have said that the norm was for both footplatemen to be upright, the fireman of near necessity, the driver because he got a better view of the road ahead (and, having once been a fireman, was used to habitually standing on a footplate). The seats would typically only be used when the train was at a stand and there were no immediate tasks to be done. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Blandford1969 Posted January 29 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 29 You can't sit down and drive a Pannier or Prarie and see out. Yes you can sit when driving a Manor , Castle, Hall etc. Again Panniers and Praries are not really suited to a fireman sitting down as again they cant see where you are going. On the bigger engines they may have sat down. They are small and not the comfortanle to sit on in motion anyway. 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Right Away Posted January 30 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 30 (edited) 13 hours ago, bécasse said: I would have said that the norm was for both footplatemen to be upright, the fireman of near necessity, the driver because he got a better view of the road ahead (and, having once been a fireman, was used to habitually standing on a footplate). The seats would typically only be used when the train was at a stand and there were no immediate tasks to be done. …. not forgetting that once moving, especially with certain “high mileage” locomotives, the unremitting jarring, emanating from play in driving boxes/horns and side rods. This would be transmitted through the cab floor and to any semblance of a “seat” and thus to the softer parts of a driver’s anatomy. Edited January 30 by Right Away correction 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickham Green too Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 1 hour ago, Right Away said: ... any semblance of a “seat” and thus to the softer parts of a driver’s anatomy. The anatomy of most steam locomotive's "seats" was completely devoid of any softer parts, of course. 🥴 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longhaireddavid Posted January 30 Author Share Posted January 30 This is what Accurascale provided in their GWR Manor BR Crew. I presume that the fireman is looking out whist the driver has his hand of a lever. Is this right? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickham Green too Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 3 hours ago, Longhaireddavid said: ... Is this right? I thought we'd established that it's right ............. hand drive. Not familiar with Accurascale's rendition of the cab but I'd guess the driver has his hand on the regulator ( could be the reverser ) and the fireman's checking for the next signal - better than balanced in mid-swing with his shovel ! 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Johnster Posted January 30 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 30 9 hours ago, Wickham Green too said: The anatomy of most steam locomotive's "seats" was completely devoid of any softer parts, of course. 🥴 Though some drivers had plenty in the right area. 3 hours ago, Wickham Green too said: Not familiar with Accurascale's rendition of the cab but I'd guess the driver has his hand on the regulator ( could be the reverser ) and the fireman's checking for the next signal - better than balanced in mid-swing with his shovel ! I concur, the driver is perched on the edge of his seat, left hand on the regulator lever, right elbow resting on the cab cutout or possibly hand on the reverser, and looking forward through the spectacle plate, a quite typical driving stance. The position of his left hand suggests that he is gripping the end of the regulator handle ready to lift it prior to moving off. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickham Green too Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 4 minutes ago, The Johnster said: ... gripping the end of the regulator handle ready to lift it prior to moving off. Ah ........... only suitable for a static display then !!?! ☹️ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Lawson Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 23 hours ago, Blandford1969 said: You can't sit down and drive a Pannier or Prarie and see out. Yes you can sit when driving a Manor , Castle, Hall etc Presumably, in the smaller engines the large reversing lever sticking out of the floor didn't help? (The larger engines having a horizontal screw reverser ahead of the driver). 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Blandford1969 Posted January 30 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 30 2 hours ago, Nick Lawson said: Presumably, in the smaller engines the large reversing lever sticking out of the floor didn't help? (The larger engines having a horizontal screw reverser ahead of the driver). More that with a Pannier the seat is to the side of the reverser and in most places the reverser is in the way and the seat is so low down you cant see out over the tanks. With the Praries again the seat is so low you can't see out. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold phil_sutters Posted January 30 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 30 (edited) 10 hours ago, Longhaireddavid said: This is what Accurascale provided in their GWR Manor BR Crew. I presume that the fireman is looking out whist the driver has his hand of a lever. Is this right? Pearly kings! More suited to GER or LTSR I would have thought, or possibly SECR. Edited January 30 by phil_sutters 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longhaireddavid Posted January 31 Author Share Posted January 31 16 hours ago, phil_sutters said: Pearly kings! More suited to GER or LTSR I would have thought, or possibly SECR. That's a function of the close up. At normal distances they look fine! 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken.W Posted February 3 Share Posted February 3 (edited) On 29/01/2024 at 15:21, Longhaireddavid said: Hi everyone. I have now moved from US outline to GWR. I have four locos - 2 x pannier, 1 x 23XX and 1 Manor. I want to put drivers into each but not sure which side they sit. I have a feeling that GWR was left hand drive. Is this correct? Hi, the easy way to tell, for any loco; The reversing lever and rod gear, and, if vacuum fitted the ejector pipe (the one along the boiler side from cab to smokebox) near handrail, are on the drivers side Edited February 9 by Ken.W 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickham Green too Posted February 4 Share Posted February 4 On 03/02/2024 at 01:01, Ken.W said: Hi, the easy way to tell, for any loco; ... The reversing lever and rod, ... are on the drivers side Any loco other than Mr.Wainwright's* : the steam reverser's pretty conspicuous instead ! ( NOT to be confused with a Wessy pump - which might be present too ! ) * or derivatives ......................................... other steam-reversed locos are available 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium kevinlms Posted February 5 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 5 But it ought to be remembered that sometimes, the driver wasn't even on the loco, whilst driving! If he was driving a train with say a Class 48XX/14XX and autocoach, he could be the length of the autocoach away from the loco, plus space. So up to 80ft away roughly. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMS2968 Posted February 5 Share Posted February 5 Are you suggesting they sell figures with a scale 80 feet arm? 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Johnster Posted February 5 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 5 4 hours ago, kevinlms said: But it ought to be remembered that sometimes, the driver wasn't even on the loco, whilst driving! If he was driving a train with say a Class 48XX/14XX and autocoach, he could be the length of the autocoach away from the loco, plus space. So up to 80ft away roughly. On a 4575 propelling two 70' trailers smokebox end, it's closer to 200ft! 3 hours ago, LMS2968 said: Are you suggesting they sell figures with a scale 80 feet arm? Most drivers I knew had short arms and long pockets, especially when it was their round... 2 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickham Green too Posted February 5 Share Posted February 5 4 hours ago, LMS2968 said: Are you suggesting they sell figures with a scale 80 feet arm? 59 minutes ago, The Johnster said: ... closer to 200ft! ... I wouldn't fancy trying to install such a figure - whether 80' or 200' ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken.W Posted February 9 Share Posted February 9 (edited) On 04/02/2024 at 15:24, Wickham Green too said: Any loco other than Mr.Wainwright's* : the steam reverser's pretty conspicuous instead ! ( NOT to be confused with a Wessy pump - which might be present too ! ) * or derivatives ......................................... other steam-reversed locos are available Good point there, edited accordingly. I should have known that one, plenty exNER engines had steam reverse too! Edited February 9 by Ken.W Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
FraserClarke Posted February 12 Share Posted February 12 Here are few views of the driver's position in a large prairie. As you can see, the view forward is not too bad (by steam engine standards), but the view going backwards is non-existant! The seat is on rear wall of the cab, so the regulator, brake, ejector etc are out of reach. Best place to perch when running backwards is on the reverser rack - view out the back, and controls easily to right hand. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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