Peterborough North

[great northern]

And then the next slide in the sequence told me to run a KX Goods to Dringhouses Class C. How convenient! So here are the first "in service" images of Cock O the North.

 

 

Second one isn't very good, but it was worth a try.

[great northern]

A close poll. I didn't specify steam only, by the way. S15 5 3sub 4 was the final score.

 

Today, the very best of the Midland Railway.

[woodenhead]

The 3835 class

Edited April 27, 2021 by woodenhead

[drmditch]

'Midland Compound' please. I don't know enough (without looking it up ) to prefer the Johnson (with it's Smith/NER connections) or the Deeley versions.

 

Bother - have just located Hamilton Ellis 'Midland Railway' on my shelves

Can't get into that just yet - busy with late-LNER Pacifics.

[DaveF]

Deeley's version of the Midland compounds.

 

Though a case could be made for the 3F.

 

David

[St Enodoc]

4F I think, based on quantity, utility, ubiquity and longevity (other "-ities" are available).

Edited April 27, 2021 by St Enodoc

[30368]

2 hours ago, great northern said:

And then the next slide in the sequence told me to run a KX Goods to Dringhouses Class C. How convenient! So here are the first "in service" images of Cock O the North.

 

What a filthy old beast! But, as I suspect, this hides the Hornby green very well, assuming that it is a Hornby A2/2!

 

Thanks for these absolutely great images of your wonderful layout. Inspirational.

 

As to the Midland - The Deeley 4-4-0 Compound was such a graceful locomotive.

 

Kind regards

 

Richard B

[great northern]

1 hour ago, 30368 said:

 

What a filthy old beast! But, as I suspect, this hides the Hornby green very well, assuming that it is a Hornby A2/2!

 

Thanks for these absolutely great images of your wonderful layout. Inspirational.

 

As to the Midland - The Deeley 4-4-0 Compound was such a graceful locomotive.

 

Kind regards

 

Richard B

Hornby it is, but with the benefit of Tim Easter's weathering skills.  From personal memory, backed up by contemporary images, this is what most York engines looked like a lot of the time, which was a great help, because I couldn't have stood that horrible green for more than about five minutes.

[30368]

8 minutes ago, great northern said:

I couldn't have stood that horrible green for more than about five minutes.

 

My view too - I have an A2/2 and an A2/3 from the Hornby stable but both will need "attention" to match the appearance of my DJH A2/3. Tim Easter has done an excellent job.

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Re-MR; has to be one of their "Spinner" 4-2-2s please.

[jazzer]

Very close thing for me between the Jinty and the 3835 class better known as the 4f 0-6-0 .  The 4f gets the vote by reason of one remaining childhood memory of one summers evening with a 4F sweeping down the bank into Market Rasen in the twilight with a return  Bank Holiday excursion from Cleethorpes back to the MIdlands   the whole wonderful scene lit up by the glare  from the firebox. Very soon afterwards , they were all gone.

[Clive Mortimore]

Where to start, just to many that surpass their rival companies efforts.

 

The ever lovely Kirtley 0-6-0 tender locos, especially those rebuilt with D or E boilers then rebuilt again with a G6 boiler and Deeley cab. The combination of ancient and modern features al in one loco, wow.

 

Likewise Johnson's class 2 freight locos are also very pretty, I do like the ones that carried a G6 boiler and Deeley cab. The ones rebuilt with a G6 boiler and retained their Johnson cabs are not so nice.

 

With the upgrading to class 3 by fitting a H boiler, some were nice looking and others not so, all depended on the cab and smokebox arrangement, but when they were given G7 boilers (LMS class 3F) what a treat to ones a eyes. 

 

The class 4 superheated goods, in my eyes, were not as nice looking. They were far more successful and useful than E S Cox (a Crewe man) said they were, giving those who like a lesser railway ammunition to attack the Midland.

 

No matter what combination of cab and boiler the class 1 freight tank engines have they always look cuter than any pannier tank. 

 

The class 3 tanks became real smashers when updated by Fowler and distributed across the LMS, but that might take them out of the survey.

 

The class 1 passenger tanks for me don't hit the spot as much as their freight counter parts, but still look cuter than any pannier tank.

 

I will admit that the Flatirons did prove that MR was capable of  producing a non attractive engine. 

 

Kirtley's 2-2-2 passenger looks were equal to their freight counter parts when equipped with a Johnson boiler.

 

Despite being very useful locos, and having nearly all the right features neither the Kirtley or Johnson  2-4-0s get me excited, and I cannot explain why.

 

Now for the Johnson 4-4-0s, were there any other non Midland 4-4-0s to match them. They were grace on wheels. Even when rebuilt with H and G7 boilers with the radical change in appearance from a thing of beauty to one of pure functionality they were wonderful. As for the last rebuilding with the G7S boilers many went through when the became the very economic class 2P with good looks.

 

Peter has mentioned the Spinners, the Johnson 4-2-2s, I wouldn't nominate them all as a group. I would leave out the Princess of Wales class with they huge bogie tenders. Even when these were rebuilt to the Deeley style fat sided tender they distracted from the beauty of the loco.

 

I am going to lump the class 3 passenger (the Belpaires)  and the compounds together. I know Stephen with disagree but with these two classes Johnson seemed to have lost his artistic touch, maybe the combination of the modern Belapire boiler those huge bogie tenders didn't help. After Deeley and Fowler had made their improvements they both settled down to rank up their with the Belpaire fitted class 3 freight and the class 2 passenger in looks.

 

My nomination today has to be Deeley's 990 class 4 passenger 4-4-0 locomotives. They were not a failure as a design despite their short lives. In trials with other constituent LMS companies locos of so called similar power they were only beaten by the MR's own compound locos.

 

So the class 990 wins with me.

[LNER4479]

Compound 4-4-0, the 'Crimson Rambler'.

 

I don't think they can be in any way regarded as 'unsuccessful'. Were they - by some margin - the UK's most successful application of the compound principle? Perpetuated into LMS days of course but not fundamentally different to the original Midland compounds, they were the LMS's first 'standard' express motive power machine. Soon eclipsed by other types, yes, but they certainly had their 'moment in the sun' and went on to provide support in a secondary role well into BR days, sometimes far from their Derby spiritual home (eg ex-GSWR lines).

 

They get a special mention in my Peak District main line article in the forthcoming 'Smoke & Steam' publication.

[Sandhole]

3F 0-6-0 Jack of all Trades. A superb goods loco drivers loved 'em.

[Metropolitan H]

I have a little reticence regarding the Midland locos, as I have never been convinced by the small engine policy. However, I think the sensible vote has to be the Deeley 4P 4-4-0 "Compound" type.

 

If the question had been Derby built locos, I could have voted for the SDJR 7f 2-8-0 which was a very differentsuccessful type - but not for the Midland Railway.

 

Regards

Chris H

[great northern]

Not surprisingly, the camera stayed focused on 60501, as it made its way slowly northwards.

 

 

After a nine mile walk today, I feel that I may have overdone things a bit, and bed calls.

 

 

 

[New Haven Neil]

Oh.  As Clive tells us so well, there are a lot to chose from, and some very elegant and/or successful designs.  But Gilbert's brief is 'best' not prettiest, so.......the 3F goods engine.  Compounds are close, but not so versatile.

[Market65]

Well for this poll, I’m going with the little 3F goods engine too.

 

Rob.

[sandra]

I think I’ll choose the 3F 0-6-0 goods engines.

[David Bell]

Another vote for the 3F.

[Woodcock29]

And another for the 3F 0-6-0

[jollysmart]

Has to be the 3F, meets the requirements and was the backbone of much of the day to day work.

[great northern]

And still the camera is following 60501, but won't be able to do so for much longer, as Spital Bridge is in sight.

 

 

[great northern]

Compound thought it had this won, so eased up, allowing the 3F to come through right at the end. 3F 6 Compound 5.

 

LNWR today folks.

[New Haven Neil]

Clive'll be along with the EMU's soon, but I'm torn between the George or the G2.  The G2's lasted well, but weren't really that good.....so the George V.