Metropolitan H

Having skimmed my copy of "The Woodstock Branch" - Stanley C Jenkins, Wild Swan 1987 (ISBN 0 906867 51 7) - I'm a bit suspicious of that picture's caption: - 1473 bore the "Fair Rosamund" nameplates above its numberplates from 1896. I can't see them in the picture. - 1473 had inside bearings to its trailing (carrying) axle. It looks like the loco in the picture has outside frames / bearings to the trailing axles? - The only pictures of short coaches in the book are of the 1890 inspection train which consisted of two 4/6 wheel clerestory coaches hauled by a contractors Manning and Wardle 0-6-0ST. - All other coaching stock shown in the book are either 8 wheel / bogie stock clerestory coaches or 70foot autocoaches. - There are no references too mixed train working as far as I can see without a full detail re-read. - The book makes no reference to "Fair Rosamund" being named in connection with a royal train - but it states "....and by March 1896 this locomotive had been given the romantic name Fair Rosamund in comemmeration of Rosamund Clifford (who was then enjoying something of a revival in the pages of local guide books)...". It is worth noting that 1473 "Fair Rosamund" was the only standard gauge GWR built tank locomotive to be named. The Andrew Barclay built 2-4-0T "Lady Margaret" was an absorbed locomotive from the Liskeard and Looe railway. Regards Chris H

Will the Williams USRA Pacific be seen at NAR0GG on Monday 25th November - its at Harrington Village Hall? Regards Chris H

That is my understanding. I can also understand the complaints of the enginemen: - The links to transfer motion from the crosshead on one engine to the expansion link on the other engine were necessarily large and would get in the way when oiling and preparing the loco. - As the links are large and have significant mass there will be even more noticeable fore and aft oscillation imparted to the locomotive. Or have I got it all wrong?? Regards Chris H

Phil, Thanks for the correction - I wasn't sure when the change was made. Regards Chris H

But none of the GWR 4 - cylinder locomotive types were fitted with Stephenson's valve-gear. The "Stars" were fitted with a form of "Scissors" gear - like Walschaerts, but with the drive taken from the other (90 degrees offset) crosshead. On the Castles and Kings the inside valvegear was a true Walschaerts gear with its drive from a single eccentric on each side. Regards Chris H

Kevin, Read the last chapter of the Chilterns and Cotswolds book. You are right that the various Watkin railways were only held together by his stern rule - which worked till he suffered a stroke in 1894 and had to stand down from the MS&L board and the MET - he died in 1901(?). So the "later" alliance of the GCR and GWR and their 1910 junction at Ashendon makes a lot more sense - Watkin was long gone by then. Regards Chris H

Yes.

K, "History of the Great Western Railway" - Peter Semmens - 3 (slim) Volumes - - 1 - Consolidation 1923-29. - 2 - The Thirties 1930 - 39. - 3 - Wartime and the Final Years 1939-48. They give a very informative and balanced view - including how the money was earned and spent - along with dividends etc. It is clear that the GWR shareholders did much better in 1946 and in the buy-out on Nationalisation. I have the set here - having received them from the same source as the Chilterns and Cotswolds book. They will be passed to you for study (with homework) shortly. Regards Chris H

But Jenolite is mainly Phosphoric acid - only not as concentrated as that in Coca-Cola! Always remember that both Jenolite and Coca-Cola are good flux for soft soldering - including soldering whitemetal components with Wood's Metal - but if you use Coca-Cola you do need to wash the caramellised sugar off after maknig the joint. Regards Chris H

To get the full story regarding Isaac Dodds and his son Thomas Weatherburn Dodds the 1921 book by Major S Snell can be found at https://archive.org/stream/storyofrailwaypi00sneliala#page/n5/mode/2up A fascinating read - but I am still not connvinced that the photo of the locomotive page 142(?) is attributtal to anyone other than Manning Wardle. Regards chris H

Chaps, I have read the follow-up posts / speculation, but I am intrigued as the pictured 0-6-0ST looks very similar to pictures of early Manning Wardle locos of the "Old Class I" - with the exception of the huge diameter chimney and the wheels which do not show the second crank boss at 180 degrees to the crank pin. Regarding the wheels, the blank area at the 1 o'clock area may be a cast in web / infill providing an elemect of balancing (unlikely) and or extra strength - I'm assuming that the wheel centres were cast-iron at that date rather than steel as used in later years. Also, have you notice the tyre fixing screw / rivet heads between the spokes? By the way I don't think the bunker is narrower than the cab side-sheets - I think they are the same width, it is just that the rear splasher finishes about half-way across the cab side opening (he splasher is set well in towards the long centre line of the loco from the side sheets. Was Dods anything to do with Manning Wardle? - Or EB Wilsons, whose designs passed to M-W? Regards Chris H PS - Have a look at http://www.leedsengine.info/leeds/histmw.asp - particularly the first photograph showing MW "K" Class No.1071 - apart from spoke lining the wheel centres look identical to the "Dodds" loco.

If you could move that bracket signal away from the main circuit it would stop it from being up-rooted by the pantographs on a visiting HAG Re4/4. Regards Chris H

And don't forget that the first of the GNR H2 (LNER K1) "Ragtimer" 2-6-0s was introduced in 1912 - with the H3 (LNER K2) following in 1913. But Churchward's 43xx 2-6-0 was introduced in 1911 - and they lasted well into the 1950s / 60s, some 88 (of the 342) 43xx class locos having been rebuilt into 4-6-0 "Grange" and "Manor" class locos.

Have I missed something? - Please remember that G Churchward was a very good engineer who looked at developments all across the world - in detail - before developing his set of locomotive designd based mainly on American practice. He also made sure that Swindon adopted the best optical measuring equipment available to ensure parts were made to the drawing and were truly interchangeable. There is truth in the saying that Swindon stopped locos for overhaul if they fell to the standards that other works - Doncaster and Crewe included - achieved on first build and immediately post overhaul. Churchward also learnt a lot about tthe use of long travel valve gear and good steam circuits from contemporary American practice. The change from Dean to Churchward really was a revolutionary step-change that resulted in very marked improvements in efficiency and performance - no wonder that most of the older loco types were done away with in the early 20th Century. Rant over. Regards Chris H

Sorry, I can't help with a Tri-ang model, but here is my lightly modified Lionel model of Kinlet Hall - if it helps? - It goes round 27" radius curves - equivalent of 15" radius in "OO"! Regards Chris H

I think Bruce already has copies? - I'm wondering what happened to the set of "Baddesley" sides that I bought in the early / mid 1970s? Are they sitll in the cupboard, I shall have to go on a hunt! Chris H

But the wheelset shown on the lathe and those in the background are of the Mansell wooden centred type (wedges of Oak with radial grain direction) which were common in the late 19th / early 20th centrury for coach (unpowered) wheelsets - they were supposedly quieter and gave an element of resilience and improved ride. Also supposedly cheaper than cast steel (?) Never knowingly fitted to driven axles. Regards Chris H

This is quite right - tyre securing screws were common right through to the early 20th Century, on all wheels (not just carrying wheels). The were (are) very effective - so long as the tyre is well shrunk on and not allowed to wear too thin. I know one locomotive where when the driving wheel tyres were replaced a small number of years back (<7) we then realiised that the screws had been doing a very good job of holding the tyres on - when tyres were removed a very mucky / oily interface was found, indicating loose tyres. It was no wonder we had earlier had to weld the cracks in the rims of the wheel centre castings where the screws passed through into the tyres. We modified the design for the new tyres to the "Double Nip" type where there is a ladge on the inside face of the tyre as well as the bigger one on the front face - you then heat the tyre sufficiently to allow the cold centre to pass through the inner lip and ensure that when the tyre is cooled there is a good inteference fit. The hoop stress of the tyre helps hold the centre together. We did fit dummy screws into the existing tapped holes in the wheel centres - but not touching the insde of the tyre - to maintain the historic look. Later some wheels including those on Class 50 Co-Cos didn't have any "Gibson rings" (R in the diagram above) or screws - reling solely on the heavy interference fit before shrinking them on to the wheels. This was OK till heavy breaking resulted in loose tyres and one fell off. Needless to say the design was changed. Most modern Loco and Multiple Unit wheels are oof the forged Monobloc types with no separate tyre - its as easy and cheap to change a complete wheel when you have used up the turning allowance - and the weight / inertia are much reduced. Regards Chris H

I agree that the picture is probably circa 1890s as the loco(s) shown in that Huntley and Palmers picture are the two original Black Hawthornes of mid 1870s which were supplemented by a new Peckett 0-4-0ST No.832 circa 1900 - and later superceded by the Bagnall Fireless locos in 1932 -that I remember from childhood journeys into Reading Southern. Chris H

Also worth noting that the overgrown siding is outside the railway boundary fence - so within the boundary of the new mill. So possibly only a temporary siding during river / mill race upgrade works - in between map revisions. Is it possible that some form of rail mounted ecavator was employed?? Chris H

As requested by Nearholmer hear is a photo of my small silver and enamel box - made by me about 15 - 20 years ago! The picture is significantly bigger than life-size, the long axis of the box is only about 50mm. Now for the interesting question: - "Is the Uffington White Horse" really a Horse or is it supposed to be a Dragon"?? We will never know, but as the best close view of it is from the nearby "Dragon Hill" - I am led to wonder whether the old people (3000 years ago or before) were celebrating a more mythical beast, with the White Horse naming being a more recent terminology?? I find Uffington Castle / the White Horse area including the Blowing Stone and Wayland's Smithy a magical place and have done since first being taken there by parents on a train to Uffington from Reading or on a bus along the spring line road from Wantage. Regards Chris H

Siemens?

I'm enjoying your pictures immensely. The last time we arrived at Filisur for a week at Hotel Grischuna - 14 May 2017 - we were greeted by the sght of 415 and 107 double-heading a special Sunday working. I am also very attracted to Wiesen - having walked ovver the viaduct a few times. But my best memories are summed up by the following picture from a RTC charter in January 2011. Hope you don't mind me diverting from your topic. Regards Chris H

I look forward to seeing more - hopefully with pictures! Regards Chris H

P.S. - We can even provide modern exotica - well 1940s / 50s exotica - so long as you provide more clearance under the built up area of Birlstone. Perhaps this should be transferred to the Swiss Railways topic heading, but I'm not quite sure whether this would be welcome there. The Re4/4 and wagons will get another airing at the NAR0GG all day session at Wansford on 12th October. Regards Chris H