Drawings of the NER Class 398 Locomotives

[Rambler]

Recently I have had some success in finding drawings of the NER 0-6-0s of class 398 at the NRM, and this is by way of a progress report.

Many years ago I found that there was a drawing of a Stephenson built locomotive in the OPC list "LNER 7" and this is now among the collection that is available on microfiche at the NRM. The works numbers were 2051-2080 and 2151-2180, and these became NER numbers 781 to 799, 813 to 823, 879 to 897, and 913 to 923 (according to the Britrish Locomotive Catalogue, by Bertram Baxter). However, there is no tender drawing. For anyone who is interested, the drawing is 4/GW/9972/E in the old OPC numbering scheme. The NRM still uses the OPC numbering scheme, along with the same OPC lists.

So far I haven't found any drawings of the NER-built locomotives apart from a couple covering the Worsdell boilers fitted later.

In addition to those built by the North Eastern itself, the 398s were built by Stephensons, Hawthorns, Neilsons, Sharp Stewart and Dubs. There are some Dubs drawings at the NRM but the North British Locomotive drawing catalogue (which is where they are listed because Dubs became part of NBL in the early 1900s) doesn't list the purchasing company for many of the drawings, but it does list the order number. Now the order numbers can be found from the SLS Journal for 1950 (there's a copy at the NRM) or in the British Locomotive Catalogue. It seems that Dubs used the first works number of an order as the Order Number and by this means I was able to match up a locomotive and tender drawing. Thus the Dubs engines with works numbers 863 to 882 are covered by the drawings with order numbers 863E and 863T. These are drawings 28181 and 28182 in the North British list. Of course these are drawings of the locomotives "as built" so they have features typical of the period, e.g. wooden brake blocks, and only on the tender, and no coal rails.

[ArthurK]

I have had a number of requests to produce a set of etches for the 398. I have the Stephenson drawing that you refer to but as yet no tender drawing suitable for my purposes. Can I obtain the other drawings that you mention from the NRM against the numbers that you quote?

[richard]

Rambler: I'll just add a note of thanks re. the 1001 drawing that you dug up in your researchers. I still haven't ordered a copy from the NRM yet - it is on my To Do list.


Richard

[Rambler]

All of the information that I have posted can be used to get access to the drawings - I don't have any special privileges so anything I have done can be done by anyone else. However, I have been to the "Search Engine" at the NRM a few time so I know my way around their system. I would recommend that anyone wishing to see the drawings goes to York for a day and gives it a try. I intend (when I get the time) to post a brief guide to Search Engine.

[Malcolm]

All of the information that I have posted can be used to get access to the drawings - I don't have any special privileges so anything I have done can be done by anyone else. However, I have been to the "Search Engine" at the NRM a few time so I know my way around their system. I would recommend that anyone wishing to see the drawings goes to York for a day and gives it a try. I intend (when I get the time) to post a brief guide to Search Engine.

Amen to that. When back in Britain over summer I spent a whole day at the Search Engine in the NRM and managed to get a few track plans that I thought didn't exist anymore. Rambler is correct. You need to know your way around the archives. Incidently, the NRM will accept orders from anywhere in the world and can either post them to you printed on paper (size of your choice), or can scan them in and email them to you. I have used both ways, but it will take around thirty days (they only send orders to the printers once a week). However, I have had good service from them and have had stuff mailed to both Japan and Kuwait without any problems.

Malcolm

[Rambler]

As part of my search for the class 398 drawings I had a look at another Dubs built locomotive that was annotated as being ordered by the NER and dated 1874. This is drawing 23303 in the North British Locomotives list. This turns out to be a long boiler locomotive with works numbers (shown on the drawing) 704 to 713. It was when I saw that the Order Number was 704E that I realised that Dubs probably used the first works number as the Order Number (see my first post on this thread). The preserved 1275 was from this order. As far as I can see, by looking for a drawing for order 704T or a drawing with an adjacent drawing number, there isn't a tender drawing.

[richard]

I sent my order off for 23303 at the end of last week. I'm sure it will arrive before I'm ready to start the kit!


Richard

[richard]

Just heard back from the NRM. The NBL drawings are described as very delicate - too delicate to go through the usual roll scanner. Patrons can photograph them, although recently they've been taking a few up to Northallerton to be scanned on a suitable flatbed scanner. This costs extra.


Richard