Right and Left Hand Drive

[1H was 2E]

Now the answer to this may be in the Green Guides, but I haven't found it, or in Yeadon (but I can't afford the set yet). However.

My understanding is that the LNER converted some engines from right to left hand drive; my question concerns the tenders. The handbrake on a tender is conventionally a handle on a shaft mounted either horizontally or vertically on the foreman's side of the tender. On another railway, a very similar handle was on the other side of the tender to operate the water scoop. Maybe the LNER was the same.

Now, when engines were converted, were the tenders similarly converted? And did they always remain with the correct engine?

Also, really as an aside, the change in regulator etc side may have required mods to the backplate. Did this mean that boiler/fireboxes were always associated with one particular side, or was the mod reversible?

Tenders don't seem to get much attention. On the other railway mentioned, the Midland was RH drive as was the LMS to start with, subsequently changing to left. Tenders were identical apart from the handle functions, and there were tales (possibly mythical) of mismatches that resulted in an attempt to brake resulting in not slowly down but taking out a barrow crossing. And the Stanier 8Fs built for, and sold directly to, Egyptian State Railways were built RH drive but had tenders to LMS design, for LH drive and (almost unbelievably) water scoops. But none of this has ever been recorded in publications, as far as can make out.

[greenglade]

Hi

I can't answer for LMS but can say what I believe is the case for LNER and in particular Gresley's A1/A3's The tenders remained unchanged when their loco's were converted from right to left hand drive. Also the pacific's regulator had a handle either side of the cab, the drivers side handle was bent in shape whereas the opposite side was straight or at least it was for right hand drive they may have swapped these over when converted to left.. I haven't got my reference to hand to check.

Regards

Pete

[Saint Johnstoun]

The arrangements on the tenders were in theory swapped over too with the handbrake and water scoop handles being changed over but lack of evidence (nobody took pictures of tender fronts) cannot prove or totally disprove for how long LHD engines ran with tenders configured for RHD, the tenders were used indiscriminately with either although it would appear that all were eventually converted. With the GNR tenders this took place after 1952 when the sloping front plates were replaced by vertical ones, the handbrake and scoop handles were then transposed.

All the new type non corridor tenders were built for left hand drive. As for the 1928 Corridor type they were built as for left hand drive locos but again were used indiscriminately with both types.

[greenglade]

Hi Saint

I had read about the possible swapping over of tender hand-brake/scoop apparatus ( possible in RCTS) but have failed to find any pictures so not so sure that this actually happened. I stand to be corrected if someone does have a picture, in fact I'd find it very interesting.

Refards

Pete

[61962]

Changes in the cab for the swap from RH to LH drive:

Reverser, sector plate and steam sander valve to driver's side (would also require new bell crank and and weigh shaft and probably new reversing rod )
Blower to driver's side with the smoke box pipework revised to opposite side
Vacuum brake ejector to driver's side and exhaust pipe down driver's side of boiler. Chimney would need to be turned to receive VB exhaust on the left
Train heating steam supply and regulator to fireman's side
Pressure gauge positions reversed - Brake and steam chest pressure gauge on driver's side, boiler pressure and train heating on fireman's side
Drain cock and gravity sander operating levers reversed - sanders on driver's side
Injectors swapped side to side - exhaust steam injector on fireman's side with alterations to pipework under loco
Drop grate operating screw and operating gear to fireman's side
Damper control to fireman's side - with operating gear
Firehole door rehung on driver's side and leg shields reversed
Boilers for RHD locos were not interchangable with LHD boilers because the blower fittings and internal pipework were on the driver's side.

I would postulate that once the decision was taken to go to LHD then locos would be converted as the supply of RHD boilers dwindled, new boilers being built for LHD only

Considering the cost of changing the locomotives it would seem to me that swapping the scoop operating gear with the brake operating gear was small bear and would have been done at the same time. Be interesting to check whether any tenders were swapped at the time of the loco conversions.

Eddie

[Saint Johnstoun]

Next time I see Harry Knox I'll ask him about tenders, but I am pretty certain that the GNR coal rail type did not get converted until the front plates were altered from sloping to straight after 1952! It is unlikely they were done at the same time as the locos as locos and tenders were separated for overhaul and tenders sometimes finished up with a different loco.

I would add to Eddies comprehensive comment above that the cab floor would also need altering when converted from RHD to LHD.