The LNER Encyclopedia

Hello all,
I'm trying to determine the precise livery of A3 96 "Papyrus" in the summer of 1948. I've found one confirmed photo, and two more which by a process of elimination I'm pretty certain are of "Papyrus". In 1948 number 96 was the only King's Cross based A3 with left hand drive, a diag 94A boiler and a high sided NT tender. All three photos purport to be from 1948. All three also appear to show the locomotive running with no insignia on the tender. Is this possible?

Photos can be accessed via the following links:

https://m.flickr.com/#/photos/thanoz/16671234651/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidwf2009/8580525918
http://www.trumpingtonlocalhistorygroup ... ookes.html


I do know that "Papyrus" had her last LNER general overhaul between 7th November 1947 and 15th December 1947 during which time she was returned to lined apple green for the first time since the war. The photos appear to show unshaded modified gill sans characters on the cabsides and buffer beam, with A-3 and King's + on the lower edge of the buffer beam, and possibly the RA9 route availability designation on the lower cabsides.

I'd like to model all four of Top Shed's allocation of new built A3s as running in August/September 1948. So far I have "Felstead" and "Humorist", and I've recently found a photo of "Spion Kop" which definitely shows her in lined apple green with gold shaded characters on both the loco and tender.

Despite her pre-war celebrity status it's proved difficult to find a clear photo of "Papyrus" though.

Any assistance would be appreciated.

I can confirm that the one you have from flickr of 96 Papyrus at Trumpington https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidwf2009/8580525918 was taken in 1948 as it is one of my late father's images, for which I have his notes with the year written on the back of the print.

I remember him telling me, very many years ago, that he saw a number of LNER locos without tender lettering around 1948, when he was at Cambridge as a student. He assumed it was because with nationalisation so close some locos were simply outshopped without lettering on the tender in the last days of the LNER. I've wondered if this was to return locos to traffic a little more quickly.

David

Hello David
Thank you so much for your response. This is invaluable first hand information which is not covered in the relevant RCTS and Yeadon's volumes. The immediate post war period is tricky - not just because of the transitional liveries, but also because many locos were so filthy that liveries were completely obscured. Your father's photographs are excellent - an amazing record of the early post war years and an incredible source of material for modellers and enthusiasts.
Thank you again.
Rob