The LNER Encyclopedia

Many years ago my first decent model engine was the old Triang Caledonian Single. I've still got it knocking about, and it still runs OK, but it's pretty tatty now and obviously it's not LNER, so not what I'm really interested in. So the thought occurred to me that it might be fun to modify it to something close to an X4. Problem is I can't find out much about the X4 beyond the pic on this site, and nothing about the livery. Anyone know anything more?

Nice idea- the hardest bit would be removing the sand box from the Caledonian Single. That and making a belpaire firebox/ coal rails for the tender. I agree that something looking like an X4 could be made though!

Assuming your chassis is good, I think the X4 is subject of a resin body kit from Dean Sidings, presumably to fit the 'new' Hornby Caley Single chassis. If you search the model railway forum of this site you will find Rob's workbench where he recently completed a Robinson L1 from the same manufacturer.

Pollitt's rather handsome Locos were very quickly outclassed on their intended runs down to London, but as far as I know they retained fully lined GCR Green livery until grouping. The frst two built had an earlier GCR scheme, of a slightly darker green than normal contrasted against a browny-red area on the splashers/frames. Lining was black-yellow. As part of pollitt's cost-cutting schemes, numbers were applied by transfer instead of the traditional 19th century cast numberplate.

The remaining four of the class were painted from new in Robinson's new passenger engine scheme- a lighter shade of green contrasted against a rich red splasher/frames and white-black-white lining (I think I have just assassinated a truly wonderful scheme by poor description!!!!). The last four engines received Robinson's new cast numberplates. These were rectangular in pattern and looked very much like those he had used on his Irish engine designs, but were very clearly influenced by GWR practice (which Robinson greatly admired).

Rebuilding with superheated boilers very much changed the look of the engines- The frames were extended a few feet forward. No' 969 received a larger boiler in the pattern of the 11B's, which again looked completely different from the others, it lost it again in 1915 though!! Not an easy loco to model without specific photos of the actual loco.

Most of these locos served out their days on the CLC, and considering their early withdrawal dates I would imagine most left service wearing GCR green. Those that survived until final withdrawal in 1927 were painted LNER green with full passenger lining, as per any other grouped LNER passenger loco. Remember that this means loco numbers were painted on the tender sides rather than the cab sides as they were after 1928.

Hope this helps, if you decide to go ahead with this project email me and I will happily send you what I have relating to the class. including a few good A4-sized photos in GCR days.

Brilliant, thanks for that - more information than I thought possible!
Yes, the sand box removal struck me as the most difficult part, and I thought I might need to scratchbuild a tender. But I hadn't realised there were any kits about - I'll check out that first.

Time for a bit of thinking - thanks again.