The LNER Encyclopedia

I run BRDatabase and I have been in a quandry over how to present some LNER subclasses.

A class like the Robinson O4 has clear cut variations that result in subclasses: different boilers, different loading gauges etc.. They are, however, clearly one class.

The A2's are somewhat different. You have Thompson's Gresley P2 rebuilds, V2 replacements and A2/3's, plus Peppercorn's elegant A2 - my dilemma is that should I classify these altogether as one class or as 4 separate classes?

My gut feeling is to regard them as completely separate classes but I would be interested to hear from LNER enthusiasts on how you feel.

BTW, this also applies to Thompson's rebuild of Great Northern (A1/1) and Peppercorn's A1, and the Thompson rebuild of Gresley's K4 (the K1/1) and Peppercorn's K1.

Hi, I have just been on your site and i think you are doing a fantastic job as a labour of love, but to your question stay with the company and the rcts as most people will understand it.

It's a minefield, agreed, but the logical, consistent and sensible approach would be to replicate that in the RCTS 'Greenie' Part 1, in the table on p105 onwards. To do anything else would only confuse further.

It does infer that you might need more key fields, but then that is not a bad thing in that all types/sub-types/etc. associated with, say, a designer would appear in a search result.

65447 wrote:Hi, I have just been on your site and i think you are doing a fantastic job as a labour of love, but to your question stay with the company and the rcts as most people will understand it.

marksouthcoast wrote:Hi, I have just been on your site and i think you are doing a fantastic job as a labour of love, but to your question stay with the company and the rcts as most people will understand it.

Thank you both - getting positive replies certainly encourages me to do more!

The concensus of using the RCTS classifications looks particularly daunting - I have omitted short-lived classifications such as the original O4/2 classification, but perhaps I should revisit and that way I could have a table like the one in the RCTS guide and it could take you directly to the appropriate locos (which it does do already, but not with the same fine-tuned control). I will seriously consider making such an undertaking - thanks for the suggestion.