A3's

[burnie]

Looking at Neildimmers latest pictures, I like the A3 with the single chimney, I like them with a double chimney and smoke deflectors, but like the V2's, they just look wrong with just a double chimney, spoils the elegant lines.

[giner]

Agreed, burnie. Eye of the beholder stuff, we know, but I don't like the double chimney on the A4’s, either. Going over to 'the other side', I've seen photos of Jubilee class Bahamas lately. The double chimney on that looks ungainly to me as well.

[manna]

G'Day Gents

I don't mind the Big Pacific's with double chimneys/single chimney's and with or without smoke deflectors, but I'd hate to see a J52 with a double chimney.

manna

[giner]

HaHa! The stuff of nightmares, manna.

[burnie]

I don't recall seeing locos with double chimneys on the Great Central much, not even 9f's, the ex LMS Scots and Patriots are the only ones I can think of on a regular basis. Some of the GWR locos had double chimneys I recall, they looked ugly on them as well. I get they were part of improving cab visibility, but they rarely looked the part.

[Danby Wiske]

The stuff of nightmares...

[greenglade]

for me in the looks department, nothing can beat the original Gresley A1.. everything about it is just pure perfection... IMHO of course..

Pete

[giner]

The stuff of nightmares...

Rocket Nightmare.jpg

Aaaarrrrrgh!

[manna]

The stuff of nightmares...

Rocket Nightmare.jpg

G'Day Gents

.

manna

[Mickey]

Some of the GWR locos had double chimneys I recall, they looked ugly on them as well. I get they were part of improving cab visibility, but they rarely looked the part.

Double chimneys on all GWR locos that had them looked god awful especially on the Kings and Castles yuk!.

As for LNER locos like the A3s 'banjo dome' looks or looked better than the original domes.

A1 Tornado come through my place last Saturday night after working something into Kings Cross earlier in the evening. At around 10:30-11:00pm she came bursting out of the darkness heading a train of ECS formed of B.R.Mk1s heading back towards Southall west of London.

[Hatfield Shed]

... I like the A3 with the single chimney, I like them with a double chimney and smoke deflectors, but like the V2's, they just look wrong with just a double chimney, spoils the elegant lines.

Handsome is as handsome does. The double Kylchap ejector arrangement used on wide firebox Doncaster designs - while it may look externally much as the double chimney arrangements of lesser UK railways, it is actually a much superior exhaust entrainment system - was a significant asset in power production.

Possibly OVSB felt the same way about double chimneys? That might account for his preference for the slightly less efficient Le Maitre sytem, because it could be used in single chimney format within the UK's typical moving loading gauge envelope.

Further thought, no, OVSB even tried a triple chimney. That all may be grateful for Doncaster's design aesthetic, cast an eye on the aberrations in exhaust devices - including OVSB's triple scheme - as magnificently collected for our edification by Douglas Self.
http://www.douglas-self.com/MUSEUM/LOCO ... himney.htm

[S.A.C. Martin]

I disagree - I think Humorist nailed the look:



I think she looks very purposeful, very handsome. The full length deflectors really help. She was the subject of my first Railroad Scotsman conversion.

[greenglade]

That's a lovely model you are creating there Simon... needless to say, I will have to disagree that it's the best looker, but then I'm biased...
Very nice sir...

Pete

[rockinjohn]

Hi all what a lovely model, dont think "Humorist" reached South to often?those green wheels made me think of the (50A) B1 @ the buffer stops @ the "X" I spied& mentioned in a past post, only time I eversaw the "Apple Green" in real time,I liked the Dbl Chimmney A3's with the German trough style Smoke deflectors,& V2's with the Dbl Chimmney also& along with Green Arrow (not always in earlier times)kept immaculate by the "top shed"cleaners which amazed me with the labour shortages elsewhere @ this time for so many Regional MPD's, possibly the fact we had very little manufacturing of substance in North London the clue,one other thing I never saw to many of was the A2 class members in the North London area & if sighted usually in the traditional coated grime that came with a New England (35A) loco.

[Hatfield Shed]

...Green Arrow (not always in earlier times)kept immaculate by the "top shed"cleaners which amazed me with the labour shortages elsewhere @ this time for so many Regional MPD's, possibly the fact we had very little manufacturing of substance in North London the clue...

North London still had extensive manufacturing industry in 1960, which was the majority male employer, and it was that which posed the local problem for railway recruitment.

This was not the highly visible 'heavy industry' of mining, steel making and metal bashing dominant in the Midlands and further North based around the major coalfields, but the newer consumer oriented 'light industries' making much higher added value goods. (That was the why of the LNER's Overnight fast fitted freights, moving London's manufactures around the UK.) This manufacturing sector offered much better pay and working conditions than railway employment, with regular hours, and far better opportunity for rapid advancement to lounge lizard status.