A3's

[S.A.C. Martin]

Very kind sirs - that photograph was taken some years ago, the near complete model is sat in my cabinet as it stands. Here's a few shots of it in my photography box this morning.

It was a Railroad Flying Scotsman model, with tender and wheelsets swapped out for spares. I used a Graeme King stovepipe chimney, and A2/3 deflectors (suitably cut to size) and fitted Lanrkshire whitemetal buffers together with cutting the cab out and using a Great British Locomotives 4472 model cab.

[rockinjohn]

Hi Hatfield point noted but North London & I referred to KX MPD... (34B) never cleaned locos anyway, compared to shall we say East London&West London with car plants & major docks(east london) & the (west london) area printing &elecrical appliances & were major employers of bulk labour, you maybe able to tell me of any employer of relevant size in industry or otherwise in this area(inner north london) that slipped my mind, not including NE London(Furniture Man.)jj

[Mickey]

When it came to the A3s tenders I always had a preference for the GN tenders with coal rails.

[Hatfield Shed]

... a preference for the GN tenders with coal rails.

I like them too, last 'marker' of traditional Doncaster GN style on tenders. The 50 tenders for the A1's constructed in LNER days, must I think have been the largest group of 'coal rail' tenders of any type built under LNER control? Gresley's team probably far too busy rearranging the engineering department while the LNER A1's were being erected, to spare time to modernise the tender to have all flush plated sides.

[Mickey]

Yes I liked the GNR tenders with the coal rails and they looked good on the GNR Atlantics as well.

[Hatfield Shed]

deleted

[NZRedBaron]

Speaking of 2751, how did you modify it to have the smoke deflectors and the chimney like that? I'm almost feeling of a mindset to kitbash a RR FS into Humorist.

Also where did you source that tender from? Just out of curiosity if nothing else.

[S.A.C. Martin]

Speaking of 2751, how did you modify it to have the smoke deflectors and the chimney like that? I'm almost feeling of a mindset to kitbash a RR FS into Humorist.

Also where did you source that tender from? Just out of curiosity if nothing else.

It was a Railroad Flying Scotsman model, with tender and wheelsets swapped out for spares. I used a Graeme King stovepipe chimney, and A2/3 deflectors (suitably cut to size) and fitted Lanrkshire whitemetal buffers together with cutting the cab out and using a Great British Locomotives 4472 model cab.

Tender sourced from ebay some years ago.

[S.A.C. Martin]

Speaking of 2751, how did you modify it to have the smoke deflectors and the chimney like that? I'm almost feeling of a mindset to kitbash a RR FS into Humorist.

Also where did you source that tender from? Just out of curiosity if nothing else.

It was a Railroad Flying Scotsman model, with tender and wheelsets swapped out for spares. I used a Graeme King stovepipe chimney, and A2/3 deflectors (suitably cut to size) and fitted Lanrkshire whitemetal buffers together with cutting the cab out and using a Great British Locomotives 4472 model cab.

Tender sourced from ebay some years ago.

[NZRedBaron]

On the subject of the A1/A3's, I had a curious thought recently; which of them were the photo-junkies, and which of them were camera-shy?

I think I vaguely remember reading somewhere that Sir Visto or maybe Night Hawk was one of the least photographed of the class, but....

[Pyewipe Junction]

I would suggest that A3s allocated to Heaton, Haymarket and Carlisle would be photographed less than those allocated to Gateshead and further south, with the exception of Humorist, for obvious reasons.

As an aside, why were A3s allocated to Carlisle to work the difficult Waverley route, when V2s, and later A2s, were available? St Margaret's had a load of V2s that no doubt worked that route. The same comments apply to the GCML up to 1958. The A3s were designed for fast working over routes with relatively benign gradients. Of course, I am arguing against myself to a certain extent, as the A3s allocated to Holbeck in the late 50s and early 60s surprised everyone with their performances over the Leeds - Carlisle route.

[Mickey]

Someone on here years ago said that four A3s were driven from the right-hand side of the footplate and that those four A3s were either at Scottish sheds or worked mainly in Scotland or on the Scottish region of B.R.

[Hatfield Shed]

... I am arguing against myself to a certain extent, as the A3s allocated to Holbeck in the late 50s and early 60s surprised everyone with their performances over the Leeds - Carlisle route.

In short, even what was by then the earliest of the Doncaster wide firebox designs operating, outclassed what the available Crewe designs for that route could do. Unsurprisingly, because the 33% greater grate area and superheater ratio of the A3 compared to the best LMS alternative equipped with the 2A boiler, meant getting on for 50% more sustained power output available from the A3. And it is delivery of sustained power output that counts when grinding away at a long drag.

This points to the failure of vision of Stanier's team. They could see the benefit the LNER gained from Doncaster's wide firebox scheme for maximum power traction, yet failed to generally implement the same for the LMS, the sole exception the principal WCML services.