Early BR Shedcodes Query

[stnman]

To be honest, I'm not really sure where on the Forum this belongs, but here goes ...

Over the Festive Season, whilst looking for something else entirely, I came across a scruffy piece of paper on which, many moons ago, I had copied from some sort of official document the first application of BR Shedcodes to the Eastern Region. Exactly where I obtained the information is now unfortunately lost for ever in the mists of obscurity, but could well have been from a Fortnightly Notice or some Supplementary Operating Instructions.

It states that the Eastern Division (Stratford, Cambridge, Norwich and Tilbury Districts) were first coded on 4/7/49 in the familiar 30, 31, 32 and 33 series.

However, it also states that the Western Division (ex GN and GC Lines) were first coded on 2/5/49: King's Cross being 40A, New England 41A, Doncaster 42A, Ardsley 43A, Colwick 44A, Gorton 45A and Lincoln 46A. BUT ALSO that on 4/7/49 the Western Division was recoded into the familiar King's Cross 34A, etc.

This begs several questions! Why the change after only two months? Did any locos carry the short-lived 40-series codes? If so, is there any photographic evidence? Are any of the 40-series shedplates still in existance? (If so, I imagine they would be as rare as hens' teeth!)

A couple of things to finish with: I vaguely remember reading something about all this in a book some while ago; and (if it's relevant) the Scottish Region wasn't recoded into the 60-series until 4/7/49, until when the ex-LMS codes 30A, 31A and 32A were still in use.

Over to you and your superior knowledge, gentlemen.