Blue Deltics

The top picture is based on the section of line near Brinklow, NW of Rugby and East of Coventry where the Trent Valley line runs alongside the North section of the Oxford Canal for a mile or so. The loco is an LMS Coronation class, named "Queen Elizabeth", in its original streamlined form and livery. It is very likely the loco could have been seen here. The canal boats are reasonably depicted, except they would be more towards the middle of the canal where the water was deepest than on the left as shown.

The other picture is made with considerable artistic licence. The overall span is akin to St Pancras, as is the signalbox just visible at the left-hand end of the arch. But there is a second section just visible on the right which reflects Paddington, as do the platform gateways. (Except platform 1 at Paddington had no barrier!). Platforms 4/5 and 6/7(?) are extremely narrow for a double-sided platform.
Besides the Coronation Class locos, there is an LNER A4 at platform 5(?) without the valence over the valve gear, which suggests post 1940s, yet the blue Coronations were replaced by the maroon livery before then, I believe.
There are several tank engines, one of which is a blue livery, which seems a little unlikely. I cannot put them in any particular class but they seem vaguely LNER as used to run out of Liverpool Street.
The costumes, particularly of the ladies, suggest early 1930s?

Altogether it appears to be a horrendous and inaccurate mix of trains and dates!

Regards,
John Webb

Although "Fellows, Moreton & Clayton Ltd." were noted for using steam-powered boats, the leading ('motor') boat is powered by some form of internal combustion engine, most likely a 'semi-diesel' of some sort. We can tell this because the motor exhaust is a slim chimney like that of the stove in the rear cabin; the steamers had a short wide funnel on the centreline of the boat.

The steamers only ran for a decade or three - the extra space taken up by the boiler was lost cargo space and they needed a crew of three on the boat rather than two, both factors made them less profitable. There is one preserved steam-powered working narrow boat 'President' on the waterways system which often attends rallies; sorry, I've forgotten its base location!

I wonder why the towrope is slack, however - I cannot imagine a boater slowing down because a new engine was passing!

Regards,
John Webb
(Inland Waterways Association member)

QUOTE (34C @ 6 Sep 2008, 18:59) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Yes. For sure a J69/1 0-6-0T no 68619, excellent photographs exist showing to stunning effect the old GER livery colour. I believe that an N7 was also for a time kept very beautifully, but don't have a colour picture. Both rather smaller engines than what is in the jigsaw illustration, and the GER blue was a deep ultramarine shade; the NRM's J69 currently carries this livery.
In 1960 I and a couple of friends had taken our lunches to New Cross Gate station on a bright Spring day to get a break from school and to do a little trainspotting. Halfway through the lunch 68619 appeared with a small goods train (about 5 wagons and vans + the brakevan) and reduced us to silence with her beauty. We later realised she'd come through from Liverpool Street on the East London line. What a shame we didn't have a camera with us!

Regards,
John