[Makemineadouble]

Here's a picture posted on the News Group alt.binaries.pictures.rail by Ron Healey. Rons a regualar poster, and I've collected many of his photo's over the years. I Also collect the pictures of Bud Laws a regular american poster who sems to have an endless supply of American steam age material.

This is Eastleigh shed (71a) 8th Sept 1962 which I'm sure was a Sunday. Photograph Ron Healey

 

[Gary]

An appropriate picture to put up with the new Hornby M7 on sale (except its not an M7 I have just realised but another 0-4-4!

)

Looks like a Lord Nelson Class resting in the background.

And an ex GWR pannier tank to the rear of the M7.

I wonder what our American steam age friend makes of UK locos when compared to American steam? Different gauging of course but the odd HO British outline model loco thats available when put alongside any model from the USA does put the size difference into its true perspective.

And there is a big benefit here for UK train constructors as nothing built for continental gauging on the continent will work on a UK railway. So Britain's railways will for ever retain the unique look which they had in the past.

Happy modelling
Gary

 

[Gwent rail]

Considering the relative lack of space the average UK modeller has, it's probably a good job that our typical locos are a lot smaller. Having said that, Boy are those Transcontinental locos impressive, or what !!

 

[Makemineadouble]

Here's one for the Oh shit brigade. I believe the offending loco is Union Pacfic ,

orginal from the Bud Laws Collection

Pacfic.

 

[alibuchan]

Gary,

I think 30133 is an M7 according to www.semg.org.uk web site.

Alistair

 

[PhilH]

That is an M7. A very nostalgic shot for me as my father worked at Eastleigh shed for all of his working life. My grandmother lived in Campbell Rd right next door, and its where my lifelong interest in railways was nurtured from age 5 onwards, when I used to be put up on the shed pilot, usually a 700 class 0-6-0.

 

[dwb]

An interesting shot which justifies all those steam locos we know we really must have.

David

 

[John Webb]

I made a number of trips through Eastleigh on my way to the Isle of Wight via Lymington in the late 1950s and early 1960s for holidays. My Ian Allan combined volume for Winter 1961/2 tells me I had seen 30133 by then. A pity I did not get a camera until around 1961 - thank goodness for those who did.
Regards,
John Webb

 

[Gary]

Ok I'll accept that it is an M7. Its the wheel arch that threw me so any reason for the front wheel arch looking a little strange?

I have a feeling its something to do with that extra plumbing above. Is that something to do with the brakes or electrics?

Happy modelling
Gary

 

[John Webb]

Dear Gary,
The 'extra plumbing' is the Westinghouse air pump for the brakes. These were preferred by some railways for suburban use because their characteristics were suited to the quick stop/start nature of these services. The upper cylinder is the steam cylinder, the lower the air pumping cylinder. (Detailed description can be found in the "Handbook for railway steam locomotive enginemen" published by BR in 1957 and reprinted by Ian Allan in 1998.)
The splashers - 'wheel arches' - did differ. The same Combined volume mentioned in my post above has a photo of an M7 which has a completely different looking front splasher. The same source explains there were three batches, one of 1897, another of 1903 which were adaptions of an X14 design, and a third lot from 1925 which were fitted for 'push-pull' operations. 30133 pictured at Eastleigh is one of this last batch.
Regards,
John Webb

 

[dwb]

>the Westinghouse air pump for the brakes.
Isn't this the thing you can hear hissing rhythmically in the background on old westerns when a train pulls into a station. These days you can hear a similar sound on a main line steam trip because air brakes are now mandatory.

David

 

[Gary]

Ah yes it is! That word "Westinghouse" is a

word among firemen. I was having this very conversion at the Warley Club with an ex Didcot fireman last week who went to the Severn Valley weekend. Trains these days do make weird sounds that they never made in the 1960's and its not the boiler leaking which many folk think is the case!

All that extra plumbing forces the fireman to work just a little harder for no extra pay so they were/are not happy bunnies and they blame Mr Westinghouse 100% for all this extra sweat!

Happy modelling
Gary