MGW E class

[David Holman]

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Building the Alphagraphix kit and looking at photos for details of original appearance, when noticed the curious pipe around the front of the smokebox. It appears to come from below the footplate and am guessing may have been copper.

 Any ideas? Isn't on the ex works picture in Rails to Achill and removed by GSR days. Indeed, happy not to model it, if removed after 1903 or so!

 Interesting details on the front buffer beam, with two lamps there.

 Any other info on when first built welcome too. The chimney is clearly different, also the smokebox door (both in the kit), while the hand rail on the left hand tank is missing.

[Galteemore]

I found this too, David, and apparently it’s a steam heating pipe (there is a flexible rubber end at the right I believe). I also added lamp irons and coupling chains to the buffer beam. Agree about the handrails etc - I ended up filling in lots of holes on the kit to backdate it! The fiddliest bit was soldering brass numerals on the the sandboxes. Should have just glued them…..

Edited April 19, 2023 by Galteemore

[Mayner]

The semi-circular pipework at the front of the smokebox was a distinctive feature on Atock locos until re-built re-boilered from the early 1900s onwards.

 

 

The pipework disappeared from the E Class and conventional smokebox doors were fitted when the locos were re-boilered from 1912 onwards.

 

 

556 is basically in MGWR condition with the exception of the GSR number plate and loss of its MGWR name and number.

I think the pipe and flexible hose may have been for powering water pumps  and other accessories rather than steam heating purposes

[David Holman]

Excellent! Many thanks to you both. Looks like I will need to include it. Notice that the 2-4-0 also has twin headlamps on the buffer beam!

 As ever, the IRM community comes up with the goods.

[David Holman]

 As intimated on my workshop thread, am thinking of painting the E class in the short lived early 1900s blue livery, lined in black and white. However, first need to know whether the E class were thus treated and if so an idea of the right shade - preferably to use an automotive rattle can. Have got the O'Neill album, which gives an idea, but not sure how right this is. If not, will do the same green as Wolf Dog.

[Galteemore]

Interesting David - having also pondered this a few years ago. Shepherd says passenger engines got lined blue and goods engines plain unlined blue. The blue phase, sadly, didn’t last long. My own analysis of photos suggests that the Es probably stayed green, as any lining visible is black. On blue engines the lining was yellow. 

[David Holman]

Interesting...

The second link given by Mayner in my fitted goods vehicles question has five pictures of E class locos. Two appear to be 'works grey', with ridiculously complex looking lining. Of the other three, each looks slightly different (and with slightly simpler lining), so could they be one each of early green, blue and late green, or even black??

 The Lord O'Neill album of paintings has a blue loco with what looks like black and white lining, while would an E class be classed as passenger or goods?!?!?!

 Remembering what a pain it was to line Wolf Dog, blue with yellow lining sounds a reasonable compromise - assuming it was possible that is. Currently, my butterfly mind is musing over the fact that I could not only have a MGW loco in blue, but also a GSW in green and a WLW in maroon...

 That said, the E in lined green would look rather nice with one of my brown brake thirds, especially if I also repainted the 4w hearse/fish van and glasshouse brake the same colour.

 Decisions, decisions!

[Galteemore]

It’s a tricky one, thus my use of ‘probably’! I’d really like to see it in blue: would look really smart. If only colour photography had been invented earlier. You’ll need a green Sligo engine next  

Edited May 19, 2023 by Galteemore

[Northroader]

I did a MGWR mail coach in blue and white. Just a guess, I made a mix of Humbrol medium (French) blue 14 and midnight blue 15 This gives a decent shade, not too dark, not too light. (Goldilocks blue)

Edited May 19, 2023 by Northroader

[David Holman]

Very nice too!

[Bob49]

How easy is it to build the Alphagraphix kit as a 5ft3 rather than the 8ft8 1/2 that it is designed at? I'm trying to work out if it's a kit bash or a scratch built job.

Marc

[Galteemore]

Here’s the one I did. I don’t recall it being too difficult. Just keep checking clearances.

Edited May 25, 2023 by Galteemore

[Northroader]

Just harking back to pipe round the front of the smoke box on MGWR engines, (sorry I should have spotted this post at the time) I’m fairly certain it’s the train pipe for the vacuum brake, and it seems to be peculiar to the Midland engines, and Mr. Atock. There’s a swivel joint low down on the RHS, and the whole arched bit could swing forward. There’s a flexible hose dangling down on the LHS to connect with the bag on the rolling stock when the engines going backwards, though you can never find a photo showing this happening. Once the old boy retired, it looks like there was a move to replace this arrangement with the conventional swan neck in front of the buffer beam. Just guessing he must have felt that would get in the way of opening the smoke box door and shovelling ash out?

[Bob49]

What's the chassis like?

Marc

[Galteemore]

Easy as an easy thing. Can have a rolling chassis inside an hour.

[Mayner]

10 hours ago, Northroader said:

Just harking back to pipe round the front of the smoke box on MGWR engines, (sorry I should have spotted this post at the time) I’m fairly certain it’s the train pipe for the vacuum brake, and it seems to be peculiar to the Midland engines, and Mr. Atock. There’s a swivel joint low down on the RHS, and the whole arched bit could swing forward. There’s a flexible hose dangling down on the LHS to connect with the bag on the rolling stock when the engines going backwards, though you can never find a photo showing this happening. Once the old boy retired, it looks like there was a move to replace this arrangement with the conventional swan neck in front of the buffer beam. Just guessing he must have felt that would get in the way of opening the smoke box door and shovelling ash out?

Train pipe makes sense, the conventional swan neck on the front buffer beam only seems to have appeared on new locos and re-builds of older locos after Atocks retirement, the Midland persisted in mounting the headlamps on the buffer beam between the buffers up to the Amalgamation the Cattle Engines the final Midland locos were delivered with this arrangement during the early 1920s.

Haven't seen photos of E Class or other Midland Engines working trains tender first, though there is a story of the crew getting thoroughly socked while working a train hauled by a loco with a 'flyaway' cab tender first in heavy rain on the Killeshandra Branch

[David Holman]

20 hours ago, Bob49 said:

What's the chassis like?

Marc

Checkout my thread - David's Workbench - Marc. Am doing a bit by bit account of building an E class and also did one in J26 guise. Photo of that one is used on the box the kit comes in and the Alphagraphix website.

 If you can solder, it is a lovely kit that can be built in 30 hours or so, not including painting.

Edited May 26, 2023 by David Holman

[Bob49]

Hi David,

Thanks for the tip I will check your thread out.

 

Marc