Coach roof ventilators in days of steam

[MikeO]

Does anyone know if there were any guidelines about the placement of ventilators on coach roofs? In various photographs, where coaches have ventilators, these are either along one side of the roof, along both sides of the roof or along the middle of the roof.

 

Most ventilators seem to be of the torpedo type although some are shell type. Were the latter used only on certain types of coaches?

 

MikeO

[jhb171achill]

MikeO, it depended entirely on the internal layout of the coach. Some were side-corridor, some "open" (centre aisle), and some, such as GSWR 1097 at Downpatrick, a combination of both. Add to that the fact that some vehicles had guards compartments, luggage compartments or one thing or another either at one end of the coach or in the middle.

 

Some companies used "torpedo" style vents, others used the "flatter" ones - this depended on the in-house carriage design of the company, or the firm they bought the carriage from. Naturally, by mid-CIE-days, this meant a hotch-potch of different types! Is there any particular type of vehicle you are interested in?

[MikeO]

JHB

 

Thank for your comments. There are 5 coache types which make up the GNR Enterprise circa 1948. The ventilator details required are for

 

C2 First side corridor

 

D5 First and Brake side corridor with a separate luggage and guard compartments

 

K24 Third side corridor with 1 lavatory and 2 vestibules

 

L14 Third and brake centre corridor with 1 lavatory and separate guard and luggage compartments

 

 

The other coach type is a K15 Third one of which is shown in Desmond Coakham's book with torpedo vents along the centre line of the roof. It is described as an open third circa 1937. I think I am fine if I put the vents along the centre of my K15.

 

MikeO

[Kirley]

Mike you raise a very interesting question, one which I have been trying to get an answer to. As a general rule it appears corridor coaches had vents for each compartment, open coaches could either be centrally located or in pairs. Photos are the only way I found to enabling you to make an inspired guess. Toilets usually had their own vents some times different to the compartment vents.

 

Here's my go at a K15

 

[MikeO]

Kirley

 

Thanks for the comments and the photo. I have been looking at photos in the various books that I have but I do not have the experience to identify the coach types in the photos and would not know whether those I saw were the same coaches that I am trying to model.

 

 

With the K15 being open, putting the vents along the centre line of the roof makes sense to me. Your photo shows the vent for the lavatory slightly off set from the centre line, again that makes good sense and is something that did not occur to me.

 

As for the rest of the coaches, C2, D5 and K24 have compartments off a side corridor so the vents can go over each compartment as well as the lavatories which are in line with the compartments. The L14 is a centre open so vents along the centre line of the roof with 1 off set for the lavatory. On the D5 and L14 a vent can also go over the guards compartment. I will not put any over the luggage compartments at this time.

 

Your coaches look really well. Mine are N gauge and more look a like than accurate miniatures. They are made from card with computer generated sides no glazing or interiors. the only plastic parts are the bogies.

 

MikeO

Edited February 16, 2017 by MikeO