Trivia - Atlantic Coast Express rerouted?

[Rescars]

I wonder if others have seen the piece on today's BBC News pages about research being carried out into the women employed at Eastleigh during WW2 and involved in building Merchant Navy 21C5 / 35005 "Canadian Pacific". There is a nice photo of the loco heading the ACE, captioned "The Canadian Pacific Atlantic Coast Express" (sic). This conjours up thoughts of a route and destinations which would have put the Orient Express to shame. Through carriages to Vancouver perhaps? Portions for Hudson Bay, New York etc? The permutations seem boundless!!

 

[Taunton]

Ms Dalley explained Merchant Navy steam locomotives were the only major engine class to be designed and built during the war, due to the shortage of labour and materials at that time.

BBC here:

Watercress Line: Search for women wartime locomotive workers

Railway researchers are looking for "lost in history" women who worked on World War Two locomotives.

www.bbc.co.uk

I think the team who designed and built over 1,000 WDs (generally attributed to Riddles, but most of the design work done by North British) might like to have a word ...

 

[6Gman]

I think they've left it a bit late!

A 17-year old in 1942 would now be 99 years of age so there won't be many left.

Ten years ago I met a lovely lady who had worked in Crewe Works during WWII, operating steam hammers on connecting rods for LMS locos.

Sadly now deceased.

 

[Harvester]

BBC here:

Watercress Line: Search for women wartime locomotive workers

Railway researchers are looking for "lost in history" women who worked on World War Two locomotives.

www.bbc.co.uk

I think the team who designed and built over 1,000 WDs (generally attributed to Riddles, but most of the design work done by North British) might like to have a word ...

Neither were the MNs the only Pacifics built, and put into service during WW2. The new build Thompson A2/1s 3696-3699 (BR 60507-60510) entered service in 1944.

 

[WesternLancer]

Wasn’t it really that they were pretty obviously not a mixed traffic loco. At least not in visual styling terms.

Strikes me a good excuse to talk about female workforce at Eastleigh. Albeit a good thing to have done ten years previously. To be fair the bbc link quotes the desire to find relatives of those women.

Might have been part of the pitch for the lottery funding. Good that they contributed to the work costs.

 

[contrex]

Neither were the MNs the only Pacifics built, and put into service during WW2. The new build Thompson A2/1s 3696-3699 (BR 60507-60510) entered service in 1944.

Can a Southerner put a word in for the Q1s? Not Pacifics, I know but not inconsiderable locomotives.

 

[WesternLancer]

Is the quote here missing the word ‘passenger’?
From bbc page linked:
“Ms Dalley explained Merchant Navy steam locomotives were the only major engine class to be designed and built during the war, due to the shortage of labour and materials at that time.”

 

[Irascible]

Wasn’t it really that they were pretty obviously not a mixed traffic loco. At least not in visual styling terms.

One of the selling points of the casing ( it's hardly streamlined ) was that you could drive it through a carriage wash. I don't know if that ever actually happened, mind.

 

[WesternLancer]

One of the selling points of the casing ( it's hardly streamlined ) was that you could drive it through a carriage wash. I don't know if that ever actually happened, mind.

Interesting. Thanks.

 

[Taunton]

Is the quote here missing the word ‘passenger’?
From bbc page linked:
“Ms Dalley explained Merchant Navy steam locomotives were the only major engine class to be designed and built during the war, due to the shortage of labour and materials at that time.”

Well in all the official documentation about them, they were always described as Mixed Traffic locos, whatever us lot might think. Bulleid, and all at the Southern, knew full well they would not be authorised if described as passenger locos.

Many WDs were loaned for very extensive use on passenger services in the Netherlands just after the war, where most of the electrification infrastructure had been destroyed.

 

[WesternLancer]

Well in all the official documentation about them, they were always described as Mixed Traffic locos, whatever us lot might think. Bulleid, and all at the Southern, knew full well they would not be authorised if described as passenger locos.

Many WDs were loaned for very extensive use on passenger services in the Netherlands just after the war, where most of the electrification infrastructure had been destroyed.

Thanks Taunton. Helpful insights as ever!

 

[Merle Haggard]

One of the selling points of the casing ( it's hardly streamlined ) was that you could drive it through a carriage wash. I don't know if that ever actually happened, mind.

I'm not sure, but I think I've read that Bulleid designed coaches had the same profile as his locos for this reason. There was also an echo in the B.R. Standard class 4 2-6-4Ts. Designed at Brighton, the visual difference from the L.M.S. design on which they were based was a curvature of the side tanks (in front view) and the curve at the bottom of them; possibly for the same reason. The last feature was like the shape of the corners of a SPAM can, ironically.

 

[Bevan Price]

Neither were the MNs the only Pacifics built, and put into service during WW2. The new build Thompson A2/1s 3696-3699 (BR 60507-60510) entered service in 1944.

The A2/1s were basically V2 2-6-2s redesigned as Pacifics. Not one of Mr Thompson's greatest products, and amongst the earliest withdrawals; his conversion of P2 2-8-2s to A2/2 Pacifics were also relatively short lived.

Some LMSR Stanier "Duchesses" were also built during World War 2.

 

[Western Lord]

It's all down to driving wheel diameter. Express locomotives had 6ft 6in or 6ft 8in drivers. The Southern Pacifics were allowed because they had 6ft 2in drivers, which was typical for mixed traffic locos.

 

[WesternLancer]

It's all down to driving wheel diameter. Express locomotives had 6ft 6in or 6ft 8in drivers. The Southern Pacifics were allowed because they had 6ft 2in drivers, which was typical for mixed traffic locos.

Interesting to read. Thanks.

 

[6Gman]

It's all down to driving wheel diameter. Express locomotives had 6ft 6in or 6ft 8in drivers. The Southern Pacifics were allowed because they had 6ft 2in drivers, which was typical for mixed traffic locos.

And, to be fair, the Merchant Navy locos did work freight trains. In the early 50s the 2200 Nine Elms - Exmouth Jn was an MN diagram to Salisbury.

 

[WesternLancer]

And, to be fair, the Merchant Navy locos did work freight trains. In the early 50s the 2200 Nine Elms - Exmouth Jn was an MN diagram to Salisbury.

Interesting to read.

 

[Rescars]

One of the selling points of the casing ( it's hardly streamlined ) was that you could drive it through a carriage wash. I don't know if that ever actually happened, mind.

IIRC the casing was termed "air-smoothed". I think Leader was intended to be cleaned in similar fashion.