Many thanks, @martyn .

The late Mr Hewison, to whom I hope I have given sufficient acknowledgement, was an LNER shedmaster before joining the Railway Inspectorate.  He states in his book that the four main line railway locomotive superintendents were well aware that the US locomotives' water gauges were unfamiliar to British enginemen and placed a notice 'This valve to be always in the open position' beside the steam c ock.  After the Honeybourne explosion this was changed to 'This valve must be fully open'.  Shedmasters where these locomotives were allocated gave instructions and demonstrations to enginemen about the reflex water gauges.

The tragedy at Thurston was that Ipswich shed, where the crew were based, had instructed enginemen regarding it was the driver's duty to establish that both the water gauge and the test cocks were in working order.  Although many enginemen would have been used to duplicate water gauges and would have found test cocks unfamiliar, the old GE was largely a 'single gauge glass' line, with three tests cocks.  Many ex-GER locomotives at Ipswich had this arrangement, so the accident report stated the the driver ought to have been familiar with the need to check the water level showing in the gauge using the test cocks.

The next time I encounter an 'S160' on a preserved railway, I'll have a look and see if the 'Klinger' gauge has been replaced with a 'conventional' British gauge glass... or two of them.

Thanks again and all good wishes.

John

Quote from: martyn on Yesterday at 06:50:46 PMI used a old Woodhead sheet when labelling my LMS Fish van last month.

I still have the remains of two sheets which sometimes come in useful

Martyn

If that artwork exists somewhere so a reprint could be done it would be most useful...

I used a old Woodhead sheet when labelling my LMS Fish van last month.

I still have the remains of two sheets which sometimes come in useful

Martyn 

Thanks once again John, for an educating read.

Wikipedia adds that as well as the awkwardly place valve operating wheels, they had to be opened slowly otherwise the check valves fitted at each end would close and trap water, leading to false readings.

The RCTS green bible mentions that, on the LNER, after the difficulties of operating the gauge were known, on some engines the remotely operated valve was painted red,  opened on shed, and a notice to the effect of 'do not operate this valve' was placed on it.

Martyn

So from those first pics I think that it can be seem that there is a good level of detail. Including the underframe and brake gear. So I have taken a few more pics with the flash switched on which shows some of that even better although I still have not managed to capture the underframe as well as the real life images - will try harder once they are "dressed". BTW - I noted when inspecting the underframe that metal weights are already in place which augers well for theses staying on track :-)

So 6 off the Diag G2 and 3 off the Diag G6 arrived a day or so ago and I am mighty pleased with them.  A solid add to my NER/LNER van collection.

Here are some pics in the raw - I will get to the decaling and re-wheeling very shortly. Although as @class8mikado has commented decals are an issue on some of these rare models. Having said that I have gradually sourced a fair few solutions for a number of models that frustrated me. Given that I am still searching for the old Woodhead WR20 sheets which even if they are dried out may be restorable - and maybe one day I can get some custom designs done as well as there does seem to be enough interest to share costs. Anyway - pics:
 

A Coarse Guide to the Steam Locomotive for 'N' Gauge Modellers - Part 36


Boiler Water Level - 3: A thread diversion.

Hello Chums

Before I divert the thread, many thanks indeed to Chris @chrism for that fascinating account of the close attention enginemen pay to their boiler water levels going 'Over the Alps'.

The 1940 boiler explosion suffered by No. 6224 Princess Alexandria occurred after cresting Craigenhill Summit and when coasting down towards Carstairs. The enginemen involved did not normally work heavy long distance express trains - this one was 16 coaches - and it was the fireman's first time firing a 'Princess Coronation' 4-6-2.  It appears they were struggling with falling steam pressure climbing the bank and avoided using the injectors.

A combination of Wartime conditions and unfamiliarity with the locomotive type led to this horrid occurrence.

*

A combination of Wartime conditions and unfamiliarity with the locomotive type led to three other horrid occurrences.

These boiler explosions, caused by crown sheet failure, occurred between 17 November 1943 and 30 August 1944 and involved the same class of locomotive.  What on earth was going on?

During the War, the American locomotive builders ALCo, Baldwin and Lima produced over 2,000 'S160' class 2-8-0 engines for US Army service in liberated countries.  As such, they were built to comply with a restricted loading gauge.

Commencing in late 1942, 756 of these locomotives were landed in Britain for eventual use on railway operations in Europe.  398 were loaned to the British railways to augment existing motive power during a time of exceptionally heavy traffic.  All were returned to the US Army by October 1944.  These were good, straightforward and powerful engines which influenced later British design practice - especially Mr Ivatt's '4MT' 2-6-0 class for the LMS.

The explosions were as follows:

Honeybourne (GWR) - 17 November 1943
Thurston (LNER ex GER) 12 January 1944
South Harrow Tunnel (LNER ex GCR) 30 August 1944

The S160 locomotives had one water gauge and three test cocks on the driver's side.  The water gauge was completely different from British practice.  It was called a 'Kinger reflex' gauge and was a vertical case, square in section with three brass sides and the front made of thick glass. The glass had a series of prisms cut into its inner face - this made water appear black and steam silver in colour. 

Unlike a typical British water tube gauge glass, this type was difficult to break in normal service.  Although breakages were unlikely, the shut-off cocks were of the screw valve type, operated remotely from the glass by means of a 2 ft. 6 in. long rod, containing a universal joint, with a handwheel at the end, on the driver's side of the footplate.  The handwheel required a full turn to open or shut the screw valve  Unfortunately, for the water gauge to show a true reading, the valve had to be fully open - even if slightly closed a false high water level would be shown.

The reason for the Honeybourne and Thurston explosions was the steam valve was so stiff (the one involved at Honeybourne had a bent valve spindle) that the driver in each case thought the valve was fully open when it wasn't.

In British practice, providing the everything has been correctly assembled, the simple plug valves, with their restricted range of movement, make it easier to see if they are fully open.  In this picturingham, you can see the valve handles for both gauge glasses on River Irt are vertical and fully open:





The third explosion, at South Harrow Tunnel, was the most severe.  It occurred at night, about half-way through the tunnel.  The screw valves were fully open and the water gauge was in good order.  It was assumed that the enginemen misread the glass in the dark - please remember that water appears black in this type of gauge.

This next picturingham, from a photograph taken for the LNER, shows the buckled crown sheet of the locomotive involved in the Thurston explosion.  The view is looking through the firehole:





The crown sheet was made of 3/8 in. steel plate and was supported by 238 iron stays.  The engine was fairly new as well.

For a better illustration of a buckled crown sheet, the final picturingham, from a photograph taken for the Southern Railway, shows the inside of the firebox, looking forward to the tubeplate, of 'Lord Nelson' 4-6-0 No. 854, Howard of Effingham, which was involved in the Hinton Admiral explosion on 23 April 1945:

The heat softened the exposed crown sheet to a plastic state until it pulled off the stays - the holes for which are prominent.  Amazingly, the crown sheet has not split.





*

This diversion has brought us, I think, almost to the end of the part of this series which looks at boilers and fireboxes.  Just one more postington to go.

Once again, I'm glad to acknowledge the late CE Hewison's Locomotive Boiler Explosions, and the British Transport Commission's Handbook for Railway Steam Locomotive Enginemen as valued sources.  Any errors or omissions are, of course, my own.


'N' Gauge is Such Fun!

Many thanks for looking and all best wishes.

Cheerio

John

Quote from: Train Waiting on July 24, 2024, 09:12:16 PMI think it was Yogi Berra who said, "In theory, theory and practice are always the same.  In practice, they aren't."

I hadn't come across that before! I love it and must find a reason to use it.

Great stuff as always, John. Keep it coming.

Cheers,

Chris

Listening to Deep Purple , = 1.

Tony.

At the High Table in the Great Hall, after bidding farewell to Lady Isadora and Sylvia, Lord Charles turned to Sir George Widgeon III. His blue eyes, normally piercing and discerning, now held a hint of concern as he spoke.

"George, what do you make of Admiral Tregowan's peculiar preoccupation with Miss Silverwood? He's concerned about the numerous connections she seems to have with individuals in his secretive sphere, individuals gathered here, to be precise. Despite being under surveillance for a considerable period, the only points of interest his agents have unearthed are her time in Germany and her German studies during her school years—up until her acquaintance with Riccardo Bianchi, who is, as we're both aware, quite well-documented himself."

"It's most peculiar. Tregowan is usually the epitome of composure, but this... it's unlike him."

"I suspect it's the strain of command. The agency is stretched thin, and with Dorothea away for the holidays, he's without his right hand. It's a lot for one man, even for the Admiral."

"True, the absence of his assistant at such a critical time is far from ideal. But do you really think it's just overwork, Charles? Or could there be merit to his concerns about Miss Silverwood?"

"Well, paranoia is often the bedfellow of intelligence work, but the Admiral's instincts have rarely led us astray. Still, I can't help but wonder if fatigue is clouding his judgment."

"Perhaps. Yet, we can't dismiss his intuitions outright."

"He wants us to investigate Miss Silverwood as a matter of urgency."

"Yes, you mentioned that he would appreciate our assistance."

"Certainly, George. We must tread carefully. It's a delicate balance between trust and caution. Tomorrow, let's convene in my study to finalise our impressions. The Admiral awaits a comprehensive analysis from Huw, who will synthesise interviews with all security-cleared personnel now at the Castle regarding their assessments of Miss Silverwood. The question is, could she be a Communist spy, indoctrinated at university in Germany? If our circle of nine has uncovered no cause for suspicion, we can deem the matter resolved. Huw's report will, of course, be thorough yet concise, capturing every pertinent detail and impression of Miss Silverwood, no matter how unlikely the notion of her being a Communist infiltrator."

"Capital idea, my friend. Let's hope the New Year brings some respite for him and clarity for us all."