Bulleid Pacifics question

[N_GaugeModeller]

A quick question regarding the Bullied Pacifics.

Merchant Navy, Battle of Britain & West Country Class

We're they all the same locomotive class underneath the streamlining or 3 different classes.

Thanks

NGM

[exmouthcraig]

Merchant Navies were limited on various routes due to weight. The genius Mr Bulleid then made the West Country and Battle of Britain, these were the same locomotive but lighter and slightly smaller hence the name Light Pacifics.

Lots of little differences between the TWO types few inches here and there in order to save weight.

30 Merchant Navies built and 110 West Country/ Battle of Britain.

Most of the WC class were initially allocated to WC engine sheds and BoB in the south east around Kent. As electrification of the Kent lines went on these were displaced to the west country and most were shedded west of Bournemouth

[chrism]

Merchant Navies were limited on various routes due to weight. The genius Mr Bulleid then made the West Country and Battle of Britain, these were the same locomotive but lighter and slightly smaller hence the name Light Pacifics.

Lots of little differences between the TWO types few inches here and there in order to save weight.

The Light Pacifics were also less powerful due to having a  smaller cylinder bore - although the same stroke and driving wheel diameter.

There was also a variation in the Light Pacific dimensions - the Southern-built batches had a narrower cab, 8'6", to accommodate the tight clearances on the Tonbridge-Hastings route. However, they were never used there anyway so the BR-built batches had the cabs wider at 9'.

[N_GaugeModeller]

Thanks for the replies and clearing up my confusion,

NGM

[NeMo]

Lots of little differences between the TWO types few inches here and there in order to save weight.

Do you mean differences between the BoBs and the WCs? Would you care to elaborate a little? My understanding was that while there were indeed numerous engineering changes made across the entire 'Light Pacific' class depending on when and where they were built, those differences were not specific to either the BoBs or the WCs. Whether the loco received a West Country name or a Squadron name depended entirely on where the loco operated, and nothing to do with the design or engineering of the loco as such.

I'm no expert though, and keen to be educated!

Cheers, NeMo

[chrism]

Lots of little differences between the TWO types few inches here and there in order to save weight.

Do you mean differences between the BoBs and the WCs? Would you care to elaborate a little? My understanding was that while there were indeed numerous engineering changes made across the entire 'Light Pacific' class depending on when and where they were built, those differences were not specific to either the BoBs or the WCs. Whether the loco received a West Country name or a Squadron name depended entirely on where the loco operated, and nothing to do with the design or engineering of the loco as such.
I'm no expert though, and keen to be educated!

I believe that you are correct as regards the choice of name, although it was more that it had become clear that they were (going to be) used over a wider range than just the West Country that lead to the decision to commemorate Fighter Command - squadrons, airfields, certain significant people, etc.

BR continued naming them as BoBs up to 34090 (no Bulleid numbers of course) but reverted to WC names from 34091 to 34108 before finishing the batch with two final BoBs 34109 & 34110 - the last of which, "66 Squadron" was the only one not to carry a squadron crest plate because the manufacturer of those had retired.

As regards the cab width difference, the WCs up to 21C48 (34048) and the BoBs from 21C049 (34049) to 21C70 (34070) got the narrow cab and the remainder of both got the wider cab - and no Bulleid number).

[martyn]

The two types were MN and WC/BB. As previously said, the MNs were slightly heavier, larger, more powerful with other detail differences to the BB/WC, which were identical.

Without going through my books for details, I think the MNs, as built, had a number of variations in cab and smoke deflector design.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SR_Merchant_Navy_class

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SR_West_Country_and_Battle_of_Britain_classes


All the MNs were rebuilt in BR days; at total of 60 out of 110 WC/BBs were.

martyn