what am I?

[mr magnolia]

maybe not the correct place for this but I'm keen to identify myself.  I dont do steamers, but might make an exception for this one - I'm trying to protect myself from expense by saying that this can't possibly be a J39, as per the new GF model... (It looks a bit earlier than this, to my untrained eye)



I need the protection because it would fit right in with my sort-of-top-end-of-the-waverley-line 1959 -1963 modelling era and location...

what do you think it is/is meant to be?

Donald

[EtchedPixels]

No NEM couplers on that one... clearly not suitable

[EtchedPixels]

Donald is btw supposedly an Caledonian 812 class, as is Douglas

[johnlambert]

Darn, beaten to the punch by Etched Pixels.  From Wikipedia:

Donald and Douglas are based on the Caledonian Railway 812 Class. In The Railway Series, it is stated that one of them is number 57646 (though it is only revealed to the reader that this is in fact Donald, when Douglas has the alarming thought "I hope the Fat Controller disnae realise I shouldna be here") . None of the original 812 class carried this number — the joke being that in real life, the highest numbered was 57645.

The blue they carry in the Railway Series is significant, as blue was the colour most associated with the Caledonian Railway. In the book James and the Diesel Engines, Donald explains that while on the Caledonian Railway they were never painted blue, they always carried the black goods livery. Interestingly, the black that they used to carry (and indeed still do in the television series) is British Railways black with red and white lining, making them the only engines to carry a BR livery.

The engines have deep-toned whistles, which Gordon and Henry observed made them sound like buses or ships. Although unusual on Sodor, such whistles were typical of the Caledonian Railway and LMS.

One Caledonian '812' class survived into preservation: 828 is currently based on the Strathspey Railway, Aviemore, Scotland and is currently in service after a long overhaul.

[mr magnolia]

I guess a little research of my own would have turned up that information..

but many thanks!

Wiki tells me that the last one did not go until 1963 (cripes) and as an LMS loco, it 'could' have visited shed 64A and then wandered along the top bit of the waverley line? maybe?

[Newportnobby]

As Captain Picard would have said "Make it so"