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London North Western
Railway:
Midland
Railway:
Stratford
Midland Junction Railway
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LMS Route: Rugby to Leamington Spa (Avenue)
LMS Route: Leamington to Weedon
Marton Junction: lnwrmartj4161
Ex-LNWR 2-4-2T 5ft 6in Tank engine No 46654 is seen on the
return Leamington to Rugby service on 17th May 1952. The signal protecting the
junction clearly shows the semaphore arm for the line to Rugby raised with the
other arm for the branch to Weeden being in the horizontal and danger position.
The train is operating as a Motor Train whereby the rear carriage has been
especially adapted to allow the driver to control the train whilst the
locomotive, accommodating the fireman, pushes from the rear. The L&NWR
first introduced motor train working on the Red Wharf Bay line in 1909 and
subsequently elsewhere. The LMS also converted some ex-LNWR 0-6-2T Coal Tanks.
For the scholar interested in such matters, in Ted Talbot's 'An Illustrated
History of LNWR Engines' there is a drawing of a 2-4-2T 5ft 6in tank Engine
in LMS days fitted for motor-train working.
The initial push & pull gear was mechanical using
rodding that could often be seen below the front bufferbeam on locos so fitted.
LNWR coaches fitted for motor train working often had their vacuum cylinders
mounted on the same side of the chassis instead of being diagonally opposed,
presumably to clear the mechanical linkage. From circa 1927, the LMS started to
use the Auto Vacuum system, but conversions from the mechanical push pull
linkage system did not occur overnight and some coaches were never converted at
all. For example, of the six LNWR M49 driving trailers, all were converted
except 3415 (post 1933 number), this odd one out simply retaining rodding until
withdrawn in 1951. It is reasonable to assume that there were still some locos
fitted with mechanical gear to work this coach.
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