A4 corridor tender issue

[ColinB]

I bought a Hornby Wild Swan A4 loco recently. It turned up with the corridor connector missing from the tender. I knew it had the issue when I bought it. Anyway I managed to source a replacement corridor tender, easier than sourcing the missing part. Anyway as I started to dig a bit deeper I found the tender with the missing corridor connector is different at the back than any of my other corridor tenders. All my other tenders have rounded backs to the tender whereas this one is square. Has anyone any idea if this is a rogue tender, or did Hornby change their design. THe joke of it is Wild Swan was released with a non corridor tender, so I don't know if the previous owher removed the corridor so it looked right.

[Going Spare]

If I have interpreted the rather complex information correctly, 'Wild Swan' was paired with a streamlined non-corridor tender from new until April 1957 when it acquired a streamlined corridor tender from 60008. That was replaced by what is described as a "new type" corridor tender in May 1962 from 60022 for the final 18 months of its service. These exchanges took place at Kings Cross shed rather than during a works visit. On that particular record (doncasterworksrecords.org.uk) there is no description of how a "new type" tender differed from earlier versions but that might explain the squared-off/chamfered rear corners, revised position of the water scoop trunking (and different corridor width alongside the tank and coal space if that is not an optical illusion?) in your photograph. What I don't know is which tender is original and which is the "new" type.

[ColinB]

Ok, in the top photo the corridor tender as fitted to all my other A4s is the top one. The lower one is the one missing its connector, supplied with Wild Swann (second hand loco, so who knows where it came from). If you now look at the lower one, the back ends of the tender are square rather than round. The coal space is also smaller. The lower tender dimensionally resembles the tender without a corridor, but in this case it has the moldings of a corridor.

Were the corridor tenders fitted to A3s different to A4s and I have an A3 corridor tender missing its corridor connector? I have always assumed they were the same.

Is that any clearer?

[ColinB]

@Going Spare, I didn't include a photo of the sides of the tender but both are carrying the old British Rail logo rather than the new one, so it looks like they are modelled before 1962.

[sxbiker]

Don't know if its any help. I have Wild Swan R.286 issued 1996-7. This has the later BR logo .This came with the streamlined corridor tender. The coal loading area is modelled slightly different to your two pictures.

[Going Spare]

Yes, it would appear that 10 corridor tenders were transferred from A1s/A3s to A4s and were given the streamlined fairing at the front.

In 1935, 11 streamlined corridor tenders were constructed for A4s, these having the curved rear corners and fairings also around the water tank filler, presumably later removed.

Information gleaned from "A Tangle of Tenders" by sirnigelgresley.org.uk.

[ColinB]

I won a Dominium of Canada A4 on EBay over the weekend. It turned up today and amazingly it had the actual flat backed corridor tender that is the same as my one that is missing its corridor connector. So Hornby must model the various types of A3/A4 corridor connector. So it looks like I need to find a broken corridor A4 corridor tender to rob the corridor connector.

[Going Spare]

In the records previously quoted, Dominion of Canada is quoted as having been paired with the original 1928 style of streamlined corridor tender from 1960 until withdrawal so it looks as if the upper tender in your photograph is of the "new type" with rounded rear corners while the lower one is what might be termed the standard streamlined corridor type with a square-cut rear as per your Dominion of Canada carrying the later BR insignia. The actual Pullman-type corridor connectors appear to be the same across both types.

[ColinB]

Great, thank you Going Spare. Thank you for being so helpful.

[Going Spare]

You are welcome, Colin, but I must stress I have only attempted to interpret information on internet sites so I can not guarantee accuracy (particularly on the interpretation!) - the Gresley tender types and loco/tender pairings are a minefield and being a Southern man, I do not have any definitive reference documents to access.

[VESPA]

The subject of tender swopping is complex. In full overhall at the works, some tenders were not always repaired at the same time as the loco. Therefore a tender that was ready would be coupled to the loco. There are several tender swops on all classes of loco and at the time Hornby have modelled that particular loco they may have actually paired it correctly with a non corridor tender. Look at the water and coal area on the two models and it is apparent that they are different to carry more water and or coal. I am, as many will know, a Britannia follower. There were many changes of tender on those with Thomas Hardy using a tender from a "Firth" in one photo I have. To satisfy your own mind, research the class in depth and you may find the answer that it is correct for that period. You can change it if you wish and it will still be correct but a slightly different time period. You may remember Hornby doing 70000 Britannia in black livery. I have no idea why as it was only run in that livery for 7 days (from memory), before getting the full green express loco livery.

[VESPA]

I have just had a quick Google search and see Wild Swan with corridor tender in late BR crest and non corridor tender in early crest in different photos.