A4 on freight duty?

[Rallymatt]

While the loco roster is limited in Hornby TT 120, there are going to some unusual combinations on layouts. Before people get concerned about having a mighty A4 Pacific on a hum drum freight service…. Check out the attached picture, no photo credit but it’s from an excellent book by Charlie Emett entitled Durham Railways.

I thought I would pop this up as I have just read a letter in vol the TT:120 Club stating this would never happen…. 😁

[Dave the Busker]

I've put a little TARDIS on my layout, so if anyone questions the mix of stuff I'm running I can just say it's in a state of quantum flux but The Doctor is fixing it. joy For a wee while yet everyone's just going to be running with whatever we can get our hands on, so anything goes. Nice to know it could be like that in real life sometimes too!

[Too Tall]

My plan was to put Blink Bonny on freight duties once the Mallard is here, and I did find photographic evidence of a 4-6-2 hauling freight to justify my decision smiley

Unfortunately, we still don't have the freight, but maybe soon kissing_smiling_eyes

Not that anything can run on mine yet until the servo controller is fixed. unamused

[Rallymatt]

I have a feeling freight is on its way pretty soon… my ferry vans are racking up the miles!

[OldSeaDog 1707821252]

Funny that people are talking about Pacifics on freight duty. It's always been my intention to give my Blink Bonnie a repaint when the Mallard was released. Anyone have any good suggestions for freight rolling stock?

[Silver Fox 17]

There were many occasions when freight trains were pulled by pacifics, A1, A2, A3, A4, Duchess and M/N all included.

On the Eastern region the Scotch Goods was nearly always an A1 or A4 turn.

There was one time the well renowned Bill Hoole was driving an A4 on it and was held up by the passenger train in front.

[Too Tall]

I think I have on pre-order everything in the era 3 and 4 selections, most 2 or even some 3 times sunglasses

And of course 2 NE brake vans.

[Rallymatt]

People forget that freight trains were the back bone of the railway, passenger services were always an add on. The big Pacifics were the most powerful locomotives available and it’s hardly surprising that they were pressed into freight duty (the heaviest trains)

[Clement Matchett]

[D9020 Nimbus]

I saw 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley hauling a freight train at Low Fell in the early 1960s. If I remember correctly, it was mostly 4-wheel vans and travelling on the main line, not on the goods lines. The coal trains, however, were at the time all hauled by either J27s or Q6s and that would remain the case until practically the end of steam in the area (1967).

I'd have thought the Scotch Goods would have usually been hauled by a V2, or perhaps an A2 (6’ 2” wheels, smaller than the other Pacifics).

[Hobby11]

I'm not sure if it's been mentioned but they also hauled parcels trains as well, even sometimes stopping passenger trains when on running in duties.

[Rallymatt]

Low Fell is just down the road from me Nimbus 😁

[Captain Stravaigin]

Brilliant ! I was thinking the same

[Moccasin]

Low Fell is just down the road from me Nimbus 😁

Me too - I also used to live at Ochre Yards which is built on the old Gateshead depot near High Level Bridge. As an aside, I seem to recall that was where I finally saw 47406 Rail Riders in my youth. 😳

I’m currently trying to decide whether to create a small shunting layout and get the 08, although only the tankers are a similar era? I’m not sure that Era 3 Flying Scotsman would ever have been on freight duties.

[Rallymatt]

LNER were quite happy putting Pacific’s of all classes on their premium freight services. some of those services were viewed just as special as any of the express passengers services and often earned the railway much more money. Around that time too, Gresley’s preference for big engines ruled and there were shortages of suitable express freight of MT locos.

[D9020 Nimbus]

On express freight services, certainly, although even then the V2 2-6-2s would have been preferred. Most ordinary freights would have been behind the various regional 0-6-0s and eight-coupled engines, or the O1, O2 and O4 2–8-0s. K3 2-6-0s were also widely used.

Towards the end of the steam era A4s would have been used on anything. The various A2 classes, given their smaller wheels—the same size as the V2s—would be the most likely to appear on freight trains (“goods trains” at the time!)

There would be a lot of B1s available post-war.