R2230 Duchess Of Buccleuch transformed into Duchess of Abercorn

[Kim-344602]

This is not normally a model I would have bought because there are so many inaccuracies with it. 6230 was the first of the 5 locos that were built un-streamlined and as with the other 4 were given a special paint job in crimson lake with gold lettering and numbering as depicted on the model. However, they were built with a single chimney, no deflectors and fitted with Stanier type 6 welded tenders. After the trials with 6234 in 1939, all subsequent batches were built with double blastpipes and chimneys and the other original 14 were eventually fitted with double chimneys. 6230 was one of the earliest to be converted in October 1940 but still had the type 6 tender and no deflectors. In 1943, it was decided that all new engines and any re-paints would be in plain black as a wartime measure. Shortly afterwards, it was also decided to change the order for 6249 - 6252 so they would be built un-streamlined and the remove the casings from the streamlined locos to aid maintenance. However, 6230 was not re-painted until after the war when she received the 1946 livery.

In August 1945, whilst still painted red, 6230 was involved in a tender swap and so lost her type 6 tender. The replacement came from 6224 which had been painted in wartime black a year earlier. 6224 was not de-streamlined until June 1946 so whether Buccleuch ran with a black streamlined tender or as the change post dated the decision to de-frock the locos, the tender was de-streamlined, I'm not sure. But it was a difficult time in the war and the tender would not have been painted red. Around the same time, City of Sheffield received the tender from 6231 and although the loco was in wartime black, photos show the tender remained red. And finally, 6230 did not receive smoke deflectors until a works visit in September 1946 during which time, she was painted in the 1946 livery and so never ran in red with deflectors.

However, I was offered a model for the huge sum of £41 as a non-runner possibly due to a loose wire and I bought it. The main reason it wasn't running was that the wheels were very dirty. A quick clean and she ran well. There was also a very minor problem with the electrical connection to the tender which was easily fixed. So now what to do with it? Well just after the end of the war, the LMS were trying to decide how to move forward. 6234, Duchess of Abercorn along with Newfoundland, a Jubilee were both painted in a blue grey livery. A second Jubilee, Bhopal was painted in a modified crimson lake livery. These were inspected by the executive at Camden shed in March 1946 and later shown to the public at Euston station. At that time, 6234 was only lined out on the right hand side. It was decided not to progress with either livery and because of the prevailing conditions all locos were to be black and the 1946 livery came as a result. However, Abercorn, stayed blue until re-painted by British Railways in October 1948. Although, there is no firm evidence, it has been suggested that the lining on Abercorn was completed at some time after March 1946 and so I have used this as being good enough for me. It is a livery that is unlikely to be done by Hornby and one that has interested me for a long time. There are some uncertainties about it but at least it is not as definitely and totally wrong as Hornby's portrayal of 6230.

Anyway, hope you like it.

[What About The Bee]

Hello Kim

For what it is worth, I like the way it looks. Not my era or railway, of course, but the livery is quite fetching. Well done!

You've done the research and I recognize the enormous effort you've put into this. Research is often much harder than it appears. Did you have any photographs to go by?

Bee

[Kim-344602]

Hi Bee, Until recently, there were only very few known photos of the loco at this time. The best known is Casserly's taken at Camden around the time of the viewing. I have seen one other taken around the same time showing the unlined side. There were also reports in the technical press of the time like the Railway Observer describing the public showing at Euston.

However, there were 3 works visit between the showing and the 4th works visit in September/October 1948 and there was no mention of painting in those. However, any paint touching up would not have been recorded, only a full paint. The loco seems to have "eluded" the photographers from shortly after she was first painted and being painted in black 2 1/2 years later. More recent reference works like Jennison's history of the Stanier Pacifics say that they have been suggestions that the lining was completed. Personally, I think it unlikely the LMS would have allowed one of their premier locos to run for well over 2 years in a half painted condition.

There has also been speculation about the blue colour. Again there is no official specification but several references to it as RAF blue/grey. There were also some coloured illustrations including cigarette cards depicting Newfoundland in the same colour. Sometimes hard to separate some of the modern internet speculation from the few facts that are known. However, I have tried to base it on other facts of the period that were recorded rather than what is more likely to have happened in more recent times.

[What About The Bee]

Hello Kim

I spent a bit of time poking around, hopeful of seeing the image. Alas, no luck. I did, however, find a statement on Wikipedia that Duchess of Albercorn did have a unique (Wikipedia words) "blue grey" livery. Further, 3 references were provided to support the assertion.

Perhaps they may be useful to you.

Hunt, David; Jennison, John; Meanley, Bob; James, Fred; Essery, Bob (2008). LMS Locomotive Profiles, No. 11 – The 'Coronation' Class Pacifics. Didcot: Wild Swan. ISBN 978-1-905184-46-0.

Jennison, John; Meanley, Bob; Essery, Bob; James, Fred; Hunt, David (2009). Pictorial Supplement to LMS Locomotive Profile No. 11 – The 'Coronation' Pacifics. Didcot: Wild Swan. ISBN 978-1-905184-62-0.

Binns, Donald (1988). LMS Locomotives at Work - 2, Coronation Class 4-6-2. Skipton: Wyvern Publications. ISBN 0-0-907941-32-X.

Bee

[Kim-344602]

The image I'm referring to was in Locomotive Liveries of the LMS by Jenkinson.

[What About The Bee]

Thank you for taking the time to show me the image Kim. Appreciated!!

Bee