Driver's position

[rayarpino]

Can anyone help? I am always a bit confused about which side a particular logo is driven from.

So did the driver work on the left or the right side on NER & LNER engines?

Or did it vary according to engine type?

I am asking as I was planning to get a crew into the cab of Cock O' The North (truly delighted with this model in its TTS edition) . So, left or right? Can anyone help? Thank you.

[david_abramczyk]

Hi Ray.

 

This is only going off what I remember from years and years ago, but I think the LNER used Right Hand Drive.

[PJ_model_trains]

Interesting question.

Are signals not normally on the left of the track?

PJ

[RDS]

Oh no PJ, not signals again!

[Graskie]

Looks like we probably need PP or LC&DR for this one. I've certainly heard of right hand drive locos but that signalling question from PJ is interesting. Did the driver perhaps rely on the fireman?

[Postman Prat]

Hi Rayapino

LNER designed and built locos (that is, post 1923 grouping designs) left hand drive. Pre-group designs depend on the company e.g. GNR, NER right hand, NBR left hand.

The Gresley A1s were all built right hand but converted to left hand, but not until the 1950s. As far as I know, no other engines were converted.

Therefore the P2s were Left hand.

[Postman Prat]

Depends.

The GW were driven, and signalled accordingly, from the right

The other three of the Big 4 were signalled for left hand drive, in the main. If you were driving a Right hand loco then you had to struggle, or depend on your fireman!! Bear in mind if driving a left hand drive loco, on a line signalled on the left, you were need to depend on the fireman if you were going round a right hand bend.

Although those lines were signalled for left hand drive it would take many years to convert from right hand.

Really LC&DR is the expert on this part of the topic.

[rayarpino]

Thanks a million PP. What would we do without you? No I can place the crew in the cab but first reduce the sound level or stick some cotton in their ears (or is cheese better as in René's café)

[Postman Prat]

Hi Rayapino,

Quote 'Thanks a million PP. What would we do without you?'

This place would be a lot more sensible without me and WTD for starters !!

[GeoFF03]

By the time Cock o the North was built the new LNER locos were built left hand drive.  To assertain the driver side, look for the reversing rod or link, though that can be a problem with tank locos.

[Postman Prat]

Hi Rayapino

Following on from my last post I gave you slightly 'duff' info re pre-group designs although it doesn't alter the position re 'Cock O' The North'

Class K3 was a GNR design and was right hand drive, up to about 61860. Locos built after that were left hand. It may be that the class O2 were the same but that was a class I wasn't familiar with and haven't really taken any interest in.

I'm posting this simply to keep the overall picture as accurate as possible, for future reference.

[walkingthedog]

How come I get dragged into threads that I haven't responded to. You're dead right though PP. 

[PJ_model_trains]

Hi Graskie

They were my thoughts also as there are usually two guys in the cab in steam trains. 

I just thought I would ask  ;o)   

The left hand , right hand drive seemed to me to be a bit, 'couldn't make ther minds up' situation. Good job they had their own regions!

PJ

[Graskie]

Did any railway have parallel double track with locos actually driving on the right one instead of the now standardised left track (like driving on our roads). Was there felt to be a need to keep both forms of transport driving to the left?

[Fishmanoz]

Heaven forbid the forums ever become sensible PP. And dragging WTD in at every opportunity will help keep them that way. 

[PJ_model_trains]

Hi Graskie

I am the signal man at present but would love to be the engine driver or system controller  ;o)

I am installing about 34 signals in RM and about 20 on the track, dummy signals are used on the layout where lights do not face the controller, although signals on the layout are live and ticking.  Whist installing signals I have done a lot of reading and can confirm there are, what are called, 1 way tracks and 2 way tracks. 1 way being as it says and two way being where a train can go up or down the same line. I didn't reseach regional variations to this.

Taking our layouts as miniture railways with as much crammed in as possible, I find, I am sure others will also, that you cannot avoid two way tracks, to be honest it also makes out layouts more interesting. I think!

I do find it very strange though regarding the drivers position. A network of railway in the UK, split in to regions, except for odd excepts standards were set from an early stage yet trains were built for left hand and right hand drive.

PJ

[Teedoubleudee]

The GW were driven, and signalled accordingly, from the right.........

Really?  That's just come in the nick of time then. Just about add some signals to a GWR pre-war era layout I'm building. I've always assumed (and you know what they say about that!) that signals were on the left ie platform side. My particular bit of track I'm doing first is a single track 2-way section.

[VESPA]

Now to throw a spanner in the works, so to say. Is the loco cab showing TWO regulators or one? If it's two then it could be driven differently to what we all think. The reverser may be the answer to which side it is driven. Have a look at the three untitled cab interiors on this NRM website and two are left hand drive with two showing left and right joined regulators. One photo follows on from a front on shot of COTN http://www.nrm.org.uk/ourcollection/photogallery?group=Doncaster So which is an A4 or A3 or COTN??

Answers on a post card to the mysteries of the Crosti boilers and Evening Star posts, which threw up more questions than answers.

[PJ_model_trains]

So...

The driver looks out on the right side or was it the left side whilst the fireman looks out on the other.

Good thinking but, now we have it 'driving us round the bend' Thanks Postman Prat  ;o)

Ermmm You better stoke up says the driver, I can't he says, I have to watch for the signals on this bend. 

Never mind, they can always fry eggs on the shovel, is this allowed with TTS?

Possibly but not in this section of the forum it isn't.  ;-o

[Cronan]

Hi, if the loco cab has 2 regulators then I think that is because the train might travel backwards? Like tender/bunker first.

[walkingthedog]

In that case all steam locos would have two regulators because they all travel backwards at some time. 

[Postman Prat]

The loco would still only have one regulator although it has 2 co-linked handles. Direction of travel is set by the reverser.

The handle on the firemans side would normally only be used in shunting operations and to only a limited extent. The regulator is only part of the driving controls, the others would remain on the drivers side. You couldn't drive a loco on the regulator alone any more than you could drive a car without changing  gear.

[Graskie]

PJ, among other things you said, "Ermmm You better stoke up says the driver, I can't he says, I have to watch for the signals on this bend." 

Never mind, they can always fry eggs on the shovel, is this allowed with TTS?"

I have found that eggs cannot be fried when coal is being shovelled with my TTS DoG. I suppose that makes sense, though, doesn't it?

[Postman Prat]

Quote "I suppose that makes sense, though, doesn't it?"

If it makes sense,it'll be a first for you!!

[Fishmanoz]

I don't remember any questions about making sense when applying for a login here, let alone the common variety?

So there is an advantage of TTS over Loksound Graskie?  You don't end up with black gritty bits stuck between your teeth after breakfast. Only relevant for those who still have teeth though.