Monday, July 25, 2011

Teatime - 39

Firstly...let me apologise for the sloping effect you see here with the train...it's distortion from the camera..honest! Spent the day preparing and refining the pencil work for the loco and carriages. Continuing my referencing Derby built steam locomotives, I've opted for a British Rail class 4MT (the 'MT' stands for 'Mixed Traffic, the engine could be utilised for passenger and freight use). An engine which to me had a look of power and beauty..instead of the regular tender which was pulled behind, the water tanks were placed each side of the boiler...coal was carried at the rear of the drivers cab.

I remember my Father pointing out these mighty engines when I was a child..he would take me down to the station and sometimes onto the engine sheds ( he worked in offices at the loco works!)..standing by these engines, I as a 7 year old thought they were enormous!!! Only a small number were built in Derby between 1951 - 1956. Of the 150 built..130 were built in Brighton, 15 in Derby and 10 in Doncaster. I will make sure the loco's number is from the Derby batch!

The bridge is based on the Dutton viaduct's design which is on the West coast mainline between Dutton and Acton Bridge in Cheshire. There is no significance to my choosing this design other than it pleased me.

3 comments:

Devil Mood said...

Such a rich train tradition over there. I'm saddened that there are a few lines closing over here, due to the lack of users. I know it often takes longer than in the car, but nothing beats the romance of the train-travelling.

Niall young said...

The entire transport tradition in the UK is bulit around the railways and canal system. the railways date back over 180 years.The idustrial heritage of the railways in Derby has been an integral part of the UK's transport structure..and Bombardier (which used to be British Rail engineering Limited)continues to produce trains is the only manufacturer of such left in the UK. Controvertially, the British Government this month decided to award a huge £billion contract to produce trains for the London based thames Link Project to German company Siemens. This has mean that 1500 people have lost their jobs in the Derby factory and the possible closure of the plant is a real threat now.The British public are astonished at the decision and protests are gathering momentum.

It will be a sad day and indeed and terrible shame if railway manufacturing ceased to exhist in Derby and therefore in the nation that invented and developed this form of transport.

So yes, I do feel passionate about this subject!

Devil Mood said...

Ah, I know Bombardier precisely because they closed their factory here too a few years ago.
Yes, it would be a shame if that were to happen.