A Prototype For Everything

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Hello All,

Our prototype railways have a lot of situations that "normally" you would think could not have happened in real life but we as modellers do unwittingly anyway. What I am contemplating here is that we collect all our examples and put them in here with a word picture or an actual photo so that the scale rule Richards can be held at bay! I will put in a few examples but unlike the Hints and Tips, feel free to add whatever and whenever. Just keep the number sequence going and I for one am looking forward to your experiences.
Prototype for Everything No 1

BRASS ENGINES HAULING TRAINS
Trevor Gibbs (Melbourne Australia)
How many times has someone shown you their unpainted brass locomotive in the past happily hauling a train? It has happened on the prototype where Chicago Burlington and Quincy ran their 4-8-4 5632 painted in a Gold colour for a centenary event in either 1964 or 1965 in Illinois. The prototype in this case followed many models no doubt but it has happened! As I recall, I think Union Pacific also painted a loco in gold, I think a Challenger but as a display piece only.
From Chris Thompson ( Strathalbyn South Australia) 

Proof of 5632's paint job can be seen athttp://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=265628 … no it is not a photoshop



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2. STEEL TRUSSES AND WOODEN TRESTLES
Trevor Gibbs (Melbourne Australia)
On the White Pass and Yukon Railway between Skagway Alaska and Whitehorse, there is a trestle bridge. Nothing unusual about that fact except that this ones centremost span is a steel truss bridge in its own right. A modeler might be told off for it by unknowing observers of his layout but it is there! https://s3.amazonaws.com/aphs.worldnomads.com/pdolan1/31366/skagway_train_150dpi.jpg


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3. EXPRESS LOCOMOTIVES AND LOCAL TRAINS
Brian Macdermott (UK)
On the evenings of 12, 13 and 16 February 1962, the 6.25pm Hitchin-Huntingdon was hauled by A4 Pacific No.60017 Silver Fox, with the usual two coach load.
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4. BRAKE VANS DERAILING AT ENDS OF SIDINGS
Brian Macdermott (UK)
How many times have you backed an incoming freight into your yard and hit the stop blocks with the brake van, derailing it? (C'mon…be honest!) Well, there is a prototype!
In the East Coast Main Line DVD that I previewed recently at time of writing, there is a freight train with the brake van up against the blocks and the front wheels clearly off the road.
So…next time you're running an exhibition layout and take some flak from the 'know-it-all-visitor' when you hit the blocks, just say it was done deliberately to recreate an actual event!


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5. SIMILARLY NUMBERED LOCOMOTIVES AND FREIGHT WAGONS ON THE SAME LAYOUT
Trevor Gibbs (Melbourne Australia)
Two Locos with the same number side by side? Yes it has happened! In 1988 with the visit of Flying Scotsman to Australia, the New South Wales State Rail Authority had a 44 class diesel locomotive also 4472. And yes they were photographed alongside each other while "Scotty" was doing its shakedown runs. There was a story about two Garratts numbered 6042 side by side. The second 6042 was built from parts and recycled bits in 1966/67 and the urban legend extended to the two being pictured side by side at Broadmeadow but as the shopping/outshopping dates do not match it is highly unlikely to have happened… but it could have!


There was a picture of 2 boxcars belonging to different railroads Erie and New York Central, both numbered 16634 being coupled to each other in October 68 Trains magazine.
South Australian Railways went about a process of Broad Gauging what they called the South east system while still running Narrow Gauge trains. There is a Train order in the book “One Rusty Rail” where Engine Rx201 was to cross T class engine 201 on a Broad Gauge work train vs Narrow Gauge goods train… Normally they would never have had case to meet but it is conceivable that they could have been pictured side by side.
From Canadian Railway Observations.. .
http://www.canadianrailwayobservations.com/2010/12/cn2338noname.htm shows a photo of ex CN 2338, now an RPPX leasing co unit and CN 2338 together in McMillan Yard in Toronto in December 2010.


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6. EXPRESS LOCOS RUNNING TENDER FIRST
Brian Macdermott (UK)

On 4 October 1956, the loco of the Up ‘Royal Scot’ failed north of Carlisle. The train eventually arrived 62 minutes late behind Crab 2-6-0 No.42876 – tender first.


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7. EXPRESS LOCOS DOUBLE HEADING
Brian Macdermott (UK)

An unusual sight at Waterloo on 4 August 1956 was that of the Up Atlantic Coast Express double-headed by 'Merchant Navy' 4-6-2s Nos.35003 Royal Mail and 35030 Elder Dempster Lines.
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8.  Double Heading of Express locos


Trevor Gibbs


The South Australian Railways rarely doubleheaded its Big Power locomotives but 525 came to the rescue of 524 hauling a train to Adelaide during the Queens visit in 1954 on an up North line train.  


Also 621 came to the rescue of 620 on an up Passenger when the whistle blew off under pressure in the 1950's… the whistle was eventually found in the smokebox when the loco got back to the depot!


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[user=374]xdford[/user] wrote:
8.  Double Heading of Express locos






Trevor Gibbs






The South Australian Railways rarely doubleheaded its Big Power locomotives but 525 came to the rescue of 524 hauling a train to Adelaide during the Queens visit in 1954 on an up North line train.  






Also 621 came to the rescue of 621 on an up Passenger when the whistle blew off under pressure in the 1950's… the whistle was eventually found in the smokebox when the loco got back to the depot!






?

Now I've finally started a model railway…I've inherited another…
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Sorry about that… I got the order wrong and only half corrected it,
Cheers

Trevor
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9. BITS THAT FALL OFF Pt 1
From Brian Macdermott (UK)

Modellers often report that bits fall off today’s highly detailed models. Well – it is prototypical! On 1 July 1956, the 9.54am Liverpool Street-Cambridge, hauled by K3 61873, pulled up suddenly just as the engine was about to enter Bishopsgate Tunnel. The Fireman went back and rescued the cab door which had fallen off!


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10. BITS THAT FALL OFF
from Brian MacDermott


In a similar incident, on 21 September 1956, the nameplate of Castle 4-6-0 No.5076 Gladiator came adrift whilst heading the ‘The Bristolian’ at speed through Reading. The plate was quickly recovered and sent up to Paddington on the following 11.00am from Penzance (due Paddington 7.10pm). It was handed to its rightful owner prior to departing home at 8.05pm, and stored in 5076’s tender for the journey. It was re-fitted overnight, but, apparently, still showed signs of being in the wars with the beading somewhat buckled.


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11. BITS THAT FALL OFF
From Trevor Gibbs



A South Australian Pacific locomotive no 608 had its headlight mount break while hauling the Blue Lake Express in 1955 or 1956. The crew mounted the headlight on the head stock/pilot of the loco and completed their journey. The corner of the cast brass number plate was chipped when it fell off and that chipped number plate stayed with the loco for the rest of its days.


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And for those overunning the buffer stops.


Allan


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12. WHEN DECALS DON'T SPELL CORRECTLY
From Brian Macdermott (UK)
For some months in late 1955 and early 1956, WR coach No.W4611W ran with a roofboard with a town name spelt thus….SRHEWSBURY.
A further error was noted in August on coach W8115W bearing a board reading PADDINGTON, OXFORD and WORCSETER.


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13. WHEN DECALS DON'T SPELL CORRECTLY Pt2
From Trevor Gibbs
On the railway line between Gawler and Roseworthy on the old South Australian Railways circa 1971, there was an electric signal numbered with a three facing the reverse way… kept the drivers alert late at night when pointing it out to me!



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14,   BUFFERS GETTING RUN INTO…
From Robin Johnson (UK)
In the early 1980s I spent a fair amount of time on Norwich (Thorpe) station. Incoming expresses would arrive, the loco pulling right up to the impressive pneumatic buffers and the loco (usually a Class 47) would uncouple. While this was happening, a station pilot (Class 03, always with a match wagon) would have buffered up to the coaches at the rear.
The 03 would then ease the coaches back a few yards, just enough to clear the scissors crossover at the concourse end, via which the train loco would then begin its run round manoeuvring.
Once the station pilot's driver had confirmation that the train loco was clear and the crossover points were re-set, it would then gently propel the carriages towards the buffers, the signal to stop being when the train actually hit them  (thus creating room at the 'country end' for the 03 to beetle off and for the train loco to pop itself back on the front and be inside the signal)
This hitting the buffers routine was always at extremely slow speed, of course (and I never saw a derailment), but I saw it happen many times. Even all those years ago I was a bit taken aback at how Heath Robinson the arrangement was. Still, it explained why the buffers were so heavy duty!
Whacking the buffers in a scenario that features a mixed rake of Mk1s and non air-conditioned Mk2s, Stratford silver-roofed blue 47 and a blue 03 with match wagon is, therefore, entirely prototypical!


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 15. WAGON SIGNS BEING IGNORED…
From Jeff Lynn (Melbourne Australia)
There were plenty of instances of things like Lowfits, clearly marked "Not to be loaded with containers" carrying containers! A Lowfit is a four-wheeled flat wagon with effectively a single plank surrounding the floor; ideal for containers (of the older style used by the Big Four from the 1930s onwards) made by Bachmann. One can often see advice in the model press saying don't put containers in this or that type of wagon, Lowfits being one of the types mentioned. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your viewpoint!), railway workers used whatever happened to be convenient, regardless of inscriptions to the contrary!


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16  WAGON SIGNS BEING IGNORED
From Trevor Gibbs
I was an apprentice at Islington in Adelaide in 1973 where there were a few Western Australian Railways vehicles clearly marked “Not to work East of Kalgoorlie” - about 1270 rail miles to the west as the crow flies and a change of gauge (at the time) away!!!


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17  WAGON SIGNS BEING IGNORED


From John Smithers
Most of the bogie brake vans of the Victorian C, ZLP and SAR/ANR 8300 vans carried radio equipped stickers,above the toilet windows or to the centre of the van concerned. On one occasion in Mount Gambier (in South Australia) I noticed a 8300 class brake van that, had a Victorian Railways radio equipment sticker and on the bottom sill a stencil said “not to run in Victoria” … go figure.


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