Loco' in photograph beautifully built and photographed by Pete Armstrong

Prototype Notes

Introduced in 1906 by George Whale, the “6ft. Four Coupled Side Tanks” were commonly referred

to as “Precursor Tanks” and were essentially a tank version of the Precursor. The driving wheels

were 6' 3" diameter and the first thirty had 3’9" bogie and trailing wheels. In the next two batches

of ten, built in 1907 and 1909, the carrying wheels were 3' 3". None of the original batch were modified to take the smaller wheels.

They were too heavy for many branch lines, but were used extensively for suburban working, especially around London, Birmingham and Manchester. They were all taken into LMS stock with the

first being withdrawn in 1927, without being renumbered by the LMS, and the last two in 1940. As

built, they had Whale buffers, a capuchon on the chimney, smokebox lubricators and sandboxes

between the frames. Later some were equipped with cab roof ventilators, while other modifications

included “Jumbo” style sandboxes, Bowen-Cooke buffers and plain chimneys. The tank sides were

free of rivets and extended above the tank tops to provide stowage for the fire-irons, etc.

The Precursor Tanks were fine, well proportioned locomotives and carried the L.N.W.R. crest and

initials on the tank sides as well as full lining.

The LMS modified certain aspects of the locomotives over time and not necessarily all at the same

time. We will refer to a locomotive with any of these modifications as in LMS condition. If you are

modelling a specific locomotive at a specific time then you will need photographic evidence.

These modifications included:-

Replacing the lamp sockets by lamp brackets.

Adding two steps to the bunker ear.

Adding two angle sections to the rear bufferbeam.

Adding handrails to both bunker sides.

Adding two handrails to the bunker rear.

The 3ft9in locomotives.

The LNWR numbers were 528 , 531 , 784 , 1295 , 1305 , 1981-5 , 97 , 111 , 181 , 196 , 562 , 616 ,

803 , 1356 , 1508 , 2210 , 139 , 653 , 1589 , 1714 , 2165 , 834 , 874 , 1506 , 1572 , 1671.

When they were renumbered by the LMS the numbers were 6780 - 6809.

The 3ft3in locomotives.

LNWR numbers were 44 , 527 , 612 , 762 , 827 , 875 , 1427 , 1764 , 2196 , 2446 , 920 , 935 , 1164 ,

1219 , 1523 , 1536 , 1551 , 2077 , 2223 , 2228.

When they were renumbered by the LMS the numbers were 6810 – 6829.

Livery

In LNWR ownership the Precursor Tanks were painted black with grey, cream and red lining, or due

to wartime economies after 1914, plain black. The black used was known as drop black, which

gained the name “Blackberry Black” due to the effect of careful application and cleaning resulting

in a blackberry hue. Lining can be applied by bowpen, using enamels; or by transfers of the

waterslide or “Pressfix” variety.

If using transfers a coat of satin varnish with 5% - 10% black added will tone down the “brightness”

of the lining colours and reduce their effective size. The cream line was too small to easily reproduce

in 7mm so grey/red lining will produce a satisfactory result. Lining was applied to the bunker

sides and rear, tank sides, the upper cabsides and the valance below the footplate. Please refer to a

photograph or one of the “reference” books available to ensure that you apply the lining as per

prototype. The grey was always outside the red by 1 5/8 inches (1mm will do on the model!).

Generally the grey line was 5 ins. from the edges of panels, except for the upper cab sides, where it

was 3½ inches away. The boiler bands were lined with a red line on either side.

Only the front buffer beam was painted red, while the buffer bodies were black. The interior of the

cab was Indian Red with the insides of the splashers and the boiler backhead black. The frames

were painted black inside and out in LNWR days, although the LMS later painted the insides red.

After the grouping the locos should have been painted LMS red until 1928 when the official livery

became lined black with one of the large variety of lettering and numbering styles used by the LMS.

Recommended reference books are:

An Illustrated History of LNWR Engines - Ted Talbot

An Illustrated History of LMS Locomotives, Volume 2 - Essery and Jenkinson

Locomotives Illustrated No. 147, LNWR Passenger Tank Locomotives

LNWR Portrayed - Jack Nelson

LNWR Liveries - HMRS

Wheels

Suitable wheels are available from Staters Pastikard Ltd, The Slaters’ code numbers are

6' 3" 20 spoke driving wheels7875NW

3' 9" 10 spoke bogie wheels 7845

or 3' 3" 10 spoke bogie wheels 7839