Re: mixing loco parts

["Derick Wuen" <cullend@webone.com.au>]

Bob wrote in message <3886D989.CC528290@acay.com.au>...
>Tender swapping was common in NSW. Every tender had a number and that
number did
>not necessarily match the loco. It gets better, the boilers also have a
number and
>they don't match the loco number either! It was usually whilst locos were
being
>overhauled in workshops that the swapping of parts happened. Also the case
in the
>UK. A recently restored Hall class has been renamed as they discovered more
parts
>from another loco than the one they actually had. I suspect other states in
>Australia did the same. Then there is the 'known' renumbering of
locomotives where
>the whole loco received a new number. In the end it is only a number.
>Bob
snip

1. There is the famous photo of 2 6042's beside each other inside Cardiff
workshops.

2. Boilers, tenders, bits 'n' pieces all stamped with different engine
numbers on all locos I have had something to do with. e.g. 6029 ended up
with boiler 6002A, and scraped back one of the painted numbers on the cab
side said 6003. 3016 contains a fair number of parts from 3102 and vice
versa, and not all stamped with either number. Point is that in getting them
in and out of workshops expedience overrules numerical "purity".

3. William Thow's standards were designed for parts interchangability not
only within but across classes. For e.g. eccentric straps went this way if I
recall correctly.... 32 class straps when worn out were remachined to 50
class which when worn out were remachined to 30 class.... at each step the
eccentric diameter was larger by design to accommodate the swap. There were
lots of other examples of this as well as the obvious substitutions (turbos,
Westinghouse pumps, brake stands, clack valves, injectors etc).

4. Makes you wonder what a "locomotive" is.... like my father's axe, which
has only had 2 new heads and 3 new handles, its as good as new.