Re: B or A class

[Rod Gayford <rjaygee@smartchat.net.au>]

Probably a bit different perhaps due to fitting of heavier draft gear and tight
lock auto couplers. Never were fitted with buffers.  Can any body shed any light
on why the old NSWGR persisted with buffers on passenger stock for so long. The
42 Class came out with hook couplers as did the air conditioned sets which had
autos inter mediate but hooks on the terminal cars. The 38 Class originally had
hook couplings on the tender and appeared to change to auto set up about same
time the 42 Class changed to auto. On the other hand the 40 class may have been
delivered with autos but the two painted blue for the royal train of 1954 both
had draw hooks applied (at both ends?). I never understood why the NSWGR
persisted with buffers on diesels until the order for the 80 & 85 Class locos.
Any ideas?

Cheers

Rod Gayford

MarkBau1 wrote:

> <<<<How could the A be shorter? Is the B measured including buffers and the A
> measured to the coupler face because it doesn't have buffers, or is there
> some other reason?>>>>>
>
> The B's never had buffers so that can't be the reason. Maybe the sandblasting
> the B's got during their conversion to A's shrunk 'em a bit! :-)
>
> Mark.
>
> Visit my train pic website at:
> http://home.earthlink.net/~markbau/