Re: "Mountaineer" and Fairlies in General

tgbcvr Wrote:
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> With the better lighting, it shows how Vulcan made
> the cab a little longer by wrapping it around the
> steam dome. Curious the design features of those
> early days, when they were still experimenting
> with things.
>
> Cheers,
> Ralph

Experimentation, indeed. Enclosed cabs were still somewhat a novelty on that side of the atlantic, plenty of new-built engines of the same era were open or maybe had a windscreen if the crew was lucky. The other engines the second article mentions, the 15x18 is definitely a class 56 consolidation. The 12x16 could be either a class 38 american standard or a class 40 mogul but is probably the american because its described as a recent passenger engine. The class 38 and class 56 both date to the 1878-1880 period.

The plate frame fairlie must've been loads of fun to oil the valve gear for crews used to more easily-accessed bar frame engines. At least I assume the valve gear is hidden behind the plate frames...can't see it at any rate.

The weight is listed as even higher than I recalled--quite heavy for the rail most of the D&RG was laid with in those days.