GWR 45xx

[adigill]

Good evening all,
Could anyone tell me on a GWR 45xx what is the correct markings on the side of the tanks would be for a loco in 1910. I know absolutely nothing about GWR locos ( I'm a midland railway man) but I have a Bachmann loco that my wife bought for me a few years ago in BR black and I've re-sprayed it green and see the it could say G W R or great western and I wondered which one is correct.
Many thanks
Adi.

[dal-t]

I'm sure one of the Green Machine experts will give you the definitive answer soon, but meanwhile despite your soppy scarlet Derby-based allegiance I thought I'd share this with you. When I built my first 7mm loco and for some reason strayed from the straight and narrow (purely black engines on the finest permanent way in Christendom) I found it quite useful ...

[Russ Elliott]

http://www.gwr.org.uk/liveriesloco1906.html

but the 45xx looked very different in 1910 to the Bachmann depiction (which is 1925-ish onward)

[Noel]

The first 20, 2161-2180, were built at Wolverhampton in 1906-8, and the next 10, 2181-2190, at Swindon in 1909-10, all originally without superheating. All had copper capped chimneys and small bunkers [that of 2176 was a unique shape] which were extended from circa 1924, which also required an extension to the rear of the frames and a thicker rear bufferbeam [the Bachmann version shows the later batches, which were built new with the extended bunker]. Both batches lacked outside steam pipes as built, and had square drop ends at the front, initially with no front struts. The balance weights on the driving wheels differed from those carried later, and they had no cab side shutters, which meant that the cabside handrail was mounted higher. There were no handrails on top of the boiler, and no recessed guard plate for the lampiron on the bunker top. The buffers were tapered, not parallel.

When new, 2165-67 became 31-33 of the R&SBR for some years. Wolverhampton and Swindon tended to use slightly different liveries, particularly the shade of green. The Wolverhampton batch were built with the number plate in the middle of the tank side, and no sign of ownership. The number plate was subsequently moved, after which they carried "GREAT WESTERN", but that was after 1910.

They were recognisably the 45XX of later days, but, as Russ says, there are an awful lot of visible differences from their later state [and I don't guarantee I've listed all of them].

[adigill]

Thank you for the replies chaps,
As I say not knowing anything about the Goes Wrong Regularly, I now have enough info to at least make this loco look about right despite it being based on a later model. I'm only re-painting it and taking it back in time (livery wise) as it was a present from my wife and it would be nice for it to get the occasional run on my Midland metals even though it'll be a bit lost in the Peak District.

[Alan Turner]

You would be helped by Great Western Railway Journal No 95 Summer 2015.

Regards

Alan