Token apparatus mount?

[barhamd]

Hi all

Am I right in thinking that the rectangular recess in the front of this tender was for token collection apparatus? I believe some of this class (J17) were fitted with this apparatus for operating over the M&GN. Am I correct in thinking that they were only on one side only?

J17-token-collector-hole.jpg

Not all the J17s had this feature.

thanks
David

[John Palmer]

Yes, I think you're right about this rebate being associated with the Whitaker tablet exchanger. Evidence of this being the case can be found at https://thetransportlibrary.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=69673&search=J17&category_id=64&page=4, which shows an exchanger mounted on a J17 tender. Visible too is the mounting arrangement for the exchanger consisting of a horizontal bar to which the exchanger was attached, permitting the apparatus to be extended sideways into the catch/despatch position. So far as I can see, the rebate in the tender side sheet was required to accommodate the 'dog's ears', as the spring loaded jaws that gripped the outgoing pouch were known.
Further information on the Whitaker apparatus can be found at https://www.lmssociety.org.uk/topics/singleLineWorking3.php, including a photograph showing an exchanger fitted to the right hand side of the cab of an M&GN 4-4-0 and oriented for an exchange when running tender first.
On the Somerset & Dorset, where the apparatus was developed by Alfred Whitaker in the course of his tenure as Locomotive Superintendent, exchangers were fitted to both sides of the tenders attached to the line's 2-8-0s. This was because, at the time of these locomotives' introduction, there was a dearth of turntables that could accommodate them, so making 'tender leading' running a regular practice. There was no such turning problem for other locomotives in the S&D inventory, and I'm not aware of any other class working the line that needed to be dual fitted in this way. I've no idea how common tender first working on the M&GN was, but it is apparent from the picture in the linked LMS Society article that it had to be employed sufficiently frequently as to require the dual fitting I've mentioned.

[barhamd]

Many thanks for that. I've just found several pictures of 65567 on the same rail tour from both sides. These show the recess on one side of the tender only.

David