Postby Noel » Fri Jul 17, 2020 5:37 pm
Early Class 04 had bonnet handrails in four sections, with a pillar at each end as the four sections were separate, corresponding to the doors, and with pillars no thicker than the handrails themselves. The first batch did not have the small handrail at the top of the radiator side, but did have a large vertical handrail on the radiator side, extending above and below the door louvres. Most of the others did have the small handrail, but it is higher up the bonnet than the main set, and may have been a later addition to the second batch.
The oblong front windows were only on the first batch, D2200-3 [11100-3], but these started with the exhaust level with the top of the bonnet, and later were given stovepipe exhausts. I don't think they ever carried the later tapered exhaust. There were examples in the second batch which carried skirts as well, and these did have tapered exhausts, but the cab front windows were extended downwards as with all later batches. The steps, both front and rear, had a solid backing on the first batch and only one with the cut-out in the front of the footplate ever carried skirts, and that quite late.
Class 04 are a bit of a nightmare to get right, as there are at least three cab versions, three different wheel diameters, two different radiator sizes, whistle or horn, two which did not have vacuum brake [both in the first batch, D2200/1, I think], at least three types of buffers [the first batch had round ones larger than later batches, while some at least of the second batch had what looks like a cropped version of the large round type], two different arrangements of bonnet handrails, two different front buffer beams [those on the first batch are the shallower type], footplates with and without front cut-outs, and possibly other differences.
Sorry to rain on your parade, but I thought you would probably want to know now rather than later.
Regards
Noel
Riveted and non riveted, also specify 00, EM or P4 as the cab splashers are set accordingly. Chassis and tenders are still in development but for now the bodies are available. Will finish off the 652 bodies too.
