Companies using 4-bolt chairs

[essdee]

I am familiar with the Midland Railway's extensive use of four-bolt chairs in its PW work - but please could someone advise me what other major pre-Group companies used this type of chair as standard?

Many thanks,
Steve

[Mark Tatlow]

The Highland Railway certainly used 4 bolt chairs. Possibly not in the very early days, but thereafter they did.

[John Palmer]

From what I have observed, the North British adopted a four bolt chair as standard. The NB casting was somewhat more bulbous than those I have seen of other pre-group companies, and really does appear to have been secured to the timbers with dome-headed bolts rather than screws. I've yet to see a 4mm chair that looks much like the NB pattern, and fear I never will.

[allanferguson]

The Caledonian certainly used such chairs, at least some of the time; and I have in my possession a North British 4 bolt chair.

Of course, as our esteemed chairman has pointed out, 4 fasteners doesn't mean 4 bolts -- my NB chair has 2 screws, and 2 holes which probably held oak trenails.

Allan F

[John Duffy]

The Great North of Scotland were also users of 4 bolt chairs.

John

[40C]

Also the Great Northern Railway, although I have no knowledge of any timescale involved.

[newport_rod]

Not quite 'a major pre-Group company', but the Brecon and Merthyr did too.

[Jol Wilkinson]

The LNWR used four hole chairs, with two bolts and two spikes.

[Tim Horn]

Great Eastern too, Like Jol says with the LNWR, two bolts and two spikes.

North Elmham GER chair TJH01 13th December 2009 Copyright Tim Horn.jpg

Cheers
Tim

[essdee]

Thank you gents,

A swift and extensive response indeed - I had no idea how widespread they were! And as Allan F. noted, commonly there were two bolts and two trenails rather than four bolts as such - I should perhaps have asked about four-hole chairs.

A good example of the benefits of coming out of one's own particular trench, for a general recce.

Many thanks again,

Steve

[timlewis]

North Eastern used 4-bolt chairs as well.

[grovenor-2685]

For the LNWR see http://www.scalefour.org/forum/s4-digests.php#23. and also other companies using different styles of chair.
Keith

[essdee]

Tim, Keith,

Many thanks for the further updates - all responses were very useful; although my earlier supposition that 4-bolt chairs would be one of the more useful diagnostics for unknown scenes (minus vehicles and other obvious company signature features) being on MR territory is now out the window in a big way. Must mug up on signal finials next.....

Keith - particularly useful to be reminded that Digest material is a) highly relevant and b) now also on the website.

BW

Steve

[alandoyle]

Also, a bit belatedly, the Great Southern and Western Railway, GSR and CIE, with 4 bolts.

Alan