KotangaGirl
Pre-Grouping Railways Nut
Hello Annie, A snapshot of a period a very long time in the past. "Leo" looks rather different to the US locos I saw of a similar vintage preserved at the Baltimore Museum eight years ago. So, what are the descriptions of the rolling stock it is hauling? The third one in the consist looks like it could be a horsebox.
Despite Gooch's design work on the 'Leo' class it's still possible to see the Stephenson influence in the way that they were put together. I think it was the difference in track laying standards that caused the divergence between British and American locomotives fairly early on with the American engines needing a greater level of flexibility in their frames.
As to the rolling stock in the train the first vehicle is a 'Luggage Box' circa 1840. The sloping sides of the 'box' lift up on hinges to allow access for unloading.
Next is what was known as a 'Posting Carriage' from the French term 'post-chaise'. Essentially it was an open saloon coach with luxurious padded seating around a pair of central tables. It was intended as luxury transport for a party of 1st class travellers. Riding on 4ft diameter wheels with the coach body set between the wheels it was the only Broad Gauge coach constructed in this way.
And next is the Horsebox. Some of the early horseboxes were shorter in length than they were wide, - that must've made for an uncomfortable ride for the poor horses, but this one has been rebuilt onto a longer chassis (I have two of the earlier short ones as well). They were built to carry four horses standing sideways across the horsebox and not lengthways as in later horseboxes.
Following the horsebox is a carriage truck complete with Brougham carriage as a load and bringing up the end of the train is an iron South Devon Railway guards van. The GWR and the railways associated with it experimented with the use of iron for rolling stock very early as compared with other railways. Some rolling stock such as closed 3rd class carriages made entirely of iron must've been pretty grim to travel in, with most of these finally ending up being rebuilt into goods vans of one sort or another.
The entire train that 'Sagittarius' is in charge of would be typical of what a fairly rich person of means might hire from the railway company to take a party of friends away for a trip into the countryside.
Last edited: