Sunday, August 06, 2006

Those 'German' blinkers


I'm sure that I've said a million times before that my favourite class of LNER engines was the A3 Pacfics, and I think from various things he said that they were Nigel Gresley's favourites too. The had a kind of 'racehorse' elegance to them that you really only saw in motion. And how fast they could move eh! I was suddenly reminded of it again last night watching a new DVD of film from the 1950's and 1960's. Streak lightning!

One problem that dogged the A3's for much of their operating life was the risk of exhaust smoke drifting down at speed and spoiling the driver's view. Eventually in the late 1950's nearly all of them were fitted with double blastpipes and a Kylchap exhaust arrangement and also a rather 'German' looking pair of 'blinkers' - the smoke deflectors at the sides of the chimney.

Not only did this cure the smoke problem but in the opinion of many it made a beautiful locmotive even more beautiful despite completely changing the appearance

Here's a 1:12 model I saw at Harrogate Show two years ago of 60045 'Lemberg' sporting German 'blinkers' and also a 'Flying Scotsman' headboard. She looks as good as the real thing!

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