DARLINGTON WORKS: Thompson A2/2 to join the Picton Whiske Fleet

Monday 2 March 2009

Thompson A2/2 to join the Picton Whiske Fleet

Picton Whiske Sheds are to have a new Pacific joining them this summer.

A Thompson Pacific no less. Although not the most popular of Pacifics on the LNER/Eastern Region, they were still an important work horse on the ECML.

The A2/2s were the first Pacifics designed by Edward Thompson when he became CME in 1941 after the shocking death of Sir Nigel Gresley. Technically they were not a new locomotive but rather rebuilds of Gresleys 2-8-2 P2s.

The loco in question is 60504 'Mons Meg', which is being made for me by PDK Models who actually make the kit.

Hope you all look forward to seeing her when she arrives in the late summer.

The North Eastern Region

Welcome to Eastcote Central, a fictional Main Line Station on the East Coast Main Line between London King's Cross and Edinburgh Waverly

After the Railways were nationalized in 1948, what had been the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) became the Eastern and North Eastern Region of British Railways.

Eastcote Central is quite similar in purpose to York or maybe Leeds, in that lines that come to Eastcote, come from all over the Region, mainly from the Eastern (as it was really part of the North Eastern) and London Midland.

Eastcote is served by Picton Whiske Sheds. Picton Whiske hosts a variety of locomotives, and usually you will find a number of Gresley and Peppercorn Pacifics. Maybe even the odd Thompson Pacific.

Does that mean we only see Ex-LNER locomotives, definitely not. Picton Whiske has a few Ex-LMS locomotives, such as the odd Black 5 and Jubilee.

Not forgetting that many ex LMS would conclude their journeys at Eastcote before heading back home over the Pennines, so seeing a Royal Scott and Rebuilt Patriot was often seen at Eastcote.

My actual layout is a giant loop measuring 14ft by 8ft.

The layout is a design by my Father and I. From Eastcote Central heading North, the layout curves left and heads into Hampden Tunnel, after leaving the Tunnel we come into East Allerton Station, a country station where many a small boy, (and bigger boy) can be seen taking numbers of the stopping passenger, slow goods or the fast non stop Express's which pass through either heading to London King's Cross or Edinburgh Waverly.

In these blogs, you will see constant updates of my work on the layout, plus plenty of pictures as construction continues

DARLINGTON WORKS

North Eastern Steam Search Engine

Monday 2 March 2009

Thompson A2/2 to join the Picton Whiske Fleet

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