#TOO MUCH DIESEL FOR A MIDLAND MAN TO HANDLE

[mean-scarlet-deceiver]

have gone further down the Co-Bo history rabbithole, must correct some things about prior report

First, general bitching: 

* I am super grateful for this passionate and knowledgeable website... but, if they could leave off referring to the Metrovick Co-Bos as “ugly” and “less than attractive” and “awkward” and “that cool paint job was just wasted on a member of this class” and similar potshots, well! that would be, just... lovely.

* Elaborating on the above... due, apparently, to the issues they have with its aesthetics, the restorationists who are taking care of D5705 have nicknamed it “Object.” (!?!?)

Now, corrections to prior post/fic adventure: 

* D5705 is not currently at work on the Eastern Lancashire Railway, nor can I find any evidence that it did in the past. East Lanc has partnered with its private owners and other diesel preservationist groups to undertake 5705′s restoration work... but it’s possible that it’s still been static/in storage since 1986. (There are progress reports on restoration work, but I get unfortunate Ben Adler vibes.)

* The 28s began multiple-uniting the Condor Express, but the railway had lost so many orders to the roadway that somewhere between 1958 and far before the 28s were kicked off the job in 1961 the train grew short enough that it required only a single locomotive. So, my headcanon about the paired brothers... eep. 

* I gave the impression that the 28s were freight-only prior to their overhaul in ‘61 and passenger-only afterwards. This is incorrect... that was the general but hardly exclusive thrust of their assignments in those periods. 

* Also, in my ficlet I portray the 28s as being pulled straight from their Condor assignment back to the workshop in Barrow. This is incorrect. Only 2 of them were still in service by 1961, with the other 18 having fallen out of service and spent the time in storage while British Railways and Metropolitan-Vickers fought about who was to pay for the cost of their refurbishment. Also, between the 28s (save for the final 2) and the Derby-Sulzer diesels, the Condor was in the interim charge of a roster of steam engines, who were noted to easily outperform the 28s who had been designed to replace them. 

As an apology for the misinformation... new pic! 

Pair of Metrovicks on a Condor test run. (The leading coach is actually a dynamometer carriage, which is taking measurements of speed and other performance indicators. Holy crap, now I think about it, I wonder if engines are subject to "test-taking anxiety.” I sure as hell would be!) 

Juicy updates to the prior post: 

* The Co-Bo 28′s were originally supposed to have a much heavier roster than just the Condor Express, with daytime as well as nighttime assignments, notably with significant overnight/sleeper passenger work while stranded on the Scottish end of their run. Due to their infamous motor problems, the engineers soon gave up doing anything but trying desperately to keep the Co-Bos fit for the Condor, and much of the rest of their prospective work was given away. 

* Motor problems and spontaneously shattering windshields were the biggest but not the only ongoing issue. For example, insufficient braking power leading to overrun signals and derailment (!)... “fireballs shooting from the exhaust port” (!!)... and the locos sheering straight off of their mounting bolts (!!!) 

* When one of the 28s failed on the Condor (not uncommon) or couldn’t even get started (also not uncommon), their replacements were often Black Fives. Co-Bos and Black Fives also have a history of teaming up to double-head the St. Pancras to Manchester Central passenger express! (Oh my this is sooooooo relevant for ttte purposes... *starts vibrating at invisible frequencies*) 

* *vibration intensifies* I don’t even know where to begin, so I���ll just screenshot this without comment: