Neverwas or Neverwazza

Perhaps my definitions are wrong but as there is less to do now that we are in lockdown lets discuss.

My definition was that a Neverwas is a model railway engine that is not a model of an actual prototype. It could also be called generic or freelance. In the very early days these were common many of the Hornby 0 gauge range came under this definition. Then there were the HD 0-6-2T models discussed in the last post. HD also did the Atholl fitted with a cowcatcher and light and liveried as a Canadian Pacific loco although it never resembled anything that they ran.

Triang did the dock shunter and the continental range with no reference to an actual prototype. Trix did an american engine which seemed to have no prototype.

So if that was a Neverwas then the term Neverwazza was applied to HD derived engines which were planned to be made by HD as described in Michael Fosters book, those could have been made and those that should have been made. Like for instance the Black Five shown here with a Castle chassis and wheels, 8F outside motion and a 8F tender with the 3 rail pick ups. It could have an 8f body as the black 5 and 8F were very similar but .this one has a Graham Farish body. Now that to me is a Neverwazza.

Meccano kept very up to date with their locos and by the time that they would have been able to make it the engine had been replaced the Standard 5MT and Trix were making that so they would not have bothered with an old LMS derived Black Five – but they should have done.

But

the HRCA  have a section on their forum which is titled Neverwas and includes just about everything that is not pure HD and of course the 0-6-2T and Canadian Pacific are pure HD locos even if they are not a model of a prototype. so they don’t apply to this section unless they are repaints. So this section includes newbuilds that HD never made,  repaints, coversions and includes carriages etc which have been repainted

So the HRCA officially has zero acceptance of the term Neverwazza

So my Gresley V1/3 is a Neverwas by their defintion – so no change there then.

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