It would have been nice if Arthur Wedgwood and other old experienced Foden hands had still been around to see this achievement with the Speed 6 & 12 wagons, Arthur used to say they were well ahead of their time.
From what I have been told the first straight type boiler used was not a success, it had an insufficient reserve of steam with speeds of over 20 mph or if poor coal was used. When wagons were fitted with the second type boiler this made them into a very free economical steamer.
Barry Funnell mentions about 13652 belonging to The Star Brewery of Eastbourne Sussex, this wagon was sent out with the early straight type boiler but was back at Fodens to have the later type boiler fitted in the first 12 months , this wagon had a working life of 20 years. Barry mentions that even up to the end of it's life she was still topping over 55 mph on the homeward run across Pevensey Marsh driven by a very capable driver.
It would be an interesting project if a E type Foden undertype could be recreated from quantity of E type drawings that have survived from Fodens.
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