Armed train: locomotive options

A surprise post by Company B over at the Lead Adventure forum brought me to reconsider the configuration of the armed train. One of the aspects that was giving me pause was the length of the locomotive, tender, and rolling stock combined, and its ‘presence’, or, more likely, its sheer length on the table.

I had begun to think about the rolling stock too; a flat car for the Armstrong 40 pounder, and a couple of low gondola’s for the Naval Brigade complement, and perhaps a flat car with a small crane.

Company B are planning a nice little 060 locomotive with a tender, and a very compact 060 pannier tank locomotive, which have got me thinking about something less historically accurate, but more manageable, around one of these smaller models.

Three locomotive options, with the currently available 0440 (top), which I was considering until the two 060s were posted. The middle loco will be a bit longer once its tender is attached, and the pannier tank at the bottom would be very compact. (Photo and renders Company B.)