Bachmann Crab cylinder query

I have one of Bachmann's Horwich Crabs 32.176 No 42765 to be exact. And very pleased I am with it too.

I would like another one in LMS black livery, but Bachmann only produce an LMS engine in crimson lake livery, which is too early for my layout in its LMS guise, so I'm going to repaint one. However, when I had a look at the three Bachmann versions, to see which one would be the most suitable, I found a rather strange anomaly.

This concerns the air relief valve cutouts on the cylinders. As built, the air relief valves were visible through a large, almost rectangular cutout. Later on in life many engines (but not all) had their air relief valves replaced and the cylinder clothing only had a small circular cutout to give access to the atomiser oil feed pipe.

My example of model 32.176 has the *small* cutout, which is correct for that particular engine. However, Bachmann's online photos, which are reproduced on the Hattons website

clearly show the earlier

*large* cutouts. Oddly enough, Bachmann's adverts in the model press show the *small* cutout, again correctly.

The large cutouts are also shown on 32.177

which would almost certainly be incorrect for this particular engine at this time. Again, Bachmann's adverts in the model press show the *small* cutout which is correct.

Finally, 32.175 is the LMS crimson lake version. Hatton's own photo

shows a small cutout, as do Bachmann's press adverts. This is certainly incorrect for a crimson lake engine.

So what is going on? Can anyone advise me as to which - if any - of these models have the early, large cylinder cutout?

-- Enzo

I wear the cheese. It does not wear me.