Highland Railway L Class – ‘Skye Bogies’
One of my favourite classes of locomotive, based on looks alone – they always put me in mind of a greyhound smoothly galloping along. Not the best way to judge engines I suppose, but that’s my opinion.
While I am giving my opinions, it is surprising how many times I look at a photograph, say I like it, and find that it was taken by H.C.Casserley – a master of his craft!
A view of the Highland Railway at Inverness looking over the Moray Firth. In the foreground is Skye Bogie No.14279. Photo taken in June 1927 by H.C.Casserley
The Highland Railway Jones L Class 4-4-0s were more commonly known as ‘Skye Bogies’ due to their association with the Kyle of Lochalsh Line. They were essentially mixed traffic versions of the earlier F Class. The 17-by-24-inch (432 mm × 610 mm) cylinders, valve gear and motion were common to the two classes, but they had smaller 5-foot-3-inch (1,600 mm) driving wheels and higher pressure 150-pound-force-per-square-inch (1,030 kPa) boilers.
Nine were built at Lochgorm Works over the period 1882 to 1901. Listed in order of construction:
They were never named.
Eight passed to the LMS in 1923, but had gone by Nationalisation.
Former Highland ‘Skye Bogie’ 4-4-0 No.14277 is turned at Dingwall: these locomotives were normally used between Dingwall and the Kyle of Lochalsh – H.C.Casserley
| Highland Railway L class | |
| Power type | Steam |
| Designer | David Jones |
| Builder | HR Lochgorm Works |
| Build date | 1882-1901 |
| Total production | 9 |
| Configuration | 4-4-0 |
| Gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| Driver diameter | 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm) |
| Locomotive weight | 43 tons 0 cwt (96,300 lb/43.7 t) |
| Boiler pressure | 150 lbf/in² (1.03 MPa) |
| Cylinders | Two, outside |
| Cylinder size | 17 in × 24 in (432 mm × 610 mm) |
| Tractive Effort | 14,037 lbf (62.44 kN) |
| Career | HR – LMS |
| Class | HR: L |
| Power class | 1P |
| Number in class | 1 January 1923: 8 |
| Nicknames | Skye Bogies |
| Retired | 1922-1930 |
| Disposition | All scrapped |
HR Number Built LMS Number Notes 70 (later 67)
1882 14277 Swapped numbers with 67 c.1916 85
1892 — 86
1893 14279 87
1893 14280 Withdrawn before renumbered by the LMS 88
1895 14281 Withdrawn early 1926 before renumbering by the LMS 5 (later 32)
1897 14282 6 (later 33)
1897 14283 7 (later 34)
1898 14284 48
1901 14285
Highland Railway ‘Skye Bogie’ No.14279 at that most delightful of railway outposts, Kyle of Lochalsh in June 1927 – H.C.Casserley.
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