Chasewater Railway Bits & Pieces 55

The follow-on to the previous post.

Everything out of Hednesford

From the Mercian August 1970

Secretary’s Report

They said it couldn’t be done – but it was!!!  Done by sheer hard slogging and the aid of a clapped out tractor.

Little did I think that the Cadbury van and the two open wagons at Hednesford would not be moved by road and that what I jokingly referred to last time would in fact become a reality.  It was!!  Six – yes six – of us spent two nights digging the sunken track and point out of a couple of feet of hard mud and rubble so that we could hand-shunt the wagons off the siding and onto the main section where we could couple them up to the passenger stock for removal by rail.

Deadline was Thursday evening so we had only three nights to organise the job.  It took the whole of Tuesday and part of Wednesday to dig the track out and we managed to move one of the wagons along to the point ready for transhipment.  However it stuck fast and all our efforts failed to make any impression on it.  This did not auger well for the other wagon and the van and we were almost on the point of giving it up as a bad job.

Then we spotted the tractor and after making a few quick calls we discovered that it belonged to the President, albeit he thought it was out of action with some parts missing.  A quick tickle up by the Treasurer soon proved him wrong and all was set.  We found a length of hawser and soon had the first wagon over the point.  Our troubles were solved you might think but unfortunately they were not.  There was no rail beyond the point and the wagon had to be towed onto the semi-hard ground of the yard.  The point (stub type) would not budge so the next problem was how to line up the wheels for the correct road.  This we did by towing the wagon back onto the point and then jacking up one end clear of the rail.  The jack was then knocked away sideways so as to throw the wheel flanges onto the right side of the line.  After much trial and error we managed the first one and it was coupled up to the passenger stock.  The second wagon followed similarly and by this time it was getting dusk.  We held a council of war and decided that unless the van was moved then it would have to remain at Hednesford for ever.  Out came the hurricane lamps and we trundled the van down to the points.  By this time there was quite a groove in the yard surface and the van soon found the level.  We jacked her up and with some pushing and heaving and a tug from the tractor we managed to move her into the right line where she joined the rest of the stock at about 10.30pm.

How stupid – possibly this is your first thought – can some members be? But let me say right here and now that if it wasn’t for such stalwarts and in particular those six who struggled so gamely to do a very important job, the Society would be highly successful resting on the laurels and efforts of its armchair and featherbed members.

I DON’T THINK

Those three vehicles are now at Chasewater thanks to the six, but had it been left to our non-regulars then they would have rotted away at Hednesford.  Members should be thankful that we have a solid core of stalwarts who do care about the future and who will do something about it.

Stirring it up am I – you’re damn right I am.  Where were YOU when we ran our most successful steam weekend to date?  I refer to the 27^th/28^th June when we were operating a small service and an exhibition as part of the Aldridge/Brownhills Festival of Sport.

I understand from the Social Organiser that he sent 10/- worth (50p) of Draw tickets and appeals for help on the days of the Festival to all members living within a 20 – 25 mile radius of the site in an effort to boost the funds.  Needless to say the response – altogether not unexpected – was NIL.  A few members did manage to sell some tickets and the surprising fact was that most of these were members whose subs were due, and not paid-up members – to me a disgusting state of affairs.

We have about 120 members scattered about the country and I am fully aware that it is not possible for all of you to attend on site due to distance away.  We have certain members who regularly donate £5 – £50 when we need to raise money urgently, we have a member who purchased one of our locos for us.  I am not getting at these members or the faithful band that turn out regularly each weekend.

I am getting at the shower – there is no other word for them – who think we can run on their subs alone.  Like other Societies I think that we can manage without this type of member even if we only have 20 members who care enough to pull their weight when we need them to.

Reverting to the weekend, the weather marred the Saturday operations, however it was all systems go on the Sunday when, had we had about another 20 members available we could have made a very fat profit form the Draw from ticket touting among the crowd which packed the Park.

I have said it many times before and I will say it again, we MUST have more help when we run these steam weekends.  The next Open Day will be Sunday August 30^th.  Make a note of it NOW!

We need quite a few hands between now and then for track repairs, stock repairs and restoration and a host of other jobs too numerous to mention.  Every Sunday afternoon from 2.00pm whatever the weather we can find plenty to do, so may we see you on site fully prepared to do a little hard work.

It is a pity that every time I prepare this report all I seem to do is belay a large number of members who are close enough to the site to be able to make at least two or three visits a month.

What a change it will be when the day arrives that I can report that the turnout on working parties each week has been 30 members and that they have now completely relaid the trackwork, the three coaches are fully restored and operational, three steam locos are available and a service will be operated each weekend.

There is no reason why this should not be so if members will rid themselves of their apathy.

Hon Sec. A.A.Chatfield

 

Now a follow-up from the General Manager’s stock news

Chasewater News

Apart from the usual lack of manpower things have been happening on site this past three or four weeks in preparation for the Festival Weekend and other events.

In the last issue I summarised the various jobs to be done and this met with a fair response so I will repeat it again this month.

Asbestos

I am pleased to report that she is now fully operational and was successfully steamed on June 20^th on the occasion of the visit paid by the L.C.G.B  Under the able hands of Mike Lewis she was again performing for the Festival Weekend and proved quite an attraction.

Barclay

The boiler inspector’s report has now been received and he has condemned her boiler.  This means we shall have to either order a new one, which at this stage is financially out of the question, or we may be able to buy a reasonable second-hand one from one of three or four of the same class which are known to be still operational.  To help defray the cost we propose to sell the old boiler as scrap.  In the meantime the loco will be put back together as a static exhibit.

Neilson

Work will now be put in hand to strip this loco down for a boiler inspection.  We understand that the boiler is in good condition and that we should be able to get the loco operational by next summer providing we have enough man-power to work on her.  Mike Lewis will again be dealing with the job and he will need some assistance.  Any offers?

 

Hudswell and Lance

These will be kept oiled and painted until after the work on the Neilson has been done.  Again, any offers?

 

Cannock Wood

I am pleased to report that this is now safely at Chasewater having been delivered on June 26^th.  It is unlikely that she will run in the foreseeable future as a new boiler will be needed if reports which we have are correct.  Work will therefore be confined to a thorough repaint and general restoration as a static exhibit.  This should keep a couple of members fully occupied for the next few months, so may I have some volunteers?

 

Diesel No.1

This is still out of commission, have we any members who are knowledgeable enough to work on her, please?

Diesels 20/21

Pic – Ross Lockley

These are both running now and are in need of a repaint.  I hope to make one or the other available fro this purpose during the next month or so.  It should not take too long to refurbish the paintwork on both of them and if any members would like to help then please contact the Secretary on site.  He will be supervising this part of the work.

 

Petrol No.1

Through the efforts of Arthur Chatfield who did the bulk of the restoration work on this loco, it was just about ready for display at Messrs. Dorman’s Ltd. exhibition in Stafford from June 22^nd to July 4^th.  I am grateful to hi, for the hard work he put in on this project and for the assistance that he received from the Chairman.  The loco proved to be quite an attraction at Dorman’s and I am sure we may receive some benefit from the resulting publicity.

 

Other Rolling Stock

Apart from the stock already on site you will have read in this issue that the two open wagons and the Cadbury van have now been delivered to Chasewater.  These have also bee joined by the Maryport & Carlisle coach and the LNWR Brake bogie van.  The ‘Paddy’ coach and the TPO coach are due in the very near future and also the GER six-wheeler.   This will only leave the Royal Saloon, and the Committee have agreed in principle, subject to various safeguards, that this vehicle should be placed on loan to the Midland Railway Project Group at Derby.  Should the Group decline then arrangements will be made to transfer it to Chasewater.

From this you will note that all our assets will be at one site and there is a lot of work to be done on them.  John Elsley has already offered to repair the roof on the Maryport & Carlisle and to do other jobs on it so that it may be available for the Bank Holiday weekend.  A start has been made by Bob Ives and Phil Dunning on repainting one of the open wagons.  There is plenty of other work to do particularly reproofing jobs and if John Elsley can have two more members to assist him he is prepared to tackle the GWR Brake, the LNWR Brake and the SECR Brake roofs, so that they may be watertight before the winter sets in.

Another top priority will be the laying of the other siding in the compound so that all the stock may be put under lock and key.  It is imperative that this work should be completed as quickly as possible and as many hands as possible will be needed.  I should like to see this job done before the middle of August and if we can get a real good turnout we should be able to meet this deadline.  Is it too much to ask, in spite of the holiday period?

Well that’s about the size of it.  There is plenty to do and enough to keep 50 members fully occupied between now and the end of the year.  We can find plenty of tools and materials to do these jobs – what we also need are the hands to do them!

You have read what six members can achieve when pushed hard, please try and think what 30 regulars could do at a more leisurely pace if I could persuade them to turn up on site each Sunday afternoon for the next two or three months.

Won’t you give it a try?

A. Holden, General Manager, Chasewater Site.

Chasewater Railway Museum Bits & Pieces 54

Time to catch up a bit!

Secretary’s Report from the ‘Mercian’ May 1970

It seems that my forecast for the movement of the smaller items of stock from Hednesford to Chasewater was way off the beam.  Let me hasten to add that several snags cropped up which had to be examined with regard to the transport.

Those of you who are familiar with the layout of the yard at Hednesford will know that there is an acute angle bend to be negotiated by any road vehicle which is delivering to or conveying from the yard any bulky items.  This unfortunately precludes all but the smallest type of low-loader, and the one that we had lined up for moving the four wheelers would not go round the corner.

We have, through the good offices of our President, made another approach to a different operator and we hope that he has a vehicle which can do the job.  If this fails then we shall have to dig out the point to the spur upon which the wagons are standing, this having sunk into the thick mud, so that we can shunt the wagons onto the main siding for removal by rail with the other stock.  The Coal Board have informed us that they will move the stock up to Cannock Wood Colliery yard either the first or second week of May and we now await clearance from British Rail that the stock is fit to run over the line to the Colliery which is their property.  Once the stock is at the Colliery yard it will be put under lock and key in the compound and the smaller items, such as the six-wheelers, E1, and, if necessary the four-wheelers will be shipped from there to Chasewater by road as there are better loading facilities at the Colliery yard to manoeuvre a big low-loader.

I sincerely hope that my forecast that most of the smaller stock will be at Chasewater by the time you either read this or receive the next edition will in fact be true for we shall require some of it for use at the Festival of Sport and also for the late Bank Holiday in August.

To impress upon you the need for better turnouts at working parties, you will find included in this issue (following) a run down on the various items of rolling stock and brief details of work which urgently needs to be either started and carried through, or which has already been started and which needs completing.

It is an impossible task for the present working parties to cope with the amount of work available, and I plead to all members with cars to try and get along to the site prepared to put in at least a couple of hours graft.  The weather seems to be picking up so we must pray for plenty of sunshine as we rely on this due to the present lack of covered space where we can operate if it rains.  May I count on your help over the next few Saturdays and Sundays???

May I, before closing this report, welcome on your behalf our newly co-opted Social Organiser, Gordon Loach.  Gordon has had many years experience in running carnivals, garden parties and other such fund raisers, and with the help of his good lady Mrs. Loach and, we hope, a ladies committee, he will be able to bring a bit of social life to the society which is lacking at the present.

Hon. Sec. A.A.Chatfield

Rolling Stock Report (as promised)

Chasewater Site

The following schedule of commitments refers only to the present stock on site; these will be greatly enhanced when certain other stock has been safely delivered from Hednesford.  We have a tight schedule to keep if we are going to provide a steam operated line this year and it is imperative that we get under way as soon as possible.

Asbestos

Boiler lagging and fittings have been removed and all applicable joints packed for a hydraulic test.  The initial inspection has been carried out by the boiler inspector who has okayed the boiler as fit, subject to some plugs being replaced and another test run before he issues the certificate.

The boiler barrel and underside of the tank are being red-leaded and painted.  Work is under the supervision of Mike Lewis who will need another two reliable assistants as soon as possible.  Work on lowering the tank, etc. will be done as soon as the boiler inspector has finished his tests.

Barclay – Colin McAndrew

This has been completely dismantled in preparation for repairs to the firebox stays by an outside contractor.  All the old tubes have also been withdrawn and will be replaced when the other repairs are done.  A lot of work will then be required to put the loco together ready for the boiler tests and final restoration including painting.  Mike Lewis is again supervising and needs two more assistants.

Neilson, Hudswell & Lance

Work on these three will have to be confined to oiling, greasing and generally touching up of paintwork, etc. until work has been satisfactorily done on the other two locos.  Volunteers are required for this.

Diesel No.1

This is at present out of commission with gear and clutch trouble.  Have we any reliable members who have knowledge of the workings of diesels and who could take this loco in hand?  Our regular fitters are already taxed to the limit with the other diesels.

Diesels Nos. 20/21

Minor repairs to the injectors and other routine work is well in hand on these two.  Both are due for a complete repaint and again volunteers conversant with the trade are asked to come forward.  Arthur Chatfield would be pleased to hear from you.

Petrol No.1

Cleaning down work is now well in hand.  This loco has to be ready for exhibition at Dorman’s Ltd., Stafford for week commencing June 22^nd.  This leaves very little time for the two regulars seconded to the job.  More help is needed here; again, volunteers are required most urgently.

Other Rolling Stock

This has been lumped together because the variety of jobs required on most of the vehicles is almost identical.  Two of the coaches are sheeted over due to leaking roofs, anybody care to take on the job of re-felting them?  It will need at least two people.  There are also a considerable number of loose or cracked panels which need attention before they are painted in undercoat.  The running board on the Great Western brake needs repairing and re-bolting and of course a real good start on painting the interiors of the passenger stock would not be amiss.  There is enough work to allocate at least three people to each item of stock or a gang of five regulars tackling each item in order of urgency.  We cannot spare this number from the present compliment; we need more of you on site to help us do this vital work.

It may also be stated that there is a lot of work to be done to the Trackwork and again more help is needed.

No offer of assistance will be refused – this cannot be afforded.

A. Holden – General Manager, Chasewater Site.

Steam Locomotives of a Leisurely Era – L & Y Railmotors

The Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway

‘Dolly – Tubs’ By Casey Jones.

From the early years of the20th century an interest has been shown by the railway companies in the possibility of working semi-rural branch lines with rail motors.

Very few of the designs evolved proved satisfactory in service, one snag being that if either the locomotive section or the carriage section had to be taken out of service for repairs, the whole machine was out of action, and this factor was rightly considered to be uneconomical.  With the possibility of excluding the L & Y R variant which proved quite good in service, most of these peculiar looking machines had been scrapped prior to Grouping, or had been converted into ordinary coaches and adapted for push-pull working.

The L&YR cars were powered by a miniature 0-4-0T unit which was welded to an ordinary coach body, carried on a four wheel bogie at the rear.  Accommodation was provided for 1^st and 3^rd class passengers with a small luggage/guards compartment.  Numbered 1 – 18 they were built as follows:

1906:  3 – 8

1907:  9 – 15

1909:  1/2/16 – 17

1911:  18

Dimensions were:-

Cylinders (2) 12” x 16”   Dr. Wheels 3’ 7½”  Height 10’ 5¼”

Length 20’ 2”    Weight 25 Tons 17cwt.   Grate Area 9.4 sq. ft.

Total Heating Surface 494½ sq.ft.   Tractive Effort 8080 lbs.

It is amazing that for many years when all other companies had abandoned this form of power for branch line working that the L & Y  railmotors continued to survive, nevertheless they did and were to be found tucked away between visits to Horwich Works on the Delph and other branches.  In some cases they worked with an ordinary coach attached at the rear.

The whole lot survived to be taken over by the LMSR in 1923 and were renumbered in order of building, 10600 – 17.  Quite a number were scrapped between the wars but several were still performing merrily when the Second World War broke out.  It is amazing that, despite strong competition from auto-fitted tank locomotives of greater power, the survivors managed to cling on for so long and it is a fact that one managed to survive into British Railways, although it never received a new number.

Most of the last survivors congregated at Bolton MPD and in their final hour were used on the workmen’s’ trains between that town and the works at Horwich.  A move to have one preserved was not carried out and unfortunately these unusual machines which were one attempt to make lightly populated branch lines pay their way cheaply and economically disappeared into the realms of railway history.

Withdrawal dates were:-

1927: 10602/3;  1928: 10615;  1929: 10604/5;  1931: 10611/13

1933: 10616;  1934: 10601/7/12;  1935: 10608;  1937: 10609/10/14

1943: 10606;  1947: 10600;  1948: 10617.

L & Y Dolly Tubs

The lower drawing is based loosely on a type built for the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway (the livery shown approximates to that of the L & Y). Both these types, and the pre-1920 GWR steam railmotor, are available as kits from Langley.
Steam Railmotor
These machines were usually built to serve the more rural lines and there was often only a single door, usually about the centre. They were commonly equipped with a set of folding steps to allow level crossings to be used as a ‘halt’ without the expense of building a platform and shelter (in some cases the halt consisted of sleepers laid beside the track to form a ground level ‘platform’). One problem with steam railmotors of this type was that they tended to end up rather long, the GWR steam railmotor was about 70ft long, only useable on lines with generous clearances.
One of the advantages of the railmotor was the quick turn round at the terminus. Normally this required the loco to disconnect the brake pipe and possibly the steam heating pipe, uncouple and move round to the other end of the train where it had to be reconnected. The railmotor arrangement meant that the driver just walked up the platform to the cab at the opposite end.

Steam Locos of a Leisurely Era – ‘Skye Bogies’

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 14285Highland Railway ‘Skye Bogie’ No.14279 at that most delightful of railway outposts, Kyle of Lochalsh in June 1927 – H.C.Casserley.

Steam Locos of a Leisurely Era – Highland Railway ‘Castles’

More from The Mercian June 1965 Vol.4 No.3

Steam Locomotives of a Leisurely Era –  by Casey Jones

The Highland Railway ‘Castle’ Class

Model in Highland Livery – Scottish Scale Loco Works

Prior to 1900, the motive power on the Highland Railway had been of the 2-4-0 or 4-4-0 variety.  Economy had always been the watchword of the Company which relied to a great extent on interchange traffic with its neighbours, in fact the Company went so far as to use the parts of older, worn-out engines to produce others which surprisingly enough did the work for which they were required most economically.

Picture from Mike’s Railway History

The Earliest 4-6-0s designed by Jones were for goods traffic over the steeply graded main line, but in 1900, his successor, Peter Drummond, produced his first passenger 4-6-0s namely the ‘Castle’ class.  The first of the class, no.140, appeared followed by numbers 141-5 in the same year.  Successive batches were added in 1902 (146-9), 1910 (30) 1911 (35/26 – 8/43) and the final three (50/8/9) in 1917 when there was a drastic shortage of locomotives capable of handling the increased war-time traffic over the line, and a well tried type was urgently needed.  The dimensions as built were:

Cylinders   19½” x 26”

Driving Wheels  5’ 9”  (Nos.50/8/9 – 6’0”)

Boiler Pressure  180 lb/sq.in.

Total Heating Surface  2064 sq.ft.

Grate Area 26½ sq.ft.

Weight  59 tons  8cwt. 3qtrs.

The class had the distinctive Jones chimney with louvers and the upturned ‘meal-dish’ roof á la Stroudley and were turned out in the improved green livery.

In 1923 all passed into the hands of the LMSR, and apart from new chimneys and the removal of the smoke-box wing plates, they remained practically unchanged in appearance. 

Lined Crimson Livery – Scottish Scale Loco Works

The ‘new’ owners renumbered them 14675 – 93 and using these numbers, the names carried were:

14675 – 9   Taymouth Castle, Ballindalloch Castle, Dunrobin Castle, Gordon

Castle, Blair Castle                            .

14680 – 4    Murthley Castle, Skibo Castle, Beaufort Castle, Cawdor Castle,

Duncraig Castle.

14685 – 9    Dunvegan Castle, Urquhart Castle, Brahan Castle, Thurso

Castle, Cluney Castle.

14690 – 3    Dalcross Castle, Brodie Castle, Darnaway Castle

Foulis Castle.

The names were painted in raised yellow lettering on the twin splasher over the first and second drivers.

The simple and robust design of the ‘Castles’ stood them in good stead for a considerable period and for most of their life they were stationed at Inverness, venturing seldom south of Perth where they took over the heavy through trains of the Caledonian Railway Company.

More modern types were tried on this section by the LMSR but it was not until the Stanier Class ‘5s’ became available to this section that the ‘Castles’ were gradually demoted to secondary duties prior to withdrawal.

To round off this rather brief glance at this milestone in the development of the 4-6-0 over the border, and by that I mean a design capable of doing the job and more, for that time in the Highland Railway Company’s history.  The class was taken out of service for scrap as follows:

1930 – 14680,  1935 – 14687/8/93,  1936 – 14679,  1937 – 14676/8/83,

1938 – 14691,  1939 – 14675/7,  1940 – 14684,  1943 – 14682,

1944 – 14689,  1945 – 14685,  1946 – 14681/6/92,  1947 – 14690.

Steam Locos of a Leisurely Era – LNWR Jumbos

More from The Mercian, 1968 Vol.1 No.2

Steam Locomotives of a Leisurely Era –  by Casey Jones

Improved Precedent 2186 ‘Lowther’

The Ex LNWR ‘Jumbos’

At the 1923 Grouping, the LNWR handed over to the LMSR a stud of diminutive 2-4-0s of various ages dating back to 1867.  Most of them had since been rebuilt at Crewe Works by F.W. Webb the CME to form an efficient stud of light engines for secondary, semi-fast, inter-urban, piloting duties and engineering duties.  The ‘Jumbos’ as they were nicknamed were comprised of the survivors of the ‘Precedent’, ‘Whitworth’, ‘Newton’ and ‘Samson’ classes and were allotted the numbers 5000-5109 by the LMSR.

Certain of the dimensions in the final form were:

Cylinders,                               17” X 24”

Pressure,                                160 lbs.

Driving Wheels,                                6 feet or 6 feet 6 inches

Weight,                                   34 tons

Allan straight link valve gear.

Names which were indeed a very motley collection – the LNWR named practically everything possible – were listed here, along with the building dates with the LMSR numbers but just too many to list here, but if anyone has a query about a particular engine, please ask.

Out of a total of 110 locos which survived into LMSR stock, 42 were ‘Precedents’, 26 ‘Newtons’, 28 ‘Whitworths’ and 4 ‘Samsons’.  The Precedents were much the same as built, whilst the Newtons and Whitworths had been renewed as Precedents between 1887-94 and again between 1893-1901 to form one standard class.  In later rebuildings some had their driving wheels enlarged to 6’ 9”.  The Samsons were virtually as built apart from Webb cabs and chimneys.

In their heyday the class had to cope, either singly or in pairs, with the heavy West Coast trains out of Euston due to the lack of larger engines and the shortcomings of the Webb three and four cylinder compounds about which the least said the better.  How they managed to cope with the trains during those difficult times in the motive power department no-one will ever know, nevertheless they acquitted themselves very ably until the coming of the Whale 4-4-0s and 4-6-0s.

No.790 ‘Hardwicke’

The highlight of any one member of the class was during the Races of 1895 when ‘Hardwicke’ (LMS 5031) ran the 141 miles from Crewe to Carlisle non-stop at an average speed of 67 mph, no mean feat for such a small locomotive over such a difficult road.

As already mentioned, later train loadings were too much for the class and they were drafted to secondary work all over the system, some specially attached to the Engineers’ Department.  Withdrawal began almost immediately after the Grouping until by 1936 the last had gone, gone that is except for the redoubtable ‘Hardwicke’ which had been restored to LNWR livery and kept as a treasured relic at Crewe Works along with Cornwall, the unique 2-2-2, until its recent removal to the Transport Museum at Clapham.

To complete this brief portrait, the withdrawal dates were given – again too many to list here.No. 2158 ‘Sister Dora’ at Ryecroft in the 1890s

The New ‘L’ Class 0-6-2T of the North Stafford Railway

The New ‘L’ Class 0-6-2T of the North Stafford Railway

These locomotives were an improved version of the earlier ‘L’ Class, which had been developed by Mr. Adams, the CME for working the heavy traffic – particularly coal – into Stoke, from various pits served by the railway.

The first to appear in 1908 was number 98 and so successful was the design that a further twenty-seven followed, the last four appearing after grouping.  The class was the largest taken over from the North Stafford Company by the LMSR and was renumbered by the new owners 2246 to 2273.

Building dates were:

1908 – 2246/9,  1909 – 2250/3,  1913 – 2254/61,  1920 – 2262,

1921 – 2263/7,  1922 – 2268/9,  1923 – 2270/3.

During their early years the class were not only used on the heavy freight turns but also on express passenger turns between Stoke and Manchester-London Road.  The North Stafford kept them in immaculate condition in the deep madder lake livery, and they could turn in quite a good account of themselves, being extremely free running machines.

Unfortunately their new owners relegated them to goods work, hump shunting and other menial tasks, so that it was not long before the first found their way to the scrap heap.

Some were sold upon withdrawal to collieries – numbers 2253/7 were sold to Walkden Colliery.  Numbers 2262/4/70/1 were also sold upon withdrawal and one of these – old NSR No.2 was loaned by the National Coal Board and restored to its NSR condition for the City of Stoke-on-Trent Golden Jubilee Celebrations in 1960.

It is still at work and is scheduled for preservation when taken out of traffic by the Coal Board.  (Last heard of at Shildon).

Withdrawal dates were:

1928 – 2247,  1934 – 2250/2/4/8/60/9,  1935 – 2256/67/72,

1936 – 2246/9/51/3/5/9/63-6/8,  1937 – 2248/57/61/2/70/1/3.Pic by H C Casserley at Waterhouses

Steam Locomotive Classes of a Leisurely Era

Steam Locomotives of a Leisurely Era –  by Casey Jones

The London, Brighton & South Coast Railway

E1 0-6-0T

In1874 there appeared from Brighton Works the first of Mr. Stroudley’s standard goods tank engines, No.97.

The class was a six coupled version of the D1 0-4-2T and the boilers, motion and cylinders of the two types were interchangeable.

Number 97 was followed by numbers 98/9 in the same year, 100-2 in 1875, 103-8 in 1876, 109-120 in 1877, 121-138 in 1878, 139-144 in 1879, 145-152 in 1880, 153-156 in 1881, 85-96 in 1883, 157 in 1884, 159-164 in 1891, making a total of 79 locos.

Dimensions were:

Cyls 17 x 24 ins. DWH 4’ 6” THS 943 sq ft Grate 15½ sq ft Pr 170 lbs/sq in

Wt 4Tons 3cwt.No.110 before restoration, at Hednesford ‘Cannock Wood’ No.9

In typical Stroudley tradition the whole class was named, rather a strange assortment of French towns and villages being chosen, together with other continental places and a few English as well.

As the standard goods shunting tank, the class was spread all over the system, doing extremely useful work.  In fact the class was so robust that Stroudley’s successors did not bother to design a replacement.  Mr. Billington did produce his E2s in 1913 to replace earlier E1s which had been withdrawn but the new development only numbered ten locos.

In 1911 Mr. Marsh the CME rebuilt No.89 with a new boiler 4’ 6” in diameter, she was the only one so treated and later when this boiler wore out she reverted to he original style.

Quite a few were taken out of traffic in LBSCR days but the majority were taken over by the Southern Railway who added 2000 to the original numbers.

In 1932-3 four of the class were transferred to the Isle of Wight and details of these are:

No.2136     Brindisi       W1   Medina

No.2152     Hungary      W2   Yarmouth

No.2154     Madrid         W3   Ryde

No.2131     Gournay     W4   WroxallWroxall

Incidentally the LBSCR renumbered certain of the class as follows before the SR added the 2000 to the numbers.

Nos. 85-91 to 685-91, No.99 to 610,      Nos. 100-5 to 692-7,

Nos. 106-9 to 606-9,   No.111 to 611

Further withdrawals took place in early Southern Railway days and in 1927-8 ten of the survivors were rebuilt at Brighton to the specifications of Mr. Mansell as

0-6-2Ts for service in the West of England on the newly opened line between Halwill Junction and Torrington.  These rebuilds were classified E1/R and those so treated were numbers 2094-6, 2124/35, 2608/10, 2695-7.  As originally built these were found to be unsteady on passenger service but this was soon eradicated by Mr. Bulleid who rebalanced numbers 2094-6, 2608/10.  These together with number 2696 spent most of their lives at Barnstaple depot, the other four being at Exeter for banking duties up the steep gradient between Exeter Central and Exeter St. David’s.

Reverting back to the E1s proper most had their names removed before passing into Southern hands, and as already remarked the survivors continued to put in useful work at various shunting yards.  Several were sold on withdrawal and these included number 2163 sold to Ashington Colliery in 1932, number 146 sold in 1908 and number 2110 ‘Burgundy’ sold to Cannock Wood Colliery, Staffs in 1927 and renamed Cannock Wood.  This latter is now the only surviving member, albeit in slightly modified form and is at present housed at Hednesford Depot  of the RPS (1968).  A fund is at present open towards the cost of purchase and restoration to full working order of this locomotive, and I can do no other than to commend this fund to our readers – after all plenty of passenger types are being saved but not the traditional British 0-6-0 shunting locomotive of which old number 110 is a worthy representative.