Highland Railway W Class

Highland Railway W class
Type and origin
Power type Steam
Designer Peter Drummond
Builder HR Lochgorm Works
Build date 1905–1906
Total produced 4
Specifications
Configuration 0-4-4T
UIC class B2′ n2t
Gauge 4 ft 8 12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Driver diameter 4 ft 6 in (1.372 m)
Trailing dia 2 ft 6 in (0.762 m)
Loco weight 35.75 long tons (36.32 t; 40.04 short tons)
Fuel type Coal
Fuel capacity 1.75 long tons (1.78 t; 1.96 short tons)
Water cap 900 imp gal (4,100 l; 1,100 US gal)
Firebox:
  Firegrate area
13 sq ft (1.2 m2)
Boiler 3 ft 10 12 in (1.18 m) diameter
Boiler pressure 150 psi (1.03 MPa)
Heating surface 719.5 sq ft (66.84 m2)
  Firebox 68 sq ft (6.3 m2)
Cylinders Two, inside
Cylinder size 14 in × 20 in (356 mm × 508 mm)
Performance figures
Tractive effort 9,256 lbf (41.17 kN)
Career
Operators HRLMSBR (Sc)
Class HR: W
Power class LMS: 0P
Withdrawn 1930–1957
Disposition All scrapped, but the locomotive this class was based on, the prototype, is preserved.

The Highland Railway W class were four small 0-4-4T locomotives built by the Highland Railway in 1905–1906 to the design of locomotive superintendent Peter Drummond. They were the last engines that were built at the company's Lochgorm works in Inverness, and were used on branch line services.

Predecessor

Main article: Dunrobin (locomotive)

Dunrobin was an 0-4-4T built in 1895 by Sharp, Stewart & Co. for the 4th Duke of Sutherland.[1] The W class were near-clones of Dunrobin.[2]

Numbers / Names

Table of locomotives
HR No. HR Name Built Withdrawn LMS No. BR Notes
25 Strathpeffer March 1905 June 1965 15051 55051 Name removed in 1920
40 Gordon Lennox September 1905 December 1930 15052 Name removed in 1920
45 December 1905 January 1957 15053 55053
46 February 1906 October 1945 15054

Service

All four locomotives passed to the LMS in 1923, where they were numbered 15051–15054 and given power classification '0P'. Locomotive 15052 was withdrawn in 1930, and 15054 followed in the 1940s, but the other two survived to become British Railways 55051 and 55053. These spent their final years based at Helmsdale for working the Dornoch Light Railway, which required locomotives with exceptionally light axle loadings. By the time they were finally withdrawn (in 1956 and 1957 respectively) they were the last former Highland Railway locomotives still in use, and were still in almost original condition.

In order to replace these locomotives, British Railways transferred two GWR 1600 Class 0-6-0PT locomotives (numbers 1646 and 1649) to Helmsdale to work the Dornoch line.

References

  1. Streeter, Tony (January 7 – February 3, 2011). "Dunrobin: coming home and steaming in 2013!". Steam Railway (Peterborough: Bauer Media) (384): 6, 8.
  2. Streeter, Tony (January 7 – February 3, 2011). "A Highland legacy". Steam Railway (Peterborough: Bauer Media) (384): 8.

External links

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