| Revision as of 23:28, 30 April 2014 editBiscuittin (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Pending changes reviewers69,374 edits →Preservation: add link← Previous edit | Revision as of 17:01, 17 June 2014 edit undoMjroots (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Administrators323,989 edits →Postwar WD service: Accidents and incidentsNext edit → | ||
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| |79250||401||'']''||]||5193||1945|| | |79250||401||'']''||]||5193||1945|| | ||
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| ==Accidents and incidents== | |||
| *On 21 January 1941, Locomotive No. 8247 of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway]] was derailed at Wallneuk Junction, ], ]. Three ] were needed to recover it.<ref name=Trevena2>{{cite book |last=Trevena |first=Arthur |title=Trains in Trouble: Vol. 2. |year=1981 |publisher=Atlantic Books |location=Redruth |isbn=0-906899-03-6 |page=28 }}</ref> | |||
| == Preservation == | == Preservation == | ||
Revision as of 17:01, 17 June 2014
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The War Department (WD) "Austerity" 2-8-0 is a type of heavy freight steam locomotive that was introduced in 1943 for war service. A total of 935 were built, making this one of the most-produced classes of British steam locomotive.
Overview
The Austerity 2-8-0 was based on the LMS Class 8F, which until that point had been the government's standard design. Various modifications were made to the 8F design by R.A. Riddles in order to prioritise low cost over design life. These included a boiler of simpler construction which was parallel rather than tapered and a round-topped firebox rather than a Belpaire firebox. The firebox was made of steel rather than the rarer and more expensive copper.
The North British Locomotive Company of Glasgow built 545 and the Vulcan Foundry of Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire, built 390. North British also built a larger 2-10-0 version.
Most saw service with the British Army in mainland Europe after D-Day.
Post-war disposal
After the end of the conflict, the War Department disposed of 930 locomotives (Two engines being retained by the War Department and three being scrapped).
After the Second World War, 200 were sold to the LNER, who classified them as "Class O7" and numbered them 3000–3199. In 1948, 533 more were purchased by the British Transport Commission.
With the creation of British Railways, the 733 locomotives were renumbered into the 90000–90732 series. Only one of these, No. 90732, was named, becoming Vulcan after the Vulcan Foundry where many of the locomotives were built.
In 1946, 12 were exported to the British colony of Hong Kong to work the Kowloon-Canton Railway. Six were scrapped in 1956, but the final two survived until September 1962.
The other 184 locomotives remained in mainland Europe, mostly working in and around the Netherlands for Nederlandse Spoorwegen.
Finally, one went to the USATC in an exchange for an USATC S160 Class locomotive in the Postwar exchange of WD and USATC locomotives.
| No. of engines | Country | Company | Class | Local numbers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 733 | Great Britain | British Railways (BR) | BR ex-WD Austerity 2-8-0 | 90000–90732 |
| 184* | Netherlands | Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) | NS Series 4300II | 4301–4537 (with gaps) |
| 12 | Hong Kong | Kowloon-Canton Railway (KCR) | KCR ex-WD Austerity 2-8-0 | 21-32 |
| 1 | United States | US Army Transportation Corps | ||
| * Of the NS engines, 2 subsequently were sold to Swedish State Railways forming SJ Class G11. | ||||
Postwar WD service
Two locomotives continued to be held in WD stock, seeing service on the Longmoor Military Railway in Hampshire, along with two of the WD Austerity 2-10-0s and other smaller locomotives. In the WD 1957 renumbering scheme, they were renumbered 400/1. Details were as follows:
| WD No. | WD 1957 No. | Name | Builder | Works No. | Date built | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 77337 | 400 | Sir Guy Williams | North British (Queens Park) | 25205 | 1943 | Name previously on 78672 |
| 79250 | 401 | Major General McMullen | Vulcan Foundry | 5193 | 1945 |
Accidents and incidents
- On 21 January 1941, Locomotive No. 8247 of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway]] was derailed at Wallneuk Junction, Paisley, Renfrewshire. Three cranes were needed to recover it.
Preservation
Main article: WD Austerity 2-8-0 79257One WD 2-8-0 has survived. Vulcan Foundry works No. 5200 was repatriated from Sweden to the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway. It was SJ number 1931. It was overhauled to its original condition, finished in 2007, which involved building a new cab and tender, become BR "No. 90733". After test runs, 90733 ran its first passenger train on Monday 23 July 2007.
Gallery
-
77509 being unloaded at Hong Kong (1947)
-
90323 fresh out of Swindon Works (1954)
-
90074 at West Hartlepool shed north-east of England (1967)
See also
- BR ex-WD Austerity 2-8-0 - locomotives of the class taken into British Rail service
References/Further reading
- J.W.P. Rowledge Heavy Goods Engines of the War Department Vol. 3 Austerity 2-8-0 and 2-10-0
- Roger Tourret Allied Military Locomotives of the Second World War
External links
- Trevena, Arthur (1981). Trains in Trouble: Vol. 2. Redruth: Atlantic Books. p. 28. ISBN 0-906899-03-6.