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Steam locomotives of British Railways
*** Shopping-Tip: Steam locomotives of British Railways
Image:Train.calcot.grange.750pix.jpg thumb|right|250px|ex-[[Great Western Railway No. 6833 ''Calcot Grange'', a
4-6-0 GWR 6800 Class Grange class steam locomotive, at
Bristol Temple Meads station, Bristol, England]]
British Railways (BR) inherited a number of locomotives from its constituent "Big Four" companies, the vast majority of which were steam locomotives. BR also built 2537 steam locomotives in the period
1948-
1960, 1538 were to pre-nationalisation designs, and 999 to its own standard designs. These locomotives were destined to lead short lives, some as little as only 5 years against a design life of over 30 years, because of the decision to end the use of steam traction in 1968. For an explanation of numbering and classification, see
British Locomotive and Multiple Unit Numbering and Classification.
Background
British Railways was created in 1948 by the merger of the big four grouped railway companies; the
Great Western Railway (GWR), the
London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS), the
London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) and the
Southern Railway (UK) Southern Railway (SR). It therefore inherited a wide legacy of rolling stock, much of which needed replacing due to the ravages of World War II.
Classification
BR adopted a slighlty modified version of the LMS' classification system, itself based on the
Midland Railway's system. Each locomotive class was given a number 0-9 that signified its power, 0 for the least powerful and 9 for the most. They were then given a basic suffix of F or P indicating freight and passenger roles respectively. Freight power ranged from 0-9, passenger from 0-8. Many locomotives were used for both roles, in which case they were given two class numbers, the P first e.g. 3P4F or 6P5F. A slight change from the LMS system saw those where the freight classification equalled the passenger classification, e.g. for the
LMS black fives 5P5F, reclassified, e.g. as 5MT. Mixed traffic locos had power in the range of classes 2-6.
Locomotives acquired from constituent companies and the War Department
image:ExLMS_jubilee_Sandwich.jpg thumb|right|An ex-LMS Jubilee Class locomotive
A wide variety of locomotives were acquired from the four constituent companies. These had generally standardised their own designs. See:
*
Locomotives of the Great Western Railway
*
Locomotives of the Southern Railway
*
Locomotives of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
*
Locomotives of the London and North Eastern Railway
After initially using letter prefixes (E for ex-LNER, M for ex-LMS, S for ex-SR, andW for ex-GWR locomotives), it was decided to add 30000 to the Southern numbers, 40000 to the LMS numbers and 60000 to the LNER numbers, the GWR numbers remaining unchanged since they used
number plates.
The 1948 Locomotive Trials pitted locomotives from each company against each other.
In addition, two types purchased from the
War Department (UK) British War Department following their use during World War II on railways in Great Britain and elsewhere in Europe.
*
WD class 8F 2-8-0: 90000-732
*
WD class 8F 2-10-0: 90750-774
BR also bought some ex-WD 8Fs.
Locomotives built by BR to Big Four designs
Initially, the newly nationalised network continued to be run as four different concerns, and pursued the policy of building of well-estalblished designs. Some of these were already quite old, one class (the J92 tank engines) were a pre-Grouping design.
ex-GWR designs
Image:Brsince78 pannier tank 883.jpg thumb|right|A 1600 Class pannier tank built by BR
The Great Western management was opposed to nationalisation built many
pannier tanks, resulting in a surplus of them. 452 locomotives were built to ex-GWR designs, of which 341 were pannier tanks.
{|class="wikitable"
!Class
!Numbers
!
Power classification
!
Wheel arrangement
!Number Built
!Dates Built
|-
|
GWR 1500 Class 1500
|1500-9
|4F
|
0-6-0PT
|10
|1949
|-
|
GWR 1600 Class 1600
|1600-54
|2F
|
0-6-0PT
|55
|1949-51, 1954
|-
|
GWR 9400 Class 9400
|1655-9, 3400-9, 8400-99, 9410-99
|4F
|
0-6-0PT
|215
|1949-56
|-
|
GWR 2251 Class 2251
|3218-9
|3MT
|
0-6-0
|2
|1948
|-
|
GWR 5101 Class 5101
|4160-79
|4MT
|
2-6-2T
|20
|1948-9
|-
|
GWR 5700 Class 5700
|6760-79, 9662-82
|3F
|
0-6-0PT
|41
|1948-50
|-
|
GWR 6959 Class Modified Hall
|6981-99, 7900-29
|5MT
|
4-6-0
|49
|1948-50
|-
|
GWR 4073 Class Castle
|7008-37
|7P
|
4-6-0
|30
|1948-50
|-
|
GWR 7400 Class 7400
|7430-49
|2F
|
0-6-0PT
|20
|1948, 1950
|-
|
GWR 7800 Class Manor
|7820-9
|5MT
|
4-6-0
|10
|1950
|}
ex-SR designs
The only ex-SR designs built by BR were 50 Bulleid Pacifics. Many of these were later rebuilt as conventional engines.
{|class="wikitable"
!Class
!Numbers
!
Power classification
!
Wheel arrangement
!Number Built
!Dates Built
|-
|
SR West Country Class West Country/Battle of Britain
|34071-110
|7P5F
|
4-6-2
|40
|1948-51
|-
|
SR Merchant Navy Class Merchant Navy
|35021-30
|7P5F
|
4-6-2
|10
|1948-9
|}
ex-LMS designs
Image:Ivatt tank Keighley & Worth Valley Railway.jpg thumb|right|Designed by [[H. G. Ivatt of the LMS, but built by BR in
1949, 41241 is preserved on the
Keighley and Worth Valley Railway. She has a 2-6-2T wheel arrangement and a 2MT power classification]]
640 locomotives were built to ex-LMS designs. They were built across the works, not just at Crewe, Derby and Horwich. Many of the later BR standard designs were based on the LMS designs.
{{-}}
{|class="wikitable"
!Class
!Numbers
!
Power classification
!
Wheel arrangement
!Number Built
!Dates Built
|-
|
LMS Ivatt 2MT 2-6-2T Ivatt 2MT 2-6-2T
|41210-329
|2MT
|
2-6-2T
|120
|1948-52
|-
|
LMS Fairburn 2-6-4T Fairburn Tank
|42050-186, 42190-9
|4MT
|
2-6-4T
|147
|1948-51
|-
|
LMS Ivatt 4MT Ivatt 4MT
|43003-161
|4MT
|
2-6-0
|159
|1948-52
|-
|
LMS Black Five Class "Black Five"
|44658-717, 44738-57
|5MT
|
4-6-0
|100
|1948-51
|-
|
LMS Princess Coronation Class "Duchess"
|46257
|8P
|
4-6-2
|1
|1948
|-
|
LMS Ivatt 2MT Ivatt 2MT 2-6-0
|46420-527
|2MT
|
2-6-0
|108
|1948-53
|-
|
LMS Kitson saddle tank Kitson saddle tank
|47005-9
|0F
|
0-4-0ST
|5
|1953-4
|}
ex-LNER designs
Image:61306 at Leeds City.jpg thumb|BR-built [[LNER Thompson Class B1 61306 at Leeds City in
1966 or
1967.]]
BR built 396 locomotives to ex-LNER designs. One of these, the
LNER Class J72 J72 Class was a
North Eastern Railway (UK) North Eastern Railway design dating from
1898.
{|class="wikitable"
!Class
!Numbers
!
Power classification
!
Wheel arrangement
!Number Built
!Dates Built
|-
|
LNER Peppercorn Class A1 Peppercorn A1
|60114-62
|8P6F
|
4-6-2
|49
|1948-49
|-
|
LNER Peppercorn Class A2 Peppercorn A2
|60526-39
|8P7F
|
4-6-2
|14
|1948
|-
|
LNER Thompson Class B1 Thompson B1
|61273-409
|5MT
|
4-6-0
|136
|1948-52
|-
|
LNER Class J72 J72
|69001-28
|2F
|
0-6-0T
|28
|1949-51
|-
|
LNER Thompson/Peppercorn Class K1 Thompson/Peppercorn K1
|62001-70
|6MT
|
2-6-0
|70
|1949-50
|-
|
LNER Thompson Class L1 Thompson L1
|67702-800
|
|
2-6-4T
|99
|1948-50
|}
BR standard classes
Image:Steam locomotive - 73096 - at Virginia Water station - 280404.jpg thumb|right|A Standard Class 5MT in preservation
From 1951, BR started to build steam locomotives to its own standard designs, which were largely based on LMS practice, but incorporating ideas and modifications from the other constituent companies and America.
Characteristic features of these were taper boilers, high running plates, two cylinders and streamlined cabs.
Although more were ordered, a total of 999 BR standards were constructed, and the last, 92220 ''Evening Star'', was built in
1960. Most never saw the end of their usefulness and being in good condition, several are preserved.
{|class="wikitable"
!Class
!Numbers
!
Power classification
!
Wheel arrangement
!Number Built
!Dates Built
|-
|
BR standard class 7 Std Class 7(''Britannia'' Class)
|70000-54
|7P6F
|4-6-2
|55
|
1951-
1954 54
|-
|
BR standard class 8 71000 Duke of Gloucester Std Class 8(''Duke of Gloucester'')
|71000
|8P
|4-6-2
|1
|1954
|-
|
BR standard class 6 Std Class 6(''Clan'' Class)
|72000-9
|6P5F
|4-6-2
|10
|
1952
|-
|
BR standard class 5 Std Class 5
|73000-171
|5MT
|4-6-0
|172
|1951-
1957 57
|-
|
BR standard class 4 4-6-0 Std Class 4 4-6-0
|75000-79
|4MT
|4-6-0
|80
|1951-57
|-
|
BR standard class 4 2-6-0 Std Class 4 2-6-0
|76000-114
|2MT
|2-6-0
|115
|1952-57
|-
|
BR standard class 3 Std Class 3
|77000-19
|3MT
|2-6-0
|20
|1953
|-
|
BR standard class 2 Std Class 2
|78000-64
|2MT
|2-6-0
|65
|1952-
1956 56
|-
|
BR standard class 4 tank Std Class 4 Tank
|80000-154
|4MT
|2-6-4T
|155
|1951-57
|-
|
BR standard class 3 tank Std Class 3 Tank
|82000-44
|3MT
|2-6-2T
|45
|1951-1953
|-
|
BR standard class 2 tank Std Class 2 Tank
|84000-29
|2MT
|2-6-2T
|30
|
1953-57
|-
|
BR standard class 9F Std Class 9F
|92000-250
|9F
|2-10-0
|251
|1954-
1960 60
|-
|}
Withdrawal
Image:Barry Scrapyard line of tank engines.jpg thumb|right|A line of withdrawn standard 4 tanks at Barry
The 1955 Modernisation Plan called for the phasing out of steam traction. Major withdrawals occurred over the period 1962-1966, and steam traction finally ended in
August 1968, coinciding with the
Beeching Axe.
Some were sold to
London Transport, where steam remained until
1971. Steam on industrial lines remained until the early
1980s.
Preservation
Withdrawn locomotives were sent for
scrap. Many went to
Woodhams' Scrapyard in
Barry, Wales Barry,
South Wales. Some have since been saved from Barry and elsewhere. Former main line locomotives, along with various smaller industrial shunters form the backbone of steam motive power for
heritage railways. Main line running on charter trains is possible and in this they run under
TOPS code as
British Rail Class 98 Class 98.
Vale of Rheidol
One notable exception to the standard gauge rule was the narrow gauge
Vale of Rheidol Railway in Mid-Wales, which remained operated by British Rail until 1987 and which used three steam locomotives. After 1987 it was run as a heritage railway.
See also
For a list of Diesel and Electric locomotives of British Railways:
*
List of British Rail classes
References
* Hugh Longworth ''British Railway Steam Locomotives 1948-1968'', Ian Allan. [http://www.ianallanpublishing.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=24631] ISBN 0860935930
{{BRstds}}
category:British Rail(ways)
Category:steam locomotives British Railways
*** Shopping-Tip: Steam locomotives of British Railways
