 |
Trains of thought
Coal from Arigna - Central to the long-term survival of the Cavan & Leitrim narrow gauge railway in Ireland, Colin Boocock recalls the coal trains that he saw in the 1950s, and explores the mining and transport methods involved.
The locomotives of Carlisle Canal engine shed - Roger Griffiths and John Hooper consider the changing allocation of tl former North British Railway depot, which encompassed some 275 different steam locomotives across the LNER and BR years.
STEAM DAYS in Colour 196: LMS ‘4MT’ 2-6-4Ts on the North Eastern Region - Remembered for their accomplished work on the Bradford portion of express trains serving Leeds, in BR days the ‘4MT’ 2-6-4Ts of LMS origin enjoyed a variety of work in the West Riding and elsewhere on the North Eastern Region, with Fowler, Stanier and Fairburn engines all allocated.
Steam Days subscriptions
The Great Western Railway’s French Atlantics - Andrew Wilson relates how Churchward’s bold decision to test three French Compound Atlantics had long-term repercussions on British express locomotive design.
The RCTS ‘London River Rail Tour’ - The diary notes of Leslie R Freeman take us back to 29 March 1958 for rare passenger journeys along the Deptford Wharf, Bricklayers Arms and Angerstein Wharf branches.
Tail Lamp - readers’ letters
Cover: In April 1967, more than a decade after Manningham shed passed from the London Midland to the North Eastern Region, sunlight penetrates into the depths of the roundhouse and highlights BR-built Fairburn ‘4MT’ 2-6-4Ts Nos 42052 and 42072. A fleet of these tank engines maintained an LMS presence here to the end, this view being in the last days, the facilities being established by the Midland Railway in 1872.
Contents page photo: Wainwright ‘H’ class No 31518 has arrived at Angerstein Wharf with the RCTS ‘London River Rail Tour’ on 29 March 1958.
The LMS 2-6-4 tank engines designed by Fowler, Stanier and Fairburn were powerful-looking, impressive locomotives with various design differences, and the British Railways-built versions in the ‘80000’ series by Riddles continued the type from 1952. The first ten of the BR Standard engines were built at Derby Works, followed by the majority of this I 55-strong class being erected at Brighton Works, with just five more, Nos 80054-58, built at Derby, and Nos 80106-1 15 at Doncaster Works. Both the LMS-built engines and those built by British Railways, including many of the Fairburn engines, were highly successful and were masters of the variety of workings that they performed.
In this issue of Steam Days, in the all-colour section we look at the 2-6-4Ts built to the LMS designs that were at work on the North Eastern Region towards the end of steam, in particular the West Riding area was noteworthy in that these tank engines worked portions of express duties to and from Bradford and continued to do so into 1967. With 645 locomotives within the family of classes, they could of course be found in abundance across most of the BR network on a variety of duties from suburban trains to freight work and even banking duties.
My memories of the classic LMS-built 2-6-4Ts as a young trainspotter often took me to Birmingham (New Street), Manchester (London Road) and the line from Barnt Green at the top of the Lickey incline, to Redditch and to Ashchurch on the Birmingham to Bristol main LMS line, the Birmingham area being the place where most of these locomotives seen by me were to be found.
After a few years away from the railway scene, when bringing up our young family, I returned to the railway scene from May 1966, and I joined the Worcester Locomotive Society in the October. At the time quite a few of these 2-6-4Ts were still in service. I witnessed some of these tank engines during society depot visits to Saltley shed, Leeds (Holbeck), Wakefield, Normanton, Carlisle (Kingmoor and Upperby), and noted quite a few on Birkenhead shed.
By January 1967 there were around 40 Fairburn and 15 Stanier 2-6-4Ts still in service, most of these being allocated to Low Moor, Trafford Park, Birkenhead, Tebay, Lostock Hall, Wakefield, Carnforth, Newton Heath, Leeds (Holbeck), Huddersfield and Manningham and a few at Scottish Region sheds such as Greenock (Ladyburn). Sadly none of the Fowler 2-6-4Ts remained as the last of these was condemned by the end of 1965. When withdrawn, none of the former LMS 2-6-4Ts could be found at Woodham’s scrap yard in Barry, but two former Normanton Fairburn tanks, Nos 42073 and 42085, reached preservation at the Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway in Cumbria. That none of the Fowler or Stanier versions escaped the cutter’s torch is a great loss. Riddles proved by continuing the LMS design into the BR Standard era just how good these large tank engines were, and happily I 5 of the BR ‘80000’ versions are now preserved by their owners on heritage railways. Enjoy your read and your own memories of these fine former LMS large tank engines.
Editorial Page photo: Saltley-allocated Fowler ‘4MT’ 2-6-4T No 42417 departs from the north end of Birmingham (New Street) station on 4 March 1962. Resplendent in lined-out mixed traffic livery, this locomotive dates from 1933 and is to the improved Fowler design with a side-window cab.
