Highland Railway Ben Class

Highland Railway C and U classes 'Small Ben' and 'Large Ben'
No. 14416 Ben a’Bhuird, at Inverness Locomotive Depot 22 August 1948, shortly prior to withdrawal.
Type and origin Power type Steam Designer Peter Drummond Builder Dübs & Co. (8 small) HR Lochgorm Works (9 small) North British Locomotive Co. (3 small, 6 large) Serial number Dübs: 3686–3692 (small) NBL: 17398–17400 (small), 18269–18272 (large), 18803–18804 (large) Build date 1898–1906 (small) 1908–1909 (large) Total produced 20 small 6 large
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 4-4-0  • UIC 2′Bn Gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) Leading dia. 3 ft 6 in (1.067 m) Driver dia. 6 ft 0 in (1.829 m) Loco weight 46 long tons 17 cwt (104,900 lb or 47.6 t) (small) 52.30 long tons (53.14 t) (large) Firebox:  • Firegrate area 20.5 sq ft (1.90 m2) (small) 20.25 sq ft (1.881 m2) (large) Boiler 4 ft 6 1⁄4 in (1.38 m) diameter (small) 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m) diameter (large) Boiler pressure 175 lbf/in2 (1.21 MPa) (small) 180 psi (1.24 MPa) (large) Heating surface:  • Tubes 1,061 sq ft (98.6 m2) (small) 1,516 sq ft (140.8 m2) (large)  • Firebox 117 sq ft (10.9 m2) (small) 132 sq ft (12.3 m2) (large) Cylinders Two, inside Cylinder size 18 1⁄4 in × 26 in (464 mm × 660 mm) (small) 18 in × 26 in (457 mm × 660 mm) (large) Valve gear Stephenson
Performance figures Tractive effort 17,890 lbf (79.6 kN)
Career Operators HR → LMS → BR Class HR: C (small) U (large) Power class LMS/BR: 2P Withdrawn 1931–1953 (small) 1932–1937 (large) Disposition All scrapped

The Highland Railway Ben Class were small 4-4-0 passenger steam locomotives. There were actually two separate 'Ben' classes, usually referred to as the 'Small Bens' and the 'Large Bens'.

Introduction

Despite the large and small tags, there was actually little difference between the two groups, the most crucial being larger boilers with an increase in tube heating surface. Cylinder and wheel dimensions were identical.

The class was originally designed by Peter Drummond, whose elder (and better known) brother Dugald had been in the company's locomotive department in earlier years and was at that time Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London and South Western Railway.

In appearance they were fairly typical Drummond family products with the stiffener across the cab roof. They were also inside cylindered, almost uniquely among HR bogie locomotives.

Build details

First batch

No. 14401 'Ben Vrackie' at Dingwall, 25 August 1948.

The first 8 locomotives were of the Small Ben type and were built by Dübs and Company of Glasgow in the period 1898 to 1899. They were:

HR No.	Name	Manufacturer	Built	Withdrawn	LMS No.	BR No.	Notes
1	Ben-y-Gloe	Dübs & Co. 3685	July 1898	February 1949	14397	54397	Renamed Ben Y’Gloe in 1939. Withdrawn before BR number applied
2	Ben Alder	Dübs & Co. 3686	July 1898	February 1953	14398	54398	Set aside for preservation, but scrapped in 1967
3	Ben Wyvis	Dübs & Co. 3687	July 1898	May 1952	14399	54399
4	Ben More	Dübs & Co. 3688	February 1899	October 1946	14400	—
5	Ben Vrackie	Dübs & Co. 3689	February 1899	October 1948	14401	54401	Withdrawn before BR number applied
6	Ben Armin	Dübs & Co. 3690	February 1899	December 1939	14402	—
7	Ben Attow	Dübs & Co. 3691	February 1899	February 1949	14403	54403	Withdrawn before BR number applied
8	Ben Clebrig	Dübs & Co. 3692	February 1899	October 1950	14404	54404

No. 1 was originally named Ben Nevis for its works portrait, an action that attracted the ire of the board as it was in the territory of a competitor (the North British Railway). It was renamed before entering service.^[1]

Grouping and Nationalisation

All of these locomotives survived to be taken over by the LMS at the Grouping in 1923. The Large Bens were all withdrawn between 1932 and 1937. The first of the Small Bens was withdrawn in 1931, but ten survived into British Railways ownership. The last of these, 54398 Ben Alder, was withdrawn in 1953 and placed in storage in the hope that it would be preserved.

Unfortunately the hopes for 54398 – which included the intention to restore the locomotive to Highland Railway condition – came to nothing, and following storage at various locations (including Boat of Garten) it was eventually cut up in 1967; and so, none were preserved.^[2] However, the possibility of building a new HR Ben Class steam locomotive for Scottish Railway Preservation has been raised.

References

• ABC of British Railways Locomotives, part 3 (1948 ed.). Ian Allan. p. 44.
• Baxter, Bertram (1984). Baxter, David, ed. British Locomotive Catalogue 1825–1923, Volume 4: Scottish and remaining English Companies in the LMS Group. Ashbourne, Derbyshire: Moorland Publishing Company. pp. 197–199.
• Cormack, J.R.H.; Stevenson, J.L. (1990). Greenwood, William, ed. Highland Railway Locomotives Book 2: The Drummond, Smith & Cumming Classes. Locomotives of the LMS. Lincoln: RCTS. ISBN 0-901115-72-X.
• Longworth, Hugh (2005). British Railways Steam Locomotives 1948-1968.
• Vallance, H.A. (1938). The Highland Railway.

External links

• Rail UK database no. 54398