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:
 ​
 • Whyte 0-4-4T
 • UIC B2′ n2t
Gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Driver dia. 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 1⁄2 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 HR → LMS → BR (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Withdrawn 1930–1957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

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 NameBuiltWithdrawnLMS No.BRNotes
25StrathpefferMarch 1905July 19561505155051Name removed in 1920
40Gordon LennoxSeptember 1905December 193015052—Name removed in 1920
45—December 1905January 19571505355053
46—February 1906October 194515054—

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 Locomotive 15052 was withdrawn in 1930, and 15054 followed in 1945, but the other two survived to become British Railways 55051 and 55053.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 By the time they were finally withdrawn (in 1956 and 1957 respectively) they were the last former Highland Railway locomotives still in use, and were still in almost original condition.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 (7 January – 3 February 2011). "Dunrobin: coming home and steaming in 2013!". Steam Railway. Peterborough: Bauer Media (384): 6, 8.
  2. ↑ Streeter, Tony (7 January – 3 February 2011). "A Highland legacy". Steam Railway. Peterborough: Bauer Media (384): 8.
  • 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. p. 199.
  • Haresnape, Brian; Rowledge, Peter (1982). Drummond Locomotives, a pictorial history. Shepperton, Surrey: Ian Allen Limited. pp. 103, 112, 127. ISBN 0-7110-1206-7.
  • Longworth, Hugh (2005). British Railways Steam Locomotives 1948-1968.
  • Vallance, H. A. (1938). The Highland Railway.
  • Mike Morant. "Photo of 55051 in 1950".
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