Highland Railway W Class Explained

Highland Railway W class
Powertype:Steam
Designer:Peter Drummond
Builder:HR Lochgorm Works
Builddate:1905–1906
Totalproduction:4
Whytetype:0-4-4T
Uicclass:B2′ n2t
Driverdiameter:4feet
Trailingdiameter:2feet
Locoweight:35.75LT
Fueltype:Coal
Fuelcap:1.75LT
Watercap:900impgal
Boiler:3feet diameter
Boilerpressure:150psi
Firearea:13square feet
Fireboxarea:68square feet
Totalsurface:719.5square feet
Cylindercount:Two, inside
Cylindersize:14x
Tractiveeffort:92562NaN2
Operator:HRLMSBR (Sc)
Operatorclass:HR: W
Powerclass:LMS: 0P
Withdrawndate: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

See main article: Dunrobin (locomotive). 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 Name !! Built !! Withdrawn !! LMS No. !! BR !! Notes
25 Strathpeffer 15051 55051 align=left Name removed in 1920
40 Gordon Lennox 15052 align=left Name removed in 1920
45 15053 55053 align=left
46 15054 align=left

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 Locomotive 15052 was withdrawn in 1930, and 15054 followed in 1945, but the other two survived to become British Railways 55051 and 55053.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 By the time they were finally withdrawn (in 1956 and 1957 respectively) they were the last former Highland Railway locomotives still in use, and were still in almost original condition.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 Light Railway.

References

External links

Notes and References

  1. Tony . Streeter . Dunrobin: coming home and steaming in 2013! . Steam Railway . 384 . 7 January – 3 February 2011 . 6, 8 . Bauer Media . Peterborough.
  2. Tony . Streeter . A Highland legacy . Steam Railway . 384 . 7 January – 3 February 2011 . 8 . Bauer Media . Peterborough.