LMS Fowler Dock Tank
Encyclopedia
The London, Midland and Scottish Railway
(LMS) Fowler Dock Tank was a 0-6-0
T steam locomotive
. Designed for shunting
in dock
s, it had a short wheelbase
in order for it to negotiate tight curves.
for an 0-6-0 tank locomotive with a 9 foot 6 inch wheelbase which, aided by the use of Cartazzi self-centring axleboxes on the rear axle, allowed the loco to negotiate curves of 2½ chains,. Ten of these simple sturdy locomotives were built on Lot 61 in 1928 and 1929 by Derby Works
although, unusually for dock tanks they incorporated outside cylinders, these normally being considered too dangerous in an area where people were working close to the rapidly moving rods. Other than this they were typical of most dock tanks with simple slide valves and oval buffers. They were initially numbered 11270–9, renumbered under the LMS 1933 renumbering scheme to 7100–9, and renumbered again in 1939 to 7160–9. Despite their small number, the LMS considered them standard locomotives.
After nationalisation in 1948, BR added 40000 to their numbers making them 47160–9, and allocated 5 of the 10 to Scottish depots, where they operated on branch lines as well as docks. The locomotives spent their entire lives painted in plain black; withdrawals took place between 1959 and 1964 with none surviving into preservation.
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
(LMS) Fowler Dock Tank was a 0-6-0
0-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels...
T steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
. Designed for shunting
Shunting
Shunting is an event in the neuron which occurs when an excitatory postsynaptic potential and an inhibitory postsynaptic potential are occurring close to each other on a dendrite, or are both on the soma of the cell....
in dock
Dock (maritime)
A dock is a human-made structure or group of structures involved in the handling of boats or ships, usually on or close to a shore.However, the exact meaning varies among different variants of the English language...
s, it had a short wheelbase
Wheelbase
In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels.- Road :In automobiles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the center of the front wheel and the center of the rear wheel...
in order for it to negotiate tight curves.
History
The LMS were responsible for operating lines on a number of docks which, due to space constraints, contained curves considerably sharper than most other places, thus most dock tanks had only four coupled (i.e. driving) wheels in order to allow them to negoatiate the tight curves. With the growth in freight a more powerful engine was required which resulted in this design by Sir Henry FowlerHenry Fowler (engineer)
Sir Henry Fowler, KBE was a Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Midland Railway and subsequently the London, Midland and Scottish Railway.- Biography :...
for an 0-6-0 tank locomotive with a 9 foot 6 inch wheelbase which, aided by the use of Cartazzi self-centring axleboxes on the rear axle, allowed the loco to negotiate curves of 2½ chains,. Ten of these simple sturdy locomotives were built on Lot 61 in 1928 and 1929 by Derby Works
Derby Works
The Midland Railway Locomotive Works, known locally as "the loco" comprised a number of British manufacturing facilities in Derby building locomotives and, initially, rolling stock in Derby, UK.-Early days:...
although, unusually for dock tanks they incorporated outside cylinders, these normally being considered too dangerous in an area where people were working close to the rapidly moving rods. Other than this they were typical of most dock tanks with simple slide valves and oval buffers. They were initially numbered 11270–9, renumbered under the LMS 1933 renumbering scheme to 7100–9, and renumbered again in 1939 to 7160–9. Despite their small number, the LMS considered them standard locomotives.
After nationalisation in 1948, BR added 40000 to their numbers making them 47160–9, and allocated 5 of the 10 to Scottish depots, where they operated on branch lines as well as docks. The locomotives spent their entire lives painted in plain black; withdrawals took place between 1959 and 1964 with none surviving into preservation.