LSWR 415 class
Encyclopedia
The LSWR 415 class is a steam tank locomotive
of 4-4-2T wheel arrangement, with the trailing wheels forming the basis of its "Radial Tank" moniker. It was designed by William Adams
and introduced in 1882 for service on the London and South Western Railway
(LSWR).
Originally rostered for suburban traffic, the class was soon displaced to the countryside by Dugald Drummond
's M7 class
. Most of the class was scrapped around the end of the First World War, and further decreases meant that all of them were due to be withdrawn by 1929. However, the class was noted for its long service on the Lyme Regis branch line, and three members of this long obsolete class were utilised on this duty until 1962, when suitable replacements became available. One has survived and can be found on the Bluebell Railway
.
on suburban services around London
. In the event, they were also intended to supplement this class while members entered the works for rebuilding into "Radial Tank"
configuration. All were built from 1882, and were also intended for medium to heavy suburban passenger traffic around the South Coast on the LSWR railway network.
, and was specifically designed with London suburban services in mind.
The design was based on a 4-4-0 design with a trailing axle added to support an enlarged coal bunker, a necessity for the intensive suburban services of the LSWR network. The radial axle
box worked in a corresponding curved hornblock the centre of which was struck near the middle of the chassis. The device was originally invented in 1863 by William Bridges Adams
(no relation) and could be applied to a leading or trailing axle but was generally preferred for the latter. Many other engineers used it, including Webb
, R. J. Billinton
, H. G. Ivatt, and D.E. Marsh. Many of the tank engines so fitted earned the soubriquet "Radial Tanks", or simply "Radials".
The enlarged coal bunker was also designed to incorporate a back tank for extra water storage in addition to the capacity of the side tanks. Valve gear was of modified Stephenson type.
Production began in 1882 when a total of four engineering companies were contracted by the LSWR to construct the new class, which numbered 71 when production ceased in 1885. These were: Robert Stephenson & Co.
(28 constructed); Dübs & Co.
(20 constructed); Neilson & Co.
(11 constructed) and finally Beyer, Peacock and Company
(12 constructed).
This arrangement was because Nine Elms
, the LSWR's own locomotive works, was already stretched to capacity in terms of production.
Although all were constructed to the same basic design, the locomotives that were outshopped from 1884 had slightly larger side water tanks and deeper fireboxes, therefore increasing efficiency. All carried the trademark Adams stove pipe chimney throughout his tenure as Locomotive Superintendent of the LSWR.
In order to facilitate the speedy overhaul of these locomotives in the confined spaces of Nine Elms, spare boilers were constructed. Coupled to a short wheelbase and guiding bogies, the locomotive was relatively manoeuvrable on tight curves, a feature that was to ensure the survival of some of the class later on.
Upon the appointment of Dugald Drummond
as Superintendent of the LSWR after Adams' departure, the class was modified slightly, with the application of his lipped chimney in place of the stovepipe version that the locomotives were equipped with when built.
This also coincided with the addition of coal rails to the bunker in an attempt to increase capacity. Because the class was not considered to have a long working life under Robert Urie
, they were not equipped with superheating.
tanks displacing some of the class from the London area.
However, it was not until the introduction of Drummond's M7 class
0-4-4 tanks and electrification of the suburban railway network that the class was generally removed from the London section of the LSWR to rural branch duties from 1895.
Despite this, in 1903 the inextricable link was made between the class and the severely curved Lyme Regis
branch. Unsuccessful trials were carried out with the Stroudley
Terriers
and the Adams O2 class
; however with the trailing axle modified the flexible 0415 class tanks proved to be highly suited to the operating conditions of that line.
As a result, two were allocated to Exmouth Junction shed for the Axminster
to Lyme Regis service, joined in 1946 by a third example retrieved from the East Kent Railway.
Many of the class became surplus to requirements during the later years of the war Several of the class were utilised in Scotland
where the Highland Railway
was experiencing a locomotive shortage. In September 1917 number 0488 was sold to the Ministry of Munitions, and then worked at Ridham dock near Sittingbourne either as a rather unsuitable dock shunter or more likely on staff trains. She was purchased from the Ministry of Munitions Disposal and Liquidation Commission in March 1923 for £375 by Colonel Holman F. Stephens
, for use on the East Kent Railway
, and delivered at Shepherdswell on April 13, 1923.
Seemingly little suited to the East Kent Light Railways' needs the new addition was a pure passenger engine she was only used when absolutely necessary and then largely on coal trains taking 14 wagons on the Tilmanstone shuttle. Latterly she seems to have worked about once a month and last used on 29 May 1943.
stock in 1923. The continued electrification and subsequent intensification of timetables meant that the remaining two members of the class still in service, numbers 0125 and 0520, were retired in 1929.
The intent was to replace the class with two ex-LB&SCR D1 class
tanks, though these proved highly unsatisfactory, leading to the decision to re-commission and rebuild numbers 0125 and 0520 at Eastleigh, where they were outshopped as 3125 and 3520.
In 1946 the Southern Railway required a third 'Radial' tank for the Lyme Regis branch to cover locomotive unavailability, and found 0488 (number 5) out of use, but intact, on the East Kent Railway. In March 1946 the Southern Railway purchased her for £120. and extensively overhauled for SR service at Eastleigh Works for overhaul, where it received its updated number, 3488.
Modifications were undertaken on the trackwork to enable Ivatt 2-6-2
tanks to be passed for use on the line. This resulted in numbers 30582 (né 125) and 30584 (né 520) being scrapped. Steam on this branch was short-lived after the demise of the 0415 class, replaced by diesel railcars. The branch was closed under the Beeching cuts in 1964.
However the final example, 30583 (né 488), was purchased by the Bluebell Railway
, and after arriving at the line under its own steam performed sterling work in various guises as a BR, SR and LSWR locomotive until 1990. At present it is displayed as a static exhibit as extensive overhaul is required before it can steam again.
Initially outshopped in early LSWR passenger Yellow Ochre/Brown livery with the initials 'LSW' on the water tank sides. This was eventually superseded by the later LSWR Passenger Sage Green livery, with black edging and black and white lining. Numbering was in gilt, as was the 'LSWR' lettering on the water tank side.
Numbering under the LSWR depended on batch, which therefore led to a confusing system of numbers that were granted to locomotives as they were outshopped. Beyer-Peacock constructed the first batch, which was allocated the series 415–432. Stephenson constructed several batches including the series 45–57, 68, 82, 77 and 78, with the final examples being 104, 106, 107, 125, 126 and 129. Dubs produced numbers 169–173, 490–495 and finally 516–525. Neilson produced the batch 479–489.
A duplicate number was granted to class members between 1903 and 1924, so that after grouping in 1923, the Southern Railway inherited locomotives with a '0' prefix to the LSWR numbers. The final three class members that survived the mass withdrawal of 1929 were renumbered 3488, 3125 and 3520 after overhaul.
Livery under the Southern was Richard Maunsell
's darker version of the LSWR Sage Green livery, with yellow numbering and lettering on the water tank sides and coal bunker. This livery also featured black and white lining.
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...
of 4-4-2T wheel arrangement, with the trailing wheels forming the basis of its "Radial Tank" moniker. It was designed by William Adams
William Adams (locomotive engineer)
William Adams was the Locomotive Superintendent of the North London Railway from 1858 to 1873; the Great Eastern Railway from 1873 until 1878 and the London and South Western Railway from then until his retirement in 1895...
and introduced in 1882 for service on the London and South Western Railway
London and South Western Railway
The London and South Western Railway was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Its network extended from London to Plymouth via Salisbury and Exeter, with branches to Ilfracombe and Padstow and via Southampton to Bournemouth and Weymouth. It also had many routes connecting towns in...
(LSWR).
Originally rostered for suburban traffic, the class was soon displaced to the countryside by Dugald Drummond
Dugald Drummond
Dugald Drummond was a Scottish steam locomotive engineer. He had a career with the North British Railway, LB&SCR, Caledonian Railway and London and South Western Railway...
's M7 class
LSWR M7 Class
The LSWR M7 class is a class of 0-4-4 passenger tank locomotive built between 1897 and 1911. The class was designed by Dugald Drummond for use on the intensive London network of the London and South Western Railway , and performed well in such tasks. Because of their utility, 105 were built and the...
. Most of the class was scrapped around the end of the First World War, and further decreases meant that all of them were due to be withdrawn by 1929. However, the class was noted for its long service on the Lyme Regis branch line, and three members of this long obsolete class were utilised on this duty until 1962, when suitable replacements became available. One has survived and can be found on the Bluebell Railway
Bluebell Railway
The Bluebell Railway is a heritage line running for nine miles along the border between East and West Sussex, England. Steam trains are operated between and , with an intermediate station at .The railway is managed and run largely by volunteers...
.
Background
This locomotive, designed by William Adams, was the result of the work made to replace the stop-gap 46 ClassLSWR 46 class
The LSWR 46 Class was a class of 4-4-0 passenger tank locomotive designed by William Adams for the London and South Western Railway. None have survived into preservation.-Background:...
on suburban services around London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. In the event, they were also intended to supplement this class while members entered the works for rebuilding into "Radial Tank"
Radial axle
A radial axle is an axle on a railway locomotive or carriage which has been designed to move laterally when entering a curve in order to reduce the flange and rail wear....
configuration. All were built from 1882, and were also intended for medium to heavy suburban passenger traffic around the South Coast on the LSWR railway network.
Construction history
William Adams' 415 (later 0415) Class was based on his earlier LSWR 46 ClassLSWR 46 class
The LSWR 46 Class was a class of 4-4-0 passenger tank locomotive designed by William Adams for the London and South Western Railway. None have survived into preservation.-Background:...
, and was specifically designed with London suburban services in mind.
The design was based on a 4-4-0 design with a trailing axle added to support an enlarged coal bunker, a necessity for the intensive suburban services of the LSWR network. The radial axle
Radial axle
A radial axle is an axle on a railway locomotive or carriage which has been designed to move laterally when entering a curve in order to reduce the flange and rail wear....
box worked in a corresponding curved hornblock the centre of which was struck near the middle of the chassis. The device was originally invented in 1863 by William Bridges Adams
William Bridges Adams
William Bridges Adams was an author, inventor and locomotive engineer.-Overview:He is best known for his patented Adams Axle — a successful radial axle design in use on railways in Britain until the end of steam traction in 1968 — and the railway fishplate...
(no relation) and could be applied to a leading or trailing axle but was generally preferred for the latter. Many other engineers used it, including Webb
Francis Webb (engineer)
Francis William Webb was a British engineer responsible for the design and manufacture of locomotives for the London and North Western Railway .- Biography :...
, R. J. Billinton
R. J. Billinton
Robert John Billinton was the Locomotive, Carriage, Wagon and Marine Superintendent of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway from 1890 until his death.-Early career:...
, H. G. Ivatt, and D.E. Marsh. Many of the tank engines so fitted earned the soubriquet "Radial Tanks", or simply "Radials".
The enlarged coal bunker was also designed to incorporate a back tank for extra water storage in addition to the capacity of the side tanks. Valve gear was of modified Stephenson type.
Production began in 1882 when a total of four engineering companies were contracted by the LSWR to construct the new class, which numbered 71 when production ceased in 1885. These were: Robert Stephenson & Co.
Robert Stephenson and Company
Robert Stephenson and Company was a locomotive manufacturing company founded in 1823. It was the first company set up specifically to build railway engines.- Foundation and early success :...
(28 constructed); Dübs & Co.
Dûbs and Company
Dübs & Co. was a locomotive works in Glasgow, Scotland, founded by Henry Dübs in 1863 and based at the Queens Park Works in Polmadie. In 1903 it became part of the North British Locomotive Company.-Preserved locomotives:...
(20 constructed); Neilson & Co.
Neilson and Company
Neilson and Company was a locomotive manufacturer in Glasgow, Scotland.The company was started in 1836 at McAlpine Street by Walter Neilson and James Mitchell to manufacture marine and stationary engines...
(11 constructed) and finally Beyer, Peacock and Company
Beyer, Peacock and Company
Beyer, Peacock and Company was an English railway Locomotive manufacturer with a factory in Gorton, Manchester. Founded by Charles Beyer and Richard Peacock, it traded from 1854 until 1966...
(12 constructed).
This arrangement was because Nine Elms
Nine Elms
Nine Elms is a suburb of London, situated in the far north-eastern corner of the London Borough of Wandsworth between Battersea and Vauxhall.It is primarily an industrial area, dominated by Battersea Power Station, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, railway lines, a major Royal Mail sorting office and...
, the LSWR's own locomotive works, was already stretched to capacity in terms of production.
| Year | Builder serial number | Quantity | LSWR numbers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1882 | Beyer, Peacock & Co. 2167–2178 | 415–426 | ||
| 1883 | Robert Stephenson & Co. Robert Stephenson and Company Robert Stephenson and Company was a locomotive manufacturing company founded in 1823. It was the first company set up specifically to build railway engines.- Foundation and early success :... 2501–2518 |
427–432, 45, 47–57 | ||
| 1884 | Dübs & Co. 2000–2009 | 169–171, 173, 490–495 | ||
| 1885 | Neilson & Co. Neilson and Company Neilson and Company was a locomotive manufacturer in Glasgow, Scotland.The company was started in 1836 at McAlpine Street by Walter Neilson and James Mitchell to manufacture marine and stationary engines... 3200–3210 |
479–489 | ||
| 1885 | Robert Stephenson & Co. 2601–2610 | 68, 77–78, 82, 104, 106–107, 125–126, 129 | 68, 77–78 renumbered 58–60 in 1889–90 | |
| 1885 | Dübs & Co. 2105–2114 | 516–525 | ||
Although all were constructed to the same basic design, the locomotives that were outshopped from 1884 had slightly larger side water tanks and deeper fireboxes, therefore increasing efficiency. All carried the trademark Adams stove pipe chimney throughout his tenure as Locomotive Superintendent of the LSWR.
In order to facilitate the speedy overhaul of these locomotives in the confined spaces of Nine Elms, spare boilers were constructed. Coupled to a short wheelbase and guiding bogies, the locomotive was relatively manoeuvrable on tight curves, a feature that was to ensure the survival of some of the class later on.
Upon the appointment of Dugald Drummond
Dugald Drummond
Dugald Drummond was a Scottish steam locomotive engineer. He had a career with the North British Railway, LB&SCR, Caledonian Railway and London and South Western Railway...
as Superintendent of the LSWR after Adams' departure, the class was modified slightly, with the application of his lipped chimney in place of the stovepipe version that the locomotives were equipped with when built.
This also coincided with the addition of coal rails to the bunker in an attempt to increase capacity. Because the class was not considered to have a long working life under Robert Urie
Robert Urie
Robert Wallace Urie was a Scottish locomotive engineer who was the last chief mechanical engineer of the London and South Western Railway....
, they were not equipped with superheating.
Operational details and preservation
Despite being well received in service by locomotive crews, the 0415's tenure on the London suburban services was relatively short-lived. This was especially true with the introduction of the Adams T1 class of 0-4-40-4-4
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-4 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and four trailing wheels on two axles...
tanks displacing some of the class from the London area.
However, it was not until the introduction of Drummond's M7 class
LSWR M7 Class
The LSWR M7 class is a class of 0-4-4 passenger tank locomotive built between 1897 and 1911. The class was designed by Dugald Drummond for use on the intensive London network of the London and South Western Railway , and performed well in such tasks. Because of their utility, 105 were built and the...
0-4-4 tanks and electrification of the suburban railway network that the class was generally removed from the London section of the LSWR to rural branch duties from 1895.
Despite this, in 1903 the inextricable link was made between the class and the severely curved Lyme Regis
Lyme Regis
Lyme Regis is a coastal town in West Dorset, England, situated 25 miles west of Dorchester and east of Exeter. The town lies in Lyme Bay, on the English Channel coast at the Dorset-Devon border...
branch. Unsuccessful trials were carried out with the Stroudley
William Stroudley
William Stroudley was one of Britain's most famous steam locomotive engineers of the nineteenth century, working principally for the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway...
Terriers
LB&SCR A1 Class
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway A1 Class is an English class of 0-6-0T steam locomotive. Designed by William Stroudley, 50 members of the class were built in 1872 and between 1874 and 1880, all at Brighton Works. The class have received several nicknames, initially being known as...
and the Adams O2 class
LSWR O2 Class
The LSWR O2 Class is a class of 0-4-4T steam locomotive designed for the London and South Western Railway by William Adams. Sixty were constructed during the late nineteenth century.-Background:...
; however with the trailing axle modified the flexible 0415 class tanks proved to be highly suited to the operating conditions of that line.
As a result, two were allocated to Exmouth Junction shed for the Axminster
Axminster
Axminster is a market town and civil parish on the eastern border of Devon in England. The town is built on a hill overlooking the River Axe which heads towards the English Channel at Axmouth, and is in the East Devon local government district. It has a population of 5,626. The market is still...
to Lyme Regis service, joined in 1946 by a third example retrieved from the East Kent Railway.
War service and Colonel Holman F. Stephens
The class also saw service during the First World War, which effectively extended their working lives until 38 were withdrawn in 1921.Many of the class became surplus to requirements during the later years of the war Several of the class were utilised in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
where the Highland Railway
Highland Railway
The Highland Railway was one of the smaller British railways before the Railways Act 1921; it operated north of Perth railway station in Scotland and served the farthest north of Britain...
was experiencing a locomotive shortage. In September 1917 number 0488 was sold to the Ministry of Munitions, and then worked at Ridham dock near Sittingbourne either as a rather unsuitable dock shunter or more likely on staff trains. She was purchased from the Ministry of Munitions Disposal and Liquidation Commission in March 1923 for £375 by Colonel Holman F. Stephens
H. F. Stephens
Colonel Holman Fred Stephens was a British light railway civil engineer and manager. During his lifetime he was engaged in engineering and building, and later managing, 16 light railways in England and Wales.- Biography :...
, for use on the East Kent Railway
East Kent Railway
The East Kent Railway was an early railway operating between Strood and the town of Faversham in Kent England, during 1858 and 1859. In the latter year it changed its name to the London, Chatham and Dover Railway to reflect its ambitions to build a rival line from London to Dover via Chatham and...
, and delivered at Shepherdswell on April 13, 1923.
Seemingly little suited to the East Kent Light Railways' needs the new addition was a pure passenger engine she was only used when absolutely necessary and then largely on coal trains taking 14 wagons on the Tilmanstone shuttle. Latterly she seems to have worked about once a month and last used on 29 May 1943.
Southern Railway ownership
These decreases in the class strength meant that only 30 locomotives entered into Southern RailwaySouthern Railway (Great Britain)
The Southern Railway was a British railway company established in the 1923 Grouping. It linked London with the Channel ports, South West England, South coast resorts and Kent...
stock in 1923. The continued electrification and subsequent intensification of timetables meant that the remaining two members of the class still in service, numbers 0125 and 0520, were retired in 1929.
The intent was to replace the class with two ex-LB&SCR D1 class
LB&SCR D1 class
The LB&SCR D1 class were powerful 0-4-2 suburban passenger tank locomotives, designed by William Stroudley of the London Brighton and South Coast Railway in 1873. They were originally known as "D-tanks" but later reclassified as class D1...
tanks, though these proved highly unsatisfactory, leading to the decision to re-commission and rebuild numbers 0125 and 0520 at Eastleigh, where they were outshopped as 3125 and 3520.
In 1946 the Southern Railway required a third 'Radial' tank for the Lyme Regis branch to cover locomotive unavailability, and found 0488 (number 5) out of use, but intact, on the East Kent Railway. In March 1946 the Southern Railway purchased her for £120. and extensively overhauled for SR service at Eastleigh Works for overhaul, where it received its updated number, 3488.
Operation during nationalisation and preservation
These three locomotives continued on the Lyme Regis branch after Nationalisation due to the lack of better motive power to cope with the curve restrictions in place on the line. By 1958 all three locomotives were showing their age, and the end finally came in 1961.Modifications were undertaken on the trackwork to enable Ivatt 2-6-2
LMS Ivatt Class 2 2-6-2T
The London, Midland and Scottish Railway Ivatt Class 2 2-6-2T is a class of light 'mixed-traffic' steam locomotive introduced in 1946.- Background :...
tanks to be passed for use on the line. This resulted in numbers 30582 (né 125) and 30584 (né 520) being scrapped. Steam on this branch was short-lived after the demise of the 0415 class, replaced by diesel railcars. The branch was closed under the Beeching cuts in 1964.
However the final example, 30583 (né 488), was purchased by the Bluebell Railway
Bluebell Railway
The Bluebell Railway is a heritage line running for nine miles along the border between East and West Sussex, England. Steam trains are operated between and , with an intermediate station at .The railway is managed and run largely by volunteers...
, and after arriving at the line under its own steam performed sterling work in various guises as a BR, SR and LSWR locomotive until 1990. At present it is displayed as a static exhibit as extensive overhaul is required before it can steam again.
LSWR and Southern Railway
Numbering under the LSWR depended on batch, which therefore led to a confusing system of numbers that were granted to locomotives as they were outshopped. Beyer-Peacock constructed the first batch, which was allocated the series 415–432. Stephenson constructed several batches including the series 45–57, 68, 82, 77 and 78, with the final examples being 104, 106, 107, 125, 126 and 129. Dubs produced numbers 169–173, 490–495 and finally 516–525. Neilson produced the batch 479–489.
A duplicate number was granted to class members between 1903 and 1924, so that after grouping in 1923, the Southern Railway inherited locomotives with a '0' prefix to the LSWR numbers. The final three class members that survived the mass withdrawal of 1929 were renumbered 3488, 3125 and 3520 after overhaul.
Livery under the Southern was Richard Maunsell
Richard Maunsell
Richard Edward Lloyd Maunsell held the post of Chief Mechanical Engineer of the South Eastern and Chatham Railway from 1913 until the 1923 Grouping and then the post of CME of the Southern Railway in England until 1937....
's darker version of the LSWR Sage Green livery, with yellow numbering and lettering on the water tank sides and coal bunker. This livery also featured black and white lining.