Under the
Whyte notationThe Whyte notation for classifying steam locomotives by wheel arrangement was devised by Frederick Methvan Whyte and came into use in the early twentieth century encouraged by an editorial in American Engineer and Railroad Journal...
for the classification of
steam locomotiveA 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...
s,
4-6-0 represents the
wheel arrangementIn rail transport, a wheel arrangement is a system of classifying the way in which wheels are distributed beneath a locomotive.. Several notations exist to describe the wheel assemblies of a locomotive by type, position, and connections, with the adopted notations varying by country...
of four
leading wheelThe leading wheel or leading axle of a steam locomotive is an unpowered wheel or axle located in front of the driving wheels. The axle or axles of the leading wheels are normally located in a truck...
s on two axles in a leading truck, six powered and coupled
driving wheelOn a steam locomotive, a driving wheel is a powered wheel which is driven by the locomotive's pistons...
s on three axles, and no
trailing wheelOn a steam locomotive, a trailing wheel or trailing axle is generally an unpowered wheel or axle located behind the driving wheels. The axle of the trailing wheels was usually located on a trailing truck...
s. This wheel arrangement became the second-most popular configuration for new steam locomotives in
AmericaThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the mid-19th century. In the United States this type is commonly called a
ten-wheeler.
Other equivalent classifications are:
UIC classificationThe UIC classification of locomotive axle arrangements describes the wheel arrangement of locomotives, multiple units and trams. It is set out in the International Union of Railways "Leaflet 650 - Standard designation of axle arrangement on locomotives and multiple-unit sets". It is used in much...
:
2C (also known as German classification and Italian classification)
French classification:
230
Turkish classificationIn the Turkish classification system for railway locomotives, the number of powered axles are followed by the total number of axles. It is identical to the Swiss system except that the latter places a slash between the two numbers.Thus0-6-0 becomes 33...
:
35
Swiss classification:
3/5
Russian classification:
2-3-0
Usage
The 4-6-0 was constructed in large numbers for passenger and
mixed trafficA mixed-traffic locomotive is one designed to be capable of hauling both passenger trains and freight trains. The term is mostly used in the United Kingdom and those nations following British practice...
trains during the second half of the nineteenth and first half of the twentieth centuries. A natural extension of the venerable
4-4-0Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-4-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels...
, the four-wheel leading truck gave good stability at speed and allowed a longer boiler to be supported, while the lack of trailing wheels gave a high
adhesive weightAdhesive weight is the amount of a locomotive's weight that is applied to the driving wheels and so capable of delivering traction. The more weight applied to the driving wheels, the greater the locomotive's ability to haul a load. But if the weight on the driving wheels exceeds the axle load of...
.
The primary limitation of the type was the small size of the firebox, which limited power output. In passenger service it was superseded by the
4-6-24-6-2, in the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle .These locomotives are also known as Pacifics...
(Pacific) type, whose trailing truck allowed it to carry a greatly enlarged firebox. Addition of a fourth driving axle gave the
4-8-0Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-8-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and no trailing wheels. The type was nicknamed the Mastodon or Twelve-wheeler in North America....
type, but these were rare in North America.
United States
The first 4-6-0 built in America was the
Chesapeake. It was built by
NorrisThe Norris Locomotive Works was a steam locomotive manufacturing company based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that produced about a thousand railroad engines between 1832 and 1866. It was the dominant American locomotive producer during most of that period, and even sold its popular 4-2-0 engines...
in March 1847 for the Philadelphia and Reading railroad. There is still a question as to who was the original designer of this type. Many authorities attribute the design to
Septimus NorrisSeptimus Norris was an American mechanical engineer and steam locomotive designer. He was the youngest of three brothers all active in the field — his eldest brother William Norris founded the Norris Locomotive Works of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Richard Norris took over the firm in about...
, but in a paper written in 1885, George E. Sellers attributes the design to John Brandt.
Brandt worked for the Erie Railway between 1842 and 1851. The Erie's own management didn't feel it in their best interests to pursue construction, so Brandt showed the design to
BaldwinThe Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. It was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally, and later in nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Although the company was very successful as a producer of steam locomotives, its transition to the production of...
and Norris. Baldwin was similarly unimpressed, but Norris liked the idea. According to Sellers,
James MillhollandJames Millholland , railway master mechanic, is particularly well known for his invention of many railway mechanisms. His association with the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Company as master machinist spanned fifty years in the early development of the American railroad...
, of the Reading, saw the 4-6-0 design as well and ordered one from Norris for the Reading. However, Sellers may have misrecalled a few of the specifics as Millholland did not work for the Reading until 1848, a year later. Also, Sellers lists the first 4-6-0 constructed as the
Susquehanna, which was the Erie railroad's first 4-6-0.
The attribution to Septimus Norris lies in a patent that many sources cite for this locomotive type that was filed in 1846. However, such a patent has not yet been found in searches at the USPTO. Septimus Norris did file a patent in 1854 for running gears, and the patent application showed a 4-6-0 in the drawing. Norris' wording in the 1854 patent was vague in regard to the 4-6-0 wheel arrangement; the filing didn't specifically claim invention of the 4-6-0 type.
A few days after William Norris completed the
Chesapeake,
HinkleyHinkley Locomotive Works was one of a number of railroad steam locomotive manufacturers of the United States in the 19th century.-History:The company that was to become known as Hinkley Locomotive Works got its start in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1831. Holmes Hinkley and his partner Daniel F...
completed their first 4-6-0, the
New Hampshire for the Boston and Maine Railroad. The first 4-6-0 from
RogersRogers Locomotive and Machine Works was a 19th-century manufacturer of railroad steam locomotives based in Paterson, in Passaic County, New Jersey, in the United States. It built more than six thousand steam locomotives for railroads around the world. Most railroads in 19th-century United States...
was the previously mentioned
Susquehanna for the Erie Railroad.
Baldwin's first 4-6-0 did not appear until 1852. Through the 1860s and into the 1870s, demand for the 4-6-0 grew as more railroad executives switched from purchasing a single, general-purpose type of locomotive (at that time, the
4-4-0Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-4-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels...
), to purchasing locomotives for specific purposes. Both the
Pennsylvania RailroadThe Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
and the Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) were early adopters of the 4-6-0, using them for fast freight and heavy passenger trains. One of the B&O's 4-6-0 locomotives, built in 1869, is preserved at the
B&O Railroad MuseumThe B&O Railroad Museum is a museum exhibiting historic railroad equipment in Baltimore, Maryland, originally named the Baltimore & Ohio Transportation Museum when it opened on July 4, 1953. It has been called one of the most significant collections of railroad treasures in the world and has the...
. Another is at the
Museum of TransportationThe Museum of Transportation of the St. Louis County, Missouri, United States Parks Department is a museum located in the Greater St. Louis area. It was first founded in 1944 by a group of individuals dedicated to preserving the past and has a wide variety of vehicles from American history...
in St. Louis. A third,
GN 1355, although built in 1909 as a 4-6-0, underwent a major rebuild in 1924 becoming a 4-6-2, and is in
Sioux City, IowaSioux City is a city in Plymouth and Woodbury counties in the western part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 82,684 in the 2010 census, a decline from 85,013 in the 2000 census, which makes it currently the fourth largest city in the state....
.
Probably the most famous American ten-wheeler is Illinois Central 382, the locomotive driven by
Casey JonesJohn Luther Jones was an American railroad engineer from Jackson, Tennessee, who worked for the Illinois Central Railroad...
in the wreck that was immortalized in Wallace Saunder's song.
South Africa
British made 4-6-0 designs began to be imported into South Africa, beginning with 92 locomotives built by
Robert Stephenson and CompanyRobert 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 :...
and
Neilson and CompanyNeilson 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...
between 1878 and 1884, which later became South African Railways (SAR) class 04. These had both side tanks and a tender to increase their range, but the side tanks were later removed.
Dübs and CompanyDübs & 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:...
also supplied 50 locomotives during 1890 and 1891 which later became SAR class 05.
United Kingdom
The first 4-6-0 to be introduced to Britain was the
Highland Railway Jones Goods ClassThe Highland Railway Jones Goods class was a class of steam locomotive, and was notable as the first class with a 4-6-0 wheel arrangement in the British Isles...
of 1894, although within five years the wheel arrangement was being used primarily on passenger and locomotives as British heavy freight trains being generally too slow to require a four-wheel leading truck. The type was the largest express passenger locomotive type in everyday use in Britain between 1906- and 1925 as a logical development of the typical 4-4-0 type previously used. It continued to be used for
mixed-traffic locomotiveA mixed-traffic locomotive is one designed to be capable of hauling both passenger trains and freight trains. The term is mostly used in the United Kingdom and those nations following British practice...
s until the end of steam in the UK in 1967.
Pre-grouping era 1899-1923
Wilson WorsdellWilson Worsdell was a British locomotive engineer who was locomotive superintendent of the North Eastern Railway from 1890 to 1910. He was the younger brother of T.W. Worsdell.-Family:...
of the
North Eastern RailwayThe North Eastern Railway , was an English railway company. It was incorporated in 1854, when four existing companies were combined, and was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923...
used the type for his express passenger on his
S and S1 classesThe North Eastern Railway Class S were a 4-6-0 type of steam locomotive designed for express passenger workings. The first example was built in 1899. They were very similar to the NER Class S1, except for the smaller wheels of the Class S. They were designed to reduce double heading on the East...
(LNER B13 and B14 classes) of 1899 and 1900. Soon afterwards, these were followed by designs by John G. Robinson of the
Great Central RailwayThe Great Central Railway was a railway company in England which came into being when the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway changed its name in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its London Extension . On 1 January 1923, it was grouped into the London and North Eastern...
(
GCR Class 8The Great Central Railway Class 8 - London North Eastern Railway Class B5 - was a class of 4-6-0 steam locomotives. They were nicknamed "Fish Engines" on delivery, due to their use on the fast fish deliveries from Grimsby to places like London, the duty they were designed for...
) of 1902, and in 1903 by
Francis WebbFrancis William Webb was a British engineer responsible for the design and manufacture of locomotives for the London and North Western Railway .- Biography :...
of the
London and North Western RailwayThe London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
with his unsuccessful 4-cylinder
compound locomotiveA compound engine unit is a type of steam engine where steam is expanded in two or more stages.A typical arrangement for a compound engine is that the steam is first expanded in a high-pressure cylinder, then having given up heat and losing pressure, it exhausts directly into one or more larger...
s of the 1400 'Bill Bailey' class, and
George Jackson ChurchwardGeorge Jackson Churchward CBE was Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Great Western Railway in the United Kingdom from 1902 to 1922.-Early career:...
's
GWR 2900 ("Saint") ClassThe Great Western Railway 2900 or Saint Class were a class of 4-6-0 steam locomotives for passenger train work. Number 2925 Saint Martin was later rebuilt as the prototype Hall Class locomotive, and renumbered 4900.-Prototypes:...
which was the first in a long line of mixed traffic 4-6-0 classes operated by the
Great Western RailwayThe Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
, and the 105 locomotives of the
LNWR Whale Experiment ClassThe London and North Western Railway Experiment Class of was a class of 4-6-0 steam locomotive designed by George Whale.They were an extended version of the Whale's Precursor Class 4-4-0, with slightly smaller driving wheels. The first of the class, 66 Experiment was built in 1905 and a total of...
, built 1905 - 1910.
Two notable 4-6-0 express passenger designs appeared in 1906: the Caledonian 903 'Cardean' Class (which were then the most powerful locomotives in Britain) and the 4-cylinder
Great Western 'Star' ClassA Star class locomotive was a particular type of steam locomotive of the Great Western Railway. The prototype was an experimental locomotive, North Star , constructed with the 'Atlantic' 4-4-2 wheel arrangement for comparative trials with 4-cylinder compound locomotives of the de Glehn type that...
, also later developed and enlarged as the
4073 "Castle" classThe GWR 4073 Class or Castle class locomotives are a group of 4-6-0 steam locomotives of the Great Western Railway. They were originally designed by the railway's Chief Mechanical Engineer, Charles Collett, for working the company's express passenger trains.-History:A development of the earlier...
(1923) and the
6000 "King" classThe Great Western Railway 6000 Class or King is a class of 4-6-0 steam locomotive designed for express passenger work. With the exception of one Pacific , they were the largest locomotives the GWR built. They were named after kings of the United Kingdom and of England, beginning with the reigning...
.
Other significant early express 4-6-0 designs included the
LNWR Prince of Wales ClassThe London and North Western Railway Prince of Wales Class was a class of express passenger passenger locomotive. It was in effect, a superheated version of the Experiment Class 4-6-0.They were introduced in 1911 by Charles Bowen-Cooke...
, (246 locomotives built 1911 - 1921), the
LNWR Claughton ClassThe London and North Western Railway Claughton Class was a class of 4-cylinder express passenger 4-6-0 steam locomotives.They were introduced in 1913, the first of the class No. 2222 was named in honour of Sir Gilbert Claughton, who was the Chairman of the LNWR at that time...
(130 locomotives built 1913 - 1924) and the
Great Eastern Class S69Great Eastern Railway Class S69, also known as 1500 Class, and later classified B12 by the LNER is a class of 4-6-0 steam locomotive designed for passenger work. Originally they were designed by S. D. Holden, but were much rebuilt, resulting in several subclasses.Seventy-one S69 locomotives were...
, (81 produced 1912 - 1928).
Robert UrieRobert Wallace Urie was a Scottish locomotive engineer who was the last chief mechanical engineer of the London and South Western Railway....
of the
London and South Western RailwayThe 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...
introduced three successful classes: the LSWR H15 class, (26 locomotives built 1914 - 1925); the
"King Arthur"The LSWR N15 class was a British 2–cylinder 4-6-0 express passenger steam locomotive designed by Robert W. Urie. The class has a complex build history spanning three sub-classes and eight years of construction from 1919 to 1926...
(74 locomotives built 1919 - 1926) and the LSWR S15 class (45 locomotives built 1920 - 1936 by).
Post-grouping 1923-1948
The 4-6-0 arrangement was used extensively by all of the "
Big FourThe Big Four was a name used to describe the four largest railway companies in the United Kingdom in the period 1923-1947. The name was coined by the Railway Magazine in its issue of February 1923: "The Big Four of the New Railway Era".The Big Four were:...
" companies. , especially by the
Great Western RailwayThe Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
and the
London, Midland and Scottish RailwayThe 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...
who continued to develop new designs. However, from the early 1930s demands for more power and performance from express locomotives led to the widespread introduction of
4-6-2 'Pacific'4-6-2, in the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle .These locomotives are also known as Pacifics...
locomotives where the trailing axle could support a larger
fireboxIn a steam engine, the firebox is the area where the fuel is burned, producing heat to boil the water in the boiler. Most are somewhat box-shaped, hence the name.-Railway locomotive firebox :...
. The reduced traction of the driving wheels was not such a disadvantage with relatively light passenger trains and the 4-6-0 was displaced from top-rank express services on most railways where they had been used, with the exception of the
Great Western RailwayThe Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
which continued to build both mixed-traffic and express 4-6-0s until nationalisation in 1948.
The
GWR 4073 ("Castle") ClassThe GWR 4073 Class or Castle class locomotives are a group of 4-6-0 steam locomotives of the Great Western Railway. They were originally designed by the railway's Chief Mechanical Engineer, Charles Collett, for working the company's express passenger trains.-History:A development of the earlier...
eventually consisted of 171 locomotives built 1923 - 1950. The design was enlarged as the
GWR 6000 ("King") ClassThe Great Western Railway 6000 Class or King is a class of 4-6-0 steam locomotive designed for express passenger work. With the exception of one Pacific , they were the largest locomotives the GWR built. They were named after kings of the United Kingdom and of England, beginning with the reigning...
(30 locomotives built 1927 - 1930). The Southern Railway improved the "King Arthur" class and introduced
Lord Nelson classThe SR class LN or Lord Nelson class is a type of 4-cylinder 4-6-0 steam locomotive designed for the Southern Railway by Richard Maunsell in 1926. They were intended for Continental boat trains between London and Dover harbour, but were also later used for express passenger work to the South-West...
(16 locomotives built 1926 - 1929) which and was briefly the most powerful class in Britain. The London Midland and Scottish Railway introduced the
7P "Royal Scot" classThe London, Midland and Scottish Railway Royal Scot Class is a class of 4-6-0 express passenger locomotive introduced in 1927. Originally having parallel boilers, all members were later rebuilt with tapered type 2A boilers, and were in effect two classes.-Background:Until the mid-1920s, the LMS...
71 locomotives built 1927 - 1930, and the
6P "Patriot"The Patriot Class was a class of 52 express passenger steam locomotives built for the London Midland and Scottish Railway. The first locomotive of the class was built in 1930 and the last in 1934. All of the Patriot class locomotives were withdrawn from service by 1965...
, 52 locomotives built 1930 - 1934. The largest and most successful British 4-6-0 class was
LMS Stanier Class 5 ("Black Five")The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
, designed by
William StanierSir William Arthur Stanier, FRS was Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway.- Biography :...
consisting of 842 locomotives built 1934 - 1951. He also designed the
LMS 6P JubileeThe London Midland and Scottish Railway Jubilee Class is a class of steam locomotive designed for mainline passenger work. 191 locomotives were built between 1934 and 1936...
(191 locomotives built 1934 - 1936).
Charles Collett of the Great Western Railway developed the "Saint class" with three further classes; the
GWR 4900 ClassThe Great Western Railway 4900 Class or Hall Class is a class of 4-6-0 mixed traffic steam locomotives designed by Charles Collett. A total of 259 were built, numbered 4900–4999, 5900–5999 and 6900–6958. The LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0 and LNER Thompson Class B1 both drew heavily on design features...
(259 locomotives built 1928 - 1943), the
GWR 6800 ("Grange")The Great Western Railway 6800 Class or Grange Class was a mixed traffic class of 4-6-0 steam locomotive. There were 80 in the class, all built at the Swindon works.-History:The GWR locomotive standardisation policy pursued by G.J...
(80 locomotives built 1936 - 1939( and
GWR 7800 ("Manor")The Great Western Railway 7800 Class or Manor Class is a class of 4-6-0 steam locomotive. They were designed as a lighter version of the GWR Grange Class, giving them a wider Route Availability. Like the 'Granges', the 'Manors' used parts from the GWR 4300 Class Moguls but just on the first batch...
, 30 locomotives built 1938 - 1950.
Frederick HawksworthFrederick W. Hawksworth , was Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Great Western Railway ....
later developed the design further with his
GWR 6959 ("Modified Hall") ClassThe Great Western Railway 6959 Class or Modified Hall Class is a class of 4-6-0 steam locomotive. They were a development by Frederick Hawksworth of Charles Collett's earlier Hall Class....
(71 locomotives built 1944 - 1950) and
GWR 1000 ("County") ClassThe Great Western Railway 1000 Class or County Class was a class of 4-6-0 steam locomotive. Thirty were built between 1945 and 1947, but all were withdrawn and scrapped in the early 1960s. A replica locomotive is under construction.-Overview:...
, (30 locomotives built 1945 - 1947).
The
London and North Eastern RailwayThe London and North Eastern Railway was the second-largest of the "Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain...
inherited large numbers of 4-6-0 locomotives from its constiuent companies, many of which were subsequently rebuilt, so that the company ultimately had sixty different classes and sub-classes with this wheel arrangement. The company also introduced to new classes, the
B17 classThe London and North Eastern Railway Class B17, also known as "Sandringham" or "Footballer" class was a class of 4-6-0 steam locomotive designed by Sir Nigel Gresley for hauling passenger services on the Great Eastern Main Line...
designed by
Nigel GresleySir Herbert Nigel Gresley was one of Britain's most famous steam locomotive engineers, who rose to become Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London and North Eastern Railway . He was the designer of some of the most famous steam locomotives in Britain, including the LNER Class A1 and LNER Class A4...
, (73 built 1928-1937) and the
B1 classThe London and North Eastern Railway Thompson Class B1 is a class of steam locomotive designed for medium mixed traffic work. It was designed by Edward Thompson.- Overview :...
, designed by
Edward ThompsonEdward Thompson was Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London and North Eastern Railway between 1941 and 1946.- Biography :Edward Thompson was the son of an assistant master at Marlborough College. He was educated at Marlborough before taking the Mechanical Science Tripos at Pembroke College,...
(410 locomotives built 1942 - 1952).
British Railways era 1948-1967
Following the formation of British Railways in 1948, two further 4-6-0 class were introduced, both in 1951. The
BR standard class 5The British Railways Standard Class 5MT 4-6-0 was one of the standard classes of steam locomotives built by British Railways in the 1950s. 172 were built, essentially being a development of the LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0 .- Background :...
was based on the successful LMSR Stanier Class 5 ("Black Five"). 172 locomotives had been built by 1957. A lighter, but less powerful design was the
BR standard class 4 4-6-0The British Railways Standard Class 4 4-6-0 is a class of steam locomotives, 80 of which were built during the 1950s. Six have been preserved.-Background:...
. Eighty of these were built by 1957.
Tank locomotives
The 4-6-0T was a far less common type, used for passenger duties during the first decade of the twentieth cemtury, but were soon superseded by the 4-6-2T, 4-6-4T, and 2-6-4T types. The type was also used on
narrow gaugeA narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between and .- Overview :...
Military railwaysMilitary railways are a form of transport communication technology used by the military forces for movement of strategically significant forces, bulk cargo or as a platform for military systems....
during the First World War.
South Africa
Between 1879 and 1884 Kitson and Company and
Robert Stephenson and CompanyRobert 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 :...
supplied 37
C classBetween 1879 and 1885 the Natal Government Railways placed thirty-seven 4-6-0T tank steam locomotives in service. In 1912, when fifteen of these locomotives were assimilated into the South African Railways, they were renumbered and reclassified to Class C....
4-6-0T to the
Natal Government RailwaysThe Natal Government Railways was formed in January 1877 in the Colony of Natal.In 1877 the Natal Government Railways acquired the Natal Railway Company for the sum of £40,000, gaining the line from the Point to Durban and from Durban to Umgeni...
. They were occasionally fitted with 4-wheel tenders to increase their fuel capacity for longer distances.
France
The
Réseau Breton 4-6-0 tank locomotivesThe Réseau Breton 4-6-0 tank locomotives were a class of metre gauge locomotives. The twelve class members were built in two batches by Franco-Belge and Fives-Lille for the Réseau Breton in France...
were a class of
metre gaugeMetre gauge refers to narrow gauge railways and tramways with a track gauge of . In some African, American and Asian countries it is the main gauge. In Europe it has been used for local railways in France, Germany, and Belgium, most of which were closed down in mid 20th century. Only in Switzerland...
locomotives built in 1904 by
Société Franco-BelgeThe Société Franco-Belge de Matériel de Chemins de Fer was a French engineering firm that specialised mainly in the construction of railway vehicles and their components and accessories. Its was based at Raismes in the Département Nord in France...
of
RaismesRaismes is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.-References:*...
. A further seven locomotives were built by SACM,
BelfortBelfort is a commune in the Territoire de Belfort department in Franche-Comté in northeastern France and is the prefecture of the department. It is located on the Savoureuse, on the strategically important natural route between the Rhine and the Rhône – the Belfort Gap or Burgundian Gate .-...
. The
Baldwin Class 10-12-DThe Baldwin Class 10-12-D was a class of narrow gauge 4-6-0 pannier tank steam locomotives built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for the British War Department Light Railways for service in France during World War I...
gauge pannier tank locomotives were built in the USA by the
Baldwin Locomotive WorksThe Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. It was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally, and later in nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Although the company was very successful as a producer of steam locomotives, its transition to the production of...
for the British
War Department Light RailwaysThe War Department Light Railways were a system of narrow gauge trench railways run by the British War Department in World War I. Light railways made an important contribution to the Allied war effort in the First World War, and were used for the supply of ammunition and stores, the transport of...
for service in France during
World War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in 1916–1917. A further batch was built by Alco. After the war many were sold to work in France, Britain and India.
United Kingdom
Wilson WorsdellWilson Worsdell was a British locomotive engineer who was locomotive superintendent of the North Eastern Railway from 1890 to 1910. He was the younger brother of T.W. Worsdell.-Family:...
of the
North Eastern RailwayThe North Eastern Railway , was an English railway company. It was incorporated in 1854, when four existing companies were combined, and was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923...
built 10 W class 4-6-0T in 1907-8 These were rebuilt as 4-6-2T
NER Class W1The NER Class W1 was a 4-6-2T steam locomotive of the North Eastern Railway. The class was introduced in 1914 as a rebuild of Wilson Worsdell's NER Class W 4-6-0T . On being acquired by the London and North Eastern Railway in 1923 the W1s were re-classified A6...
during 1914–1917.
See also
:Category:4-6-0 locomotives - articles on individual 4-6-0 designs.
External links