WD Austerity 2-8-0
Encyclopedia
The War Department "Austerity" 2-8-0 is a type of heavy freight steam locomotive
that was introduced in 1943 for war service. A total of 935 were built.
. The firebox was made of steel
rather than the rarer and more expensive copper
.
The North British Locomotive Company
of Glasgow
built 545 and the Vulcan Foundry
of Newton-le-Willows
built 390. North British also built a larger 2-10-0 version
.
Most saw service with the British Army
in mainland Europe after D-Day
.
After the Second World War, 200 were sold to the LNER, who classified them as "Class O7" and numbered them 3000–3199. In 1948, 533 more were purchased by the British Transport Commission
.
With the creation of British Railways, the 733 locomotives were renumbered into the 90000–90732 series. Only one of these, No. 90732, was named, becoming Vulcan after the Vulcan Foundry
where many of the locomotives were built.
In 1946, 12 were exported to the British colony of Hong Kong
to work the Kowloon-Canton Railway
. Six were scrapped in 1956, but the final two survived until September 1962.
The other 184 locomotives remained in mainland Europe, mostly working in and around the Netherlands for Nederlandse Spoorwegen
.
Finally, one went to the USATC in an exchange for an USATC S160 Class
locomotive in the Postwar exchange of WD and USATC locomotives.
in Hampshire
, along with two of the WD Austerity 2-10-0
s and other smaller locomotives. In the WD 1957 renumbering scheme, they were renumbered 400/1. Details were as follows:
to the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway
. It was SJ number 1931. It was overhauled to its original condition, finished in 2007, which involved building a new cab and tender, become BR "No. 90733". After test runs, 90733 ran its first passenger train on Monday 23 July 2007.
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...
that was introduced in 1943 for war service. A total of 935 were built.
Overview
The Austerity 2-8-0 was based on the LMS Class 8F, which until that point had been the government's standard design. Various modifications were made to the 8F design by R.A. Riddles including a boiler of simpler construction which was parallel rather than tapered and a round-topped firebox rather than a Belpaire fireboxBelpaire firebox
The Belpaire firebox is a type of firebox used on steam locomotives. It was invented by Alfred Belpaire of Belgium. It has a greater surface area at the top of the firebox, improving heat transfer and steam production...
. The firebox was made of steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
rather than the rarer and more expensive copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
.
The North British Locomotive Company
North British Locomotive Company
The North British Locomotive Company was created in 1903 through the merger of three Glasgow locomotive manufacturing companies; Sharp Stewart and Company , Neilson, Reid and Company and Dübs and Company , creating the largest locomotive manufacturing company in Europe.Its main factories were...
of Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
built 545 and the Vulcan Foundry
Vulcan Foundry
Vulcan Foundry was a British locomotive builder sited at Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire .-History:It was originally opened in 1832 as Charles Tayleur and Company to produce girders for bridges, switches and crossings, and other ironwork following the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway...
of Newton-le-Willows
Newton-le-Willows
Newton-le-Willows is a small market town within the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens, in Merseyside, England. Historically a part of Lancashire, it is situated about midway between the cities of Manchester and Liverpool, to the east of St Helens, to the north of Warrington and to the south of...
built 390. North British also built a larger 2-10-0 version
WD Austerity 2-10-0
The War Department "Austerity" 2-10-0 is a type of heavy freight steam locomotive that was introduced during the Second World War in 1943.-Background:...
.
Most saw service with the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
in mainland Europe after D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
.
Post-war disposal
After the end of the conflict, the War Department disposed of 930 locomotives (Two engines being retained by the War Department and three being scrapped).After the Second World War, 200 were sold to the LNER, who classified them as "Class O7" and numbered them 3000–3199. In 1948, 533 more were purchased by the British Transport Commission
British Transport Commission
The British Transport Commission was created by Clement Attlee's post-war Labour government as a part of its nationalisation programme, to oversee railways, canals and road freight transport in Great Britain...
.
With the creation of British Railways, the 733 locomotives were renumbered into the 90000–90732 series. Only one of these, No. 90732, was named, becoming Vulcan after the Vulcan Foundry
Vulcan Foundry
Vulcan Foundry was a British locomotive builder sited at Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire .-History:It was originally opened in 1832 as Charles Tayleur and Company to produce girders for bridges, switches and crossings, and other ironwork following the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway...
where many of the locomotives were built.
In 1946, 12 were exported to the British colony of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
to work the Kowloon-Canton Railway
Kowloon-Canton Railway
The Kowloon–Canton Railway refers to a railway network in Hong Kong which is now combined with the MTR railway system, comprising rapid transit services, a light rail system and feeder bus routes within Hong Kong, and intercity passenger and freight train services to the rest of China...
. Six were scrapped in 1956, but the final two survived until September 1962.
The other 184 locomotives remained in mainland Europe, mostly working in and around the Netherlands for Nederlandse Spoorwegen
Nederlandse Spoorwegen
Nederlandse Spoorwegen , or NS, is the principal passenger railway operator in the Netherlands.Its trains operate over the tracks of the Dutch national railinfrastructure, operated by ProRail, which was split off from NS in 2003...
.
Finally, one went to the USATC in an exchange for an USATC S160 Class
USATC S160 Class
The United States Army Transportation Corps S160 Class is a class of 2-8-0 Consolidation steam locomotive designed for use in Europe during World War II for heavy freight work...
locomotive in the Postwar exchange of WD and USATC locomotives.
| No. of engines | Country | Company | Class | Local numbers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 733 | Great Britain Great Britain Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles... |
British Railways (BR) | BR ex-WD Austerity 2-8-0 BR ex-WD Austerity 2-8-0 The British Railways ex-WD Austerity 2-8-0 was a class of 733 2-8-0 steam locomotives designed for heavy freight. These locomotives of the WD Austerity 2-8-0 type had been constructed by the War Department as war locomotives 1943-1945... |
90000–90732 |
| 184* | Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... |
Nederlandse Spoorwegen Nederlandse Spoorwegen Nederlandse Spoorwegen , or NS, is the principal passenger railway operator in the Netherlands.Its trains operate over the tracks of the Dutch national railinfrastructure, operated by ProRail, which was split off from NS in 2003... (NS) |
NS Series 4300II | 4301–4537 (with gaps) |
| 12 | Hong Kong Hong Kong Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour... |
Kowloon-Canton Railway Kowloon-Canton Railway The Kowloon–Canton Railway refers to a railway network in Hong Kong which is now combined with the MTR railway system, comprising rapid transit services, a light rail system and feeder bus routes within Hong Kong, and intercity passenger and freight train services to the rest of China... (KCR) |
KCR ex-WD Austerity 2-8-0 KCR ex-WD Austerity 2-8-0 thumb|77509 being unloadedThe Kowloon-Canton Railway class of ex-WD Austerity 2-8-0 was a class of 12 steam locomotives, ex-WD Austerity 2-8-0. Unlike other KCR locomotives, they apparently did not receive a class letter designation.... |
21-32 |
| 1 | United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
US Army Transportation Corps | ||
| * Of the NS engines, 2 subsequently were sold to Swedish State Railways forming SJ Class G11 SJ Class G11 The Statens Järnvägar Class G11 was a class of two ex-British War Department Austerity 2-8-0 steam locomotives, numbered 1930 and 1931... . |
||||
Postwar WD service
Two locomotives continued to be held in WD stock, seeing service on the Longmoor Military RailwayLongmoor Military Railway
The Longmoor Military Railway was a British military railway in Hampshire, built by the Royal Engineers from 1903 in order to train soldiers on railway construction and operations.-Route:...
in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, along with two of the WD Austerity 2-10-0
WD Austerity 2-10-0
The War Department "Austerity" 2-10-0 is a type of heavy freight steam locomotive that was introduced during the Second World War in 1943.-Background:...
s and other smaller locomotives. In the WD 1957 renumbering scheme, they were renumbered 400/1. Details were as follows:
| WD No. | WD 1957 No. | Name | Builder | Works No. | Date built | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 77337 | 400 | Sir Guy Williams Guy Williams (British Army officer) General Sir Guy Charles Williams KCB CMG DSO was a British Army General during World War II.-Military career:Guy Williams was commissioned into the Royal Engineers and served in World War I.... |
North British North British Locomotive Company The North British Locomotive Company was created in 1903 through the merger of three Glasgow locomotive manufacturing companies; Sharp Stewart and Company , Neilson, Reid and Company and Dübs and Company , creating the largest locomotive manufacturing company in Europe.Its main factories were... (Queens Park) |
25205 | 1943 | Name previously on 78672 |
| 79250 | 401 | Major General McMullen Donald McMullen Major-General Sir Donald Jay McMullen CB KBE DSO MIMechE RE was a British Army engineer. He served in both of the World Wars.- References :... |
Vulcan Foundry Vulcan Foundry Vulcan Foundry was a British locomotive builder sited at Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire .-History:It was originally opened in 1832 as Charles Tayleur and Company to produce girders for bridges, switches and crossings, and other ironwork following the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway... |
5193 | 1945 |
Preservation
One WD 2-8-0 has survived. Vulcan Foundry works No. 5200 was repatriated from SwedenSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
to the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway
Keighley and Worth Valley Railway
The Keighley and Worth Valley Railway is a long branch line that served mills and villages in the Worth Valley and is now a heritage railway line in West Yorkshire, England. It runs from Keighley to Oxenhope. It connects to the national rail network line at Keighley railway station...
. It was SJ number 1931. It was overhauled to its original condition, finished in 2007, which involved building a new cab and tender, become BR "No. 90733". After test runs, 90733 ran its first passenger train on Monday 23 July 2007.
Gallery
See also
- BR ex-WD Austerity 2-8-0BR ex-WD Austerity 2-8-0The British Railways ex-WD Austerity 2-8-0 was a class of 733 2-8-0 steam locomotives designed for heavy freight. These locomotives of the WD Austerity 2-8-0 type had been constructed by the War Department as war locomotives 1943-1945...
- locomotives of the class taken into British Rail service