Welsh 0-6-2T locomotives
Encyclopedia
This article summarizes Welsh 0-6-2T locomotives and, where possible, give links to main articles.
The 0-6-2T tank locomotive
could well be described as the standard steam locomotive
of the railways of South Wales
. Many of the independent railways used them and, at the grouping
of 1923, the survivors passed into Great Western Railway
(GWR) stock. The GWR perpetuated the type in the GWR 5600 Class
. In addition, the other major railway company in Wales, the LNWR also had the LNWR Webb Coal Tank
Class, though this was grouped into the LMS not the GWR.
| Rhymney Railway M class
| Rhymney Railway P class
| Rhymney Railway R class
| Taff Vale Railway O4 class
| Taff Vale Railway U1 class
.
These three classes (and the larger wheeled P class) were designed for work on the Rhymney Railway, replacing smaller locomotives. When the smaller railway companies were forcibly merged into the GWR
in 1923, these modern 0-6-2Ts were in generally good order (some were a few months old) and had proved successful. Collectively they became the blueprint for the 200 strong GWR 5600 class.
The design of the 5600 followed the Rhymney designs quite closely but adopted GWR practice as far as possible, by utilising many standardized
parts. Included in Collett’s
innovations was a standard number 2 boiler
which was suitable for the 5600 (and the M and R class Rhymney locomotives), complete with the traditional copper GWR safety valve casing and copper-capped chimney. Some A and P classes were also rebuilt but used the slightly shorter standard number 10 boiler, also to good effect.
Five R class locos were upgraded from 1926 onwards. All told sixteen "Stephenson" locos were similarly dealt with between 1926 and 1949.
The 0-6-2T tank locomotive
Tank locomotive
A tank locomotive or tank engine is a steam locomotive that carries its water in one or more on-board water tanks, instead of pulling it behind it in a tender. It will most likely also have some kind of bunker to hold the fuel. There are several different types of tank locomotive dependent upon...
could well be described as the standard 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...
of the railways of South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
. Many of the independent railways used them and, at the grouping
Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
of 1923, the survivors passed into Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The 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...
(GWR) stock. The GWR perpetuated the type in the GWR 5600 Class
GWR 5600 Class
The GWR 5600 Class is a class of 0-6-2T steam locomotive built between 1924 and 1928. They were designed by C.B Collett for the Great Western Railway , and were introduced into traffic in 1924. Two hundred locomotives were built and remained in service until withdrawn by British Railways between...
. In addition, the other major railway company in Wales, the LNWR also had the LNWR Webb Coal Tank
LNWR Webb Coal Tank
The London and North Western Railway Webb Coal Tank is a class of 0-6-2T steam locomotive. They were called "Coal Tanks" because they were a side tank version of Webb's standard 17 in Coal Engine, an 0-6-0 tender engine for slow freight trains....
Class, though this was grouped into the LMS not the GWR.
Overview
The railways of South Wales seem to have had a particular liking for the 0-6-2T type. This was because the nature of the work they undertook demanded high adhesive weight, plenty of power with good braking ability, but no need for outright speed, nor large tanks or bunker as the distances from pit to port were short. These Welsh locomotives were taken over by the GWR at the grouping in 1923 and many were rebuilt with GWR taper boilers.Numbering
Many Welsh 0-6-2T locomotives passed into British Railways (BR) ownership in 1948 and these included (with some gaps in numbering). NB GWR engines all retained their numbers upon nationalisation.- Rhymney RailwayRhymney RailwayThe Rhymney Railway was virtually a single stretch of main line, some fifty miles in length, by which the Rhymney Valley was connected to the docks at Cardiff in the county of Glamorgan, South Wales.-History:...
, BR numbers 30-83 - Cardiff RailwayCardiff RailwayThe Cardiff Railway came into being from the need to service Bute Docks, so as to provide facilities for the traffic to and from the Docks. The railway was only 11 miles in length, a fact which belied its importance, since it provided both the Taff Vale Railway and the Rhymney Railway, inter alia,...
, BR number 155 - Barry Railway, BR numbers (random) 198-231 and 238-277 (the Barry Railway locomotives had all been withdrawn by 1952 so they are less well-documented than the others)
- Taff Vale RailwayTaff Vale RailwayThe Taff Vale Railway is a railway in Glamorgan, South Wales, and is one of the oldest in Wales. It operated as an independent company from 1836 until 1922, when it became a constituent company of the Great Western Railway...
, BR numbers (random) 204-420 and 438-440 - Brecon and Merthyr RailwayBrecon and Merthyr RailwayThe Brecon and Merthyr Junction Railway was one of several railways that served the industrial areas of South Wales and Monmouthshire. It ranked fifth amongst them in size, although hemmed in by the Taff Vale Railway and Great Western Railway...
, BR numbers 422-436
Rhymney Railway
Rhymney Railway A classRhymney Railway A class
The Rhymney Railway A class were 0-6-2T tank locomotives introduced into traffic in 1910 and designed by the railway's engineer Hurry Riches. These were substantial sized tank engines, and weighed 64 tons and were 35' 9" in length....
| Rhymney Railway M class
Rhymney Railway M class
The Rhymney Railway M class was a class of 0-6-2T tank locomotive introduced into traffic on the Rhymney Railway in 1904. These were substantial sized tank engines, and weighed 66 tons and were in length....
| Rhymney Railway P class
Rhymney Railway P class
The Rhymney Railway P class was a class of 0-6-2T steam locomotive introduced into traffic in 1909 designed by the Rhymney Railway's engineer C. T. Hurry Riches. These were substantial sized tank locomotives, weighed 60tons and were in length.There were initially three locos in the class...
| Rhymney Railway R class
Rhymney Railway R class
The Rhymney R class was a class of 0-6-2T steam locomotive introduced into traffic in 1907 designed by the railway's engineer Hurry Riches. These were substantial sized tank locomotives, and weighed 67 tons and were 37 feet in length.There were initially three locos in the class augmented to five...
Taff Vale Railway
Taff Vale Railway A classTaff Vale Railway A class
The Taff Vale Railway A class was a class of 0-6-2T steam tank locomotives designed by J. Cameron and introduced to the Taff Vale Railway in 1914. The A class was an enlarged version of the Taff Vale Railway O4 class designed by Tom Hurry Riches in 1907....
| Taff Vale Railway O4 class
Taff Vale Railway O4 class
The Taff Vale Railway O4 class was a class of 0-6-2T steam tank locomotives designed by Tom Hurry Riches and introduced to the Taff Vale Railway in 1907. They were rebuilt with taper boilers and superheaters by the Great Western Railway from 1924....
| Taff Vale Railway U1 class
Taff Vale Railway U1 class
The Taff Vale Railway U and U1 classes were 0-6-2T steam tank locomotive operated by Taff Vale Railway, Wales, from 1895. All were still in use when the Taff Vale Railway was acquired by the Great Western Railway in 1922, but were withdrawn from traffic between 1927 and 1931.-Overview:Tom Hurry...
History
The Rhymney Railway's A, M and R classes were successful designs ideally suited to hauling heavy coal trains a relatively short distance. In 1926, No 17 was reboilered by the GWR and in this form was visually almost indistinguishable from the GWR 5600 ClassGWR 5600 Class
The GWR 5600 Class is a class of 0-6-2T steam locomotive built between 1924 and 1928. They were designed by C.B Collett for the Great Western Railway , and were introduced into traffic in 1924. Two hundred locomotives were built and remained in service until withdrawn by British Railways between...
.
These three classes (and the larger wheeled P class) were designed for work on the Rhymney Railway, replacing smaller locomotives. When the smaller railway companies were forcibly merged into the GWR
Great Western Railway
The 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...
in 1923, these modern 0-6-2Ts were in generally good order (some were a few months old) and had proved successful. Collectively they became the blueprint for the 200 strong GWR 5600 class.
The design of the 5600 followed the Rhymney designs quite closely but adopted GWR practice as far as possible, by utilising many standardized
Standardization
Standardization is the process of developing and implementing technical standards.The goals of standardization can be to help with independence of single suppliers , compatibility, interoperability, safety, repeatability, or quality....
parts. Included in Collett’s
Charles Collett
Charles Benjamin Collett was chief mechanical engineer of the Great Western Railway from 1922 to 1941. He designed the GWR's 4-6-0 Castle and King Class express passenger locomotives.-Career:...
innovations was a standard number 2 boiler
Boiler
A boiler is a closed vessel in which water or other fluid is heated. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications.-Materials:...
which was suitable for the 5600 (and the M and R class Rhymney locomotives), complete with the traditional copper GWR safety valve casing and copper-capped chimney. Some A and P classes were also rebuilt but used the slightly shorter standard number 10 boiler, also to good effect.
Five R class locos were upgraded from 1926 onwards. All told sixteen "Stephenson" locos were similarly dealt with between 1926 and 1949.