BR Standard Class 4 2-6-0

BR Standard Class 4 2-6-0
76040 at Water Orton in 1965
Power type	Steam
Designer	R. A. Riddles
Builder	BR Horwich (45) Doncaster (25) Derby Works (45)
Build date	December 1952 – November 1957
Total produced	115
Configuration	2-6-0
UIC classification	1'Ch
Gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Leading wheel diameter	3 ft 0 in (0.914 m)
Driver diameter	5 ft 3 in (1.600 m)
Length	60 ft 0 in (18.29 m)
Width	8 ft 9 1⁄2 in (2.68 m)
Height	13 ft 0 in (3.96 m)
Axle load	Loco: 16.95 long tons (17.22 t); BR1B tender: 17.10 long tons (17.37 t)
Weight on drivers	50.45 long tons (51.26 t)
Locomotive weight	59.75 long tons (60.71 t)
Tender weight	BR1B: 49.15 long tons (49.94 t); BR2/BR2A: 42.15 long tons (42.83 t)
Tender type	BR1B (17), BR2 (45), BR2A (53)
Fuel type	Coal
Fuel capacity	BR1B: 7.00 long tons (7.11 t); BR2/BR2A: 6.00 long tons (6.10 t)
Water capacity	BR1B: 4,250 imp gal (19,300 l; 5,100 US gal); BR2/BR2A: 3,500 imp gal (16,000 l; 4,200 US gal)
Boiler	BR7
Boiler pressure	225 psi (1.55 MPa)
Firegrate area	23 sq ft (2.1 m2)
Heating surface: Tubes and flues	1,075 sq ft (99.9 m2)
Heating surface: Firebox	131 sq ft (12.2 m2)
Superheater area	247 sq ft (22.9 m2)
Cylinders	Two, outside
Cylinder size	17.5 × 26 in (445 × 660 mm)
Tractive effort	24,170 lbf (107.5 kN)
Factor of adhesion	4.68
Career	British Railways
Power class	4MT
Number	76000–76114
Axle load class	Route Availability 4
Withdrawn	May 1964 – December 1967
Disposition	Four preserved, remainder scrapped

The BR Standard Class 4 2-6-0 is a class of steam locomotive designed by Robert Riddles for British Railways (BR). 115 locomotives were built.

Design and construction

The class was designed at the ex-LNER works at Doncaster which was also responsible for building 25 of the 115-strong class. The remaining 90 were split between Horwich and Derby Works.

The last in the series, No.76114, was also the final steam engine to be constructed at the 'Plant' (as Doncaster works was known). The Standard Four Mogul was essentially a standardised version of the LMS Ivatt Class 4, and was primarily intended for freight use.

Although a BR Standard the class did not have the same design of wheels as the Swindon-built 82XXX and 77XXX Class 3 engines which also had 5-foot-3-inch (1.600 m) driving wheels, yet all three locomotive classes share the same cylinder casting.

The cylinder covers of engines built early in the programme of construction were fitted with "screw-in" type pressure relief valves. From September 1955 revised cylinder covers were introduced for renewals incorporating "bolt-on" type pressure relief valves.

Operation

With its 5-foot-3-inch (1.600 m) diameter driving wheels this sixth of the BR standard designs was clearly biased towards freight working. An axle-loading of only 16 tons 15 cwt meant its route availability was virtually unrestricted. Batches were allocated to every BR region except the Western.

Scottish Region

When new, 35 were sent to the Scottish Region where they worked over the bleakly dramatic Waverley route between Carlisle and Hawick. Others appeared on the 'Port Road' from Dumfries to Stranraer. The Scottish examples were mainly concentrated in Ayrshire and around Glasgow, and at one time Corkerhill depot was home to ten of the class. Five though found their way to Aberdeen and three to Thornton in Fife

Southern Region

The Southern moguls (originally 37) were also concentrated in one area around Eastleigh, Southampton and Bournemouth. They were used on the cross-country services between Portsmouth, Salisbury and Cardiff, Reading to Redhill, Brighton to Bournemouth and over the Swanage branch. Their most celebrated duty was the London Waterloo to Lymington boat train. However this had nothing to do with the engines' capabilities; it was simply that among tender engines only a 2-6-0 or 4-4-0 could fit on the turntable at Brockenhurst. In the last few years of steam operation on the 'Southern' a few examples were allocated to Guildford shed before moving on to Feltham shed in S.W. London.

All 17 locomotives equipped with the BR1B high-sided tender were allocated to the Southern Region. Oddly the BR1B tender had a higher axle load than the locomotives.

• 

  76066 with BR1B tender at Eastleigh shed in February 1967

North Eastern Region

At first the North Eastern Region scattered its 13-strong allocation far and wide: Darlington, Gateshead, Hull, Sunderland and York. Later all were concentrated at either Kirkby Stephen or West Auckland to work over the Stainmore route whose viaducts were not only spectacular but had severe weight restrictions. Like their small cousins the 2MT 2-6-0 class the Moguls were ideal for working the line. They worked coal trains as well as passenger services and were a regular choice for excursions from Tyneside to the Lancashire coast resorts.

London Midland Region

Apart from a pair allocated to Leicester most of the London Midland Region's batch of 15 spent their working lives in the Liverpool, Manchester and Preston areas.

Eastern Region

76079 on the North Norfolk Railway

The Eastern Region divided its 15 between two London depots. Five went to Stratford on the ex-Great Eastern section, and the remainder to the one-time Great Central depot at Neasden. Made redundant by dieselisation the Stratford engines were transferred to the Southern and arrived at Brighton. The Neasden engines also in due course departed the capital, in this case for Chester and ex-Cambrian Railways territory. One Eastern locomotive was 76034 which was fitted with a tablet catcher for running over the M&GN lines in East Anglia. 76079 has visited the North Norfolk Railway in preservation times.

Preservation

Four examples have been saved, these being:

• 76017 - Is on the Watercress Line and is currently under overhaul.
• 76077 - Is being restored on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway.
• 76079 - Formerly owned by Ian Riley, operational, mainline-registered, and based on the East Lancashire Railway. Sold to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, 27 August 2009. Locomotive Now withdrawn for boiler mid life overhaul and for repair/replacement of cracked right cylinder.
• 76084 - Owned by Ian Storey. Currently being restored in Hepscott, Morpeth, Northumberland. Due to be back in service 2012.

Models

The erstwhile Kitmaster company produced an unpowered polystyrene injection moulded model kit for 00 gauge. In late 1962, the Kitmaster brand was sold by its parent company (Rosebud Dolls) to Airfix, who transferred the moulding tools to their own factory; they re-introduced some of the former Kitmaster range, including this locomotive. In time, the moulding tools passed on to Dapol who have also produced the model kit.

Bachmann produce a ready to run model in both 00 and N gauge.

Sound

• 76079 Between Egton and Grosmont
• 76079 departing from Grosmont

Bibliography

• A Detailed History of BR Standard Steam Locomotives, - Vol 2 - The 4-6-0 and 2-6-0 Classes. RCTS ISBN 0-901115-93-2
• Bradley, Rodger P. (1984). The Standard Steam Locomotives of British Railways. David & Charles Publishers plc. 

External links

• Southern E-group photo gallery
• Website of preserved loco 76084