LNER Class A4 4489 Dominion of Canada

Dominion of Canada
The "Dominion of Canada" at the Canadian Railway Museum in 2003
Power type	Steam
Builder	LNER, Doncaster Works
Serial number	1854
Build date	24 May 1937
Configuration	4-6-2
UIC classification	2'C1h3
Gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Leading wheel diameter	3 ft 2 in (0.965 m)
Driver diameter	6 ft 8 in (2.032 m)
Trailing wheel diameter	3 ft 8 in (1.118 m)
Boiler pressure	250 psi (1.72 MPa)
Cylinders	Three
Cylinder size	18.5 × 26 in (470 × 660 mm)
Tractive effort	35,455 lbf (157.7 kN)
Locomotive brakes	Steam
Train brakes	Vacuum
Career	LNER, BR
Class	A4
Number in class	11 of 35
Number	LNER 4489, LNER 10, BR 60010
Official name	Dominion of Canada
Withdrawn	29 May 1965
Current owner	Canadian Railway Museum
Disposition	Static display

60010 Dominion of Canada is an LNER Class A4 steam locomotive. She is a 4-6-2 locomotive built to the same design by Sir Nigel Gresley as the more famous Mallard. There were 35 A4 locomotives built in total. Originally numbered 4489, she was renumbered 10 on May 10, 1946, under the LNER 1946 renumbering scheme of Edward Thompson and, after nationalisation in 1948, British Railways added 60000 to its number so it became 60010 on October 27, 1948.

Liveries

Dominion of Canada has worn many liveries throughout her career. When released into traffic, 4489 wore garter blue livery. The coat of arms of Canada was on the side of the cab and a CPR-type bell mounted ahead of the single chimney. As a livery variation, a stainless steel strip ran along the bottom of the valances and tender and the numbers and letters of the locomotive and tender were also stainless steel. This was due to the use of this locomotive and the other A4s named after British Commonwealth countries, on the Coronation service in order to match with the rolling stock. Other A4s named after British Commonwealth countries were (BR numbers) 60009 Union of South Africa, 60011 Empire of India, 60012 Commonwealth of Australia and 60013 Dominion of New Zealand. The bell was removed from 60010 Dominion of Canada when the chimney was replaced with a Kylchap double blastpipe and chimney on December 27, 1957. The stainless steel strip was removed along with the valances, but was left on the tender and simply painted over. Due to the position of the cabside coat of arms, the works plates were relocated inside the cab. The coat of arms of Canada worn on the side of the cabs were removed on April 8, 1949, but the works plates were not moved back.

The next livery worn was wartime black with LNER on the tender on February 21, 1942. The livery was modified to read just NE on the tender to confuse wartime spies, this was done on November 27, 1943. Dominion of Canada regained her LNER garter blue with extra red/white lining on November 20, 1947. British Railways dark blue with black and white lining was applied on September 29, 1950. The final change to British Railways brunswick green was on May 8, 1952.

Technical details

Dominion of Canada had a CPR-type bell (see above) and a Canadian Pacific Railway whistle, but this was removed in 1949 and replaced with a standard chime whistle. The removed whistle was supposed to be used in a whistles trial at Stratford for the new proposed British Railways 'Standard' Class locomotives.

Dominion of Canada had eleven boilers through her career: 8952 (from new); 8908 (from 2510 Quicksilver), February 21, 1942; 9126 (from 4482 Golden Eagle), May 10, 1946; 9018 (from 19 Bittern), April 8, 1949; 29273 (from 60014 Silver Link), September 29, 1950; 29321 (New build), August 27, 1953; 29323 (from 60014 Silver Link), February 17, 1955; 29312 (from 60018 Sparrow Hawk), June 1, 1956; 29272 (from 60002 Sir Murrough Wilson), December 27, 1957; 29307 (from 60028 Walter K. Whigham), July 10, 1959; and finally 27970 (from 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley), December 5, 1962.

Dominion of Canada had six tenders through her career: 5326 from new, 5328 from December 6, 1937, 5647 from June 29, 1953, 5639 from July 9, 1953, 5328 from August 27, 1953 and lastly 5326 from October 15, 1960.

Dominion of Canada had her side valances removed on February 21, 1943. A Smith-Stone speed indicator was added October 15, 1960.

Career

Dominion of Canada was built in Doncaster works in May 1937 as Works Number 1854. She was originally to be named Buzzard but received Woodcock instead and was renamed Dominion of Canada in June 1937. Locomotive 4489 underwent trials, the only one of the 'Coronation' A4s so treated, and left in works grey lined in white. She had apple green painted coupled wheels. At this point she wore the name Woodcock, but this was removed before final painting and release to traffic.

The Canadian Pacific Railway issue whistle was fitted 15 July 1937 for the unveiling and naming. The CPR-type bell fitted was steam operated and was actually used, as a photograph from August 19, 1939, illustrates. Locomotive 4489 achieved 109.5 mph (176 km/h) down Stoke Bank in 1937. She suffered damage in a collision at Hatfield and required attention at Doncaster Works from January 31 to March 18, 1939.

Allocated to Kings Cross from new. She was reallocated to Grantham on April 7, 1957. The next shed was Kings Cross again on September 15, 1957. New England was the next allocation on June 16, 1963, after the closure of Kings Cross. The final allocation was to Aberdeen on October 20, 1963 to be used, along with other displaced A4s, primarily for the three hour Aberdeen to Glasgow express service.

Preservation

60010 Dominion of Canada was withdrawn at Darlington shed on May 29, 1965. The locomotive had not been repaired since May 12. On July 5, 1965, the locomotive was marked in Darlington's records as 'for sale to be scrapped'.

After 60010 was condemned, and her chimney removed for either 60024 Kingfisher or 60004 William Whitelaw, both in the works at that time. She was placed behind Darlington motive power depot and forgotten about. For many months she was left lying derelict, almost totally hidden in the weeds and rough bushes and without her chimney, at the end of a siding from the MPD, nose into the embankment of the Haughton Road bridge in Darlington. Despite this being a busy main road, very few people were aware of the engine being enveloped by the undergrowth. Some time after Darlington MPD was closed on March 26, 1966, No. 60010 was moved to Crewe works for (cosmetic) restoration and shipping to Canada.

She was donated to the Canadian Railroad Historical Association (CRHA) by British Rail. Since May 1966 60010 has been preserved by the CRHA at the Canadian Railway Museum at Delson/Saint-Constant, Quebec, near Montreal. The CPR bell was shipped out with 60010, but has not been refitted to-date due to the double chimney. Currently stored in a secure building with other equipment, the engine is in a very poor cosmetic state with widespread rust and parts missing or removed. As of 2010, it is currently being prepared to receive a much-needed visual overhaul. As of August 2011 cosmetic restoration is yet to happen and the loco has a damaged front end.

The National Railway Museum hopes to have the loco returned to the UK on a loan period during 2013 to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of fellow A4 LNER Class A4 4468 Mallard's speed record of 126mph in July 1938. 60010 will join 4468, LNER Class A4 4498 Sir Nigel Gresley, LNER Class A4 4464 Bittern, LNER Class A4 4488 Union of South Africa and fellow export LNER Class A4 4496 Dwight D Eisenhower. The event will be the first time all 6 surviving A4's will have been together in preservation. A certain amount of cosmetic restoration is believed to be part of the loan deal, since 60010 has some parts missing and others are rust-damaged.

Modelling

No.60010 has been modelled in OO scale by Hornby twice; once in 1994-95 as a limited-edition model and once again in 2010. The 1994-95 model used the tender-drive chassis employed at the time, while the 2010 model used a locomotive-driven chassis. Both locomotives were produced to the high standards at the times and both represent No.60010 as preserved.

References

• Clarke, David (2005). Locomotives in Detail: 3 Gresley 4-6-2- A4 Class. Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 0711030855.  An overall history of the Gresley A4 class, as well as unparalleled details about the class and individual members.

• Trevena, Nigel (1985). Steam For Scrap, Volume 2. Atlantic Transport Publishers. ISBN 0906899176.  A detailed but chilling book detailing the end of the big express engine classes of the 'Big Four' companies. Contains the story of 60010 at Darlington and a photograph.

• Viaud, Jean-Paul (2002). Portrait of the Collection: Exporail, the Canadian Railway Museum. Imprimerie Létourneau. ISBN 2980408913.  Catalog of the Canadian Railway Museum accompanied by a short history of Canadian rail.

• Yeadon, W.B. (2001). Yeadon's Register of LNER Locomotives: Volume Two: Gresley A4 and W1 classes. Booklaw/Railbus is association with Challenger. ISBN 1871608155.  Histories of the A4 and W1 classes of locomotive with details of repairs and liveries etc.

External links

• Canadian Railway Museum
• Steam Locomotive Information
• Hornby's Model of No.60010 circa 2010
• Hornby's model of No.6010 circa 1994-95