# BR ex-WD Austerity 2-10-0

The British Railways (BR) ex-WD Austerity 2-10-0 Class was a class of 25 2-10-0 steam locomotives of the WD Austerity 2-10-0 type purchased in 1948 from the War Department.

## Operational history

BR officially listed them in their running stock in 1948, though most were kept in store until 1949–1950. BR allocated them the numbers 90750–74. They were used to haul heavy freight trains and were mostly allocated to Scottish Region ex-LMS (Caledonian) motive power depots in the Central Belt, Motherwell and Grangemouth always being their principal bases, where they were mixed with the much more widespread WD 2-8-0s. They were withdrawn after about 12 years service, between 1961 and 1962. In addition to the above engines, another WD Austerity 2-10-0 Longmoor Military Railway 601 Kitchener (original WD No. 73797) was hired from the War Department between 1957 and 1959.

## Names

Both 90773 and 90774 were named North British after the North British Locomotive Company which built them (the last of the BR ex-WD Austerity 2-8-0s No. 90732 was similarly named Vulcan after the Vulcan Foundry). As one of 49 LNER Peppercorn Class A1s, No. 60161, was also named North British, BR had three locomotives with this name, though the A1 was named after the North British Railway rather than the engineering firm.

## Classification

They were given the power classification 8F. BR considered them as standard locomotives, numbering them in the numbering series reserved for BR standard engines and assigning them the boiler No. BR11. The tenders were given the classification BR5.

## Stock list

BR stock list :
| BR No. | Name | Former WD No. | Built | Taken into BR stock | Withdrawn |
| 90750 | - | 73774 | June 1945 | December 1948 | May 1962 |
| 90751 | - | 73775 | June 1945 | December 1948 | December 1962 |
| 90752 | - | 73776 | June 1945 | December 1948 | December 1961 |
| 90753 | - | 73777 | June 1945 | December 1948 | July 1961 |
| 90754 | - | 73778 | June 1945 | December 1948 | July 1961 |
| 90755 | - | 73779 | June 1945 | December 1948 | December 1962 |
| 90756 | - | 73780 | June 1945 | December 1948 | December 1962 |
| 90757 | - | 73781 | June 1945 | December 1948 | December 1962 |
| 90758 | - | 73782 | June 1945 | December 1948 | December 1962 |
| 90759 | - | 73783 | June 1945 | December 1948 | December 1962 |
| 90760 | - | 73784 | June 1945 | December 1948 | May 1962 |
| 90761 | - | 73785 | July 1945 | December 1948 | November 1962 |
| 90762 | - | 73786 | July 1945 | December 1948 | December 1962 |
| 90763 | - | 73787 | July 1945 | December 1948 | December 1962 |
| 90764 | - | 73788 | July 1945 | December 1948 | May 1962 |
| 90765 | - | 73789 | July 1945 | December 1948 | December 1962 |
| 90766 | - | 73790 | July 1945 | December 1948 | December 1962 |
| 90767 | - | 73791 | July 1945 | December 1948 | December 1962 |
| 90768 | - | 73792 | August 1945 | December 1948 | July 1962 |
| 90769 | - | 73793 | August 1945 | December 1948 | December 1962 |
| 90770 | - | 73794 | August 1945 | December 1948 | December 1962 |
| 90771 | - | 73795 | August 1945 | December 1948 | December 1962 |
| 90772 | - | 73796 | August 1945 | December 1948 | December 1962 |
| 90773 | North British | 73797 | August 1945 | December 1948 | December 1962 |
| 90774 | North British | 73798 | August 1945 | December 1948 | December 1962 |

## Withdrawal

Withdrawals started in 1961 and continued at a reasonable pace before the remaining 17 were withdrawn en masse in December 1962.
| Year | Quantity in service at start of year | Quantity withdrawn | Locomotive numbers | Notes |
| 1961 | 25 | 3 | 90752–54 | |
| 1962 | 22 | 22 | 90750–51/55–74 | |

## Preservation

None of the BR engines was preserved. However, there is a "90775" running in Great Britain which was repatriated from Greece, formerly being WD No.76352, SEK No. Lb951. It is based on the North Norfolk Railway. Ex-WD No. 3672 Dame Vera Lynn, which is under overhaul at North Yorkshire Moors Railway, has been repatriated from Greece as well. There is also ex-WD LMR 600 Gordon which has survived and has been steamed on the Severn Valley Railway, though since 2008 it has been out of service, cosmetically restored and on display in Highley Engine House.