London and South Western Railway ( LSWR )
What was the operator of LSWR 415 class from 1882 to 1917?
LSWR 415 class The LSWR 415 class is a steam tank locomotive of 4-4-2T wheel arrangement , with the trailing wheels forming the basis of its Radial Tank moniker . It was designed by William Adams and introduced in 1882 for service on the London and South Western Railway ( LSWR ) . Originally rostered for suburban traffic , the class was soon displaced to the countryside by Dugald Drummonds M7 class . Most of the class was scrapped around the end of the First World War , and further decreases meant that all of them were due to be withdrawn by 1929 . However , the class was noted for its long service on the Lyme Regis branch line , and three members of this long obsolete class were utilised on this duty until 1962 , when suitable replacements became available . One has survived and can be found on the Bluebell Railway . Background . This locomotive , designed by William Adams , was the result of the work made to replace the stop-gap 46 Class on suburban services around London . In the event , they were also intended to supplement this class while members entered the works for rebuilding into Radial Tank configuration . All were built from 1882 , and were also intended for medium to heavy suburban passenger traffic around the South Coast on the LSWR railway network . Construction history . William Adams 415 ( later 0415 ) Class was based on his earlier LSWR 46 Class , and was specifically designed with London suburban services in mind . The design was based on a 4-4-0 design with a trailing axle added to support an enlarged coal bunker , a necessity for the intensive suburban services of the LSWR network . The radial axlebox worked in a corresponding curved hornblock the centre of which was struck near the middle of the chassis . The device was originally invented in 1863 by William Bridges Adams ( no relation ) and could be applied to a leading or trailing axle but was generally preferred for the latter . Many other engineers used it , including Webb , R . J . Billinton , H . G . Ivatt , and D.E . Marsh . Many of the tank engines so fitted earned the soubriquet Radial Tanks , or simply Radials . The enlarged coal bunker was also designed to incorporate a back tank for extra water storage in addition to the capacity of the side tanks . Valve gear was of modified Stephenson type . Production began in 1882 when a total of four engineering companies were contracted by the LSWR to construct the new class , which numbered 71 when production ceased in 1885 . These were : Robert Stephenson & Co . ( 28 constructed ) ; Dübs & Co . ( 20 constructed ) ; Neilson & Co . ( 11 constructed ) and finally Beyer , Peacock and Company ( 12 constructed ) . This arrangement was because Nine Elms , the LSWRs own locomotive works , was already stretched to capacity in terms of production . Although all were constructed to the same basic design , the locomotives that were outshopped from 1884 had slightly larger side water tanks and deeper fireboxes , therefore increasing efficiency . All carried the trademark Adams stove pipe chimney throughout his tenure as Locomotive Superintendent of the LSWR . In order to facilitate the speedy overhaul of these locomotives in the confined spaces of Nine Elms , spare boilers were constructed . Coupled to a short wheelbase and guiding bogies , the locomotive was relatively manoeuvrable on tight curves , a feature that was to ensure the survival of some of the class later on . Upon the appointment of Dugald Drummond as Superintendent of the LSWR after Adams departure , the class was modified slightly , with the application of his lipped chimney in place of the stovepipe version that the locomotives were equipped with when built . This also coincided with the addition of coal rails to the bunker in an attempt to increase capacity . Because the class was not considered to have a long working life under Robert Urie , they were not equipped with superheating . Operational details and preservation . Despite being well received in service by locomotive crews , the 0415s tenure on the London suburban services was relatively short-lived . This was especially true with the introduction of the Adams T1 class of 0-4-4 tanks displacing some of the class from the London area . However , it was not until the introduction of Drummonds M7 class 0-4-4 tanks and electrification of the suburban railway network that the class was generally removed from the London section of the LSWR to rural branch duties from 1895 . Despite this , in 1903 the inextricable link was made between the class and the severely curved Lyme Regis branch . Unsuccessful trials were carried out with the Stroudley Terriers and the Adams O2 class ; however with the trailing axle modified the flexible 0415 class tanks proved to be highly suited to the operating conditions of that line . As a result , two were allocated to Exmouth Junction shed for the Axminster to Lyme Regis service , joined in 1946 by a third example retrieved from the East Kent Railway . War service and Colonel Holman F . Stephens . The class also saw service during the First World War , which effectively extended their working lives until 38 were withdrawn in 1921 . Many of the class became surplus to requirements during the later years of the war . Several of the class were utilised in Scotland where the Highland Railway was experiencing a locomotive shortage . In September 1917 number 0488 was sold to the Ministry of Munitions , and then worked at Ridham Dock near Sittingbourne either as a rather unsuitable dock shunter or more likely on staff trains . It was purchased from the Ministry of Munitions Disposal and Liquidation Commission in March 1923 for £375 by Colonel Holman F . Stephens , for use on the East Kent Light Railway – a system serving the coalfield of East Kent – and was delivered to Shepherdswell on 13 April 1923 . As a purely passenger engine the new arrival was little suited to the East Kent Light Railways primarily industrial needs ; it was only used when absolutely necessary , and then largely on coal trains , taking 14 wagons on the Tilmanstone shuttle . Latterly it seems to have worked only about once a month , and was last used on 29 May 1943 . Southern Railway ownership . These decreases in the class strength meant that only 30 locomotives entered into Southern Railway stock in 1923 . The continued electrification and subsequent intensification of timetables meant that the remaining two members of the class still in service , numbers 0125 and 0520 , were retired in 1929 . The intention was to replace the class on the Lyme Regis branch with two ex-LB&SCR D1 class tanks , though these proved highly unsatisfactory . This led to the decision to recommission and rebuild numbers 0125 and 0520 at Eastleigh Works , where they were outshopped as 3125 and 3520 . In 1946 the Southern Railway needed a third Radial tank for the Lyme Regis branch to cover locomotive unavailability , and found 0488 ( East Kent Light Railway number 5 ) out of use , but intact . In March 1946 the SR purchased it for £120 . It was extensively overhauled for SR service at Eastleigh , where it received its updated number , 3488 . Operation during nationalisation and preservation . These three locomotives continued on the Lyme Regis branch after Nationalisation due to the lack of better motive power to cope with the curve restrictions in place on the line . By 1958 all three were showing their age , and the end finally came in 1961 . Modifications were undertaken on the trackwork to enable Ivatt 2-6-2 tanks to be passed for use on the line . This resulted in numbers 30582 ( née 125 ) and 30584 ( née 520 ) being withdrawn and scrapped . Steam on the branch was however short lived after the demise of the 0415 class , and the Ivatt tanks were soon replaced by diesel railcars . The branch was closed under the Beeching cuts in 1965 . No . 30582 was the subject of a preservation attempt by the Kent & East Sussex Railway . However the final example , 30583 ( née 488 ) , was purchased by the Bluebell Railway , chosen because of the three it was the only one retaining the original pattern of boiler . After arriving at the line under its own steam it performed sterling work in two different LSWR guises , and in BR livery , up until 1990 . At present it is displayed as a static exhibit , as extensive overhaul ( probably involving replacement of the boiler barrel ) is required before it can steam again . Accidents and incidents . - On 6 August 1888 , locomotive No . 484 was working light engine when it was in a head-on collision with a passenger train hauled by locomotive No . 486 at station , Middlesex due to a signalmans error . Four people were killed and fifteen were injured . Livery and numbering . LSWR and Southern Railway . Initially outshopped in early LSWR passenger Yellow Ochre/Brown livery with the initials LSW on the water tank sides . This was eventually superseded by the later LSWR Passenger Sage Green livery , with black edging and black and white lining . Numbering was in gilt , as was the LSWR lettering on the water tank side . Numbering under the LSWR depended on batch , which therefore led to a confusing system of numbers that were granted to locomotives as they were outshopped . Beyer-Peacock constructed the first batch , which was allocated the series 415–432 . Stephenson constructed several batches including the series 45–57 , 68 , 82 , 77 and 78 , with the final examples being 104 , 106 , 107 , 125 , 126 and 129 . Dubs produced numbers 169–173 , 490–495 and finally 516–525 . Neilson produced the batch 479–489 . A duplicate number was granted to class members between 1903 and 1924 , so that after grouping in 1923 , the Southern Railway inherited locomotives with a 0 prefix to the LSWR numbers . The final three class members that survived the mass withdrawal of 1929 were renumbered 3488 , 3125 and 3520 after overhaul . Livery under the Southern was Richard Maunsells darker version of the LSWR Sage Green livery , with yellow numbering and lettering on the water tank sides and coal bunker . This livery also featured black and white lining . Post-1948 ( nationalisation ) . The class was given the Power Classification of 1P , and initially carried the Southern livery , though this was promptly changed to the BR Standard Mixed-Traffic Black livery with red and white lining . Numbering was of the BR standard system , the three locomotives being allocated the numbers 30582 , 30583 and 30584 . In fiction . In Stepney the Bluebell Engine , a book by the Rev . W . Awdry from The Railway Series , No . 488 was featured as one of the engines that Stepney was talking about when he visited the Island of Sodor . No . 488 was named Adams and was seen without a face . External links . - Web page for the preserved No.488 on the Bluebell Railway - Rail UK database