Furness Railway Class G5

Category:Furness Railway
Category:Furness Locomotives
Category:0-6-0 steam locomotives
Category:0-6-0 locomotives
Category:Steam locomotives
The Furness Railway Class 19 was a class of ten 0-6-0 tank locomotives. They were designed by William Frank Pettigrew and built between 1910 and 1916. These locomotives were used for various purposes, including banking, shunting, and even some passenger services on the Furness Railway system. In his book, author Bob Rush gave them the unofficial classification of G5. 
==History==
===Characteristics===
To replace the outdated Class 51 (unofficial classification G1; also known as Neddies) on shunting and short distance goods workings, Pettigrew developed his own design of 0-6-0 tank locomotives. These were neat little locomotives with Pettigrew's characteristic extended smokebox resting on a saddle and a cab with a curved top edge, based on the design of Sharp, Stewart's locomotives, which he also adopted as standard.
=== Service===
The first six locomotives were built by the Vulcan Foundry in 1910 (W/Nos. 2523-8), and were initially numbered in the range from 19 to 24. However, in 1918, they were renumbered in the range from 55 to 60 in order to align them with the later batch. Initially, they were utilized for shunting at the Barrow Docks and also carried out banking duties in the Lindal area. Later on, some of them were stationed at Moor Row for the purpose of operating passenger services on the Joint Lines.
During the First World War, locomotives were in short supply and some of the older locomotives were worn out. As a result, four additional locomotives of this class were ordered, numbered 51 to 54. The first pair, numbered 51 and 52 respectively, were built by the Kitson & Co. (W/Nos.5121/2); the second pair, numbered 53 and 54 respectively, were delivered the following year by the Vulcan Foundry (W/Nos.3174/5). These four locomotives had some minor differences compared to the original six, which are recorded on a separate FR drawing. The boiler pitch was 2 inches higher, the bunker backplate was shaped differently and the cab cut-out had a straight top edge. Water capacity was increased by 20 gallons and coal by 5 cwt, making them 13 cwt heavier.
All ten locomotives were equipped with vacuum brakes for passenger service. However, they were not frequently used for such services, except for on the former Whitehaven, Cleator, and Egremont line and occasional runs on the Coniston and Lakeside branches.
In 1923, the London and Midland Scottish Railway, which absorbed the Furness Railway, renumbered the locomotives in the range from 11553 to 11562. The class was affected by the major economic crisis of the early 1930s, which led to a drastic decline in traffic on the former Furness Railway system. As a result, between 1930 and 1932, six locomotives were taken out of service, although they were far from worn out; in 1934, 1935 and 1936, one locomotive each was taken out of service. This left only 11553, which was finally withdrawn in 1942 and cut up at Horwich the following year. 
===Preservation===
All members of the class were scrapped.
==Gallery==
Category:Locomotives
Category:0-6-0T steam locomotives
Category:0-6-0T locomotives
Category:Tank locomotives
Category:Vulcan Foundry locomotives
Category:Built in 1910
Category:Built in 1915
Category:Built in 1916
Category:Kitson and Company
Category:Kitson locomotives
Category:Standard gauge locomotives
Category:Standard gauge steam locomotives of Great Britain
Category:Unfinished articles
Category:4 foot 8 1⁄2 inch gauge