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 after the end of World War 2 in 1945 .
==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 They were withdrawn after about 12 years service between 1961 and 1962.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BR No.	Name 	Former WD No.	Built 	Taken into BR stock	Withdrawn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 inservice atstart of year	Quantitywithdrawn	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.
==See also==
BR ex-WD Austerity 2-8-0
Category:2-10-0 locomotives
Category:2-10-0 steam locomotives
Category:Tender locomotives
Category:Steam locomotives
Category:Restored locomotives
Category:War Department locomotives
Category:Locomotives
Category:Built in 1943
Category:Built in 1944
Category:Built in 1945
Category:Scrapped locomotives
Category:Scrapped steam locomotives
Category:North British locomotives
Category:Standard gauge locomotives
Category:Standard gauge steam locomotives of Great Britain
Category:British Rail locomotives