The preserved LNWR G2A locomotive.
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The LNWR 0-8-0 Heavy Goods Locomotive
The Prototypes
As the goods traffic on the LNWR increased towards the end of the 19th Century, more powerful locomotives were needed and Francis Webb produced his first eight-coupled locomotive, No 2524, in 1892. It was simply an enlarged version of the 17” Coal Engine with the same design of wheels, but had valves and motion based on the 0-6-0 19” Goods locomotive. The larger engine also used Joy valve gear that was robust and allowed greater strength to be incorporated for the crank webs and axle bearings. The cylinders were 19½“ x 24” bore and stroke but the boiler was found to be rather small and later George Whale produced a larger round top boiler version, and the new version came to be known as the ‘D’ Class. The cylinders were fitted with slide valves and the original tenders were enlarged wooden versions of those from the 17” Coal Engines. Later, when a greater coal and water capacity was required, Whale built a steel chassis tender.
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There were many developments of the 0-8-0 classes and the best reference work to understand the history and the conversions that took place is to read Ted Talbot’s book published in 2002 and called, Eight-Coupled Goods Engines, with ISBN No. 0-9542787-0-4. It is interesting to note that many of the Webb ‘A’ Class locomotives, that were one of the most successful of his adventures into compounding, were later converted back to simple two cylinder form and were designated the ‘C’ Class. To all intents and purposes, these were the same as the original trial engine, No 2524.
The later prototypes produced by C J Bowen-Cooke and H P M Beames, were superheated engines that became known as the Super ‘Ds’ and consisted of the G, G1, G2 and G2A Classes that were progressively given piston valve cylinders and Belpaire firebox boilers, with some strengthening to both the running gear and the frames. There were also two large Tank engine versions; the 0-8-2T used for ‘hump’ shunting in the large marshalling yards and the 0-8-4T, that was used for fast suburban passenger train running, as well as freight work.
After the amalgamation of the railways into the Big Four in 1923, there were some 550 of all these engines in service and they continued to be looked after by the LMS and BR right up until 1963. Thankfully, there is one of the G2A’s that has been preserved after a great deal of effort and expense.
The later prototypes produced by C J Bowen-Cooke and H P M Beames, were superheated engines that became known as the Super ‘Ds’ and consisted of the G, G1, G2 and G2A Classes that were progressively given piston valve cylinders and Belpaire firebox boilers, with some strengthening to both the running gear and the frames. There were also two large Tank engine versions; the 0-8-2T used for ‘hump’ shunting in the large marshalling yards and the 0-8-4T, that was used for fast suburban passenger train running, as well as freight work.
After the amalgamation of the railways into the Big Four in 1923, there were some 550 of all these engines in service and they continued to be looked after by the LMS and BR right up until 1963. Thankfully, there is one of the G2A’s that has been preserved after a great deal of effort and expense.
The Model
I had hoped that the variations needed by the earlier design for the ‘C’ class locomotive would also have been covered but only limited information has been produced and is not as yet suitable for publication.
It is pleasing to note that a considerable number of models of these locomotives are being built; each being aimed at a specific engine that the builder had experience of in their younger days. Included here is the first one completed by Alf Manktelow who was a fireman on the G2A when serving with British Railways. It is fitted with a Bowen-Cooke tender. In 2006 Nigel Thompson, who is a very well respected builder of model locomotives, approached me for assistance in describing the construction of a 5” Gauge ‘D’ Class locomotive. It was of course my ability to supply the Coal Engine wheels that enabled the task to be feasible, so I agreed to produce the drawings and he put the articles together. A detailed construction series was published in the Engineering in Miniature magazine from September 2006 up till January 2112 and also covered the variations required for the later ‘G’ classes with the piston valves and Belpaire boilers, plus the two tender designs produced by Whale and Bowen-Cooke. The model has been called ‘Wessie’ as this was the name given to the class by the North Western men in the steam era. Nigel has run his own model on many occasions at various club tracks around the country and it has always drawn a lot of interest. His model has a Whale tender and the photograph of the engine as it approached completion is also included here with just the tender needing painting. I am told the performance of his engine reflects the full size version very well and it always appears to be able to be pull anything.
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A picture of Nigel Thompson’s ‘D’ Class prototype model locomotive.
An early ‘D’ Class locomotive with a Whale tender.
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Alf Manktelow’s ‘G2A’ Class newly completed model locomotive.
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+44 1600 713913
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address
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1 Highmeadow, Wyesham, Monmouth, Monmoutshire NP25 3TB
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Last updated 26th December 2020