Highland Railway Drummond 0-4-4T Class
Encyclopedia
The Highland Railway W class were four small 0-4-4T locomotives built by the Highland Railway
in 1905–1906 to the design of locomotive superintendent Peter Drummond. They were the last engines that were built at the company's Lochgorm works in Inverness
, and were used on branch line services.
built in 1895 by Sharp, Stewart & Co. for the 4th Duke of Sutherland
. The 3rd Duke of Sutherland
had a private station
built as a condition of financing the 17½ mile (28 km) extension of the railway
from to , which opened in 1871. A further condition was that he should have running rights for a locomotive between Dunrobin Castle and . The original Dunrobin was a 2-4-0T
built by Kitson & Co.
, Leeds
for the 3rd Duke of Sutherland. It was replaced in 1895 by a new locomotive built for the 4th Duke of Sutherland. Two railway carriages were constructed, which Dunrobin hauled to Inverness and were then attached to Highland Railway trains to convey the Duke to his destination. The carriages were a bogie saloon and a four-wheel saloon.
In 1949, British Railways, Scottish Region
revoked the Duke's running powers. He then sold the locomotive and coaches. The bogie saloon is now part of the National Railway Museum's
collection. As of January 2011 it is under the care of the Scottish Railway Preservation Society
at the Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway
. Dunrobin and the four-wheel saloon were sold to Captain Howey and initially preserved as static exhibits at on the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway
in Kent
. Following Howey's death in 1963, the locomotive and carriage were sold to Harold Foster, who had them transported to Canada
. Foster was declared bankrupt in 1965, and the locomotive and carriage were bought for $15,000
by the Government of British Columbia
. They became exhibits at Fort Steele heritage village, where Dunrobin was steamed occasionally. It was last steamed at Fort Steele in 2005. In 2010, both were declared surplus to requirements.
It was announced in January 2011 that they had been bought by Beamish Museum
, which intends to restore Dunrobin to working order. Completion in 2013 has been stated as an aim. The locomotive and carriage arrived back in the United Kingdom on 16 May. Dunrobin was taken to on the Severn Valley Railway
, where it will be dismantled and the feasibility of restoration to working order assessed. The carriage was taken to Beamish. The W class were near-clones of Dunrobin.
in 1923, where they were numbered 15051–15054 and given power classification '0P'. Locomotive 15052 was withdrawn in 1930, and 15054 followed in the 1940s, but the other two survived to become British Railways 55051 and 55053. These spent their final years based at Helmsdale
for working the Dornoch Light Railway
, which required locomotives with exceptionally light axle loadings. By the time they were finally withdrawn (in 1956 and 1957 respectively) they were the last former Highland Railway locomotives still in use, and were still in almost original condition.
In order to replace these locomotives, British Railways transferred two GWR 1600 Class
0-6-0PT
locomotives (numbers 1646 and 1649) to Helmsdale to work the Dornoch
line.
Highland Railway
The Highland Railway was one of the smaller British railways before the Railways Act 1921; it operated north of Perth railway station in Scotland and served the farthest north of Britain...
in 1905–1906 to the design of locomotive superintendent Peter Drummond. They were the last engines that were built at the company's Lochgorm works in Inverness
Inverness
Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
, and were used on branch line services.
Predecessor
Dunrobin was an 0-4-4T0-4-4
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-4 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and four trailing wheels on two axles...
built in 1895 by Sharp, Stewart & Co. for the 4th Duke of Sutherland
Cromartie Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 4th Duke of Sutherland
Cromartie Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 4th Duke of Sutherland , styled Lord Cromartie Sutherland-Leveson-Gower until 1858, Earl Gower between 1858 and 1861 and Marquess of Stafford between 1861 and 1892, was a British peer and politician.-Background:Sutherland was the son of George...
. The 3rd Duke of Sutherland
George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 3rd Duke of Sutherland
George Granville William Sutherland Leveson-Gower, 3rd Duke of Sutherland , styled Viscount Trentham until 1833, Earl Gower in 1833 and Marquess of Stafford between 1833 and 1861, was a British politician.-Background:Sutherland was the son of George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 2nd Duke of Sutherland...
had a private station
Dunrobin Castle railway station
Dunrobin Castle railway station is a railway station serving Dunrobin Castle in the Highland council area of Scotland. The station is on the Far North Line. Many timetables list it as being a "summer only" station, closing in late September....
built as a condition of financing the 17½ mile (28 km) extension of the railway
Duke of Sutherland's Railway
The Duke of Sutherland's Railway was a railway built by the Duke of Sutherland when the Sutherland Railway which had powers to build north to Brora, stopped at Golspie...
from to , which opened in 1871. A further condition was that he should have running rights for a locomotive between Dunrobin Castle and . The original Dunrobin was a 2-4-0T
2-4-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-4-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels....
built by Kitson & Co.
Kitson & Co.
Kitson and Company was a locomotive manufacturer based in Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.-Early history:The company started as James Kitson at the Airedale Foundry, off Pearson Street, Hunslet in 1835 with Charles Todd as a partner...
, Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
for the 3rd Duke of Sutherland. It was replaced in 1895 by a new locomotive built for the 4th Duke of Sutherland. Two railway carriages were constructed, which Dunrobin hauled to Inverness and were then attached to Highland Railway trains to convey the Duke to his destination. The carriages were a bogie saloon and a four-wheel saloon.
In 1949, British Railways, Scottish Region
Scottish Region of British Railways
The Scottish Region was one of the six regions created on British Railways and consisted of ex-London, Midland and Scottish Railway and ex-London and North Eastern Railway lines in Scotland...
revoked the Duke's running powers. He then sold the locomotive and coaches. The bogie saloon is now part of the National Railway Museum's
National Railway Museum
The National Railway Museum is a museum in York forming part of the British National Museum of Science and Industry and telling the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It has won many awards, including the European Museum of the Year Award in 2001...
collection. As of January 2011 it is under the care of the Scottish Railway Preservation Society
Scottish Railway Preservation Society
The Scottish Railway Preservation Society is a charity, whose principal objective is the preservation and advancement of railway heritage in Scotland. The Society was formed in 1961, and it has been actively collecting and displaying railway artifacts of Scottish significance ever since...
at the Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway
Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway
The Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway is a Heritage railway in Falkirk, Scotland. It is operated by the Scottish Railway Preservation Society, and operates some 5 miles of track, virtually the entire Slamannan and Borrowstounness Railway that became part of the former North British Railway on the Firth...
. Dunrobin and the four-wheel saloon were sold to Captain Howey and initially preserved as static exhibits at on the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway
Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway
The Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway is a gauge light railway in Kent, England. The line runs from the Cinque Port of Hythe via Dymchurch, St...
in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. Following Howey's death in 1963, the locomotive and carriage were sold to Harold Foster, who had them transported to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Foster was declared bankrupt in 1965, and the locomotive and carriage were bought for $15,000
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
by the Government of British Columbia
Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia is one of two components of the Parliament of British Columbia, the provincial parliament ....
. They became exhibits at Fort Steele heritage village, where Dunrobin was steamed occasionally. It was last steamed at Fort Steele in 2005. In 2010, both were declared surplus to requirements.
It was announced in January 2011 that they had been bought by Beamish Museum
Beamish Museum
Beamish, The North of England Open Air Museum is an open-air museum located at Beamish, near the town of Stanley, County Durham, England. The museum's guiding principle is to preserve an example of everyday life in urban and rural North East England at the climax of industrialisation in the early...
, which intends to restore Dunrobin to working order. Completion in 2013 has been stated as an aim. The locomotive and carriage arrived back in the United Kingdom on 16 May. Dunrobin was taken to on the Severn Valley Railway
Severn Valley Railway
The Severn Valley Railway is a heritage railway in Shropshire and Worcestershire, England. The line runs along the Severn Valley from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster, following the course of the River Severn for much of its route...
, where it will be dismantled and the feasibility of restoration to working order assessed. The carriage was taken to Beamish. The W class were near-clones of Dunrobin.
Numbers / Names
| HR No. | HR Name | LMS No. |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | Strathpeffer Strathpeffer Strathpeffer is a village and former spa town in Ross and Cromarty, Highland, Scotland, with a population of 1,469.-Geography:It lies in a glen 5 miles west of Dingwall, with varying elevation from 200 to 400 feet above sea level... |
15051 |
| 40 | Gordon Lennox | 15052 |
| 45 | 15053 | |
| 46 | 15054 | |
Service
All four locomotives passed to the LMSLondon, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
in 1923, where they were numbered 15051–15054 and given power classification '0P'. Locomotive 15052 was withdrawn in 1930, and 15054 followed in the 1940s, but the other two survived to become British Railways 55051 and 55053. These spent their final years based at Helmsdale
Helmsdale
Helmsdale is a village on the east coast of Sutherland, in the Highland council area of Scotland. The modern village was planned in 1814 to resettle communities that had been removed from the surrounding straths as part of the Highland Clearances....
for working the Dornoch Light Railway
Dornoch Light Railway
Dornoch Light Railway was an historic railway in Scotland that ran from on the Sutherland Railway to the county town of Sutherland, Dornoch. This railway is closed....
, which required locomotives with exceptionally light axle loadings. By the time they were finally withdrawn (in 1956 and 1957 respectively) they were the last former Highland Railway locomotives still in use, and were still in almost original condition.
In order to replace these locomotives, British Railways transferred two GWR 1600 Class
GWR 1600 Class
The Great Western Railway 1600 class is a class of 0-6-0 pannier tank steam locomotive.-History:The class was based on the 2021 class designed by Dean and built from 1897 onwards...
0-6-0PT
0-6-0PT
The GWR 0-6-0PT , is a type of steam locomotive built by the Great Western Railway with the water tanks carried on both sides of the boiler, in the manner of panniers. They were used for local, suburban and branch line passenger and goods traffic, for shunting duties, and as banker engines on...
locomotives (numbers 1646 and 1649) to Helmsdale to work the Dornoch
Dornoch
Dornoch is a town and seaside resort, and former Royal burgh in the Highlands of Scotland. It lies on the north shore of the Dornoch Firth, near to where it opens into the Moray Firth to the east...
line.