Highland Railway River Class
Encyclopedia
The Highland Railway River class was a class of steam locomotive with a 4-6-0
wheel arrangement. They were designed by F. G. Smith
, who had joined the Highland Railway
in 1904 from the North Eastern Railway
. His initial post was as manager of the Locomotive, Carriage and Wagon works at Inverness
(usually referred to as Lochgorm works). When Peter Drummond departed to the Glasgow and South Western Railway
at the end of 1911 Smith was appointed Chief Mechanical Engineer
in his place.
upon the track than the existing Highland locomotives. When the effects of hammer blow were taken into account, the 'Rivers' put the same total weight onto the track as the previous 'Castle' Class 4-6-0s.
The first two engines were delivered to Perth around the end of August 1915, when a row immediately erupted between Smith and the company's Chief Civil Engineer Alexander Newlands. Smith and Newlands had a difficult working relationship and avoided speaking to one another. It seems that Smith had not discussed the high deadweight axle loadings with Newlands, and Newlands did not raise the matter until the locomotives arrived. On delivery, the locomotives were immediately placed in a siding while the engineers checked the drawings. Once this exercise was completed Newlands banned them from the line as being too heavy for a number of bridges and out of gauge. Smith argued that the effect of hammer blow needed to be taken into account, but the company's board sided with Newlands and Smith was forced to resign.
, and legend has it that they made a profit of £500 per engine in the process. They were out of gauge to the 'Caley' as well, but the modifications required were slight and quickly made.
In Caledonian service they proved reliable and were well liked by their crews, despite their being outside-cylindered and the 'Caley' being an inside-cylinder line. They spent most of their lives on fast goods between Aberdeen and Carlisle. Many footplatemen and shed mechanical staff regarded them as being better than the Caley's own 4-6-0 designs. Some users even regarded them as being comparable with the later LMS Stanier 'Black Fives'
, although this seems unlikely given the difference in boiler pressures.
. In fact, taking hammer blow into account, the total weight which the 'Rivers' put onto the track was around a ton less than the 'Clan' 4-6-0s
which had been built to replace them. Some of the weaker bridges on the Highland had, in any event, been strengthened by that time. Thus the 'Rivers' ended their days on the line for which they had originally been built. The last of the class was withdrawn in 1946.
4-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. This wheel arrangement became the second-most popular...
wheel arrangement. They were designed by F. G. Smith
Fredrick George Smith
Fredrick George Smith was the Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Highland Railway from 1912 to 1915. He was born in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1872 and died in 1956. His only design for the Highland Railway was the River Class, which was rejected by the Chief Engineer, causing his resignation...
, who had joined the Highland Railway
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 1904 from the North Eastern Railway
North Eastern Railway (UK)
The North Eastern Railway , was an English railway company. It was incorporated in 1854, when four existing companies were combined, and was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923...
. His initial post was as manager of the Locomotive, Carriage and Wagon works at 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...
(usually referred to as Lochgorm works). When Peter Drummond departed to the Glasgow and South Western Railway
Glasgow and South Western Railway
The Glasgow and South Western Railway , one of the pre-grouping railway companies, served a triangular area of south-west Scotland, between Glasgow, Stranraer and Carlisle...
at the end of 1911 Smith was appointed Chief Mechanical Engineer
Chief Mechanical Engineer
Chief Mechanical Engineer and Locomotive Superintendent are titles applied by British, Australian, and New Zealand railway companies to the person ultimately responsible to the board of the company for the building and maintaining of the locomotives and rolling stock...
in his place.
Delivery to Highland Railway
The 'Rivers' were Smith's only design for the Highland Railway, and they were the largest and most powerful locomotives built for that company. This involved a deadweight driving axle loading of 17.75 tons, which exceeded the maximum axle loading allowed by the company's Civil Engineer. However, Smith had taken this into account, and had designed the 'Rivers' to cause much lower 'hammer blow'Hammer blow
Hammer blow, in rail terminology, refers to the vertical forces transferred to the track by the driving wheels of a steam locomotive and some diesel locomotives. The largest proportion of this is due to the unbalanced reciprocating motion, although the piston thrusts also contribute a portion to it...
upon the track than the existing Highland locomotives. When the effects of hammer blow were taken into account, the 'Rivers' put the same total weight onto the track as the previous 'Castle' Class 4-6-0s.
The first two engines were delivered to Perth around the end of August 1915, when a row immediately erupted between Smith and the company's Chief Civil Engineer Alexander Newlands. Smith and Newlands had a difficult working relationship and avoided speaking to one another. It seems that Smith had not discussed the high deadweight axle loadings with Newlands, and Newlands did not raise the matter until the locomotives arrived. On delivery, the locomotives were immediately placed in a siding while the engineers checked the drawings. Once this exercise was completed Newlands banned them from the line as being too heavy for a number of bridges and out of gauge. Smith argued that the effect of hammer blow needed to be taken into account, but the company's board sided with Newlands and Smith was forced to resign.
Sale to Caledonian Railway
The Highland managed to sell all six locomotives to the Caledonian RailwayCaledonian Railway
The Caledonian Railway was a major Scottish railway company. It was formed in the early 19th century and it was absorbed almost a century later into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, in the 1923 railway grouping, by means of the Railways Act 1921...
, and legend has it that they made a profit of £500 per engine in the process. They were out of gauge to the 'Caley' as well, but the modifications required were slight and quickly made.
In Caledonian service they proved reliable and were well liked by their crews, despite their being outside-cylindered and the 'Caley' being an inside-cylinder line. They spent most of their lives on fast goods between Aberdeen and Carlisle. Many footplatemen and shed mechanical staff regarded them as being better than the Caley's own 4-6-0 designs. Some users even regarded them as being comparable with the later LMS Stanier 'Black Fives'
LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0
The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
, although this seems unlikely given the difference in boiler pressures.
LMS service
By the 1920s, the effects of hammer blow were more widely understood, and it was accepted that the locomotives could safely work over the Highland Main LineHighland Main Line
The Highland Main Line is a railway line in Scotland. It is long and runs through the Scottish Highlands linking a series of small towns and villages with Perth at one end and Inverness at the other. Today, services between Inverness and Edinburgh, Glasgow and London use the line...
. In fact, taking hammer blow into account, the total weight which the 'Rivers' put onto the track was around a ton less than the 'Clan' 4-6-0s
Highland Railway Clan Class
The Highland Railway's Clan Class was a class of passenger 4-6-0 steam locomotives designed by Christopher Cumming. The design is derived from that of the slightly earlier Clan Goods although the similarity is more visual than real....
which had been built to replace them. Some of the weaker bridges on the Highland had, in any event, been strengthened by that time. Thus the 'Rivers' ended their days on the line for which they had originally been built. The last of the class was withdrawn in 1946.
Numbers and names
Planned numbers and names in Highland service were| HR No. | HR name | CR No. | LMS number | Withdrawn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | River Ness River Ness The River Ness is a river flowing from Loch Ness in Scotland, north to Inverness and the Moray Firth. On a hill above the river in Inverness stands Inverness Castle. The river is overlooked by the Eden Court Theatre, one of the largest theatres in Scotland. St. Andrews Cathedral also lies along... |
938 | 14756 | 1939 |
| 71 | River Spey River Spey The River Spey is a river in the northeast of Scotland, the second longest and the fastest-flowing river in Scotland... |
939 | 14757 | 1936 |
| (72) | — | 940 | 14758 | 1945 |
| (73) | — | 941 | 14759 | 1939 |
| (74) | — | 942 | 14760 | 1946 |
| (75) | — | 943 | 14761 | 1939 |