Highland Railway Yankee Tanks
Encyclopedia
The Highland Railway P class was a group of five 4-4-0
tank steam locomotive
s built in 1891 and 1893.
In 1891 Dübs and Company
of Glasgow
completed two 4-4-0
side tank locomotives with 5 in 3 in (1,600.2 mm) driving wheels and 16 by 22 in (406.4 by 558.8 mm) outside cylinders. Boiler pressure was 140 lbf/in2 and weight in working order was . They were part of an order for five for the Uruguay
Eastern Railway, but due to financial problems the order was cancelled and the engines were offered for sale.
The locomotives were purchased by the Highland Railway
in 1892, where they were numbered 101 and 102. Although their cowcatchers and large headlights were removed before entering service, they retained a somewhat American appearance quite unlike other HR designs of the period, lacking the classic Allan framing and sweep of plating from the widest part of the smokebox
to the cylinder
s. Perhaps inevitably, they were nicknamed Yankees, although the official designation was 'P' Class.
Three further locomotives were delivered by Dübs in 1893, possibly comprising the balance of the Uruguay order. These had standard Highland Railway fittings but were otherwise identical to the first two. They were originally numbered 11, 14 and 15, but were renumbered 51, 50 and 52 in 1899–1900, and 50 was again renumbered to 54 in 1901.
They were used on branch line services, including those to Burghead
, Fortrose
, Portessie
and Aberfeldy
. One (no. 52) was used on the Invergarry and Fort Augustus Railway
while that line was leased to the Highland. In 1923 they became LMS 15013–15017, and were withdrawn between 1924 and 1934.
4-4-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-4-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels...
tank steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
s built in 1891 and 1893.
In 1891 Dübs and Company
Dûbs and Company
Dübs & Co. was a locomotive works in Glasgow, Scotland, founded by Henry Dübs in 1863 and based at the Queens Park Works in Polmadie. In 1903 it became part of the North British Locomotive Company.-Preserved locomotives:...
of Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
completed two 4-4-0
4-4-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-4-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels...
side tank locomotives with 5 in 3 in (1,600.2 mm) driving wheels and 16 by 22 in (406.4 by 558.8 mm) outside cylinders. Boiler pressure was 140 lbf/in2 and weight in working order was . They were part of an order for five for the Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
Eastern Railway, but due to financial problems the order was cancelled and the engines were offered for sale.
The locomotives were purchased by 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 1892, where they were numbered 101 and 102. Although their cowcatchers and large headlights were removed before entering service, they retained a somewhat American appearance quite unlike other HR designs of the period, lacking the classic Allan framing and sweep of plating from the widest part of the smokebox
Smokebox
A smokebox is one of the major basic parts of a Steam locomotive exhaust system. Smoke and hot gases pass from the firebox through tubes where they pass heat to the surrounding water in the boiler. The smoke then enters the smokebox, and is exhausted to the atmosphere through the chimney .To assist...
to the cylinder
Cylinder (engine)
A cylinder is the central working part of a reciprocating engine or pump, the space in which a piston travels. Multiple cylinders are commonly arranged side by side in a bank, or engine block, which is typically cast from aluminum or cast iron before receiving precision machine work...
s. Perhaps inevitably, they were nicknamed Yankees, although the official designation was 'P' Class.
Three further locomotives were delivered by Dübs in 1893, possibly comprising the balance of the Uruguay order. These had standard Highland Railway fittings but were otherwise identical to the first two. They were originally numbered 11, 14 and 15, but were renumbered 51, 50 and 52 in 1899–1900, and 50 was again renumbered to 54 in 1901.
They were used on branch line services, including those to Burghead
Burghead
Burghead is a small town in Moray, Scotland, about 8 miles north-west of Elgin. The town is mainly built on a Peninsula which projects north-westward into the Moray Firth, meaning that most of the town has sea on 3 sides. The present town was built between 1805 and 1809, destroying in the...
, Fortrose
Fortrose
Fortrose is a burgh in the Scottish Highlands, located on the Moray Firth, approximately ten kilometres north east of Inverness. The town is known for its ruined 13th century cathedral, and as the home of the Brahan Seer. In the Middle Ages it was the seat of the bishopric of Ross...
, Portessie
Portessie
Portessie is a small fishing village to the east of Buckie on the north-east coast of Scotland. It is commonly nicknamed "the Sloch", due to the name of the original settlement being Rottenslough...
and Aberfeldy
Aberfeldy, Perth and Kinross
Aberfeldy is a burgh in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, on the River Tay. A small market town, Aberfeldy is located in Highland Perthshire and houses a population of about 1,895, as of the 2001 census...
. One (no. 52) was used on the Invergarry and Fort Augustus Railway
Invergarry and Fort Augustus Railway
The Invergarry and Fort Augustus Railway was a branch-line railway built in Scotland, and served by the Highland Railway, the North British Railway and later the London & North Eastern Railway- Beginnings :...
while that line was leased to the Highland. In 1923 they became LMS 15013–15017, and were withdrawn between 1924 and 1934.