LSWR G16 class
Encyclopedia
The LSWR G16 class is a steam tank locomotive
class of 4-8-0T wheel arrangement
. It was designed by Robert Urie
and introduced in 1921 specifically for heavy shunting over humps at Feltham marshalling yard
, on the London and South Western Railway
(LSWR). They were based upon Urie's previous S15 class freight design, and apart from several periods of operating eleswhere on the LSWR and Southern railway network, they remained at Feltham for most of their operational careers.
. This location gave excellent access to the company main lines as well as direct links to the Great Western Railway
and London and North Western Railway
, and to the Midland Railway
, Great Northern Railway
and Great Eastern Railway
via the North London line. Although completion of Feltham yard was delayed by the First World War
, it was completed soon after. A new design of locomotive was required to haul heavy freight trains over the various flyovers that large marshalling yards such as Feltham had.
Richard Maunsell
gave consideration to constructing more G16 locomotives, but instead decided to develop his SR Z Class
0-8-0T
. Originally it had been intended to use them for transfer and trip workings so superheating was provided. Originally these were the Eastleigh design of superheater, but in later years these were replaced by the Maunsell pattern. This turned out to be a hindrance to the shunting activities and most of the transfer and trip workings were assigned to the similar H16 class
of 4-6-2
tanks. The G16 and H16 classes shared many components of the same design, such as boilers and fireboxes. The G16s, along with the T14s and H16s, were the widest standard gauge steam locomotives ever to run in Britain.
meant that such massive and reliable machines as the G16s continued their hard work even in very run-down condition. Inevitably, the introduction of the ubiquitous 0-6-0 diesel electric shunters at Feltham in the 1950s made the G16s redundant. They were used occasionally on empty stock and van trains, from various depots such as Guildford, but these duties were limited in numbers and further electrification in the Southern Region meant that there was a surplus of locomotives in the late 1950s. One G16 was withdrawn in 1959, another in 1960 and the final two in December 1962. None have been preserved.
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...
class of 4-8-0T wheel arrangement
Whyte notation
The Whyte notation for classifying steam locomotives by wheel arrangement was devised by Frederick Methvan Whyte and came into use in the early twentieth century encouraged by an editorial in American Engineer and Railroad Journal...
. It was designed by Robert Urie
Robert Urie
Robert Wallace Urie was a Scottish locomotive engineer who was the last chief mechanical engineer of the London and South Western Railway....
and introduced in 1921 specifically for heavy shunting over humps at Feltham marshalling yard
Feltham marshalling yard
Feltham marshalling yard, also known as Feltham hump yard, was a large railway marshalling yard designed for the concentration of freight traffic to and from South West London, and for transfer to other marshalling yards in London. It was built on the Waterloo to Reading Line...
, on the London and South Western Railway
London and South Western Railway
The London and South Western Railway was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Its network extended from London to Plymouth via Salisbury and Exeter, with branches to Ilfracombe and Padstow and via Southampton to Bournemouth and Weymouth. It also had many routes connecting towns in...
(LSWR). They were based upon Urie's previous S15 class freight design, and apart from several periods of operating eleswhere on the LSWR and Southern railway network, they remained at Feltham for most of their operational careers.
Background
With the fast growth of the LSWR's London area goods traffic in the early years of the twentieth century, the company decided to construct a modern gravitational marshalling yard at FelthamFeltham
Feltham is a town in the London Borough of Hounslow, west London. It is located about west south west of central London at Charing Cross and from Heathrow Airport Central...
. This location gave excellent access to the company main lines as well as direct links to the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
and London and North Western Railway
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
, and to the Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
, Great Northern Railway
Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)
The Great Northern Railway was a British railway company established by the Great Northern Railway Act of 1846. On 1 January 1923 the company lost its identity as a constituent of the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway....
and Great Eastern Railway
Great Eastern Railway
The Great Eastern Railway was a pre-grouping British railway company, whose main line linked London Liverpool Street to Norwich and which had other lines through East Anglia...
via the North London line. Although completion of Feltham yard was delayed by the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, it was completed soon after. A new design of locomotive was required to haul heavy freight trains over the various flyovers that large marshalling yards such as Feltham had.
Design features
Urie had designed four very large shunting tanks based on his S15 goods 4-6-0s, except for utilising a somewhat smaller boiler, and eight-coupled wheels of 5 in 1 in (1.55 m) diameter for extra traction. Urie's design resulted in massive locomotives that weighed in at 95 tons, and were the most powerful locomotives on the LSWR system. When passed over to Southern Railway ownership, the new Chief Mechanical EngineerChief 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...
Richard Maunsell
Richard Maunsell
Richard Edward Lloyd Maunsell held the post of Chief Mechanical Engineer of the South Eastern and Chatham Railway from 1913 until the 1923 Grouping and then the post of CME of the Southern Railway in England until 1937....
gave consideration to constructing more G16 locomotives, but instead decided to develop his SR Z Class
SR Z Class
The SR Z class was an 0-8-0T 3-cylinder tank engine designed by Richard Maunsell and intended for heavy shunting on the Southern Railway, the first eight entering into service in 1929...
0-8-0T
0-8-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-8-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and no trailing wheels...
. Originally it had been intended to use them for transfer and trip workings so superheating was provided. Originally these were the Eastleigh design of superheater, but in later years these were replaced by the Maunsell pattern. This turned out to be a hindrance to the shunting activities and most of the transfer and trip workings were assigned to the similar H16 class
LSWR H16 class
The LSWR H16 class were five 4-6-2 tank locomotives designed by Robert Urie for the London and South Western Railway in 1921–1922.-Background:...
of 4-6-2
4-6-2
4-6-2, in the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle .These locomotives are also known as Pacifics...
tanks. The G16 and H16 classes shared many components of the same design, such as boilers and fireboxes. The G16s, along with the T14s and H16s, were the widest standard gauge steam locomotives ever to run in Britain.
Construction history
| Year | Order | Quantity | LSWR numbers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1921 | |
|
|
|
Operational details
Although they were tried out on other duties around the system, most of their life was spent allocated to the new shed at Feltham. The lack of maintenance for most locomotives during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
meant that such massive and reliable machines as the G16s continued their hard work even in very run-down condition. Inevitably, the introduction of the ubiquitous 0-6-0 diesel electric shunters at Feltham in the 1950s made the G16s redundant. They were used occasionally on empty stock and van trains, from various depots such as Guildford, but these duties were limited in numbers and further electrification in the Southern Region meant that there was a surplus of locomotives in the late 1950s. One G16 was withdrawn in 1959, another in 1960 and the final two in December 1962. None have been preserved.