Neath and Brecon Stephensons
Encyclopedia
The Neath and Brecon Stephensons were 0-6-2T tank locomotive
s introduced into traffic on the Neath and Brecon Railway
in 1904 from a Rhymney Railway
design. There were three locos in the class. They were built by Robert Stephenson and Company
and were almost identical to the successful Rhymney Railway M class
.
used the Rhymney Railway's Stephensons as a blueprint for locomotives (Brecon and Merthyr 0-6-2T locomotives
) built from 1909 to the design of the Rhymney Railway R class
.
The M class and related 1910 introduced R and A class
were successful designs ideally suited to hauling heavy coal trains a relatively short distance. In 1922 the three Neath and Brecon locos were repaired by the GWR and lasted until 1929-1930.
. This was because the nature of the work they undertook demanded high adhesive weight, plenty of power with good braking ability, but no need for outright speed, nor large tanks or bunker as the distances from pit to port were short. These Welsh locomotives were taken over by the GWR at the grouping in 1923 and many (but not the N & B locos) were rebuilt with GWR taper boilers. All the similar Rhymney Stevenson derived locos passed into British Railways (BR) ownership in 1948. Others included (with some gaps in numbering):
For further information on these pre-grouping locomotives see Locomotives of the Great Western Railway
.
Tank locomotive
A tank locomotive or tank engine is a steam locomotive that carries its water in one or more on-board water tanks, instead of pulling it behind it in a tender. It will most likely also have some kind of bunker to hold the fuel. There are several different types of tank locomotive dependent upon...
s introduced into traffic on the Neath and Brecon Railway
Neath and Brecon Railway
The Neath and Brecon Railway linked the Vale of Neath Railway at Neath with the Brecon and Merthyr Railway at Brecon and also via a connection from Colbren Junction, it linked to the Swansea Vale Railway at Ynysygeinon Junction ....
in 1904 from a Rhymney Railway
Rhymney Railway
The Rhymney Railway was virtually a single stretch of main line, some fifty miles in length, by which the Rhymney Valley was connected to the docks at Cardiff in the county of Glamorgan, South Wales.-History:...
design. There were three locos in the class. They were built by Robert Stephenson and Company
Robert Stephenson and Company
Robert Stephenson and Company was a locomotive manufacturing company founded in 1823. It was the first company set up specifically to build railway engines.- Foundation and early success :...
and were almost identical to the successful Rhymney Railway M class
Rhymney Railway M class
The Rhymney Railway M class was a class of 0-6-2T tank locomotive introduced into traffic on the Rhymney Railway in 1904. These were substantial sized tank engines, and weighed 66 tons and were in length....
.
Overview of similar classes
In similar vein, the Brecon and Merthyr RailwayBrecon and Merthyr Railway
The Brecon and Merthyr Junction Railway was one of several railways that served the industrial areas of South Wales and Monmouthshire. It ranked fifth amongst them in size, although hemmed in by the Taff Vale Railway and Great Western Railway...
used the Rhymney Railway's Stephensons as a blueprint for locomotives (Brecon and Merthyr 0-6-2T locomotives
Brecon and Merthyr 0-6-2T locomotives
Brecon and Merthyr 0-6-2T locomotives were steam tank locomotives of the Brecon and Merthyr Railway including classes 36 and 45.The Brecon and Merthyr 36 was a class of 0-6-2T steam locomotive introduced into traffic in 1909 from a design by the Rhymney Railway's engineer Hurry Riches. There were...
) built from 1909 to the design of the Rhymney Railway R class
Rhymney Railway R class
The Rhymney R class was a class of 0-6-2T steam locomotive introduced into traffic in 1907 designed by the railway's engineer Hurry Riches. These were substantial sized tank locomotives, and weighed 67 tons and were 37 feet in length.There were initially three locos in the class augmented to five...
.
The M class and related 1910 introduced R and A class
Rhymney Railway A class
The Rhymney Railway A class were 0-6-2T tank locomotives introduced into traffic in 1910 and designed by the railway's engineer Hurry Riches. These were substantial sized tank engines, and weighed 64 tons and were 35' 9" in length....
were successful designs ideally suited to hauling heavy coal trains a relatively short distance. In 1922 the three Neath and Brecon locos were repaired by the GWR and lasted until 1929-1930.
Welsh 0-6-2T types
The railways of South Wales seem to have had a particular liking for the 0-6-2T typeWelsh 0-6-2T locomotives
This article summarizes Welsh 0-6-2T locomotives and, where possible, give links to main articles.The 0-6-2T tank locomotive could well be described as the standard steam locomotive of the railways of South Wales. Many of the independent railways used them and, at the grouping of 1923, the...
. This was because the nature of the work they undertook demanded high adhesive weight, plenty of power with good braking ability, but no need for outright speed, nor large tanks or bunker as the distances from pit to port were short. These Welsh locomotives were taken over by the GWR at the grouping in 1923 and many (but not the N & B locos) were rebuilt with GWR taper boilers. All the similar Rhymney Stevenson derived locos passed into British Railways (BR) ownership in 1948. Others included (with some gaps in numbering):
- Brecon and Merthyr Railway, BR numbers 431-436
- Cardiff Railway, BR number 155
- Rhymney Railway, BR numbers 35-83
- Taff Vale Railway, BR numbers 204-399
For further information on these pre-grouping locomotives see Locomotives of the Great Western Railway
Locomotives of the Great Western Railway
The first Locomotives of the Great Western Railway were specified by Isambard Kingdom Brunel but Daniel Gooch was soon appointed as the railway's Locomotive Superintendent. He designed several different broad gauge types for the growing railway, such as the Firefly and later Iron Duke Class 2-2-2s...
.