Taff Vale Railway A class
Encyclopedia
The Taff Vale Railway A class was a class of 0-6-2T steam tank locomotive
s designed by J. Cameron and introduced to the Taff Vale Railway
in 1914. The A class was an enlarged version of the Taff Vale Railway O4 class
designed by Tom Hurry Riches
in 1907.
The A class locomotives were rebuilt with taper boilers and superheater
s by the Great Western Railway
(GWR) in 1924. All 58 passed to British Railways (BR) in 1948 but they were soon withdrawn and, by 1957, only no. 365 remained in service.
and North British Locomotive Company
. Their GWR/BR numbers were in the range 303-440 but they were not consecutive and were intermingled with other classes.
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 designed by J. Cameron and introduced to the Taff Vale Railway
Taff Vale Railway
The Taff Vale Railway is a railway in Glamorgan, South Wales, and is one of the oldest in Wales. It operated as an independent company from 1836 until 1922, when it became a constituent company of the Great Western Railway...
in 1914. The A class was an enlarged version of the Taff Vale Railway O4 class
Taff Vale Railway O4 class
The Taff Vale Railway O4 class was a class of 0-6-2T steam tank locomotives designed by Tom Hurry Riches and introduced to the Taff Vale Railway in 1907. They were rebuilt with taper boilers and superheaters by the Great Western Railway from 1924....
designed by Tom Hurry Riches
Tom Hurry Riches
Tom Hurry Riches was a British engineer who became the Locomotive Superintendent of the Taff Vale Railway in October 1873, and held the post until his death. At the time of his appointment, he was the youngest locomotive superintendent in Britain....
in 1907.
The A class locomotives were rebuilt with taper boilers and superheater
Superheater
A superheater is a device used to convert saturated steam or wet steam into dry steam used for power generation or processes. There are three types of superheaters namely: radiant, convection, and separately fired...
s by 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...
(GWR) in 1924. All 58 passed to British Railways (BR) in 1948 but they were soon withdrawn and, by 1957, only no. 365 remained in service.
Builders and numbering
The locomotives were built in several batches by Hawthorn Leslie, Nasmyth, Wilson and Company, Vulcan FoundryVulcan Foundry
Vulcan Foundry was a British locomotive builder sited at Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire .-History:It was originally opened in 1832 as Charles Tayleur and Company to produce girders for bridges, switches and crossings, and other ironwork following the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway...
and North British Locomotive Company
North British Locomotive Company
The North British Locomotive Company was created in 1903 through the merger of three Glasgow locomotive manufacturing companies; Sharp Stewart and Company , Neilson, Reid and Company and Dübs and Company , creating the largest locomotive manufacturing company in Europe.Its main factories were...
. Their GWR/BR numbers were in the range 303-440 but they were not consecutive and were intermingled with other classes.
| Year | Quantity | Manufacturer | Serial Numbers | TVR Numbers | GWR Numbers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 | 6 | Hawthorn Leslie | 3057–3062 | 3, 7, 10, 11, 12, 120 | 438, 335, 337, 343, 344, 441 | 441 renumbered 322 in 1947, 438 renumbered 309 sometime between 1948 and 1950 |
| 1915 | 6 | North British Locomotive Co. | 21156–21161 | 42, 45, 52, 122, 123, 124 | 439, 346, 440, 352, 356, 357 | 439 and 440 renumbered 312 and 316 sometime between 1948 and 1950 |
| 1916 | 6 | Vulcan Foundry Vulcan Foundry Vulcan Foundry was a British locomotive builder sited at Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire .-History:It was originally opened in 1832 as Charles Tayleur and Company to produce girders for bridges, switches and crossings, and other ironwork following the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway... |
3178–3183 | 125, 127, 128, 129, 130, 132 | 360, 361, 362, 364, 365, 366 | |
| 1919 | 12 | Nasmyth, Wilson & Co. | 1269–1280 | 133, 135, 136, 138, 139, 140, 154, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160 | 367, 370, 371, 372, 373, 374, 377, 378, 379, 380, 381, 382 | |
| 1920 | 16 | Hawthorn Leslie | 3394–3409 | 20, 134, 144, 149, 162, 164, 165, 400 to 408 | 345, 368, 375, 376, 383 to 391, 393, 394, 397 | |
| 1921 | 5 | Hawthorn Leslie | 3410–3414 | 409 to 413 | 398, 399, 401 to 403 | 401 and 403 renumbered 303 and 305 in 1947, 402 renumbered 304 sometime between 1948 and 1950 |
| 1914 | 7 | Vulcan Foundry Vulcan Foundry Vulcan Foundry was a British locomotive builder sited at Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire .-History:It was originally opened in 1832 as Charles Tayleur and Company to produce girders for bridges, switches and crossings, and other ironwork following the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway... |
3492–3498 | 75, 80, 90, 91, 414 to 416 | 347 to 349, 351, 404, 406, 408 | 404, 406, and 408 renumbered 306 to 308 sometime between 1948 and 1950 |