Highland Railway W Class

The Highland Railway W Class were four small 0-4-4T locomotives built by the Highland Railway in 1905–1906 to the design of locomotive superintendent Peter Drummond. They were the last engines that were built at the company's Lochgorm works in Inverness, and were used on branch line services.

Highland Railway W class
Type and origin Power type Steam Designer Peter Drummond Builder HR Lochgorm Works Build date 1905–1906 Total produced 4
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 0-4-4T  • UIC B2′ n2t Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Driver dia. 4 ft 6 in (1.372 m) Trailing dia. 2 ft 6 in (0.762 m) Loco weight 35.75 long tons (36.32 t; 40.04 short tons) Fuel type Coal Fuel capacity 1.75 long tons (1.78 t; 1.96 short tons) Water cap. 900 imp gal (4,100 L; 1,100 US gal) Firebox: ​  • Grate area 13 sq ft (1.2 m2) Boiler 3 ft 10+1⁄2 in (1.18 m) diameter Boiler pressure 150 psi (1.03 MPa) Heating surface: ​  • Firebox 68 sq ft (6.3 m2)  • Total surface 719.5 sq ft (66.84 m2) Cylinders Two, inside Cylinder size 14 in × 20 in (356 mm × 508 mm)
Performance figures Tractive effort 9,256 lbf (41.17 kN)
Career Operators HR → LMS → BR (Sc) Class HR: W Power class LMS: 0P Withdrawn 1930–1957 Disposition All scrapped, but the locomotive this class was based on, the prototype, is preserved.

Predecessor

Main article: Dunrobin (locomotive)

Dunrobin was an 0-4-4T built in 1895 by Sharp, Stewart & Co. for the 4th Duke of Sutherland. The W class were near-clones of Dunrobin.

Numbers / Names

Table of locomotives

HR No.	HR Name	Built	Withdrawn	LMS No.	BR	Notes
25	Strathpeffer	March 1905	July 1956	15051	55051	Name removed in 1920
40	Gordon Lennox	September 1905	December 1930	15052	—	Name removed in 1920
45	—	December 1905	January 1957	15053	55053
46	—	February 1906	October 1945	15054	—

Service

All four locomotives passed to the LMS in 1923, where they were numbered 15051–15054 and given power classification '0P'. Locomotive 15052 was withdrawn in 1930, and 15054 followed in 1945, but the other two survived to become British Railways 55051 and 55053. These spent their final years based at Helmsdale for working the Dornoch Light Railway, which required locomotives with exceptionally light axle loadings. By the time they were finally withdrawn (in 1956 and 1957 respectively) they were the last former Highland Railway locomotives still in use, and were still in almost original condition.

In order to replace these locomotives, British Railways transferred two GWR 1600 Class 0-6-0PT locomotives (numbers 1646 and 1649) to Helmsdale to work the Dornoch Light Railway.

References

• Baxter, Bertram (1984). Baxter, David (ed.). British Locomotive Catalogue 1825–1923, Volume 4: Scottish and remaining English Companies in the LMS Group. Ashbourne, Derbyshire: Moorland Publishing Company. p. 199.
• Haresnape, Brian; Rowledge, Peter (1982). Drummond Locomotives, a pictorial history. Shepperton, Surrey: Ian Allan Limited. pp. 103, 112, 127. ISBN 0-7110-1206-7.
• Longworth, Hugh (2005). British Railways Steam Locomotives 1948-1968.
• Vallance, H. A. (1938). The Highland Railway.

External links

• Mike Morant. "Photo of 55051 in 1950".