Lew (locomotive)

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Lew was a Manning Wardle 2-6-2T built in 1925 for the narrow gauge Lynton and Barnstaple Railway.

Southern Railway E188 Lew
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
BuilderManning Wardle, Leeds
Serial number2042
Build date1925
Specifications
Configuration:
 • Whyte2-6-2T
Gauge1 ft 11+12 in (597 mm)
Leading dia.2 ft 0 in (0.610 m)
Driver dia.2 ft 9 in (0.838 m)
Trailing dia.2 ft 0 in (0.610 m)
WheelbaseCoupled: 6 ft 6 in (1.981 m)
Total: 17 ft 9 in (5.410 m)
Length22 ft 4 in (6.81 m) over buffer beams
Width6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Height8 ft 11 in (2.72 m)
Loco weight27.25 long tons (27.69 t; 30.52 short tons)
Fuel typeCoal
Firebox:
 • Grate area8.85 sq ft (0.822 m2)
Heating surface383 sq ft (35.58 m2)
CylindersTwo, outside
Cylinder size10.5 in × 16 in (267 mm × 406 mm)
Valve gearJoy
Career
OperatorsSouthern Railway
NumbersE188
LocaleDevon, South West England
WithdrawnNovember 1935
DispositionSold overseas, final destination and fate unknown

History

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Lew, following L&B tradition, was named after one of the local rivers with a three-letter name, the River Lew.

Lew was built to the same design as the previous L&B Manning Wardle locomotives, but with a redesigned cab to eliminate a smoke trap and give more room to the crew. After the railway closed, the remaining L&B equipment was sold at auction in November 1935.[1] The nameplates, along with the nameplates of the other locomotives, were removed and donated to York Railway Museum (the predecessor of the National Railway Museum).[2] Lew was purchased to work the trains dismantling the railway, and was used for this purpose until late summer 1936.[3]

In September 1936, Lew was photographed with the words "A.L.C. Pernambuco Lot 1 Kilos 22353" painted on the front of its tank,[3] believed to refer to the purchaser, a plantation in Brazil. On 28 September 1936,[4] Lew sailed from Swansea, on the SS Sabor. Sabor arrived in Pernambuco on 15 October 1936.[5] Sabor left Pernambuco on 17 October, called at Bahia on 20 October,[6] and arrived in Rio de Janeiro on 23 October.[7]

 
Lyd at Porthmadog Harbour Station

A replica of Lew, named Lyd in accordance with the L&B tradition of naming its locos after local three-letter rivers, was completed at Boston Lodge on the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway in August 2010.[8]

References

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  1. ^ Bradley, D.L. (October 1975). Locomotives of the Southern Railway: Part 1. London: RCTS. p. 85. ISBN 0-901115-30-4.
  2. ^ Catchpole, L.T. The Lynton & Barnstaple Railway 1895-1935. The Oakwood Press. p. 61.
  3. ^ a b Tooke, Dave (March 2011). "Lew moves to Brazil" (PDF). Industrial Railway Record (204).
  4. ^ "Toy Railway Engine". Western Morning News. England. 29 September 1936. Retrieved 15 August 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ^ "Mail and Steamship". Aberdeen Press and Journal. Scotland. 17 October 1936. Retrieved 15 August 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ^ "Mail and Steamship". Aberdeen Press and Journal. Scotland. 22 October 1936. Retrieved 15 August 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ^ "The Mails". The Scotsman. Scotland. 27 October 1936. Retrieved 15 August 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ^ "New replica steam locomotive unveiled in Ffestiniog". BBC News. 9 August 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2010.
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