Caledonian Railway 55 Class

The Caledonian Railway 55 Class were 4-6-0 mixed-traffic locomotives designed by John F. McIntosh and built at the railway’s St. Rollox works in Glasgow in 1902-1905. The class was intended for use on the Callander and Oban line and were sometimes known as Oban Bogies, a nickname they shared with the earlier Brittain 179 Class 4-4-0s and the subsequent Pickersgill 191 Class 4-6-0s, all of which were built for use on the same route.

Caledonian Railway 55 Class
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
DesignerJohn F. McIntosh
BuilderSt. Rollox
Build date1902-05
Total produced9
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte4-6-0
Gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Driver dia.5 ft 0 in (1.52 m)[1]
Loco weight57.4 tons[1]
Tender weight37.3 tons[1]
Boiler pressure175psi[1]
Superheaternot superheated
Cylinderstwo, inside
Cylinder size19 in × 26 in (483 mm × 660 mm)[1]
Valve gearStephenson
Performance figures
Tractive effort23,300 lbf (104 kN)[1]
Career
OperatorsCR • LMS
ClassCR: 55
Power classLMS: 3P

Design

The Oban line had numerous short but steep gradients along with tight curves and lightly constructed bridges, and was therefore a challenging route to operate. McIntosh therefore designed a small 4-6-0 which was essentially an elongated hybrid of his 812 Class 0-6-0 and Dunalastair series 4-4-0 types.[2] The class featured a particularly short driving-wheel wheelbase to cope with the curvature of the line, and short tenders to enable the locomotives to fit onto the existing small turntable at Oban shed. The subsequent 918 Class was very similar to the 55 Class, but had a larger boiler and tender for express goods services on the mainline.

Construction

The locomotives were built in two batches. Numbers 55-59 were built in 1902, whilst numbers 51-54 were built to a slightly modified design in 1905. Throughout their lives the locomotives were used primarily on the Oban line, although number 56 was on extended loan to the Highland Railway between 1916 and 1922.[3]

LMS ownership

The locomotives passed to the LMS upon its formation in 1923, and were renumbered 14600-14608 (ex 55-59, 51-54).[4] The LMS rebuilt two locomotives (14606 and 14607) with larger boilers from withdrawn 918 Class engines in 1930.[5] All were withdrawn and scrapped between 1928 and 1937, having been displaced from the Oban line by former Highland Railway Clan Class 4-6-0s.

Numbering and locomotive histories
CR no. LMS no. Delivered Withdrawn
55 14600 05/1902 09/1929
56 14601 05/1902  ?
57 14602 05/1902 02/1928
58 14603 06/1902 10/1935
59 14604 06/1902 12/1936
51 14605 08/1905 02/1937
52 14606 09/1905 11/1937
53 14607 09/1905 10/1934
54 14608 09/1905 11/1935

source: BritishSteam[6]

See also

References
  1. Atkins, C. P. (1976), The Scottish 4-6-0 Classes, Ian Allan, p.103
  2. Atkins, C. P. (1976), The Scottish 4-6-0 Classes, Ian Allan, p.45
  3. Atkins, C. P. (1976), The Scottish 4-6-0 Classes, Ian Allan, p.46
  4. Casserley, H. C. & Johnston, S. W. (1986), Locomotives at the Grouping 3: London Midland and Scottish, Ian Allan
  5. Essery, Bob & Jenkinson, David (1966), An illustrated History of L.M.S. Locomotives Volume Three: Absorbed Pre-Group Classes, Northern Division, Oxford Publishing Co.
  6. "BritishSteam locomotive information". BritishSteam.com. Archived from the original on 4 April 2013. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
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