Caledonian Railway 908 Class

The Caledonian Railway 908 Class were 4-6-0 mixed traffic locomotives designed by John F. McIntosh and built in 1906, at the Caledonian Railway's own St. Rollox Works.

Caledonian Railway 908 Class
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
DesignerJohn F. McIntosh
BuilderSt. Rollox
Build date1906
Total produced10
Specifications
Configuration:
  Whyte4-6-0
Gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm)
Driver dia.5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[1]
Wheelbase5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) + 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) + 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) + 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Length17.957 m (58.91 ft)
Adhesive weight49tons
Loco weight64tons[1]
Boiler pressure180psi[1]
Heating surface202.34 m2 (2,178.0 sq ft)
  Firebox1.95 m2 (21.0 sq ft)
Superheaternot equipped
CylindersTwo, inside
Cylinder size19 in × 26 in (483 mm × 660 mm)[1]
Valve gearStephenson
Performance figures
Tractive effort20,812 lbf (92.58 kN)[1]
Career
OperatorsCR  LMS
ClassCR: 908
Power classLMS: 3P

Overview

McIntosh developed six different classes of 4-6-0 for the Caledonian Railway:[2]

  • large 49 and 903 Classes for express passenger traffic, with 6' 6" driving wheels
  • intermediate 908 and 179 Classes for mixed traffic, with 5' 9" driving wheels
  • small (5') wheeled 55 and 918 Classes for the Oban line and express goods traffic respectively

Only one batch of ten 908 Class locomotives was built, but the subsequent 179 Class was essentially a superheated version of the 908. All were originally delivered in the Caledonian's blue passenger locomotive livery. Two locomotives were named "Sir James King" and "Barochan" (after the chairman of the Caledonian Railway and the home of its deputy chairman), though these names were later removed.

Although most of the locomotives had cabs of the standard Caledonian Railway style with curved cut-outs on the sides, the last of the batch (number 917) had a more modern style of cab with two arched windows on either cabside. Sources differ as to whether it was built in this form or whether the cab was modified early in the locomotive's life. Apart from no.917 the only other Caledonian engines to carry side-window cabs were the 179 Class.

LMS ownership

The locomotives passed into the ownership of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway upon its formation in 1923. They were classified as passenger locomotives by the LMS and were therefore repainted into crimson lake livery, although this later gave way to lined black. Oddly, the very similar 179 Class were treated as goods engines by the LMS.

They were displaced by new LMS standard locomotives such as the "Crab" 2-6-0s and were withdrawn for scrap between 1930 and 1935.

Numbering and locomotive histories

CR no. CR name LMS no. Delivered Withdrawn
908 14609 10/1906 03/1933
909 Sir James King 14610 10/1906 07/1933
910 14611 10/1906 12/1931
911 Barochan 14612 11/1906 11/1931
912 14613 11/1906 09/1932
913 14614 11/1906 05/1930
914 14615 11/1906 11/1931
915 14616 11/1906 03/1930
916 14617 12/1906 04/1931
917 14618 12/1906 02/1935

source: BritishSteam[3]

See also

References

  1. Casserley, H. C. & Johnston, S.W. (1966), Locomotives at the Grouping 3: London Midland and Scottish, Ian Allan, p.147
  2. Essery, Bob & Jenkinson, David (1986), An Illustrated History of L.M.S. Locomotives, Volume Three: Absorbed Pre-Group Classes, Northern Division, OPC, p.33
  3. "BritishSteam locomotive information". BritishSteam.com. Archived from the original on 4 April 2013. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
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