NCC Class W
The Northern Counties Committee (NCC) Class W was a class of locomotives introduced in 1933 and allocated to express passenger duties from York Road, Belfast.[2][3]
| NCC Class W | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||
Design and build
The design was attributed to the NCC's Chief Mechanical Engineer H. P. Stewart who was with the permission of William Stanier able to draw on designs and parts from the NCC's owners, the London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS).[1] The resultant design is understood to have been an Irish 5ft 3in gauge tender version of the LMS Fowler 2-6-4T tank engine with 6 feet 0 inches (1.83 m) diameter wheels which were three inches wider than its predecessor.[3]
Operations and performance
On introduction the Class W moguls took over the principal main line expresses of the NCC.[1] They proved capable of speeds of over 80 miles per hour (130 km/h).[1] while coal consumption of the locomotives was considered extremely economical.[3]
The class was the motive power for the North Atlantic Express introduced in 1934 with the opening of the Greenisland Loop Line and the fastest services to Portrush taking a mere 80 minutes. In 1937 the North Atlantic Express was scheduled from Ballymena to Belfast York Road at an average speed of 58.1 miles per hour (93.5 km/h) making it the fastest schedule in Ireland; that time being reduced by a further minute in 1938 to achieve a scheduled 60 miles per hour (97 km/h) start to stop.[1]
The locomotive remained on former NCC lines until the introduction of diesel railcars on services to Londonderry in 1958 whereupon some were shifted to other lines including cross border trains to Dundalk and occasional excursions to Dublin.[2] The final six remaining locomotives of the class were withdrawn in 1965.[2]
Livery and naming
When new the locomotives were painted in LMS crimson lake red livery until the NCC was absorbed into Ulster Transport Authority (UTA) in the later forties whereafter repaints were black with red and yellow lining.[2] The original plans were to name the class after Irish Chieftains, however there were concerns this might not be acceptable to some sections of the community. In the event the naming split between British Nobility and geographical locations, the class lead was named Duke of Abercorn after the governor of Northern Ireland.[1]
| No. | Name | Introduced | Withdrawn | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90 | Duke of Abercorn | 1933 | Class lead | |
| 91 | The Bush | |||
| 92 | The Bann | |||
| 93 | The Foyle | |||
| 94 | The Maine | |||
| 95 | The Braid | |||
| 96 | Silver Jubilee | |||
| 97 | Earl of Ulster | |||
| 98 | King Edward VIII | |||
| 99 | King George VI | |||
| 100 | Queen Elizabeth | |||
| 101 | (not named) | |||
| 102 | (not named) | |||
| 103 | (not named) | |||
| 104 | (not named) |
New build option
While none of the original class have survived, the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland possesses a spare set of driving wheels and motion and are being used to re-construct the next locomotive of the class, to be numbered 105.[4] It will also use a spare tender that the group have numbered 43.
References
- Baker, Michael H.C. (20 June 1972). Irish railways since 1916 (1st ed.). Ian Allan. pp. 76−78. ISBN 9780711002821.
- Boocock, Colin (1 October 2009). "Locomotive Compendium Ireland" (1st ed.). Ian Allan. pp. 86–87. ISBN 9780711033603.
- Nock, O.S. (1983). "13 NCC: The Speir Effect". Irish Steam. David & Charles. ISBN 0715379615.
- Devereux, Nigel (5 October 2019). "RSPI cuts frames for new-build LMS-NNC 'W' class mogul". Railway Magazine. Archived from the original on 6 October 2019. Retrieved 17 December 2019.