BR standard class 4 2-6-0

Infobox Locomotive
powertype=Steam
name = BR standard class 4 2-6-0

---

caption = Preserved 76079
designer = R. A. Riddles
builder = British Railways
builddate = 1953
totalproduction = 115
whytetype = 2-6-0
gauge = 4' 8½"
leadingsize =
driversize = 5' 3"
length =
weight = 59 tons 2 cwt
fueltype = coal
fuelc

waterc

cylindercount = two outside
cylindersize = 17½" x 26"
firearea =
boilerpressure = 225 psi
tractiveeffort = 24,170 lbf
railroadclass= 4MT| The British Railways (BR) standard class 4 2-6-0 is a class of steam locomotive. 115 locomotives were built.

Design and Construction

Designed at the ex-LNER works at Doncaster which was also responsible for building 70 of the 115 strong class. The last in the series No.76114 was also the final steam engine to be constructed at the 'Plant' as Doncaster works was known. The remaining Standard Moguls were products of ex Lancashire & Yorkshire works at Horwich. The standard four mogul was essentially a standardised version of the LMS Ivatt Class 4. It was primarily intended for freight use.

Although a BR standard they didn't share the same design of wheels with the Swindon built 82XXX and 77XXX Class 3 engines which also had 5'3" driving wheels.

Operation

With its 5ft 3in Diameter driving wheels this sixth of the BR standard design was clearly biased towards freight working. An axle loading of only 16 tons 15cwt meant its route availability was virtually unrestricted. Batches were allocated to every BR region bar the Western.
*Scottish region
**When new 35 were sent to the Scottish Region where they worked over bleakly dramatic Waverley route between Carlisle and Hawick. Others appeared on the coast road from Dumfries to Stranraer. The Scottish examples were mainly concentrated in Ayrshire and around Glasgow, at one time Corkerhill depot was home to ten of the class. Five though found there way to Aberdeen and three to Thornton in fife
*Southern Region
**The Southern Moguls (originally 37) also concentrated in one area around Eastleigh, Southampton and Bournemouth. They were used on the cross country service between Portsmouth, Salisbury and Cardiff, Reading to Redhill, Brighton to Bournemouth and over the Swanage branch. Their most celebrated duty was the London Waterloo to Lymington boat train. However this had nothing to do with the engine's capabilities; it was simply that among tender engines only a 2-6-0 or 4-4-0 could fit on the turntable at Brockenhurst.

All the Southern Region allocated locomotives were equipped with the BR1B high-sided tender.
*Northern Region
**At first the Northern region scattered its 13 strong allocation far and wide Darlington, Gateshead, Hull, Sunderland and York. Later all were concentrated at either Kirkby Stephen or West Auckland to work over the Stainmore route whose viaduct were not only spectacular but had severe weight restrictions. Like their small cousins the 2MT 2-6-0 class the Moguls were ideal to work the line. They worked coal trains as well as passenger services and were regular choice for excursions from Tyneside to the Lancashire coast resorts.
*London Midland Region
**Apart from a pair allocated to Leicester most of the London Midland Region's batch of 15 spent their working lives in the Liverpool, Manchester and Preston areas.
*Eastern Region
**The Eastern Region divided its 15 between two London depots. Five went to Stratford, on the ex-Great Eastern section and the remainder to the one time Great Central depots at Neasden. Made redundant by dieselization the Stratford engines were transferred to the Southern and arrived at Brighton. The Neasden engines also departed the capital in this case for Chester and ex-Cambrian Railway territory.

Preservation

Four examples have been saved, these being:-
*76017 - Is on the Watercress Line and is currently stored
*76077 - Is under overhaul on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway
*76079 - Is owned by Ian Riley and is based on the East Lancashire Railway this engine also holds a mainline certificate and runs all over the national network. It can be regularly seen on WCRC "The Cambrian" service on the Cambrian Coast line, also it can been seen on Past Time Rails Cotton Mills Express.
*76084 - Is under overhaul

Sound

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References

* "A Detailed History of BR Standard Steam Locomotives", - Vol 2 - The 4-6-0 and 2-6-0 Classes. RCTS ISBN 0-901115-93-2

External links

* [http://www.semgonline.com/steam/std4-260_01.html Southern E-group photo gallery]
* [http://www.standard4.com website of preserved loco 76084]