3MT  82000 – 82044  2-6-2T  BR Standard   Class 3 Tank

Power Classification	3MT
Introduced	1952 – 1955
Designer	Riddles, designed at Swindon
Company	BR
Weight	73t 10cwt
Driving Wheels	5ft 3ins
Boiler Pressure	200psi superheated
Cylinders	Outside – 17½n x 26in
Tractive Effort	21,490lbf
Valve Gear	Walschaert (piston valve)

The design was essentially a hybrid of the LMS Ivatt class 2MT introduced in 1946 and a standard GWR boiler design used on the GWR large prairie and 5600 class tanks. The boiler of the Standard class locomotive is however slightly shorter than that used on the GWR engines. The GWR boiler design was used as there were no suitable LMS boiler design which would enable the weight restriction for which the locomotive was designed to be achieved.

They were later developed into the Standard 77000 class. Forty-five engines were built at Swindon.

It had been intended to build 63 of these 3MT tank engines, but owing to dieselisation the order was cut back to 45. For the same reason, although they had been built for a projected working life of 40 years, the class was extinct after less than 15 years, and the shortest lived member lasted less than nine years.

 

	Standard 82000 class introduced in 1952
	LMS 2MT 2-6-2T designed by Ivatt and introduced in 1946.
	GWR 6100 class introduced in 1931
	GWR 5600 class introduced in 1924
	77000 class introduced in 1954

They were built for an optimal economic working life of 40 years but the longest-lived member of the class, 82019 had only made 14 years 10 months in service and 82043 lasted just 8 years and 8 months.The locomotives had a short working life as they were largely employed on branch line which were either closed or the duties were subject to the early deployment of diesel multiple units.

Although the last two in service were 82029 and 82019 which worked out their final months in woebegone condition at Nine Elms. Probably the last duty of a member was performed by 82029 on the 8^th July 1967 when it was working as a station pilot at Waterloo when it was required to deputise for a failed engine on the 07.18 passenger turn to Salisbury which it worked as far as Basingstoke. On arrival at Basingstoke it was moved to the motif power depot and condemned and it never ran in service again.

Three more survived until after the end of steam. 82003, 82031 and 82034 were all stored at Patricroft long after withdrawal. They had been transferred from Machynlleth (2) and Bangor (1) to Patricroft in March 1965 to haul Manchester suburban trains. They were not really required and were withdrawn from service in December 1966 but lingered at the shed until it was closed in July 1968. One of these had run very few miles since its final overhaul, and enquiries were made about saving it, but the price being asked (£1500 – but a lot of money in 1968) was too high and the trio went for scrap at Cashmore’s in Newport, South Wales where they were broken up in October 1968.

Number in Service.

	Built		Withdrawals	No. in Service	41200 class in Service
	BR Numbers	Quantity
1946					10
1947					10
1948					30
1949					60
1950					90
1951					100
1952	82000-82019	20		20	130
1953				20	130
1954	82020-82031	12		32	130
1955	82032-82044	13		45	130
1956-61				45	130
1962				45	109
1963				45	91
1964			10	35	65
1965			21	14	39
1966			12	2	8
1967			2	0	0

 

Allocation of locomotives in service as at 1st of January.

	1953	1955	1958	1962	1964	1965	1966	1967
Western Region	10	12	27	27	16	11
Southern Region	10	14	14	14	18	13	9	2
North Eastern Region		4	4	4
London Midland Region		2			11	11	5
	20	32	45	45	45	35	14	2
Western Region
Barry		10	10
Bath Green Park				2	2	2
Bristol Barrow Road				6	7	4
Exmouth Junction					3	4
Gloucester						1
Machynlleth				9
Shrewsbury			3	2
Stratford on Avon	3
St Phillips Marsh				2
Taunton				4	4
Templecombe				2
Treherbet		2	6
Tyseley	7
Wellington			3
Worcester			3
Wrexham Rhosddu			2
	10	12	27	27	16	11
Southern Region
Bournemouth					4
Eastleigh	4	4	4	4
Exmouth Junction	6	10	10	10
Nine Elms					14	12	9	2
Yeovil Town						1
	10	14	14	14	18	13	9	2
North Eastern Region
Darlington		2	2
Kirkby Stephen		2	2
Malton				2
Scarborough				2
		4	4	4
London Midland Region
Bangor						3
Machynlleth					11	8
Nuneaton		2
Patricroft							5
		2			11	11	5
	20	32	45	45	45	35	14	2

Accidents and Incidents

On 16 October 1961, locomotive 82028 was hauling a freight train which ran away whilst approaching Robin Hoods Bay, North Riding of Yorkshire. As another train was approaching in the opposite direction, it was diverted into a siding where it crashed through the buffers.

New Build

None of the class survived into preservation despite consideration being given to preserving one of the last three stored at Patricroft. The fact that none of the class were sold to Woodham Brothers at Barry may be a significant reason for none surviving.

• 82045

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