4MT    76000 – 76114   2-6-0   BR Standard Class 4

76000.jpg

Power Classification 4MT
Introduced 1952 – 1957
Designer Riddles, designed at Doncaster
Company BR
Weight – Loco 59t 2cwt
               Tender BR1B 4,725 gallon – 50t 5cwt

BR2 and BR2A 3,500 gallon – 42t 3cwt

Driving Wheels 5ft 3ins
Boiler Pressure 225psi superheated
Cylinders Outside – 17½6n x 28in
Tractive Effort 24,170lbf
Valve Gear Walschaert (piston valve)

These locomotives were built for intermediate passenger and cross-country work, and were smaller than the Standard 75000 class.

They were based closely on the LMS 43000 Ivatt 2-6-0 class which was introduced in 1947 but were still being built in 1952. The 43000 class were built at Horwich, Doncaster and Darlington. The last one built at Horwich was in January 1952 whilst at Doncaster the last one was completed in September 1952. The first engines of the 76000 class were completed at both Horwich and Doncaster in December 1952 only three months after the last 43000 class locomotive entered service. 76114 which was the last member of the Standard class to be completed in October 1957 it was also the last steam locomotive to be constructed at Doncaster. It is interesting to note that six of the 43000 class engines remained in service until 1968 whilst all of the 76000 class were gone by the previous year. Of these six three were built in 1948, two in 1949 and one in 1951.

 43000 small 43000 class introduced on the LMS in 1947
 76000 small 76000 class introduced in 1952

Although they were a BR Standard the class did not have the same design of wheels as the Swindon-built 82000 2-6-2T and 77000 2-6-0 class 3 engines which also had 5ft 3in driving wheels, yet all three locomotive classes share the same cylinder casting. The cylinder covers of engines built early in the programme of construction were fitted with screw-i” type pressure relief valves. From September 1955 revised cylinder covers were introduced for renewals incorporating bolt-on type pressure relief valves.

One hundred and fifteen engines were built at Horwich and Doncaster and they were based on all regions except the Western. They were widely used and always highly regarded. As the 76000 class engines had an axle-loading of only 16 tons 15 cwt which meant their route availability was virtually unrestricted.

Number in Service.

Built Withdrawals No. in Service

No 43000 class in Service

BR Numbers

Quantity

1947

    3

1948

  23

1949

  50

1950

  97

1951

155

1952 76000-5 & 76020-23

 10

   10

162

1953 76006-19 & 76024-34

 25

   35

162

1954 76035-44

 10

   45

162

1955 76045-49 & 76053-62

 15

   60

162

1956 76050-52 & 76063-78

 19

   79

162

1957 76079-114

 36

 115

162

1958-62  115

162

1963  115

156

1964

     7

 108

141

1965

   16

   92

  99

1966

   52

   40

  65

1967

   40

     0

    6

1968

    0

  • 76000-76019 and 76075-76099 were built at Horwich
  • 76020-76029 and 76100-76114 were built at Doncaster
  • 76030-76074 were built at Derby
  • 76000-76044 were fitted with BR2 3,500 gallon tenders
  • 76045-76052 and 76070-76114 were fitted with BR2A 3,500 gallon tenders
  • 76053-76069 were fitted with BR1B 4,725 gallon tenders for working on the Southern Region where there are no water troughs
  • The six 43000 class locomotives which survived until 1968 were the last 2-6-0 engines working on BR metal.
  • The 76000 class were the only standard tender engine class to be completely withdrawn from service by end of 1967 apart from the 2-8-0 Austerity locomotives built between 1943 and 1946.
  • 76097 was only in service from September 1957 until July 1964.

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

1954 1958 1962 1964 1965 1966

1967

Southern Region

20

37 37 42 37 26

17

London Midland Region 15 32 32 33 33

16

Eastern Region

5

15

5

North Eastern Region

5

13

6

Scottish Region

5

35 35 41 38 33

7

35

115 115 115 108 92

40

1954

1958 1962 1964 1965 1966

1967

Southern Region
Bournemouth 1 7 7 8 9

5

Eastleigh

20

22 22 20 20 14

4

Feltham

2

Guildford 5 2

5

Redhill

10

Salisbury 4 8 10 5 3

3

20

37 37 42 37 26

17

  • Fifteen of the first batch of twenty locomotives (76005-76019) built at Horwich were allocated to the Southern Region. The other five went to the Scottish Region. The Southern Region engines started life at Eastleigh and spent most of their working lives based there or at Salisbury or Bournemouth. A number of them also spent time at Yeovil Town, Dorchester, Redhill and Guildford. They were withdrawn in service from July 1965 onwards with the last four being withdrawn in July 1967. These locomotives were equipped with BR2 3,500 gallon tenders.
  • The second batch of engines allocated to the Southern Region was made up of five new locomotives (76025-76029) which were allocated to Eastleigh.
  • The third batch of seventeen engines (76053-76069) were built at Doncaster and fitted with BR1B 4,725 gallon tenders and were originally allocated to Redhill and Eastleigh. The ten at Redhill moved on to similar territory to the first fifteen in 1959 and 1960.
  • In 1962 a further five engines (76030-76034) were employed on Southern Region territory following being transferred from the Eastern Region. These five had initially been allocated to Stratford in 1953 before moving on to Cambridge or Norwich (4) Thorpe (1) and then Marsh in 1961. They were moved to Brighton in 1962 before moving on to Eastleigh or Guildford.
  • The locomotives were used 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 engines’ capabilities; it was simply that among tender engines only a 2-6-0 or 4-4-0 could fit on the turntable at Brockenhurst.
1954 1958 1962 1964 1965 1966 1967
London Midland Region
Bescot 4
Chester 4 3
Colwick 1
Crewe South 1
Cricklewood 11
Croes Newydd 2
Heaton Mersey 3
Lancaster 2
Leicester Midland 1
Lower Darwen 5 5 5 5
Neasden 11
Oxley 1 4 4
Saltley 2 6 13 4
Stoke 2 4 5
Stourbridge 2
Sutton Oak 5 7 4 4 9 7
Trafford Park 2 4
Uttoxeter 3
Willesden 5
Woodford Halse 1
15 32 32 33 33 16
  • Neasden was Eastern Region until February 1958 when it transferred to London Midland Region. The depot closed in June 1962 and its allocation of 76000 class engines moved to Cricklewood, Cricklewood closed in December 1964.
1954 1958 1962 1964 1965 1966 1967
Eastern Region
March 4
Neasden 10
Stratford 5 5 1
5 15 5
  • The eastern Region received five 76000 class engines (76030-76034) in 1953 which were allocated to Stratford and another ten (76035-76044) the following year which were based at Neasden. The Stratford engines moved to the Southern Region in 1962 after spending a few months at Cambridge, Norwich and Marsh after leaving Stratford in 1960. The ten based at Neasden became London Midland Region owned when Neasden depot became part of the London Midland Region in February 1958.
1954 1958 1962 1964 1965 1966 1967
North Eastern Region
Alnmouth 1
Darlington 1
Hull Dairycoates 1
Kirkby Stephen 7
Malton 1
West Auckland 6 5
Sunderland 1
York 1
5 13 6
  • The North Eastern Region were allocated five engines (76020-76024) in 1952 and eight locomotives (76045-76052) during 1955 and 1956.
  • The first five were initially spread around the region (Darlington, York, Hull Dairycoates, Sunderland and Gateshead) but by July 1956 three of them were based at Kirkby Stephen which was transferred to London Midland Region control in February 1958 a month after diesel multiple units were employed on the line over Stainmore.The other two moved around North Eastern region depots before going to the Scottish Region at Hurlford in October 1963.
  • The second batch of eight started life at Gateshead (5), York (2) and Darlington (1). Half of this batch were transferred to Kirkby Stephen in 1956 and later transferred to the London Midland Region. The other four moved around the North Eastern Region and all were based at West Auckland from 1956 before going to Scottish Region depots in 1963.
  • Five from Eastern Region moved to the Southern Region in December 1962 – going first to Brighton then Guildford in August 1963.
1954 1958 1962 1964 1965 1966 1967
Scottish Region
Aberdeen Ferry Hill 3 2
Ardrossan 2
Ayr 2 1 2
Bathgate 5 3
Beattock 1 1 3 2
Carstairs 2
Corkerhill 10 9 9 3 3 2
Dalry Road 2 2
Dawsholm 2 3 5
Dumfries 2 2 2 2 3
Dunfermline Upper 3 2 2 2
Eastfield 1
Fort William 1
Grangemouth 2 3 7
Greenock Ladyburn 3
Hawick 2 2
Hurlford 3 6 6
Kittybrewster 5
Motherwell 5 7 7 3 3 3 2
Parkhead 2
Polmadie 3 4 1
St Margarets 1
Stranraer 1 1 1 1 1
St Rollox 2 2
Thornton Junction 3 1
5 35 35 41 38 33 7
  • The Scottish Region based locomotives were made up of a number of batches.
  • 76000-76004 were delivered in December 1952 to Motherwell where three remained for their entire working lives which lasted to 1966 and 1967.
  • 76070-76074 were delivered in 1956 to Motherwell (2), Dumfries (2) and Eastfield (1).
  • 76090-76114 were delivered in 1957 to Corkerhill (10), Dawsholm (2), Parkhead (2), Kittybrewster (5), Thornton Junction (3), Dumfries (1) and St Rolox (2).
  • Another six were transferred to the Scottish Region in 1963 from the North Eastern Region.
  • Two of the Corkerhill engines moved south to Saltley after being reinstated in August 1964.

Allocation of 43000 and 76000 class locomotives in service as at 1st of January.

Region 1958 1962 1965 1967
43000 76000 43000 76000 43000 76000 43000 76000
Southern 0 37 0 37 0 37 0 17
London Midland 47 15 54 32 59 33 37 16
Eastern 58 15 56 5 40 0 0 0
North Eastern 47 13 43 6 42 0 28 0
Scottish 10 35 9 35 0 38 0 7
162 115 162 115 141 108 65 40

Accidents and Incidents

  • On 23 September 1954, locomotive 76017 was hauling a freight train from Banbury to Eastleigh that overran signals and was derailed by trap points at Whitchurch Town station, Hampshire. The locomotive rolled down the embankement.
  • In December 1957, locomotive 76016 was hauling a freight train that overran signals and was derailed by trap points at Woodhay station, Hampshire.
  • On 12 February 1960, locomotive 76026 was hauling a freight train that overran signals and was derailed by trap points at Whitchurch Town station.
76074-Ayr-July 1965.jpg 76074 at Ayr-July 1965. The locomotive was based at Scottish depots for all of its working life. It was based at Dumfries when I took this Photograph but was transferred to Ayr in February 1966 from where it was withdrawn from service in October 1966
76114-Cockerhill-July 1965.jpg 76114 on Corkerhill shed-July 1965. This was the last member of the class and enterred service at St Rollox (Glasgow) in October 1957. It was withdrawn from service at Beattock in December 1966
76050-Carlisle-August 1965.jpg 76050 takes the Waverley route (towards Hawick where it was based from October 1963) out of Carlisle. This locomotive started its working life at Darlington in August 1956 before moving to West Hartlepool a month later. The photograph was taken in August 1965 and the engine was withdrawn from service the following month.
76073-Carlisle-August 1965.jpg 76073 at Carlisle-August 1965. 76073 was based at Dumfries from new in October 1956. It stayed there until April 1966 when it was moved to Ayr from where it was withdrawn in June 1966.
76102-Dumfries-April 1966.jpg 76102 on Dumfries shed-April 1966. It was based at Dumfries at the time before being moved to Hurlford the month after I took the photograph. It was withdrawn from service in December 1966.
76040-York-Feb 1966.jpg 76040 at York-February 1966.
76091 Hurlford-July 1966.jpg 76091 leaves Hurlford shed-July 1966. It was based in Scotland for all of its working life.It was withdrawn from service at Hurlford in December 1966 when the shed was closed.
76092-Ayr-July 1966.jpg 76092 at Ayr-July 1966. This locomotive was allocated to Corkerhill when new in June 1957 . Its only other base was Hurlford from May 1964 until August 1966
76101-Ayr-July 1966.jpg 76101 at Ayr-July 1966. Another locomotive based entirely in Scotland. It was withdrawn from service at Ayr in December 1966 when the shed closed.

Preservation

Although building of this class of 115 locomotives was split between Horwich (45) and Doncaster (70) all four of the preserved engines were built at Horwich.

Three of the locomotives (76077, 76079 and 76084) were all withdrawn from Wigan Springs Branch in December 1967.

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