Around March 1940, the British Government took the decision to send 25 8F to Turkey for the following reasons:
- The engines were a partial replacement for a pre war contract for locomotives, 2-10-0 of the 1E type that could no longer be supplied by the British industry under the original price and conditions.
- Britain feared that friendship of neutral Turkey could not be maintained if it did not send some equipment. Remember that in 1943, Germany supplied to Turkey 53 BR52 kriegsloks .
- The Allies wanted Turkish railways to keep improving should a military supply route through Anatolia become needed.
Twenty five new WD locomotives were sold to Turkish State Railways (TCDD) in 1941 but seven of these were lost at sea en route (246-338, 343-345, 354-356. 345 sunk when the SS Jesmore collided with Baron Pentland on 16 February 1941). Two more locomotives were delivered in 1943, making a total of 20. These served as the TCDD 45151 Class, operating until the 1980s.
This first shipment showed that the 8F were suitable for Turkey and the British Government announced in 1941 that the last batch of 24 8F being built would be send to Turkey as well. But this did not happen as British put the engines to work on the LMS. However, 2 units were finally shipped to Turkey in 1943.
For full details of the class 8F 28-0 locomotives go to 8F 48000-48775 2-8-0 LMS & War Department Stanier
Engine delivery
| Qty | WD No | Vessel | |
| 3 | 343-5 | Jessmore (4th) | 3 lost in N. Atlantic when sunk after collision with Baron Haig |
| 6 | 346-51 | City Mannilla | |
| 6 | 339-42,352-3 | City of Newcastle | |
| 3 | 357-9 | Aliphant | |
| 4 | 338,354-6 | Berhala | 4 lost when ship was torpedoed near Freetown |
| 1 | 522 | Allioth | |
| 2 | 523-4 | Senalder | |
| 2 | 552-4 | Replacement for ones lost on Jessmore | |
| 27 | Total lost – 7 |
The Turkish railway staff named the WD Stanier 8Fs “Churchills”. The majority were equipped with large Prussian style kerosene reflector headlamps and some appear to have been fitted with turbo-generators for electric lighting at a later stage of their career.The 8F were shipped partially broken down, in 23 crates. The biggest component was the assembled frame and cylinders weighting 25T. The ships went by way of the Cape and the Suez Canal and were unloaded at Port Said. This coincided with the German Afrika Korp attacking towards Egypt. Thus the 8F transfer towards Turkey while all the port resources were used to move war supplies for the British Army. This delay was used to prepare the port of Iskenderun to received the 8F as well as 600 wagons that were part of the order. Once in Iskenderun, the locomotives parts were send by train to Sivas for assembly.
Over the ensuing years the TCDD modified the locomotives, in many cases standard TCDD components were fitted to make maintenance easier, which was particularly important because some of the locomotives were allocated to subsidiary depots where repair facilities were minimal.
One locomotive is preserved in Turkey – TCCD 45161
his locomotive was built by North British Locomotive Co Ltd in 1941 for the War Department and became WD522.
Shipped on the Allioth to Turkey after being loaded onto the vessel in crates as a kit of parts at Hull.
It is preserved in Turkey on static display in Camlik Railway Museum.
Preserved British Steam Locomotives 