Maerdy Colliery / Maryport & Carlisle 0-6-0 Locomotives in Great_Britain


Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

Class 18 (Locobase 10666)

Data from "Six-Coupled Goods Locomotive, Maryport & Carlisle Ry" The Locomotive Magazine, Vol XIV (15 September 1908), p.153.

Engineered by George Stephenson himself, the M&C was incorporated in 1837. Opening in 1845, this Cumbrian line began at a port on the south side of Solway Firth at the extreme western end of the English-Scottish border and ran northeast to Carlisle. Over the next several decades, the railway profitably conveyed coal and later iron ore from the collieries and mines Its maximum length was 42 3/4 miles (69 km).

J B Adamson, this transfer line's locomotive superintendent, went to North British for a solid goods engine and NBLC responded with a locomotive very similar to the ones they delivered to the Furness Railway a year earlier (Locobase 10620). A principal difference was the provision of a deeper firebox with a somewhat smaller grate. Otherwise, #18 fitt right in with the 6-coupled goods locomotives being built for British railways at the time.


Class 29 (Locobase 20865)

Data from "New Goods Locomotive: Maryport & Carlisle Ry" The Locomotive Magazine, Volume XXVII (15 September 1921), p. 228

The M&C bought a single six-coupled goods locomotives in 1908 (Locobase 10666). When this pair came on the road a dozen years later, it used saturated steam and all-inside motion. But J B Adamson's design contained several changes. Yorkshire extended the wheelbase, increased boiler, firebox, and grate sizes, changed the valve gear to Allan straight-link, and considerably increased weights.


Class OQ / Maerdy Monster (Locobase 6465)

Data from [link] (last accessed 3 April 2010), the railway that restored one of the Peckett engines. See also [link], a site saluting the Maerdy Colliery in Wales.

Nicknamed the Maerdy Monster for its great size (in view of the railway on which it operated), two of the three operated on the colliery for virtually all of their working lives. The Elsecar site conveys an aural flavor of the service: "Its loud staccato exhaust beat could be heard for miles around as it heaved heavy coal trains of up to 45 wagons up the steep colliery inclines." From the Maerdy site comes another example:"The loco was immensely powerful. Every so often a Class 37 [diesel] would stall on the 1 in 35 gradient of the line up from Porth. They would be bringing up 30-40 wagons. The Peckett would then go and help and Brian twice did this, the Peckett being quite capable of getting the whole lot started." The design was lavishly supplied with 8 sandboxes and 3 safety valves.

2151 was scrapped in 1968. The Elsecar site describes 2150's post-working life. After its withdrawal in 1976, the locomotive lay idle for 3 years. A short turn on the Swanage railway proved unsatisfactory and 2150 hibernated for another 18 years. The Elsecar Railway, Barnsley bought the derelict and spent 70,000 pounds restoring it to service, which began in 2003.

Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Middle Run Media
Class1829OQ / Maerdy Monster
Locobase ID10666 20865 6465
RailroadMaryport & CarlisleMaryport & CarlisleMaerdy Colliery
CountryGreat BritainGreat BritainGreat Britain
Whyte0-6-00-6-00-6-0ST
Number in Class123
Road Numbers1829-302150-2151
GaugeStdStdStd
Number Built123
BuilderNorth BritishYorkshire EnginePeckett & Sons
Year190819201954
Valve GearStephensonAllanStephenson
Locomotive Length and Weight
Driver Wheelbase (ft / m)15.83 / 4.8217 / 5.18
Engine Wheelbase (ft / m)15.83 / 4.8217 / 5.18
Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase11
Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m)36.87 / 11.2437.77 / 11.51
Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg)39,984 / 18,136
Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg)97,440 / 44,198111,104 / 50,396123,200 / 55,883
Engine Weight (lbs / kg)97,440 / 44,198111,104 / 50,396123,200 / 55,883
Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg)70,784 / 32,10789,152 / 40,439
Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg)168,224 / 76,305200,256 / 90,835
Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML)3000 / 11.364200 / 15.911824 / 6.91
Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT) 3.85 / 3.50 5.80 / 5
Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m)54 / 2762 / 3168 / 34
Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
Driver Diameter (in / mm)61.50 / 156260 / 152454 / 1372
Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa)150 / 1030170 / 1030200 / 1380
High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)18" x 26" / 457x66019" x 26" / 483x66018" x 26" / 457x660
Tractive Effort (lbs / kg)17,464 / 7921.5522,605 / 10253.4726,520 / 12029.28
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) 5.58 4.92 4.65
Heating Ability
Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm)245 - 1.75" / 44
Flues (number - dia) (in / mm)
Flue/Tube length (ft / m)11.35 / 3.45
Firebox Area (sq ft / m2)108.50 / 10.08132 / 12.26
Grate Area (sq ft / m2)18.30 / 1.7019.60 / 1.8219.10 / 1.78
Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1140 / 105.951407 / 130.71921 / 85.59
Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2)
Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1140 / 105.951407 / 130.71921 / 85.59
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume148.87164.91120.27
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation274533323820
Same as above plus superheater percentage274533323820
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area16,27522,440
Power L133784118
Power MT229.29245.14

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