Lynton & Barnstaple 2-6-2 Locomotives in Great_Britain

Class Yeo (Locobase 7624)

Data from [] . See also "Tank Locomotive, Lynton & Barnstaple Railway", Engineer, Volume 85 (10 June 1898), p. 547.

The alignment and grades of this 19-mile railway were quite demanding - the ruling grade was 1 in 50 (2%) and many of the grades were continuous. For example, one section rose 800 ft (244 m) in 8 miles (12.9 km). The specification called for the engines to reach a top speed of 20 mph (32 kph) trailing a 50 ton load and to "travel with ease" over curves of 3 1/2 chains (231 ft/70.4 metre) radii. Coal capacity was to allow for a 40-mile (64.4 km) run.

The first three locomotives for this South Devon railway were named after local rivers: Yeo (works# 1361), Exe (1362), and Taw (1363).

Yeo and Exe arrived on the railway before the builders joined other British firms in a 6-month lockout of workers demanding an 8-hour work day. Taw was stored.

A fourth locomotive of the class -- Lew (2042) -- arrived 27 years later. It had the same specifications, but the cab was redesigned to eliminate a pesky smoke buildup.

All operated on the L&B until its sale and dismantling in 1935. Unlike the others, which were scrapped, the Lew aided in pulling up the railroad itself. After its sale to a Brazilian plantation in 1936, all traces of the locomotive were lost.