British Railways 2-6-4 Locomotives in Great_Britain

Class Class 4MT (Locobase 1481)

Data from "BR Standard Class 4 2-6-4T", Wikipedia at [], last accessed 21 February 2021. (Thanks to Patrick Shivley for his 17 May 2021 email correcting the class ID.)

Developed as part of the range of twelve Standard engine designs that entered British Railway service in the 1950s. RA Riddles drew from a variety of sources, basing this tank engine on Stanier's 1934 LMS design (Locobase 3576). The Class 4's boiler was similar to the 4-6-0 Standard Class 4, however, although it had fewer and shorter flues and tubes.

Commentary at [] (no longer active) notes that a side effect of changing the details (shrinking the cylinders from Stanier's 19" (483 mm) and increasing the boiler pressure, e.g.) was aesthetic: "...a much more handsome locomotive than the relatively workaday appearance of the LMS engines. They seem to have been better liked by their crews, too, probably for their more comfortable cabs, freer running, and more economical operation."

Glover (1967) notes that their relatively high axle loading of 40,208 lb led to a set of smaller 2-6-2T locomotives.

First withdrawals from service came in 1964 and were completed in 1967.