London & South Western 4-6-0 Locomotives in Great_Britain

Class E14 (Locobase 2305)

Data from Ahrons (1927); and "London and Southwestern [sic] 10-Wheel 4-Cylinder Express Locomotive", Railroad Age Gazette, Volume XLV [45], No. 3c (23 June 1908), pp. 279-281 and "Drummond F13, E14, G14 & P14 class 4-6-0s" on the estimable Southern Railway E-Mail Group website at [], last accessed 20 February 2022.

357 sq ft of water tubes in the firebox (112 x 2.75"/70 mm diameter) accounted for the relatively high amount of firebox heating surface. Photographs of the 335's firebox without cladding show that the tubes were arranged in two bundles. Those in the front half of the firebox sloped upward from the right side to the left side. The rear set sloped at the opposite angle, finishing higher on the right side. (1940s "inverted-T" security circulators admitted water from both sides and spouted it through a central tube. Seven tube sets were attached to the firebox sides at ever increasing heights from front to back.)

Charles S. Lake, writing in the May 1907 AERJ -- which discusses the immediate predecessor class 330 -- mentions that Drummond's Nine Elms shops had begun building a class with pistons a half-inch larger in diameter. The principal difference, according to Lake, was that the slide valves would be located on top of the outside cylinders rather than the bottom. 335's outside cylinders received steam through 9" (229 mm) piston valves.

Another feature was the shallow feed water heater under the tender tank. Each of the 65 1 1/4" (31.75 mm) tubes measured 18 ft long (5.49 m). Exhaust steam from the inner cylinders flowed back through pipes that gathered steam from the outer cylinders along the way. the heated water was pulled into the boiler by two duplex vertical feed pumps located under the front of the firebox.

The SEMG history of the E14 pronounced the result of enlarging the cylinders and using piston valves actuated by Walschaert's constant-lead radial gear as "even worse than the F13s" (Locobase 5339). It became known as "The Turkey", SEMG added, "due to its ability to gobble large quantities of coal."

By later 1914, Urie would honor Drummond's intention to rebuild this lackluster locomotive by instead transforming it into the 11th H15; see Locobase 3157.

Class F13 (Locobase 5339)

Data from Charles S Lake, "Four-Cylinder Simple Ten-Wheel Locomotive - London and Southwestern Railway", American Engineer and Railroad Journal, Volume 81, No. 5 (May 1907), p. 184; O S Nock, Railways at the Turn of the Century, 1895-1905 (London: Blandford Press, 1969), plate 189; and "Drummond F13, E14, G14 & P14 class 4-6-0s" on the estimable Southern Railway E-Mail Group website at [], last accessed 20 February 2022. (Thanks to Alexander Blessing for his 10 September 2019 email correcting the cylinder stroke.)

Dugald Drummond's relatively short-coupled four-cylinder 4-6-0 for the London & South Western. The grates sat forward of the center driving axle, which shortened tube length. 357 sq ft of water tubes in the firebox (112 x 2.75"), together with the 160 sq ft of conventional firebox area, accounted for the relatively high amount of firebox heating surface.

OS Nock commented that valves supplying the inside cylinders used Stephenson link motion and the outside valves were operated by Walschaert's constant-lead radial gear. Originally specified to use 16" (406 mm) cylinders, the quintet entered service with the 15" cylinders shown above.

SEMG's F13 history reported that the long firebox lay over the center and rear driving axles. Lying flat and constricted in space, the fire didn't serve the locomotive well, especially as the "very constricted" ashpan stifled draft.

Charles S. Lake, writing in the May 1907 AERJ, noted the extensive measures for preheating the boiler water. Two duplex feedwater pumps were deployed in tandem under the boiler. Steam exhaust from the pumps was led back to the tender to a grille of 352 sq ft (32.7 sq m) of heating surface. Thus, the water entering the pumps was already relatively warm.

Note that these are relatively large engines for this arrangement in Edwardian Britain. Lake comments that they were designed to handle "...the heavy and fast passenter trains comprised in the principal express summer services ...chiefly between [Salisbury] and Exeter." The distance was 88 miles; some of the grades in this section achieved 1.4% and the climb to the summit out of Honiton Tunnel was 10 miles (16 km) long.

In their first year, the 330s maintained 52-mph (84 kph) averages in these runs with 250-ton rakes of seven 30-ton corridor cars and a 40-ton dining car. Lake reports coal consumption averaging 40 lb/mile (ton-mile?) and wate consumption at 10 lb (4.54 kg) per pound of coal consumed.

According to Nock, the "curious" mixed valve combination led to performance that was "somewhat sluggish in traffic." The L&SWR concluded that these engines worked best as fast freight engines. Their first use as freight engines saw them hauling 40-50 loaded cars (600-700 tons) on a schedule of 3 hours running time (4.06 total). The SEMG account sums up the F13's freight capabilities, saying that the two most-compatible services were the "overnight "Market Goods" trains from the West Country to London and the Salisbury - Southampton coal trains carrying South Wales coal delivered by the Great Western to Salisbury."On such duties "speeds of no more than 30 miles per hour with long intermediate stops were within the F13s' capabilities."

After Dugald Drummond died in November 1912, Robert Urie replaced him and modified the 333 by removing all the cross tubes from the firebox. Maunsell installed his superheater in 1924 in all five locomotives and, "although the awkward grate still remained, the performance was in a different league." SEMG succinct verdict: "The performance didn't improve significantly."

Class G14 (Locobase 10655)

Data from "Railway Notes - London & South Western Ry", The Locomotive Magazine, Volume XIV [14] (15 June 1908), p. 96 and "Drummond F13, E14, G14 & P14 class 4-6-0s" on the estimable Southern Railway E-Mail Group website at [], last accessed 20 February 2022.

For some reason, Dugald Drummond had difficulty with this layout. His locomotives were reportedly gluttons for coal and tough to maintain. This was particularly true for the 1905 batch of F13s (Locobase 5339), which mixed Stephenson link motion for the inside valves and Walschaert radial valve gear for the outside cylinders.

In producing the five G14s, Drummond appears to have gone back to basics with reasonable success and were "significant improvement" on the earlier designs. All four cylinders used piston valves actuated by Walschaert gear, the firebox continued housing water tubes that contributed 200 sq ft (18.58 sq m) of heating surface, the tender held a feedwater heater measuring 382 sq ft (35.49 sq m) in the tubes.

Of particular visual interest to the casual spectator were the white sidewall tires on all axles (including the four under the tender), which together with a long, low continuous splasher perforated by two holes, gave the engine a curiously "streamline age" look.

Unlike the earlier four-cylinder classes, this quintet would remain in service for more than fifteen years before being scrapped for parts not too long after the L&SWR was grouped with the Southern Railway.

Drummond's determined efforts to design a passable 4-cylinder 4-6-0 would culminate in 1911 in the production of 10 T14 Paddleboxes; see Locobase 2306.

Class H15 - Eastleigh (Locobase 3157)

Data from "Rebuilt Mixed Traffic Engine, London & South Western Ry.", Locomotive Magazine, Volume XXI [21], No 272 (15 April 1915), pp.73-74. See also "Urie H15/N15/S15" entry in Steamindex at [], last accessed 12 October 2018.

Robert Urie's express-passenger six-coupled remake of the single four-cylinder engine turned out in 1907 and described in Locobase 2305. Locobases 20166-20168 describe the production versions of what steamindex describes as a "radical re-examination of Drummond's four-cylinder designs and their conversion into the simple, rugged two-cylinder designs with outside Walschaerts valve gear."

Converting a troubled four-cylinder design (examples of which were "monstrosities") was "Urie's outstanding contribution to British locomotive design", adds steamindex.

Class H15 - Robinson (Locobase 20166)

Data from "4-6-0 Mixed Traffic Engines, L and South Western Railway [sic]", The Railway Engineer, Volume XXXV [35], No 5 (May 1914), pp.139-142; and "Six-Coupled Bogie Mixed Traffic Engines, London & South Western Ry.", Locomotive Magazine, Volume XIX [19] (15 December 1913, p. 273. See also "London & South Western Railway - Mixed Traffic Locomotive", The Engineer, Volume CXVII [117] (23 January 1913), p. 105.

Robert Urie's express-passenger six-coupled with two outside cylinders, the first of several classes built to the same basic design. OS Nock (RWC IV, pl 178) notes the extreme simplicity of the design and says they were "magnificently built in what could be termed the 'Scottish tradition.'" Glover (1967) notes that the deep firebox (nine feet long) meant that the drivers were unevenly spaced and the smokebox was elongated. (The effect must have been accentuated by coning the boiler and thus reducing the smokebox diameter.)

The first batch came in three versions, each of which used 11" (279 mm) piston valves to supply steam to the cylinders. Urie was clearly pitting superheaters against saturateds and the Schmidt and Robinson designs of superheaters as well. The current entry features the Robinson quartet and is the main entry. Locobases 20167-20168 briefly describe the other two variants.

1914 with a later addition from Eastleigh built after the London & South Western was absorbed in 1923 by the Southern Railway (see Locobase 5200).

The Maunsell Society's newsletter published Clive Groome's delightful memoir, which is presented on the [] page (visited November 2002). Groome declared the Urie-version H15s his "particular favourites. High arched Urie cab roofs and huge tenders dwarfed the crews, making them feel like mortals who had strayed into the halls of the Olympian Gods."

All of the Urie/Maunsell H, N (King Arthur), & S15 designs, says Groome, "did nothing on less than full open regulator and almost everything on 25% cut off. They could all be fired on dust over the half door flap for mile after mile."

Class H15 - Schmidt (Locobase 20167)

Data from "4-6-0 Mixed Traffic Engines, L and South Western Railway [sic]", The Railway Engineer, Volume XXXV [35], No 5 (May 1914), pp.139-142; and "Six-Coupled Bogie Mixed Traffic Engines, London & South Western Ry.", Locomotive Magazine, Volume XIX [19] (15 December 1913, p. 273. See also "London & South Western Railway - Mixed Traffic Locomotive", The Engineer, Volume CXVII [117] (23 January 1913), p. 105.

Robert Urie's express-passenger six-coupled with two outside cylinders were a departure and the first batch came in three versions, each of which used 11" (279 mm) piston valves to supply steam to the cylinders.. Urie was clearly pitting superheaters against saturateds and the Schmidt and Robinson designs of superheaters as well. The current entry features the Schmidt quartet.

1914 with a later addition from Eastleigh built after the London & South Western was absorbed in 1923 by the Southern Railway (see Locobase 5200 for the other engines built for the Southern).

Class H15 - saturated (Locobase 20168)

Data from "Six-Coupled Bogie Mixed Traffic Engines, London & South Western Ry.", Locomotive Magazine, Volume XIX [19] (15 December 1913, p. 273. See also "London & South Western Railway - Mixed Traffic Locomotive", The Engineer, Volume CXVII [117] (23 January 1913), p. 105.

Robert Urie's express-passenger six-coupled with two outside cylinders was a departure from the earlier saturated boiler locomotives powered by four cylinders. This first batch came in three versions as Urie was clearly pitting superheaters against saturateds and the Schmidt and Robinson designs of superheaters as well. The current entry features the two saturated-boiler locomotives.

Class N15 (Locobase 2333)

Data from Southern E-Group's web page at [] (first accessed October 2002). See also "4-6-0 Type Express Locomotive, London & South Western Ry", Locomotive Magazine, Volume XXIV [24] (15 November 1918), p. 176.

Robert Urie's express-passenger six-coupled with outside cylinders supplied through 11" (279 mm) piston valves. These engines disappointed initial expectations when they proved to be unable to sustain steam production on trains running much faster than 60 mph (97 kph).

According to Southern E-Group, Richard Maunsell, first CME of the Southern Railway after 1923 evaluated the design and revised the front end. The changes, which included "increasing the area of the steam and exhaust ports, fitting a modified chimney and blast pipe significantly improved the class' performance." See Locobase 1059.

After the 1923 Grouping and the coming of the King Arthur class, Hollingsworth (1982) says, some of these engines were given Camelotian names.

Urie's S15 (Locobase 2297) is the freight version with smaller drivers.

Class S15 (Locobase 2297)

Data from "4-6-0 Goods Locomotive, London & South Western Railway", Locomotive Magazine, Volume XXVI [26], No 334 (15 June 1920), pp. 117-118.

Among the last of the London & South Western designs to be completed before the 1923 Grouping. This was a competent freight-hauling design by Robert Urie. LM's 1920 report included the relatively large 11" (279 mm) piston valves, coupled axle journals 9"(229 mm) in diameter and 12" (305 mm) long, and axle box guide surface of 160 sq ft (14.86 sq m). Adding similar data of the leading bogie's wheels, LM asserted that the "generosity of these dimensions are noteworthy, and is characteristic of the admirable proportioning manifest throughout the whole design."

See the 1918 express passenger entry (Locobase 2333) for more details.

Also see Locobase 2296 for the Maunsell modification to the S15 that went into service in the mid-1920s.

Class T14 Paddleboxes (Locobase 2306)

See OS Nock, Southern Steam (1968) for data as well as [] (accessed 12 August 2007) and "London and South Western Railway", The Locomotive, Volume 17, No 226 (15 June 1911), p. 118.

A later version of the Dugald Drummond 4-cylinder 4-6-0 for the London & South Western. Again, as with the earlier engines, 84 water tubes in the firebox added 200 sq ft (18.6 sq m) to the firebox to arrive at the relatively high amount of firebox heating surface. In addition, Drummond installed a pre-heater in the tender's tank well that consisted of 65 tubes aggregating 382 sq ft (35.5 sq m) of heating surface area. Each tube ran 18 feet long (4.86 m) and had a diameter of 1 1/4" (31.75 mm). This group had smaller cylinders and boiler mated to the same grate size as the 1907 engine.

The Wikipedia entry offers the following severe judgement of the T14's qualities: "The T14 s were the most successful of Drummond's abysmal 4-6-0 designs for the LSWR, though they still displayed the old, costly liabilities of heavy coal and water consumption on a railway that did not employ water troughs, which was combined with a high frequency of hot axle boxes. Both were complai[n]ts that had afflicted all his previous 4-6-0s, and did not endear them to locmotive crews."

In addition to the nickname "Paddleboxes", which commemorated the single long splasher mounted over each set of drivers, the T14s were called "Paddleboats", "Doublebreasters", and "Wankers".

Urie undertook an improvement program that featured the Eastleigh superheater; see Locobase 3132.