B.R. Standard Tank Engines

Collection of photos of B.R. Standard tank engines

The British Railways Standard Class 4 tank is a class of steam locomotive, one of the BR standard classes built during the 1950s. They were used primarily on commuter and outer suburban services. They were capable of reaching speeds of 75 mph (121 km/h).
On the nationalisation of British Railways (BR) in 1948, the London Midland Region had a number of ex-London, Midland and Scottish Railway 2-6-4T and the Western Region a number of GWR Large Prairie 2-6-2T types. These tank engines were particularly suited to commuter and secondary services. However, particularly in Scotland and the Southern Region, the situation was not so good, with large numbers of pre-grouping types struggling on.
On the decision to build the BR standard series of locomotives, a series of class four tank engines was ordered, based on the ex-LMS Fairburn 2-6-4T with some modifications. The lineage of the class could therefore be tracked through the LMS/BR Class 4 2-6-4T locomotives back to the Fowler design of 1927.
Design work was done at Brighton, the overall programme being overseen by Robert Riddles. The principal modifications to the Fairburn design involved the reduction of their envelope to enable them to fit into the L1 loading gauge. To do this, the tanks and cab were made more curved than the Fairburn design, the Fairburn having a straight-sided tank. The biggest mechanical change was a reduction in cylinder size, also to reduce cross-section, and a corresponding increase in boiler pressure to compensate. Other visible changes included the re-introduction of plating ahead of the cylinders.
130 of the class of 155 were built at Brighton, 15 (80000–80009, 80054–80058) at Derby Works and 10 (80106–80115) at Doncaster Works between 1951 and 1956. The first to emerge was 80010 from Brighton in 1951. Fifteen that were due to be constructed in 1957 were cancelled, due to impending dieselisation, and the last five would have been, too, had they not been at an advanced stage of construction when the order came to cancel them.
No significant modifications were made to the design. The tank vent was found to restrict the driver's vision and was moved further forward from 80059 onwards. Initially built with fluted coupling rods, these caused problems on other classes and, from 80079, plain section coupling rods were substituted.
The BR Standard Class 4 4-6-0 was essentially a tender engine derivative of the Standard Class 4 tank.
The Standard 4 tanks were originally allocated to all regions of British Railways, bar the Western. They became particularly associated with the London, Tilbury and Southend line (LT&S) working commuter services out of London, until that route was electrified in 1962. They were also widely used in East Sussex and Kent, working from Brighton, Tunbridge Wells and Three Bridges on those lines of the former London Brighton and South Coast Railway that were not electrified. Another group worked from Polmadie depot in the Scottish region on the Glasgow commuter services. Note that, from July 1962, a batch displaced by electrification of the LT&S was transferred to the Western Region's Swansea (East Dock) and Shrewsbury districts, as well as other regions.
There was a mass withdrawal of steam locomotive classes in the 1960s. Older types were withdrawn in preference to the Standard 4s, whose class remained intact until 1964 (except for 80103 as noted below). The final nine were withdrawn from the Southern Region on 9 July 1967. One Scottish Region example, 80002, remained in Glasgow past the end of steam haulage until 1969 as a static carriage heating boiler; eventually being preserved on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway.
No. 80103 was withdrawn in 1962 after being reported for rough riding. It was towed between two other locomotives to Stratford Works, where it was discovered that the mainframe was broken in half. Considered beyond economic repair, 80103 was withdrawn and scrapped. It was the first of the 'Standard' locomotives to be withdrawn, and the only one scrapped at Stratford.

This collection features 80000-80009 built 1952 Derby

Including this photo of
80002 at Eastfield 7th July 1966 (now preserved on KWVR)
https://tinyurl.com/59jvakjm

Full collection starts here with
80000
https://tinyurl.com/5n6wemj9

Neil

 

Great. This has to be one of the most versatile class of tank engine ever built and certainly one of my favorites. I look forward to the rest of the collection in due course.

Picture 5/16 is not 80001 as it shows a Southern Region Brighton built specamin, possible 80011. None of that early batch of Derby built locos ever came as far south as the Southern Region.
Picture 6/16, 80001, is banking a train away from Beattock station

Good stuff, Neil

Peter

 

Collection of photos of B.R. Standard tank engines

This collection features 80010-80025 Built 1951 Brighton
Including this photo of
80023 pilots Gresley V3 67661 at Greenock Princess Pier 9th July 1958
https://tinyurl.com/2mhpbykk

full collection of over 65 photos starts here with
80010
https://tinyurl.com/yrvh49sv

Neil

 

12/ 66 = Vauxhall with Waterloo - Clapham Junction ecs

22 / 66 = Wincanton
23 /66 = As above

24 / 66 = Stewarts Lane shed

38 / 66 = Eastleigh

54 / 66 = Lymington between Pier and Town station with Lymington Pier - Brockenhurst service

 

And a couple more points on the above:-

5/66 = 80011 is at East Grinsted LL on a service to Lewes (Bluebell line)

9/66 = this is 80112 not 80012, which was always a Southern Region loco (never went to Scotland)

41/66 = this is 80117 not 80017 somewhere on the NE Region (based at Whitby and Neville Hill until 1963)

Peter

 

This date can't be right Peter.

 

That's not the date but the photo number - it's the 5th photograph out of the album of 66 pictures.

Peter

 

Collection of photos of B.R. Standard tank engines

This collection features 80026-80053 Built 1952 Brighton

Including this photo of
80034,80035,80038 & 80068 Watford Jct shed 19th April 1957
https://tinyurl.com/4ke6ey42

Full collection of 90 photos starts here
80027
https://tinyurl.com/23cn5pum
to
80053
https://tinyurl.com/yc2wj3ky

Neil

 

20 / 90 = Lewisham

86 / 90 = Brighton [duplicates Images 84 + 85 / 90

 

4/90 is Lymington Pier, but I suspect the loco isn't 80028, there isn't any sign of the token catcher (or repaired platework) shown on other pictures of 80028
14 & 15/90 80032 Lymington Town
17/90 80032 Possibly Branksome
19/90 Tunbridge Wells West
48/90 80039 & 43 Exeter St D climbing to Exeter Central

Cheers, Neil

 

79/90 - Dyffryn Ardudwy, Cambrian Coast line.

 

Collection of photos of B.R. Standard tank engines

This collection features 80059-80076 Built 1953 Brighton

Including this photo of
80066 Brighton works alongside one of the S.R. Diesels (unknown) 14th September 1953
https://tinyurl.com/3jyypp22

Full collection of 30 photos starts here with
80065 at Falmer
https://tinyurl.com/2s4amzue

Neil

 

1 / 30 = South Kenton - presumed Euston - Bletchley local

 

15/30 80066 Netley (SB in the background was the clue.)

Cheers, Neil

 

Collection of photos of B.R. Standard 4 2-6-4T tank engines

This collection features 80077-80098 Built 1954 Brighton

Including 3 new photos
80096 & 76009 unknown location
https://tinyurl.com/2558zp35
80080 unknown location
https://tinyurl.com/46d3me52
80082 Eastleigh works and shed 6th June 1965
https://tinyurl.com/2p9xky57

Full collection of over 40 photos starts here with
80079
https://tinyurl.com/bdf72kzk
to
80096
https://tinyurl.com/23upv5rc

Neil

 

Good to see some more Standard 4 tank pictures Neil. Some locations for you here:-

14/41 80082 is Southampton Central
17/41 80083 is also Southampton Central
27/41 80089 is Redhill on a Tonbridge - Reading working
28/41 80089 at Guildford is almost certainly on a train for Redhill/Tonbridge and not the Horsham branch (I think they were too heavy for that line).
31/41 80093 is on the Killin branch

Keep them coming

Peter

 

33 / 41 = Waterloo departure with ecs to Clapham Junction

 

10 & 11/41 80082 I suspect may be Andover Jn
40/41 80096 Carmarthen?

Cheers, Neil

 

Collection of photos of B.R. Standard 4 2-6-4T tank engines

This new collection of only 5 photos features 80099-80105 Built Brighton 1955
Including this photo of
80102 along with 80070 & 80134 Basingstoke 24th April 1965
https://tinyurl.com/ycxx4kmz

Neil.

 

Collection of photos of B.R. Standard 4 2-6-4T tank engines

This collection features 80131-80154 Built 1956/7 Brighton

Including this photo inside Eastleigh works
80141 amongst the Bulleids Eastleigh works
https://tinyurl.com/5er6su6y

Full collection of over 100 photos starts here with
80133 at Clapham Jct
https://tinyurl.com/52tnwdev
to
80154 Waterloo station
https://tinyurl.com/umxfab62

Neil