Readers ’ Platform
1923 Grouping locos
WE are indeed fortunate in having a spectacular collection of pre-Grouping locomotives dotted around the country, some in working order (January issue).
A number of pre-Grouping designs continued to be manufactured by the ‘Big Four’ into 1923 and beyond. GWR 2-6-2Ts and 2-8-0s being examples, as well as LMS ‘4F’ 0-6-0s replicating the Midland Railway design of 1911.
The LNER built the last 10 ‘J27’ 0-6-0s (NER ‘P3s’) in 1923, and five more ‘Y7’ 0-4-0Ts (NER ‘H’) during the same year, with the accolade for longevity from design to construction going to the Class J72 (NER ‘E1’) 0-6-0T of 1898, a batch of 10 being built by the LNER in 1925 and a further 27 being constructed by BR from 1949 to 1951.
Michael Denholm Dunbar
AN error worth pointing out is the number of tender locomotives which came into LNER stock at January 1, 1923. Assuming that the number of tank locomotives is 2800 as stated (January issue, page 20), the number of tender locos would be around 4600 rather than 490.