LMS STANIER CLASS 8F

The London Midland and Scottish Railway's '8F class' 2-8-0 heavy freight locomotive is a class of steam locomotive designed for hauling heavy freight. 852 were built between 1935 and 1946 as a freight version of William Stanier's successful black five, and the class saw service overseas during the Second World War.

Contents

Background

Construction

Service

Preservation

See Also

In Fiction

External links

Background

LMS freight traction was poor, the adoption of the Midland Railway's small engine policy had left it with trains double-headed by underpowered 0-6-0s supplemented by inadequate Garratts and Fowler 7F 0-8-0s. William Stanier was brought in from the Great Western Railway to solve this motive power crisis. Stanier would have been familiar with G.J. Churchward's freight 2800 Class of 2-8-0s of which he copied the 8F design from.
Incorporating two-cylinder arrangement of the black fives. They were initially classified 7F, but this was later changed to the more familiar 8F.
On the outbreak of the Second World War, the design was chosen to become the country's standard freight design, reprising the role the GCR 8K Class had in the Great War.

Construction

Order	Years	Quantity
LMS pre-war	1935-9	126
War Department	1940-2	208
LMS wartime	1941-5	205
Railway Executive Committee order, built by GWR	1943-5	80
Railway Executive Committee order, built by LNER	1943-5	60
Railway Executive Committee order, built by SR	1943-5	105
LNER Class O6	1944-6	68
Total		852

Service

The War Department had 208 built by Beyer Peacock and North British Locomotive Company and requisitioned 51 more. Many saw service overseas in Egypt, Turkey (TCDD 45151 Class), Iraq, Palestine and Italy (FS Class 737). By 1943 however, it was decided to build a cheaper version and this resulted in the WD Austerity 2-8-0. During the war the LNER ordered 68 for own use classifying them O6 and examples were also built at Swindon. 39 returned to Britain at the end of the war and 666 entered British Railways service.
The British examples were withdrawn over the period 1962-1968. Some however continued to work in Turkey into the 1980s.

Preservation

Eleven LMS/BR locomotives have been preserved, and an eighth member of the class has been repatriated from Turkey. In addition, several Turkish Railway (TCCD) locomotives have been preserved in Turkey, and at least one locomotive is believed to exist in Iraq. The complete list is shown below. Two more are also visible underwater on the wreck of the SS Thistlegorm.

Number				Location	Notes
LMS	BR	WD	TCCD
8151	48151	-	-	West Coast Railway Company	-
8173	48173	-	-	Avon Valley Railway	-
8233	48773	307	-	Severn Valley Railway	Persian Railways no. 41.109
8274	-	348	45160	Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway	Exported as a kit of parts to Turkey in 1940. Returned to UK in 1989.
8279	-	353	45165	Preserved in Turkey	-
-	-	522	45161	Preserved in Turkey	-
-	-	547	-	Iraqi Republic Railways (IRR), Baghdad	IRR no. 1429
8305	48305	-	-	Great Central Railway
8431	48431	-	-	Keighley and Worth Valley Railway	-
8518	48518	-	-	Vale of Glamorgan Railway	-
8624	48624	-	-	Peak Rail	-

See Also

★ SS Thistlegorm

In Fiction

★ Bluenose is based on the 8F in Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends but is not on the TV Series yet.

External links

★ The Stanier 8F Locomotive Society