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LSWR Adams O2 class 0-4-4T

photograph: Mike Morant collection.

N°W34 on shed at Ryde St John's in Southern days, buffered up to one of the Island E1 Class locos.

In 1888 William Adams, the LSWR CME, decided that it was time to replace all the small Beattie tanks, mostly the well-known well-tanks, on the London suburban services. During the following four years Adams produced 60 small but powerful tank locomotives, to a new 0-4-4T design. As was common practice on the LSWR at the time, the class designation was taken from the initial order for 10 locomotives, Nine Elms Works order no. O2. The last ten, ordered in 1893, differed slightly from the first 50 by having modified stove pipe chimneys and 6 inch higher cab roofs. A further ten had been ordered by Adams but this order was cancelled when Drummond took over at Nine Elms in 1895.

Although the design can be traced back to an Adams design on the GER, the O2 was a compact, up-to-date and business-like design, very powerful for its size. Within a couple of years of the completion of the 60 locomotives, they had become so useful to the operating authorities that almost all sheds on the South Western had a few on their rosters.

As more and more of Drummond's M7 tanks were introduced at the end of the 19th century, for many of the London suburban duties, the O2s were moved to rural areas, except for a few still being used on Clapham Jc. to Waterloo empty stock workings. Some O2s were used on the Lyme Regis branch after it was found that the ex-LBSCR Terrier locomotives purchased by Drummond for that branch were unsuitable. Fortunately for posterity, the O2s were also found to be unsuitable for the tight curves on the branch, which enabled three of the Adams 415 Radial tanks to last until the end of steam in the 1960s.

After Grouping in 1923, the Southern were forced to resolve the desperate locomotive power situation on the Isle of Wight. As electrification spread over the suburban lines of the LSWR, with a subsequent cascading down of M7s and T1s, several O2s became surplus to mainland requirements. Initially nine O2s were sent over to the Island, but they were so successful that a further 14 were sent over, the final two being sent over in 1949. None of those sent over were from the final series of 10 with the higher cab roofs. They were ideal for Island duties except for the lack of adequate coal bunker space, so in 1932 a much larger extended bunker was fitted to W19 (formerly 206), and this design subsequently became the standard for all the Island locomotives.

All the Island O2s had been named, using IOW place names, but only one mainland O2 had ever carried a name before, N°185 'Alexandria' for a short period in 1890.

Although 8 of the mainland locomotives were withdrawn in the 1930s, and 4 more in the 1940s, the rest lasted well into BR days. As closure of various branch lines began to take place in the late 1950s and early 1960s, the mainland O2s became redundant and the last to go was no.225 in 1962. A gradual withdrawal of some of the Island locos had begun just before that, but some of the class lasted until the end of steam on the Island in 1966. Fortunately one of the remaining ones, W24 Calbourne, was rescued by the Wight Locomotive Society and remains as an active locomotive today on the Isle of Wight Steam Railway.

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  • W25
    Godshill
    N°W25 Godshill at Ryde St John's in Southern Railway days. Note that the Island locos had larger coal bunkers than those of their mainland sisters.
    Photograph: Mike Morant collection.
  • W29
    Alverstone
    A smart-looking N°W29 Alverstone being serviced at Ryde St John's.
    Photograph: Mike Morant collection.
  • W32
    Bonchurch
    N°W32 Bonchurch in Ryde St John's loco yard, awaiting the n: Mike Morant collection by .
  • 30236
    Padstow
    N°30236 waits at Padstow before departing with a train for Bodmin North on 13th September 1958.
    Photograph reproduced with kind permission of Joanes Publications.
  • 30199
    Boscarne Jn
    N°30199 passing Beattie Well Tank N°30587 at Boscarne Junction on 7th September 1961>.
    Photograph reproduced with kind permission of Joanes Publications.
  • W14
    Fishbourne
    N°W14 Fishbourne between Ryde St John's and Smallbrook Junction.
    Photograph by Keith Harwood.
  • W20
    Shanklin
    N°W20 Shanklin receiving attention outside Ryde0 works in 1963.
    Photograph by Keith Harwood.
  • W21
    Sandown
    N°W21 Sandown is seen here at Newport station with a parcels train in the bay platform formerly used for services to Freshwater.
    Photograph by Keith Harwood.
  • W31
    Chale
    N°W31 Chale in Newport station running bunker first with a return working from Cowes to Ryde Pier Head in 1962. Note the smoke deflectors beneath the walkway of the lattice footbridge.
    Photograph by Keith Harwood.
  • W27
    Merstone
    N°W27 Merstone at Ryde St John's Road on 13th February 1966. Note there is a shield around the Westinghouse pump.
    Photograph by Ray Soper.
  • O2
    Newport
    With steam leaking from several places, this unidentified O2 has called at Newport. Note the Westinghouse pump on the left of the smokebox and the vacuum cylinder on top of the water tank.
    Photograph: John Bradshaw collection.
  • Two O2s
     
    Just like a pair of twins! Two O2s on their respective trains, all ready to set forth across the island. The further loco has a route disc on the front buffer beam. It was often the practice on the Island to leave these in situ regardless of which end of the loco was "leading", unlike on the mainland.
    Photograph: John Bradshaw collection.
  • W32
    Nameplate
    The nameplate and BR crest on the side of N°W22, Brading..
    Photograph: John Bradshaw collection.
  • W20
    Shanklin
    N°W20 Shanklin at Ryde Pier Head station, possibly taking water whilst running round its stock.
    Photograph by Roger Traviss.
  • W20
    Shanklin
    N°W20 running round its stock at Cowes. Before setting back onto its train, the stock will have shunted by gravity further into the station. On arrival the train would have pulled up to the buffer stops, then when empty set back so that the engine could be released for the run round.
    Photograph by Roger Traviss.
  • W14 and W24
    Railtour
    N°W14 Fishbourne and N°W24 Calbourne with an LCGB railtour at Sandown on 3rd October 1965.
    Photograph: Mike Morant collection.
  • 24
    Calborne
    The IoWSR can really project the original atmosphere of the railway on the island with its well restored collection of locomotives and carriages.
    Photograph by Jonathan Hall.
  • 24
    Calborne
    N°W24 Calborne is seen here still earning its living in 2000 at Wootton.
    Photograph by Jonathan Hall.

Technical Details

Introduced:
Driving Wheel:
Trailing Wheel:
Length:
Weight:
   IoW Locos:
Water Capacity:
Cylinders (2):
Boiler Pressure:
Tractive Effort:
Coal Capacity:
   IoW Locos
SR Power Classification
   (IoW locos only):
BR Power Classification:
1889
4 ft 10 ins
3 ft 0 in
30 ft 8½ ins
46 tons 18 cwt
48 tons 8 cwt
800 gals
17½ in x 24 in
160 lb sq in
17,245 lb
1 ton 10 cwt
3 tons 5 cwt

B (from mid 1930s)
0-P
As well as extended coal bunkers, the IoW locos were fitted with Westinghouse brake sumps on the left of the smokebox and were all named after various places served on the Island.
W35 & W36 were fitted for pull and push working.

Data

LSWR No SR No # BR No Name Built To IoW Withdrawn
177 177 30177   Dec 1889   Sep 1959
178 W14 W14 Fishbourne Dec 1889 1936 1 Jan 1967
179 179 30179   Mar 1890   Dec 1959
180 180 W31 Chale Apr 1890 1927 14 Mar 1967
181 181 30181/W35 Freshwater May 1890   2 Oct 1966
182 182 30182   May 1890   Jan 1960
183 183 30183   May 1890   Sep 1961
184 W27 W27 Merstone Jun 1890 1926 1 Jan 1967
185 185 - Alexandra * Jun 1890   May 1940
186 W28 W28 Ashey Jul 1890 1926 1 Jan 1967
187 187 -   Oct 1890   Auh 1945
188 W23 W23 Totland Oct 1890 1925 19 Sep 1955
189 189 -   Oct 1890   Jul 1933
190 W25 W25 Godshill Nov 1890 1925 30 Dec 1962
191 191 -   Nov 1890   Mar 1933
192 192 30192   Nov 1890   Aug 1961
193 193 30193   Nov 1890   Apr 1962
194 194 -   Dec 1890   Sep 1933
195 195/W15 W15 Cowes Dec 1890   13 May 1956
196 196 -   Mar 1891   Nov 1937
197 197 30197   Jun 1891   Feb 1953
198 198 30198/W36 Carisbrooke Jun 1891   14 Jun 1964
199 199 30199   Jun 1891   Dec 1962
200 200 30200   Jul 1891   Aug 1962
201 W34 W34 Newport Jul 1891 1947 19 Sep 1955
202 W29 W29 Alverstone Aug 1891 1926 1 May 1966
203 203 30203   Aug 1891   Dec 1955
204 204 30204   Sep 1891   Jan 1953
205 W21 W21 Sandown Sep 1891 1924 1 May 1966
206 W19 W19 Osborne Sep 1891 1923 5 Nov 1955
207 207 30207   Dec 1891   Jun 1957
208 W17 W17 Seaview Dec 1891 1930 1 Jan 1967
209 W24 W24 Calbourne Dec 1891 1925 Mar 1967 ¶
210 W26 W26 Whitwell Dec 1891 1925 1 May 1966
211 W20 W20 Shanklin Mar 1892 1923 1 Jan 1967
212 212 30212   May 1892   Nov 1959
213 213 30213   May 1892   Mar 1953
214 214 -   Jun 1892   Jul 1940
215 W22 W22 Brading Jun 1892 1924 1 Jan 1967
216 216 30216   Jun 1892   Nov 1957
217 W16 W16 Ventnor Jun 1892 1936 1 Jan 1967
218 W33 W33 Bembridge Aug 1892 1936 1 Jan 1967
219 W30 W30 Shorwell Sep 1892 1926 12 Sep 1965
220 W18 W18 Ningwood Sep 1892 1930 5 Dec 1965
221 221 30221   Sep 1892   Aug 1953
222 222 -   Sep 1892   Feb 1933
223 223 30223   Oct 1892   Oct 1961
224 224 30224   Oct 1892   Feb 1958
225 225 30225   Nov 1892   Dec 1962
226 W32 W32 Bonchurch Nov 1892 1928 25 Oct 1964
227 227 -   Nov 1894   May 1933
228 228 -   Dec 1894   Oct 1943
229 229 30229   Dec 1894   Mar 1961
230 230 30230   Dec 1894   Aug 1956
231 231 30231   Dec 1894   Mar 1953 §
232 232 30232   Jan 1895   Sep 1959
233 233 30233   Jan 1895   Feb 1958
234 234 -   Feb 1895   Mar 1937
235 235 -   Mar 1895   Feb 1933
236 236 30236   Mar 1895   Jan 1960
 Between 1923 and 1928 SR numbers were the LSWR numbers with the added prefix 'E', although the new number may not have been applied until some time later.
 Carried the name between July 1890 and November 1896. Named for opening by the Princess of Wales (future Queen Alexandra) of the Bisley Camp branch, the only Adams engine ever to be named by Adams.
¶   Preserved (with small bunker) at the Isle of Wight Steam Railway.
§   First withdrwan in May 1939 but re-instated during 1940 due to wartime shortage of locomotives.

This page was last updated 12 September 2010

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