Barry Railway Class E facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Barry Railway Class E |
|
| Power type | Steam |
|---|---|
| Designer | J. H. Hosgood |
| Builder | Hudswell Clarke |
| Build date | 1889–1891 |
| Total production | 5 |
| Configuration | 0-6-0T |
| UIC classification | C n2t |
| Gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Driver diameter | 3 ft 3.5 in (1.003 m) |
| Wheelbase | 12 ft 0 in (3.658 m) |
| Locomotive weight | 27 long tons 10 cwt (61,600 lb or 27.9 t) (30.8 short tons) |
| Fuel type | Coal |
| Boiler pressure | 140 psi (0.97 MPa) |
| Cylinders | Two inside |
| Cylinder size | 14 in × 20 in (356 mm × 508 mm) |
| Tractive effort | 11,810 lbf (52.53 kN) |
| Delivered | 1889–1891 |
| Withdrawn | 1932–1949 |
| Disposition | All scrapped |
The Barry Railway Class E were special steam locomotives used in South Wales. They were designed by J. H. Hosgood and built by Hudswell Clarke. These small engines were perfect for moving wagons around the busy docks. They were especially useful at the Barry Island Breakwater. Other bigger locomotives couldn't fit through the narrow, curvy tunnel leading to the breakwater. But the Class E engines were just the right size!
Contents
What They Did: Traffic Duties
At first, these locomotives were used for shunting. This means they moved railway wagons around the docks. Later, they also started carrying passengers on the Vale of Glamorgan Railway.
Two special sets of coaches were made for these passenger trips. Each set had two coaches linked together. One coach was for passengers, and the other was a brake coach. This brake coach had a special driver's area. But here's the interesting part: this driver's area didn't have controls to make the train go! Instead, it had a bell system. The driver would ring bells to tell the fireman on the locomotive what to do.
The driver in the special compartment could control the brakes and the whistle. Wires ran along the top of the coaches to connect these controls to the locomotive. The Class E engines often pulled these coaches in a special way. They could either push or pull one set of coaches, or have the engine in the middle with a set of coaches on each side. This was mainly used for trains between Barry and Llantwit Major.
However, in 1909, a new person named John Auld became the Locomotive Superintendent. He didn't like this special push-pull setup. So, he ordered that trains should go back to the old way. This meant the engine had to move to the other end of the train at the end of each journey.
When They Stopped Running: Withdrawal
The Barry Railway Class E locomotives were later taken over by the Great Western Railway in 1922. Then, two of them went to British Railways in 1947. All of these locomotives were taken out of service between 1932 and 1949. Sadly, none of them were saved. They were all scrapped.
How They Were Numbered
The Class E locomotives were given different numbers over the years. Here's how they were numbered:
| Year | Quantity | Manufacturer | Barry Numbers | GWR Numbers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1889 | 2 | Hudswell Clarke | 33–34 | 781–782 |
| 1890 | 2 | Hudswell Clarke | 50–51 | 783–784 |
| 1891 | 1 | Hudswell Clarke | 53 | 785 |
See also
