THE first steps in the re-creation of one of H P Stewart’s LMS-NCC ‘W’ class 2-6-0 have been taken by the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland (RPSI) with the cutting of the locomotive’s 33ft-long main frame plates.
The machined plates were delivered to Whitehead on August 29 from Cooke Bros Engineering of Newtownards, having been cut by TATA Steel at Wednesbury.
Their arrival finally settles the speculation surrounding a possible RPSI new-build, and the question of whether it would focus on a ‘W’ or build a second ‘WT’ 2-6-4T, similar to the No. 4.
The Derby-built ‘W’ and ‘WT’ classes shared many common components, including a number of standard LMS parts. Both classes featured the same 6ft-diameter coupled wheels, cylinders and valve arrangement.
Read more in the October 2019 issue of The RM – on sale now!
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