Lord Collingwood and the 'Lord Nelsons'
A little tribute to Locomotive 30862 ‘Lord Collingwood’ and the Lords Nelson class of engines, on the anniversary of its retirement from service.
Lord Collingwood and M7 Tank Engine at Medstead and four Marks Station
Lord Collingwood and M7 Tank Engine at Medstead and four Marks Station
As I write this, it is 60 years ago this engine, 30862 Lord Collingwood, was retired from service and scrapped. It marked the end of an era, as it was the last of the Southern Railway (SR) 4-6-0 ‘Lord Nelson’ Class in service.
Designed by the SR’s Chief Mechanical Engineer, Richard Maunsell, when the first of the Class entered service in 1926, it was Britain’s most powerful locomotive. One of its remarkable features was the huge effort made to keep its weight as low as possible. This led to the use of new materials in its construction, together with parts carefully shaped to avoid the inclusion of excess material, often by lengthy extra machining.
To my mind, the result is a stunningly beautiful loco and an exquisite piece of engineering, characteristics common to a remarkable number of SR loco designs.
Each member of the Class proudly carries the name of a famous British sailor, linking to their use serving many Royal Navy dockyards. Ironically (given the efforts to minimise the loco’s weights), the sumptuous nameplates with their long names, are reputed to be remarkably heavy!
The locos were successful in service, but performance could be inconsistent. Much depended on the skill of the crew in working the long firebox to achieve its full potential. Maunsell’s successor, Oliver Bulleid, modified the design in 1938, largely rectifying the problems.
30850 Lord Nelson, the first to be built, is the only remaining member of the Class and resides with at the superb Watercress Line, in Hampshire.
The painting, entitled “Pause at the Summit” (Oil on canvas, 20”x16”), depicts a moment in May 1957 at Medstead and Four Marks on what is now the ‘Watercress Line’. Lord Collingwood is paused in the station with a troop train, waiting for the passing of an M7 0-4-4 tank hauling a local service. Both have just completed climbs up the steep 1:60 gradients either side of the station, which earned this stretch of the line the nickname ‘the Alps’ by footplate crews.
Designed by the SR’s Chief Mechanical Engineer, Richard Maunsell, when the first of the Class entered service in 1926, it was Britain’s most powerful locomotive. One of its remarkable features was the huge effort made to keep its weight as low as possible. This led to the use of new materials in its construction, together with parts carefully shaped to avoid the inclusion of excess material, often by lengthy extra machining.
To my mind, the result is a stunningly beautiful loco and an exquisite piece of engineering, characteristics common to a remarkable number of SR loco designs.
Each member of the Class proudly carries the name of a famous British sailor, linking to their use serving many Royal Navy dockyards. Ironically (given the efforts to minimise the loco’s weights), the sumptuous nameplates with their long names, are reputed to be remarkably heavy!
The locos were successful in service, but performance could be inconsistent. Much depended on the skill of the crew in working the long firebox to achieve its full potential. Maunsell’s successor, Oliver Bulleid, modified the design in 1938, largely rectifying the problems.
30850 Lord Nelson, the first to be built, is the only remaining member of the Class and resides with at the superb Watercress Line, in Hampshire.
The painting, entitled “Pause at the Summit” (Oil on canvas, 20”x16”), depicts a moment in May 1957 at Medstead and Four Marks on what is now the ‘Watercress Line’. Lord Collingwood is paused in the station with a troop train, waiting for the passing of an M7 0-4-4 tank hauling a local service. Both have just completed climbs up the steep 1:60 gradients either side of the station, which earned this stretch of the line the nickname ‘the Alps’ by footplate crews.