Rhymney Railway M class
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No. 108
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| Type and origin | |
|---|---|
| Power type | Steam |
| Designer | Richard Jenkins |
| Builder | Robert Stephenson & Co. |
| Serial number | 3125–3130 |
| Build date | 1904 |
| Total produced | 6 |
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Configuration: |
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| • Whyte | 0-6-2T |
| • UIC | C1 |
| Gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Driver dia. | 4 ft 6 in (1,372 mm) |
| Length | 36 ft 9 in (11.20 m) |
| Loco weight | 62 long tons 11 cwt (140,100 lb or 63.6 t) (70.1 short tons) |
| Fuel type | Coal |
| Boiler pressure | 175 lbf/in2 (1.21 MPa) |
| Cylinders | Two, inside |
| Cylinder size | 18.5 in × 26 in (470 mm × 660 mm) |
| Valve gear | Stephenson |
| Performance figures | |
|---|---|
| Tractive effort | 24,510 lbf (109.0 kN) |
| Career | |
|---|---|
| Operators | RR, GWR, BR |
| Numbers | RR: 106–110, 16 GWR: 47–51, 33 |
| Withdrawn | 1935–1951 |
The Rhymney Railway M class was a class of 0-6-2T tank locomotive introduced into traffic on the Rhymney Railway in 1904. These were substantial sized tank engines, and weighed 66 long tons (74 short tons; 67 t) (64 long tons or 72 short tons or 65 tonnes after rebuilding) and were 36 feet 9 inches (11.20 m) in length.
There were six locos in the class. They were built by Robert Stephenson and Company and are sometimes referred to as the Rhymney Stephensons even though Hudswell Clarke and Beyer, Peacock and Company contributed many of the derived designs.
The locomotives were numbered 16, 106–110 by the Rhymney. All passed to the Great Western Railway in 1922, and were renumbered 33, 47–51 in order. Three locomotives were taken into British Railways stock in 1948 and were numbered 33, 47 and 51.
The M class and related 1909 R class and 1910 A class were successful designs ideally suited to hauling heavy coal trains a relatively short distance. In 1930 M class No 47 was reboilered by the GWR and in this form was visually almost indistinguishable from the GWR 5600 Class.
Thus the M, R (and closely related A and A1) were designed for mineral working on the fifty mile long main line of the railway from Cardiff to Rhymney, replacing smaller locomotives. The larger wheeled but otherwise similar P class was designed for passenger working.
When the smaller railway companies were forcibly merged into the Great Western Railway, these modern 0-6-2's were in generally good order and had proved successful. Collectively they became the blueprint for the 200 strong 5600 class.
The design of the 5600 class followed the Rhymney designs quite closely but adopted GWR practice as far as possible, by utilising many standardized parts. Included in Collett’s innovations was a standard number 2 boiler which was suitable for the 5600 (and the M and R class Rhymney locomotives), complete with the traditional copper GWR safety valve casing and copper-capped chimney. Fifteen A class and all eight P's were also rebuilt, but used the slightly shorter standard number 10 boiler, also to good effect.
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