LSWR T3 class

LSWR T3 class
T3 class 4-4-0 No. 563 at Norden Station on the Swanage Railway.
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
DesignerWilliam Adams
BuilderLSWR Nine Elms Works
Build date1892–1893
Total produced20
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte4-4-0
 • UIC2'Bn
Gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Leading dia.3 ft 7 in (1.092 m)
Driver dia.6 ft 7 in (2.007 m)
Length54 ft 2+3⁄8 in (16.52 m)
Height13 ft 2+3⁄4 in (4.03 m)
Axle load15.725 long tons (16.0 t)
Adhesive weight35.525 long tons (36.1 t)
Loco weight48.55 long tons (49.3 t)
Tender weight36.2 long tons (36.8 t)
Fuel typeCoal
Fuel capacity3.00 long tons (3.05 t)
Water cap.3,300 imp gal (15,000 L; 4,000 US gal)
Boiler pressure175 psi (1.21 MPa)
CylindersTwo, outside
Cylinder size19 in × 26 in (483 mm × 660 mm)
Performance figures
Tractive effort17,673 lbf (78.6 kN)
Career
OperatorsLSWR · SR
ClassT3
Power classSR: I
Withdrawn1930-1936, 1943–1945
DispositionOne preserved, remainder scrapped

The LSWR T3 class is a class of express passenger 4-4-0 steam locomotives designed for the London and South Western Railway by William Adams. Twenty were constructed between 1892 and 1893. One, No. 563, has been preserved and restored to full working order.

The class were numbered 557–576, and had been intended as a variant of the X2 class with slightly smaller driving wheels (6 ft 7 in or 2.007 m versus 7 ft 1 in or 2.159 m). In reality, the coupled wheelbase was lengthened by 6 inches (150 mm) and the locomotive was fitted with a deep firebox 6 feet 10 inches (2.08 m) long – the largest firebox of any of Adams' designs - with a 19¾ square foot grate area.[1]

Table of locomotive orders
Year Order Quantity LSWR Numbers Notes
1892 T3 10 557–566
1893 S5 10 567–576

All passed to the Southern Railway at the grouping in 1923. Withdrawals started in 1930, and by the end of 1933 only three remained. No. 557 went in 1936, 571 in 1943, and the last, 563 was retired in August 1945 and set aside for preservation, at which point it had run 1.5 million miles.[2] From May to October 2011 it was in Toronto, Ontario, on loan for use in a theatrical production of The Railway Children at Roundhouse Park, a role it reprised from December 2014 to January 2017 when the production was staged at King's Cross, London.[3][4]

On 30 March 2017, No. 563 was transferred to the Swanage Railway Trust. The locomotive has now moved permanently to the Swanage Railway with a formal handover ceremony held at Corfe Castle on Saturday 27 May. Following an individual donation, the Swanage Railway declared their intention to explore the possibility of restoring the locomotive to working order, with a public appeal for additional funds being launched in October 2017.[5] The evaluation was positive and a full restoration programme was begun, with a target of returning to operation in 2023.[6] 563 returned to full public service on 8 October 2023 after a launch ceremony and supporters' special trains the previous day. [7][8][9][10]

Table of withdrawals
Year Quantity in
service at
start of year		 Quantity
withdrawn		 Locomotive numbers Notes
1930 20 1 E561
1931 19 8 558, 559, 562, 564, 566, 570, 572, 573
1932 11 4 560, 568, 569, 575
1933 7 4 565, 567, 574, 576
1936 3 1 557
1943 2 1 571
1945 1 1 563 563 preserved

References

  1. ^ Russell (1991) p. 175
  2. ^ "Swanage Railway: LSWR T3 No.563".
  3. ^ Kennedy, Maev (16 January 2015). "Why loco is true star of Railway Children". The Guardian. p. 19. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  4. ^ "THE TRAIN & COACH". railwaychildrenlondon.com.
  5. ^ "Swanage Railway raising money for restoration of T3 class No. 563". Bournemouth Echo. 26 October 2017. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
  6. ^ "563 Locomotive Group". Swanage Railway.
  7. ^ "563 returns to steam". Swanage Railway. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  8. ^ "LSWR T3 Class- 563- Supporters Launch Day 07/10/2023 (video)". YouTube. 7 October 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  9. ^ "Swanage Railway steam locomotive returns after 75 years". BBC. 12 October 2023. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  10. ^ "T3 class No. 563 returns to action on Swanage Railway after restoration". BBC. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  • Russell, J. H. (1991). A Pictorial Record of Southern Locomotives. OPC-Haynes. pp. 175–178.