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LSWR L12 class
The London and South Western Railway L12 class was a class of 20 4-4-0 steam locomotives designed for express passenger work by Dugald Drummond. They were introduced to the London and South Western Railway network in 1904. Despite the class being an unremarkable continuation of the Drummond lineage, one member was involved in the infamous Salisbury rail crash in June 1906. None of the class survived into preservation after their brief career in British Railways ownership.
In 1904, the LSWR Locomotive Superintendent, Dugald Drummond, was tasked by his superiors to analyse the possibility of an updated version of his successful T9 class 4-4-0. With open competition against the Great Western Railway in earning revenue from ocean-going traffic in the south-west of England at Plymouth, there was a need for a new design of powerful locomotive capable of hauling heavy loads at high speeds. This furthermore provided Drummond with the chance to take advantage of various advances in locomotive technology that had accumulated in the five years since the release of the T9.
The last in an unbroken lineage of Drummond 4-4-0s stretching back to his unsuccessful C8 Class of 1898, the L12 continued the tradition of solid construction and robust operation.
Drummond took the decision to construct a further new class of 20 4-4-0s as part of the competition between the LSWR and GWR regarding boat trains to Plymouth harbour.[page needed] Once again, the L12 followed the example of the Class S11 in incorporating the same frames as the T9.[page needed] The major design difference between this and the Class S11 was that the 6-foot-7-inch (2.007 m) driving wheels seen on the T9 were reinstated for fast running on the LSWR main line.[page needed]
The boiler was also similar to that of the T9s, capped off with a dome and stovepipe chimney, though the smokebox was of a smaller design in comparison due to the initial lack of superheating.[page needed] The locomotive was fitted with cross-water tubes fitted into the firebox, as featured on the T9 Class. This was an attempt to increase the heat surface area of the water, which was achieved, though at a cost in boiler complexity. The new locomotive had a higher centre of gravity than the earlier T9 class, which would cause the locomotive to become unbalanced on curves at speed, and this would have fatal consequences later on.[page needed]
One major modification was made by Robert Urie, who exchanged the saturated steam boilers for the superheated variety, resulting in an enlarged smokebox when compared to that fitted on the S11 Class.[page needed] At the same time, the addition of the superheater header and associated tubes meant that the overall weight was increased by one long ton (1.02 t; 1.12 short tons) from 86 to 87 long tons (87.4 to 88.4 t; 96.3 to 97.4 short tons).[page needed]
Production of the class began at Nine Elms in 1904, with all members of the class were fitted with the Drummond "watercart" eight-wheel tender for longer running on the LSWR network.[page needed]
The class gained the nickname "Bulldogs" from their crews due to their 'butch' appearance.[page needed] The L12s were initially rostered to Nine Elms, Bournemouth and Salisbury, where they worked the LSWR system on express passenger trains.[page needed].
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LSWR L12 class AI simulator
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LSWR L12 class
The London and South Western Railway L12 class was a class of 20 4-4-0 steam locomotives designed for express passenger work by Dugald Drummond. They were introduced to the London and South Western Railway network in 1904. Despite the class being an unremarkable continuation of the Drummond lineage, one member was involved in the infamous Salisbury rail crash in June 1906. None of the class survived into preservation after their brief career in British Railways ownership.
In 1904, the LSWR Locomotive Superintendent, Dugald Drummond, was tasked by his superiors to analyse the possibility of an updated version of his successful T9 class 4-4-0. With open competition against the Great Western Railway in earning revenue from ocean-going traffic in the south-west of England at Plymouth, there was a need for a new design of powerful locomotive capable of hauling heavy loads at high speeds. This furthermore provided Drummond with the chance to take advantage of various advances in locomotive technology that had accumulated in the five years since the release of the T9.
The last in an unbroken lineage of Drummond 4-4-0s stretching back to his unsuccessful C8 Class of 1898, the L12 continued the tradition of solid construction and robust operation.
Drummond took the decision to construct a further new class of 20 4-4-0s as part of the competition between the LSWR and GWR regarding boat trains to Plymouth harbour.[page needed] Once again, the L12 followed the example of the Class S11 in incorporating the same frames as the T9.[page needed] The major design difference between this and the Class S11 was that the 6-foot-7-inch (2.007 m) driving wheels seen on the T9 were reinstated for fast running on the LSWR main line.[page needed]
The boiler was also similar to that of the T9s, capped off with a dome and stovepipe chimney, though the smokebox was of a smaller design in comparison due to the initial lack of superheating.[page needed] The locomotive was fitted with cross-water tubes fitted into the firebox, as featured on the T9 Class. This was an attempt to increase the heat surface area of the water, which was achieved, though at a cost in boiler complexity. The new locomotive had a higher centre of gravity than the earlier T9 class, which would cause the locomotive to become unbalanced on curves at speed, and this would have fatal consequences later on.[page needed]
One major modification was made by Robert Urie, who exchanged the saturated steam boilers for the superheated variety, resulting in an enlarged smokebox when compared to that fitted on the S11 Class.[page needed] At the same time, the addition of the superheater header and associated tubes meant that the overall weight was increased by one long ton (1.02 t; 1.12 short tons) from 86 to 87 long tons (87.4 to 88.4 t; 96.3 to 97.4 short tons).[page needed]
Production of the class began at Nine Elms in 1904, with all members of the class were fitted with the Drummond "watercart" eight-wheel tender for longer running on the LSWR network.[page needed]
The class gained the nickname "Bulldogs" from their crews due to their 'butch' appearance.[page needed] The L12s were initially rostered to Nine Elms, Bournemouth and Salisbury, where they worked the LSWR system on express passenger trains.[page needed].