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.
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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!
