The
Northern Counties Committee
The Northern Counties Committee (NCC) was a railway that served the north-east of Ireland. It was built to Irish gauge () but later acquired a number of narrow gauge lines. It had its origins in the Belfast and Ballymena Railway that opened to ...
(NCC) Class W was a class of locomotives introduced in 1933 and allocated to express passenger duties from , Belfast.
Design and build
The design was attributed to the NCC's Chief Mechanical Engineer H. P. Stewart who was with the permission of
William Stanier
Sir William Arthur Stanier, (27 May 1876 – 27 September 1965) was a British railway engineer, and was chief mechanical engineer of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway.
Biography
Sir William Stanier was born in Swindon, where his ...
able to draw on designs and parts from the NCC's owners, the
London Midland and Scottish Railway
The London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMSIt has been argued that the initials LMSR should be used to be consistent with LNER, GWR and SR. The London, Midland and Scottish Railway's corporate image used LMS, and this is what is generally ...
(LMS).
The resultant design is understood to have been an Irish 5ft 3in gauge tender version of the
LMS Fowler 2-6-4T
The London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) Fowler 2-6-4T was a class of steam locomotive passenger tank engine designed by Henry Fowler.
Construction
125 examples of the class were built. The last 30 numbered 2395 to 2424 were fitted wi ...
tank engine with diameter wheels which were three inches wider than its predecessor.
Operations and performance
On introduction the Class W moguls took over the principal main line expresses of the NCC.
They proved capable of speeds of over .
while coal consumption of the locomotives was considered extremely economical.
The class was the motive power for the
North Atlantic Express introduced in 1934 with the opening of the
Greenisland Loop Line and the fastest services to taking a mere 80 minutes. In 1937 the North Atlantic Express was scheduled from to at an average speed of making it the fastest schedule in Ireland; that time being reduced by a further minute in 1938 to achieve a scheduled start to stop.
The locomotive remained on former NCC lines until the introduction of diesel railcars on services to in 1958 whereupon some were shifted to other lines including cross border trains to and occasional excursions to Dublin.
The final six remaining locomotives of the class were withdrawn in 1965.
Livery and naming
When new the locomotives were painted in LMS crimson lake red livery until the NCC was absorbed into
Ulster Transport Authority
The Ulster Transport Authority (UTA) ran rail and bus transport in Northern Ireland from 1948 until 1966.
Formation and consolidation
The UTA was formed by the Transport Act 1948, which merged the Northern Ireland Road Transport Board (NIRTB ...
(UTA) in the later forties whereafter repaints were black with red and yellow lining.
The original plans were to name the class after Irish Chieftains, however there were concerns this might not be acceptable to some sections of the community. In the event the naming split between British Nobility and geographical locations, the class lead was named ''
Duke of Abercorn
The title Duke of Abercorn () is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1868 and bestowed upon James Hamilton, 2nd Marquess of Abercorn. Although the Dukedom is in the Peerage of Ireland, it refers to Abercorn, West Lothian, and th ...
'' after the governor of Northern Ireland.
New build option
While none of the original class have survived, the
Railway Preservation Society of Ireland
The Railway Preservation Society of Ireland (RPSI) is an Irish railway preservation group operating throughout Ireland, founded in 1964. Mainline steam train railtours are operated from Dublin and Belfast, but occasionally from other locatio ...
possesses a spare set of driving wheels and motion and are being used to re-construct the next locomotive of the class, to be numbered 105.
It will also use a spare tender that the group have numbered 43.
See also
*
Steam locomotives of the 21st century
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:NCC Class W
W
2-6-0 locomotives
Steam locomotives of Northern Ireland
Steam locomotives of Ireland
Railway locomotives introduced in 1933
Scrapped locomotives
5 ft 3 in gauge locomotives