Urie G16 class 4-8-0T

photograph: Mike Morant collection

Nº495 at Feltham on 6th May 1938.

With the fast growth of the LSWR's London area goods traffic in the early years of the twentieth century, the company decided to construct a modern gravitational marshalling yard at Feltham. This location gave excellent access to the company main lines as well as direct links to the GWR and LNWR, and to the MR, GNR and GER via the North London line. Although completion of Feltham yard was delayed by WW1, it was completed soon after. Meanwhile Urie had designed four very large shunting tanks based on his S15 goods 4-6-0s, except for utilising a somewhat smaller boiler.

Having eight-coupled wheels of 5' 1" diameter, they were clearly intended mainly for hump shunting duties. Although they were tried out on other duties around the system, most of their life was spent allocated to the new shed at Feltham. They were massive locomotives, weighing in at 95 tons and were by far the most powerful locomotives on the LSWR. In early SR days, Maunsell gave consideration to building more locomotives to this design, but decided instead to develop his Z class 0-8-0T, so the G16 class remained numerically small at only four. Originally it had been intended to use them for transfer and trip workings so superheating was provided. Originally, of course, these were the Eastleigh design of superheater, but in later years these were replaced by the Maunsell pattern. This turned out to be a hindrance to the shunting activities and most of the transfer and trip workings were assigned to the similar H16 class of 4-6-2 tanks. The G16 and H16 classes shared many components of the same design, such as boilers and fireboxes. The G16s, along with the T14s and H16s, were the widest steam locomotives in Britain.

Nº30494 and goods working photographed at Feltham MPD in 1959.

photograph: Gerald T. Robinson/Mike Morant collection

Another photo of Nº30494, this time in colour and taken at Acton during May 1960.

photograph: A. E. Durrant/Mike Morant collection

The lack of maintenance for most locomotives during WWII meant that such massive and reliable machines as the G16s continued their hard work even in very run-down condition. Inevitably, the introduction of the ubiquitous 0-6-0 diesel electric shunters at Feltham in the 1950s made the G16s redundant. They were used occasionally on empty stock and van trains, from various depots such as Guildford, but these duties were limited in numbers and further electrification in the Southern Region meant that there was a surplus of locomotives in the late 1950s. One G16 was withdrawn in 1959, another in 1960 and the final two in December 1962. None has been preserved.

One of the two surviving members of the class - but only just - in 1962, Nº30495 (as seen above in SR days) seen at the end of the line at Feltham in August 1962.

photograph by Alan Robinson

The other "survivor" in August 1962, Nº30494 is also pictured at Feltham.

photograph by Alan Robinson

Technical Details

Introduced:
Driving Wheels:
Bogie Wheels:
Length:
Cylinders (2):
Boiler Pressure:
Weight:
Water:
Coal:
Tractive Effort:
Power Classification:

1921
5 ft 1 ins
3 ft 7 ins
42 ft 10¼ in
22 in x 28 in
180 lb sq in
95 tons 2 cwt
2,000 gals
3 tons 10 cwt
34,000
8-F

LSWR/SR Nº #	BR Nº	Built	Maunsell S/H fitted	Withdrawn
492	30492	Jul 1921	May 1930	Jan 1959
493	30493	Jul 1921	Jul 1931	Jan 1960
494	30494	Aug 1921	Dec 1929	Dec 1962
495	30495	Aug 1921	Mar 1930	Dec 1962
# Between 1923 and 1928 SR numbers were the L&SWR numbers with the added prefix 'E', although the prefix may not have been removed until some time later!

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This page was last updated 12 April 2011