Urie/Maunsell S15 class 4-6-0
S15 Nº30840 and sister engine at Feltham during 1963 Photograph by Keith Harwood |
| The S15 was the third of Robert Urie's 4-6-0 designs
for the LSWR. (the other two being the H15 and the N15). Twenty were built at Nine Elms in 1920. Their
appearance is very similar the N15 class and they shared many components
including the 180 lb per sq in boiler and tender designs. Being designed for
heavy goods work they had 5 ft 7 in diameter drivers and cylinders of 21 in
diameter. Originally fitted with the Eastleigh superheater, these were replaced
by ones of the Maunsell design between 1927 and 1932.
Nº515 had the distinction of twice being converted to oil firing, once in 1921 and once in 1926. On both occasions, though, she was restired to coal firing. |
| This photograph, taken about 1922, shows an unidentified S15,
probably at Nine Elms, though possibly Feltham. It was sent to us by Ray
Harrington-Vail and shows his grandfather, Gilbert Vail, on the ground second
from the left.
photograph: Ray Harrington-Vail collection |
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| Like their contemporaries the N15s further batches were built by
the Southern Railway under the auspices of Richard Maunsell, and these builds
also incorporated the revised front end and cab designs applied to the N15s,
with the higher boiler pressure of 200 lb per sq in. Fifteen were built at
Eastleigh in 1927/8 and a further ten in 1936. The first Eastleigh batch
included engines for use on the Eastern and Central sections and some were
fitted with six wheeled tenders for use where there were small turntables. Like
the N15s over time tenders were swapped around not only within the class but
also with N15s, the Schools class (which received their six wheeled tenders)
and with the Lord Nelson class. Smoke deflectors
were fitted to all of the class during the mid 1930s.
During 1942 four engines (496-9) were on loan to the GWR and whilst on that railway had a GWR shed code stencilled on the angle iron. |
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A closer view of the personalities in the photograph! Gilbert Vail was born in 1901 and died in 1949 having lived most of his life in Surbiton. On leaving school at 14 he went to work as an apprentice on the LSWR where was passed out as a fireman before leaving the railway in the 1920s to train as a motor fitter with Leyland. The men on the engine are believed to be the driver and fireman of this particular locomotive. Is there any faint possibility that someone might know who the men other than Gilbert Vail are? Please advise the webmaster if you do. photograph: Ray Harrington-Vail collection |
| Nº30508 at Guildford.
photograph by Keith Harwood |
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Urie S15 Nº30500 depicted at Eastleigh in April 1963 with
an ex-works U class Nº3163x buffered up to it.
What was chalked on the tender is a mystery as it just cannot be deciphered!
photograph: Mike Morant collection |
| Nº30847, the last S15 and, indeed, the last 4-6-0 to be
built by the Southern Railway, basks in the sun at Feltham. Initially an
Exmouth Junction engine, 30847 moved to Salisbury in June 1951 and then to
Redhill in July 1959 for 4 years before a final six months at Feltham. She is
seen here in November 1963 not long before her withdrawal in January 1964. Now
owned by the Maunsell Society, 30847 is based at the Bluebell Railway.
photograph by Keith Harwood |
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This page was last updated 11 March 2008
