BR Standard Class 4 4-6-0

BR Standard Class 4 4-6-0
A Standard 4MT 4-6-0 at Gloucester Eastgate in April 1959.
Type and origin Power type Steam Designer R. A. Riddles Builder BR Swindon Works Build date May 1951 – May 1957 Total produced 80
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 4-6-0  • UIC 2′C h2 Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) Leading dia. 3 ft 0 in (0.914 m) Driver dia. 5 ft 8 in (1.727 m) Length 60 ft 0 in (18.29 m) Width 8 ft 9+1⁄2 in (2.68 m) Height 13 ft 0 in (3.96 m) Axle load 17.25 long tons (17.53 t; 19.32 short tons) Adhesive weight 51.55 long tons (52.38 t; 57.74 short tons) Loco weight 67.90 long tons (68.99 t; 76.05 short tons) Tender weight BR1B: 49.15 long tons (49.94 t); BR2/BR2A: 42.15 long tons (42.83 t) Tender type BR1B (15), BR2 (50), BR2A (15) Fuel type Coal Fuel capacity BR1B: 7.00 long tons (7.11 t; 7.84 short tons); BR2/BR2A: 6.00 long tons (6.10 t; 6.72 short tons) Water cap. BR1B: 4,725 imp gal (21,480 L; 5,674 US gal); BR2/BR2A: 3,500 imp gal (16,000 L; 4,200 US gal) Firebox: ​  • Grate area 26.7 sq ft (2.48 m2) Boiler BR4 Boiler pressure 225 psi (1.55 MPa) Heating surface: ​  • Firebox 143 sq ft (13.3 m2)  • Tubes and flues 1,301 sq ft (120.9 m2) Superheater: ​  • Heating area 258 sq ft (24.0 m2) Cylinders Two, outside Cylinder size 18 in × 28 in (457 mm × 711 mm)
Performance figures Tractive effort 25,515 lbf (113.5 kN) Factor of adh. 4.52
Career Operators British Railways Power class 4MT Numbers 75000–75079 Axle load class BR1B: Route Availability 7 BR2/BR2A: Route Availability 4 Withdrawn October 1964 – August 1968 Disposition 6 preserved, remainder scrapped

The British Railways Standard Class 4 4-6-0 is a class of steam locomotives, 80 of which were built during the 1950s. Six have been preserved.

The class was introduced in 1951. They were designed for mixed traffic use on secondary routes where the otherwise ubiquitous BR Standard Class 5 and their predecessors, the Black Fives, would be too heavy. They were essentially a tender version of the Class 4 2-6-4T, with similar characteristics to the GWR 7800 Class, though unlike the 7800s they were built to the universal loading gauge. They used the same running gear as the tank engine (with the leading bogie from the Standard Class 5), and substantially the same firebox, smokebox and boiler, although the boiler barrel was increased in length by 9 inches (229 mm).^[1]

Design work was done at Brighton by R. A. Riddles, with help from Swindon, Derby and Doncaster. Construction was at the BR Swindon Works.^[2]

The engine weighed 67.90 long tons (68.99 t; 76.05 short tons), was 60 ft 0 in (18.29 m) long, with 5 ft 8 in (1.727 m) diameter driving wheels. It had two cylinders of 18 inches (457 mm) diameter and 28 inches (711 mm) stroke operated at maximum boiler pressure of 225 lbf/in² (1.55 MPa), to produce 25,515 lbf (113.5 kN) tractive effort. Its British Railways power classification was 4MT.

It normally used the standard BR2 or BR2A tender, which weighed 42.15 long tons (42.83 t; 47.21 short tons) and carried 3,500 imp gal (16,000 L; 4,200 US gal) of water and 6.00 long tons (6.10 t; 6.72 short tons) of coal. In this configuration its route availability was 4, almost universal over the British Railways network.

The class was initially allocated to the London Midland Region (45) and the Western Region (20). The last 15 were allocated to the Southern Region. The Southern batch were built with BR1B tenders, which weighed 49.15 long tons (49.94 t; 55.05 short tons), and carried 4,725 imp gal (21,480 L; 5,674 US gal) of water and 7.00 long tons (7.11 t; 7.84 short tons) of coal.^[3] This reduced their route availability to 7, the same as the Standard Class 5.

Six members of the class survive with both single chimney and double chimney examples. Two were purchased directly from BR (75027 & 75029); the remaining four were rescued from Woodham Brothers' scrapyard at Barry Island.

No member of the class is presently main line approved but three (75014, 75029 and 75069) have worked on the main line at various points in preservation. 75029 was passed to work on the main line between Grosmont and Whitby with occasional visits to Battersby during galas. All except for 75079 have operated in preservation.

Preserved locomotives

Number & Name	Tender Attached	Chimney Fitted	Built	Withdrawn	Service life	Home Base	Owner	Livery	Status	Image	Notes
75014 "Braveheart"	BR2A	Single	Nov 1951	Dec 1966	15 years, 30 days	Dartmouth Steam Railway	Dartmouth Steam Railway	BR Lined Black, Early Emblem	Operational. Boiler ticket expires: 2026 [4]
75027			May 1954	Aug 1968	14 years, 3 months	Bluebell Railway	Bluebell Railway	BR Lined Green, Late Crest	Static Display [5]
75029 "The Green Knight"		Double	May 1954	Aug 1967	13 years, 3 months	North Yorkshire Moors Railway	North Yorkshire Moors Railway	BR Lined Green, Late Crest	Under Overhaul.		Withdrawn in 2015 with cracks in firebox, overhaul commenced in 2018 [6]
75069	BR1B		Sept 1955	Sept 1966	11 years	Severn Valley Railway	75069 Fund	BR Lined Black, Late Crest	Operational. Boiler ticket expires: 2028 [7]
75078			Jan 1956	Jul 1966	10 years, 5 months	Keighley and Worth Valley Railway	The Standard 4 Locomotive Preservation Society	BR Lined Black, Late Crest	Operational. Boiler ticket expires: 2032 [8]
75079			Jan 1956	Nov 1966	10 years, 10 months	Mid-Hants Railway	Mid-Hants Railway Preservation Society	N/A	Under restoration [9]

Bachmann and Hornby have both recently released models of these engines in 00 gauge. Mainline Railways also released a OO gauge model of the Standard Class 4MT 4-6-0 in the 1970s, although this is no longer in production. In 1983, Mainline's model was reintroduced to their catalogue as locomotive 75033 in BR lined black.^[10]

• A Detailed History of BR Standard Steam Locomotives, - Vol 2 - The 4-6-0 and 2-6-0 Classes. RCTS ISBN 0-901115-93-2
• Bradley, Rodger P. (1984). The Standard Steam Locomotives of British Railways. David & Charles. ISBN 0715383841.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to BR Standard Class 4 4-6-0.

• Southern E-group photo gallery
• 75027 webpage at the Bluebell Railway
• 75079 webpage at the Mid Hants Railway