Hornby R2892 LSWR 4-4-0 Class T9 120

Description

Hornby R2892 LSWR 4-4-0 Class T9 120 Limited Edition Hornby Collectors Club DCC ready

OO Gauge 1:76 Scale Class T9 ‘Greyhound’ 4-4-0 120 in LSWR green – Limited Edition for Hornby Collectors club DCC Ready. 8-pin socket

Era 2 Pre-grouping: 1875-1922

Locomotive History

The London and South Western Railway T9 class was a class of 66 4-4-0 steam locomotive designed for express passenger work by Dugald Drummond and introduced to services on the LSWR in 1899. One example has been preserved after British Railways ownership. They were given the nickname of “Greyhounds” due to their speed, up to 85 miles per hour (137 km/h), and reliability.

Background

Intended for express passenger work in South-West England, 66 were eventually built and saw several improvements throughout their service careers. The class operated until 1963 when the last example, No 30120, was withdrawn. 30120 was preserved by the National Railway Museum and is currently on loan to the Swanage Railway.

Construction history

The design spawned from the relative failure of Drummond’s C8 class of 1898, utilising many lessons learned from this design. A larger boiler was implemented, and such confidence was placed in Drummond’s design that an order of 50 locomotives was placed straight off the drawing board. Large fireboxes and Stephenson link valve gear ensured a free-steaming locomotive.

Builders

Construction was shared between the LSWR’s Nine Elms Locomotive Works, London, and Dübs and Company of Glasgow. Twenty were built at Nine Elms and 30 by Dübs. These were constructed between 1899 and 1900 and supplied with six-wheel tenders. A second batch was ordered, and 15 more were constructed at Nine Elms, while a final, solitary example was constructed at Dübs and Company for the Glasgow Exhibition of 1901. Detail improvements on this final batch were a wider cab and revised wheel splasher that hid the ‘throw’ of the coupling rod, with cross-water tubes fitted into the firebox. This was an attempt to increase the heat surface area of the water, which was achieved, though at a cost in boiler complexity. This batch was also fitted with the Drummond “water cart” eight-wheel tender for longer running, whilst the previous was retrofitted with the design.