BR’s WD Austerity 2-8-0s

These locos were formerly War Department stock. Almost all had seen service overseas. They were designed by Robert Riddles in 1943 and based on the LMS Stanier Class 8F. 935 engines were constructed, in total. The last in the class of the 733 locos that were bought by the LNER and the Transport Commission after World War Two before being taken into BR ownership, was named Vulcan after Vulcan Foundry, where many of the class had been built. One additional survivor, later renumbered as the next in the class, No. 90733, was repatriated from Sweden and is based at the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway.

John Dyer photographed various members of the class at work in the 1960s. No. 90010 was at Bidston sheds on 5/8/62, No. 90086 was entering York station on 12/4/62, No. 90094 was at Farnley Junction sheds on 12/8/62, No. 90187 was at Birkenhead sheds on 6/5/60, No. 90466 was taking a freight through Swindon station on 22/8/61 and No. 90620 was swinging off the old L&Y lines and into Preston station on 15/7/64.