The North Staffordshire Railway 'Class B' 2-4-0T Text & Photos by Ivan Davison
The North Staffordshire Railway had a busy "Suburban" network around the "5 towns" and Stoke works provided the ideal solution to the motive power requirements with it's A and B class 2-4-0T locos. The unmodified A class locos of 1878 were fairly primitive and disappeared by 1921. The majority of the B class, built from 1881 and later modified with larger boilers and cabs, survived into LMS ownership lasting until 1933. Some of each class were further modified around the turn of the 20th century with a larger bunker necessitating a rear pony truck. Both 2-4-0Ts and 2-4-2Ts gained the LMS's passenger livery when put into workshops after the 1923 grouping. Those that lasted long enough after the LMS livery change of 1928 were repainted plain black. These busy little locos could be found all over the NSR system, some even being tried on London commuter work and in Birmingham they worked the lower density branches for a short period in the early 1920's. This loco is one of the last in service being withdrawn in January 1933. It will soon be joined by a 2-4-2T in the later black livery and both will occasionally be seen on services on the joint line out of Carlsby.
The North Staffordshire Railway had a busy "Suburban" network around the "5 towns" and Stoke works provided the ideal solution to the motive power requirements with it's A and B class 2-4-0T locos. The unmodified A class locos of 1878 were fairly primitive and disappeared by 1921. The majority of the B class, built from 1881 and later modified with larger boilers and cabs, survived into LMS ownership lasting until 1933. Some of each class were further modified around the turn of the 20th century with a larger bunker necessitating a rear pony truck. Both 2-4-0Ts and 2-4-2Ts gained the LMS's passenger livery when put into workshops after the 1923 grouping. Those that lasted long enough after the LMS livery change of 1928 were repainted plain black. These busy little locos could be found all over the NSR system, some even being tried on London commuter work and in Birmingham they worked the lower density branches for a short period in the early 1920's. This loco is one of the last in service being withdrawn in January 1933. It will soon be joined by a 2-4-2T in the later black livery and both will occasionally be seen on services on the joint line out of Carlsby.