A Hunslet Question..Russell and SLR No 85

I have two basic drawings, one for each of the above engines.

The boiler stats for both locomotives are given in various sources as :

Heating Surface : Small tubes 345 sq ft, Firebox 36 sq feet, grate area 6 1/4 sq feet, boiler length 8' 1 1/4"

both drawings seem to accommodate this data, but the boiler diameters seem to be significantly different, with Russells' being the smaller by at least 6 "

Does anyone know if the two boilers are similar, have more accurate drawings or just know if No 85 really is that much bigger diameter ??

Many Thanks

Peter

 

The boilers certainly are different with domes in different positions. As I understood it the firebox in 85 is shorter but narrower than in Russell. As far as the diameter is concerned the boiler of 85 is 3ft.2ins diameter. Not sure about Russell but the original small boilered Sierra Leone engines had raised top fireboxes. I think Russell does not which would imply she has the same diameter boiler as 85.

Others may be of more help.

PH

 

The SLR 2-6-2Ts were delivered in several batches. The 1898-1920 build were designated class 21, and the final two batches (1947 and 1954) class 81. Here are some notes based upon DH Townley in the Railway Magazine in April 1960.

Class 21/1s
SLR 21 (673/1898)
SLR 22 (674/1898)
SLR 23 (675/1898)
SLR 24 (709/1900)
SLR 25 (710/1900)
SLR 26 (744/1901)
SLR 27 (745/1901)

These seven locos had smaller boilers than later builds with an outside diameter of 2ft 5in with a raised round top firebox. The dome was in the center of the boiler and they had Ramsbottom safety valves mounted inside the cab (similar fashion to Linda/Blanche). Side tank capacity 350 gals, 10 x 15" cylinders, boiler feed pumps, and compensated spring gear. Hand and steam brakes only. Details and drawings published in "The Engineer" 12 January 1900.

Class 21/2
SLR 28 (800/1903)
SLR 29 (801/1903)
SLR 30 (802/1903)
SLR 31 (825/1903)
SLR 32 (826/1903)
SLR 33 (834/1903)
SLR 34 (835/1903)
SLR 35 (836/1904)
SLR 36 (837/1904)

These were equipped with a new boiler design with a diameter 3ft 2 3/8inches with the dome forward of the centre of the barrel and a flush round top firebox. The safety valves were mounted outside of the cab but were still Ramsbottom. Water capacity increased to 440 gals. Again hand and steam brakes only.

Class 21/3
SLR 37 (1011/1909)
SLR 38 (1012/1909)
SLR 39 (1013/1909)
SLR 40 (1014/1909)
SLR 41 (1081/1911)

As the 21/2 but they were fitted with vacuum brakes and the boiler feed pumps were replaced by backhead injectors.

Class 21/4
SLR 42 (1145/1913)
SLR 43 (1202/1919)
SLR 44 (1203/1919)
SLR 45 (1204/1920)
SLR 46 (1409/1920)
SLR 47 (1470/1920)

As 21/3s but with fixed spring gear (earlier locomotives retrofitted to removed the compensated spring gear)

Class 81/1
SLR 81 (3398/1947)
SLR 82 (3399/1947)
SLR 83 (3400/1947)
Water capacity increased to 470 gallons, ross pop safety valves, Eureka Type C hydrostatic lubricators. The cabs had a hinged roof hatch (Sunroof) rather than the colonial style cab of the earlier locomotives (6 inch gap between cab sides and the roof). Square sliding rear windows rather than rear spectacle plates, stone turbogenerators and electric lighting (earlier locos had oil lamps).

Class 81/2
SLR 84 (3814/1954)
SLR 85 (3815/1954)
Roller bearings on pony trucks, cowcatches from flat bar rather than angle iron with no intermediate horizontal bars. Coal boxes on the tank tops (most locos had these retrofitted in Sierra Leone - 84 & 85 were the only locos to be supplied with them by Hunslet).

A few comments.
I understand some of Russell's wheel centres have SLR or SLGR cast into them.

W&LLR member Roger Darsley visited the SLR in 1974, he reported that the last two 2-6-2Ts were SLR 85 at Fisher Lane and SLR 81 at Bauya Junction. The late Pascoe Rowe who together with the late Ralph Russell (and Roger Darsley?) inspected the surviving SLR stock for the W&LLR in 1975 told me that upon inspection he found that SLR 81 (now preserved at Cline Town) was an amalgamation of SLR 46 and SLR 81. He believed SLR 81 was damaged in an accident and was rebuilt with components recovered from 46 (not uncommon on African Railways).

SLR 85 today has one roller bearing truck and one plain bearing truck. The surving loco records (not very much), state In Feb 1960 after an overhaul she was hauled (136 miles?) to Bo to take over duties there. The Assistant loco supervisor reports that 85 had been found at Bo to be missing driver's side leading and intermediate crank pin nuts and the drivers side Timken roller bearing on the rear pony truck had siezed. The truck was sent back to Cline Town and 85 remained at Bo as a 2-6-0 with SLR 46 undertakin her duties. It is thought that this in when the plain bearing truck was substituted. The W&L switched the rear and leading trucks around in 1992 and today the roller bearing truck is under the rear end. 85 appears to have had a rough life.

Entered traffic 30/10/54
Withdrawn 9/6/58 for "heavy repairs to cab etc" after collision.
Re-entered traffic 13/6/59
Withdrawn 16/10/59 for General Overhaul / First Class Repair (42,531 shopped mileage)
Steam tested 27/1/60
Re-entered service 1/2/60
Hauled to Bo 27/2/60 (see damage report above)
4/6/60 derailed all wheels by Driver O.B. Atkins
1/7/60 accident at Bo - collided with and destroyed buffer stop and damaged loco by Driver Z.S. Dean who was reprimanded for exceeding speed limit.
File not kept upto date after 1960.
There were several notes on different spring settings. Funny enough this is a problem that has remained with 85 on the W&L. Whenever the springs are re-set the locomotive then re-adjusts itself in service!

One day we at the W&L and the WHHR must get our heads together and find a way of getting these two half sisters together!

Kind regards,
Gareth

 

I had hoped Gareth would respond!

One thing I can add with certainty is that the "big boiler" type had cylinders 10 3/4" by 15" as "85" announces this fact on her makers plates in that rather strange fashion of later Hunslet products. It will be noted that these machines have significantly smaller dimensions than the L&B locos although I suspect they would be more than a match for the latter, in pre "Lyd" form at any rate.

Paul H

 

http://www.irsociety.co.uk/Archives/2/Russell.htm and books on Russell by both Alan Turner and Andrew Neale credits Russells parentage to: -

SLR 2-6-2Ts
-Coupled wheels
-Springs
-Axleboxes
-Screw reversing gear
-Coupling rods
-Connecting rods
-pistons
-Crossheads
-Slidebars

"Leeds No.1" (865/1905) a rather pleasant well proportioned 0-6-2T for the Leeds Corporation Waterworks
-Boiler and firebox

Unknown or Original Design:
-Cylinders
-Smokebox
-Cab
-Tanks
-Brake gear
-Pony trucks
-Chimney
-Frames

The pony trucks are very much different between Russell and the SLR locos. The SLR engines had plateframe pony trucks with outside axleboxes, helical springs either side of the axleboxes and main frame cutaways to permit a 120 ft radius curve. Russell's pony trucks are a 'cannon box' axlebox arrangement that embraces the axle between the wheels within a hollow casting containing the axle bearings (i.e. inside bearings). There are no frame cutaways as Russell was intended to operate of 198ft radius curves.

Walschaerts valve gear was a novelty for Hunslet Standard designs at the time.
Taking the SLR and other export locos out of the equation Russell was the third UK Hunslet loco to be fitted with Walschaerts valve gear (or Hausingen Valve Gear - Germans still don't recognise Walschaert's patent).

1st "Jack" 684/1898 - for John Knowles, Woodville, Derbyshire (now preserved in Leeds)
2nd "Leeds No.1" 865/1905 - Leeds Corportation Waterworks
3rd "Russell" 901/906 - Portmadoc, Beddgelert & South Snowdon Railway

Kind regards,
Gareth