An inspection locomotive was a special type of steam locomotive designed to carry railroad officials on inspection tours of the railroad property.
An inspection locomotive was a special type of steam locomotive designed to carry railroad officials on inspection tours of the railroad property.
These were fitted with passenger car-like bodywork and seating. Many railroads in the nineteenth century owned one, but their use dwindled in the twentieth century. They were replaced with converted passenger-car inspection cars, or HiRail trucks, automobiles fitted with steel flanged wheels.
Some were especially built for this service, while others were rebuilt from obsolete locomotives. Many were quite small; the locomotive pictured is in fact one of the largest and most modern inspection locomotives ever constructed. They were generally well cared for and highly decorated. [1]
In 1928, the Leopoldina Railway (de) purchased an inspection steam railcar by Sentinel Waggon Works. [2] [3]
In 1907, the South Manchuria Railway in Manchuria (today northeastern China) bought two inspection locomotives built by Baldwin Locomotive Works. [4] An engine of the same class was delivered to Rochester & Pittsburg Coal & Iron Company in 1903. [5]
The 3 ft narrow gauge Chimbote Railway (de) had an inspection locomotive built 1880 by Baldwin Locomotive Works. [6] The special feature was that it was equipped with a sleeping compartment. [2]
The Russian Railways still has two inspection locomotives A ChS2 540 & 549, which are converted electric locomotives of the ChS2 series. [7] Since 2018, A ChS2 549 has been in the museum at the Moskovsky Rail Terminal.
Railway companies in the United Kingdom rarely used inspection locomotives. Instead dedicated carriages (known as Inspection Saloons) were used. These were either rebuilt from obsolete coach stock or, occasionally, were newly built. However many companies maintained dedicated locomotives to haul Inspection Saloons. These were usually elderly engines that had been famous top-rank express locomotives when new but had since been surpassed. Examples of such engines include the Caledonian Railway Single, LNWR No.3020 'Cornwall' and NER No. 66 'Aerolite'.
Dugald Drummond, when Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London and South Western Railway had a small 4–2–4 tank locomotive called LSWR F9 class with a small saloon body mounted on its rear to serve as his personal transport around the L&SWR system on inspections and visits. [8]
The Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway (E&GR) also had an inspection locomotive built in 1856. On 1 August 1865 the North British Railway absorbed the E&GR. The engine got the No. 312, in 1895 No. 879, in 1901 No. 1079. It was withdrawn 1911. [9]
In 1890, the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway built an inspection locomotive called Inspector. It was withdrawn in 1899. [10]
By 1900, many railroads in the United States had inspection locomotives. A few examples:
The only known surviving U.S. example is the Reading Railroad's "Black Diamond", a tiny 2-2-2 with fully enclosed bodywork, at the National Museum of Transportation in St. Louis, Missouri. It was used by the President of Philadelphia & Reading Coal and Iron Co. and other railroad executives on short business or inspection trips. [11]
The Southern Railway took a key role in expanding the 660 V DC third rail electrified network begun by the London & South Western Railway. As a result of this, and its smaller operating area, its steam locomotive stock was the smallest of the 'Big Four' companies.
The Pennsylvania Railroad's S2 class was a steam turbine locomotive designed and built in a collaborative effort by Baldwin Locomotive Works and Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, as an attempt to prolong the dominance of the steam locomotive by adapting technology that had been widely accepted in the marine industry. One was built, #6200, delivered in September 1944. The S2 was the sole example of the 6-8-6 wheel arrangement in the Whyte notation, with a six-wheel leading truck keeping the locomotive stable at speed, eight powered and coupled driving wheels, and a six-wheel trailing truck supporting the large firebox. The S2 used a direct-drive steam turbine provided by the Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, geared to the center pair of axles with the outer two axles connected by side rods; the fixed gear ratio was 18.5:1. Such design was to prevent energy loss and S2 achieved a mechanical efficiency of 97% which means only 3% of steam energy was lost within the propulsion equipment. The disadvantage of a direct-drive steam turbine was that the turbine could not operate at optimal speeds over the locomotive's entire speed range. The S2 was the largest, heaviest and fastest direct-drive turbine locomotive design ever built.
The Lymington branch line is a railway that runs from Brockenhurst to Lymington in the New Forest, England. The line is around 5.6 miles (9 km) long, and is single track throughout its length. It diverges from the South West Main Line at Lymington Junction. At Lymington Pier, trains connect with Wightlink ferry services to Yarmouth, Isle of Wight. The Lymington branch line is electrified using the 750 V DC third-rail system.
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-2-4 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles, two powered driving wheels on one axle, and four trailing wheels on two axles.
Eastleigh Works is a locomotive, carriage and wagon building and repair facility in the town of Eastleigh, in the county of Hampshire in England.
The LSWR M7 class is a class of 0-4-4T passenger tank locomotive built between 1897 and 1911. The class was designed by Dugald Drummond for use on the intensive London network of the London and South Western Railway (LSWR), and performed well in such tasks. Because of their utility, 105 were built and the class went through several modifications over five production batches. For this reason there were detail variations such as frame length. Many of the class were fitted with push-pull operation gear that enabled efficient use on branch line duties without the need to change to the other end of its train at the end of a journey.
The LSWR S15 class is a British 2-cylinder 4-6-0 freight steam locomotive designed by Robert W. Urie, based on his H15 class and N15 class locomotives. The class had a complex build history, spanning several years of construction from 1920 to 1936. The first examples were constructed for the London and South Western Railway (LSWR), where they hauled freight trains to the south coast ports and further west to Exeter, as well as occasional passenger work in conjunction with their larger-wheeled N15 class counterparts.
Dugald Drummond was a Scottish steam locomotive engineer. He had a career with the North British Railway, LB&SCR, Caledonian Railway and London and South Western Railway. He was the older brother of the engineer Peter Drummond, who often followed Dugald's ideas in his own work.
Caledonian Railway Single No. 123 is a preserved Scottish steam locomotive. The unique 4-2-2 was built by Neilson and Company in 1886, works No. 3553, as an exhibition locomotive. In 1914 it was placed on the Caledonian Railway duplicate list, and renumbered 1123. It entered London, Midland and Scottish Railway service in 1923 and the LMS renumbered it 14010 and gave it the power classification 1P. During the 1920s it was allocated to working the directors' saloon, but it was returned to ordinary service in 1930. The locomotive was withdrawn in 1935, by which time it was the last single-wheeled express engine running in Britain, and set aside for preservation.
The Bengal Nagpur Railway was one of the companies which pioneered development of the railways in eastern and central India. It was succeeded first by Eastern Railway and subsequently by South Eastern Railway.
The London and South Western Railway T9 class is 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.
The National Rail Museum in Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, displays exhibits on the history of rail transport in India. The museum was inaugurated on 1 February 1977. The museum spans over an area of over 11 acres and the indoor gallery comprises an octagonal building which houses six display galleries and a large open area is laid out to simulate the atmosphere of a railway yard. It is open every day except Mondays and national holidays.
The LSWR 415 class is a 4-4-2T steam tank locomotive, with the trailing wheels forming the basis of its "Radial Tank" moniker. It was designed by William Adams and introduced in 1882 for service on the London and South Western Railway (LSWR).
The South African Railways Class 6H 4-6-0 of 1901 was a steam locomotive from the pre-Union era in the Cape of Good Hope.
The LSWR C8 class was the first class of 4-4-0 express steam locomotives designed by Dugald Drummond for the London and South Western Railway and introduced in 1898. According to Dendy Marshall they "were of orthodox design, very much like engines which Drummond had put on the Caledonian". Dendy Marshall gives few other details, except to say that they were numbered 290-299 and had 18 in x 26 in cylinders. H.C. Casserley states that they were very similar to the Caledonian Railway 66 class.
A steam railcar is a rail vehicle that does not require a locomotive as it contains its own steam engine. The first steam railcar was an experimental unit designed and built in 1847 by James Samuel and William Bridges Adams. In 1848, they made the Fairfield steam carriage that they sold to the Bristol and Exeter Railway, who used it for two years on a branch line.
A steam railcar, steam motor car (US), or Railmotor (UK) is a railcar that is self powered by a steam engine. The first steam railcar was an experimental unit designed and built in 1847 by James Samuel and William Bridges Adams in Britain. In 1848 they made the Fairfield steam carriage that they sold to the Bristol & Exeter Railway, who used it for two years on a branch line.
The Cape Government Railways Railmotor of 1906 was a South African steam railmotor locomotive from the pre-Union era in the Cape of Good Hope.
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-0+4 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles and four trailing wheels on two axles mounted in a bogie.
The LSWR F9 class was a unique inspection locomotive and saloon designed by and for the personal use of Dugald Drummond on the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) in 1899.
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