I mentioned in my Talking Stock # 17 Drummond’s 4-4-0s more than just T9s!, that whilst Drummond had managed some successful 4-4-0 designs his various 4-6-0’s for the London South Western Railway (LSWR) were somewhat more variable in performance. This was quite worrying as increased passenger loading, the requirement for faster schedules and in general heavier rolling stock increased the demands of the locomotive fleet. His previously introduced 4-6-0 class such as F13, E14, G14 and P14 classes did not live up to the expectations of performance. His final 4-6-0 was T14 class of ten locomotives that performed slightly better than his previous 4-6-0 attempts and gained further improvements once superheated, although coal and water consumption was still relatively high.
Under the auspices of Maunsell the entire class was rebuilt in 1930/1 with raised running pates replacing the driving wheel valance, that lead originally to the class nickname ‘Paddleboxes’, although the smokebox saddle that curved to meet the top of the cylinders and the length of low running plate at the front end was retained. Mechanical lubricators were also fitted that cured the class of the hot axle box issue that blighted all of Drummond’s 4-6-0s.
Even after this rebuilding the class, due to the success of the N15 ‘King Arthur’ class the T14s were generally limited to secondary trains. In 1940 a quirk of fate meant that number 447 received a stovepipe chimney (due to no other being available) and as a result the loco’s steaming ability was improved. Subsequently all but one members of the class were so fitted.
My model of T14 number 461 is a Nu-Cast white metal kit and is in fact in early 1948 livery on one side (like a number of my fleet) as number 30641 and ‘British Railways’ in Southern ‘Sunshine’ style lettering as she carried until the early 1950’s.
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