The
Hunslet Engine Company Austerity 0-6-0ST is a
steam locomotive designed for
shunting. The class became the standard
British shunting locomotive during the
Second World War, and production continued until 1964.
Background
The 48150 class were built for the
Guest Keen Baldwins Iron & Steel Company in 1937, being an enlarged version of a design dating from 1923. These developed into the
50550 class of 1941–42, with various modifications.
At the outbreak of the Second World War, the
War Department had initially chosen the
LMS 'Jinty' 3F 0-6-0T as its standard shunting locomotive, but was persuaded by Hunslet that a simplified version of their more modern 50550 design would be more suitable. The first was completed at their
Leeds works at the start of 1943.
Construction
Hunslet subcontracted some of the construction to
Andrew Barclay Sons & Co.,
W. G. Bagnall,
Hudswell Clarke,
Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns and the
Vulcan Foundry.
After
D-Day they were used on
Continental Europe and in
North Africa as well as at docks and military sites in Britain.
A total of 377 had been built for the War Department by 1947 (on orders placed during the war), with two further engines having been built for collieries (without the permission of the
Ministry of Supply). When the end of the war reduced the need for locomotives, the military started to review its fleet:
- 90 locomotives were kept by the military
- 75 locomotives were sold to the LNER and classified as J94
- 27 that......
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