The Austerity Saddle Tank
History
The Austerity 0-6-0 Saddle Tanks were introduced by the Ministry of Supply in 1943 to a design by R.A. Riddles. During the following three years, 377 of these locomotives were built by a number of independent locomotive manufacturers as detailed below.
| The Hunslet Engine Co. | 120 |
| Andrew Barclay | 15 |
| Robert Stephenson | 90 |
| Vulcan Foundry | 50 |
| Hudswell Clarke | 50 |
| W.G. Bagnall | 52 |
75 of these locomotives were purchased by the LNER in 1946 and classified as J94. They were numbered 68006 – 68080; two survived into preservation, 68077 and 68078. Some of the remaining locomotives were purchased by collieries and steel works for shunting private sidings and continued working into the 1970s after steam had ceased on British Railways. Norman was built at Robert Stephenson’s and was never owned by BR, so strictly it should not be called a J94.
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An LNER example, 68068 at Gorton Works |
Technical Details
| Wheel Arrangement: | 0-6-0 |
| Cylinders (2): | 18in. x 26in. |
| Boiler Pressure: | 170lbs/sq. in. |
| Tractive Effort: | 23,870 lb. |
| Power Classification: | 4F |
| Driving Wheel Diameter: | 4ft 3in |
| Weight: | 48 tons 5 cwt. |