LSWR N15 Class - Operational Assessment and Preservation

Operational Assessment and Preservation

For class details and current status of the preserved locomotive, see: List of King Arthur class locomotives

After the poor steaming of the Urie batch was addressed, the class proved popular amongst crews, mechanically reliable and capable of high speeds. However, their heavy hammerblow at speed meant that they were prone to rough riding and instability. The two Maunsell batches with their streamlined steam passages and better draughting arrangements were superior in performance, and were a popular choice when Bulleid’s locomotives were unavailable. Their use of standard parts considerably eased maintenance, and the fitting of different tender and cab sizes meant few operational restrictions for the class on mainline routes. The class gave many years of service, and were noted for their ability to "do the job". The electrification of the Eastern and Central sections and the increasing number of Bulleid Pacifics in service meant the lack of a suitable role for the class under British Railways ownership. In spite of the reduction in work, high mileages were obtained with No. 30745 Tintagel achieving 1,464,032 miles (2,356,131 km) in service.

The decision to preserve a member of the class was made in November 1960. It was first intended to preserve the King Arthur class doyen No. 453 King Arthur, and it was stored for a time after withdrawal in 1961 pending restoration to museum condition. However, it was decided to restore the preserved locomotive to as-built condition, and the lack of a suitable Drummond "watercart" tender precluded this consideration. No. 453 was subsequently scrapped and it was decided to preserve one of the North British-built batch, No. 30777 Sir Lamiel, withdrawn in October 1961, instead. Sir Lamiel was named after a character in Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, Sir Lamiel of Cardiff. This locomotive was restored to Maunsell livery as No. E777, and became part of the National Collection. It was restored to the later British Railways livery in 2003, and No. 30777 can be seen at the Great Central Railway and on the railway network hauling mainline railtours as of 2010.