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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 10, Issue 4 (July 1, 1935.)

Streamlining Experiments

Streamlining Experiments.

On the Great Western Railway, which at present operates the world's fastest daily passenger train—the “Cheltenham Flyer”—new speed bids are shortly to be made, following the streamlining which is being put in hand of several express locomotives. An engine of the “King” class, No.6014, “King Henry VII” is the first locomotive to be streamlined, and this is being followed by experiments of a similar type with engines of the well-known “Castle” class. In the case of the L. & N.E.R. record run, previously referred to, the locomotive (Pacific “Papyrus” No. 2750) was not streamlined, so that added interest thereby is being given to the Great Western venture.

Coincident with the streamlining experiments at Home, on the German railways a new 4-6-4 three-cylinder steam engine completely streamlined, has recently been put into service. This is intended to haul a 250-ton page 23
A typical passenger carriage on the London Underground Railways.

A typical passenger carriage on the London Underground Railways.

train on a 93 m.p.h. schedule, and is expected to be able to increase to 108 m.p.h. when required. Partial streamlining of steam locomotives is also being tried out on the Belgian National Railways, where it has been shown that streamlining saves from 150 to 450 h.p. at 90 m.p.h.

Still following up locomotive news, we have to record the interesting move by the Southern Railway of christening a batch of new locomotives, known as the “Remembrance” class, after names of famous locomotive engineers of the past. Seven machines constitute the first group of this class, and they have been named respectively “Remembrance,” “Trevithick,” “Hack-worth,” “Stephenson,” “Cudworth,” “Beattie” and “Stroudley.” The three latter names are those of early engine-builders on the railways now embraced in the Southern group.

The production of the “Remembrance” class of locomotives involved the transformation of the 4-6-4 “Baltic” type of fast passenger tank engine, constructed for use on the London-Brighton route, but now rendered redundant owing to electrification. The alterations include the removal of the trailing bogie, coal bunker, water tanks, etc., the provision of a 5,000 gallon tender, the raising of the boiler pressure to 180 lbs. per square inch, and other minor reconstructions which make the machines of general utility, and bring them closely into line with the existing 4-6-0 “King Arthur” class locomotives. Total weight in working order of the “Remembrance” locomotive and tender is 130 tons 13 cwts. Tractive effort is 25,600 lbs.