War Department Austerity Goods Locomotive 90582 at Broughton Lane Station Bridge and Huntsman's Buildings (left)
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Ref No:u03587
Title:War Department Austerity Goods Locomotive 90582 at Broughton Lane Station Bridge and Huntsman's Buildings (left)
Location:Sheffield_Brightside
Date Period:Please select
Photographer:Mr Brackenbury
Notes:

Information from J A Thickitt: The Austerity class were designed to work overseas on war-ravaged railways in the aftermath of World War Two. They were therefore rugged, tolerating mistreatment and easy to maintain. The local-based members of the class began to disappear through 1965, with a few surviving until the end of steam working on the Eastern Region. These survivors gravitated to Doncaster 'shed' depot. Two of these, at least, were active the day before Doncaster shed closed, in April 1966. After this date the 'Austerities' continued to penetrate into the Sheffield area (particularly along the Old Road via Beighton and the River Rother corridor) from their strongholds further north in the West Riding at Wakefield and Normanton depots. The number of their visits declined through 1966.

The locomotive was designed to be simple to produce in large numbers. The War Department used these locos abroad as well as in this country - examples were still to be found in Greece in the early 1980s. Despite having a design life of only ten years - examples survived in this country until 1966. Information from John A Thickitt: This Class provided a distinctive loud and rhythmic clanking sound from the driving wheels when the engine was coasting. Because this engine carries a British Railways number, the date will be post 1948. This was the most numerous class of 'Austerity' locomotive operated by British Railways. The 'Austerity' (AKA 'WD') class were heavy-freight engines'. Their most frequent duties involved the haulage of coal in loose-coupled, unbraked wagons. This scene in the photograph was typical: an engine trundling along hauling a rake of loose-coupled, unbraked mineral-waggons, either loaded with coal or 'empties' back to the colliery. By the mid-1960's the North Midlands had become one of the strongholds for this class.

Some Austerities were based locally and frequently seen on the ex-GCR lines around Sheffield, particularly at Rotherwood sidings near Woodhouse. From mid 1965 onwards, the steam sheds in the North Midlands closed and so engines from the West Riding became the last of the class to visit Sheffield until the class became extinct in 1967.

However, the last Austerities to work along routes around Sheffield would have been surviving engines' from the Wakefield area. Note: 1) the date of the photograph will be post-1948, because the engine carries a British Railways number. 2)These engines' were notable for a distinctive, clanking sound made by the driving wheels when the engine was coasting.

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