BR Standard Class 3 2-6-0

The design and construction took place at the ex-Great Western Railway Swindon Works, along with the 2-6-2 tank engine version of the class, though some details were designed at Brighton, Derby and Doncaster.{{cite magazine |magazine=The Railway Magazine |date=June 1954 |pages=418–419 |editor-first=B.W.C. |editor-last=Cooke |publisher=Tothill Press |location=Westminster |number=638 |volume=100 |title=British Railways Standard Class "3" 2-6-0 Locomotives }} Although the boiler shared flanged plates with the GWR No.2 boiler the barrel was shortened by {{frac|5|13|16}} inches and a dome added. Strangely the class did not share the same design of wheels as the Doncaster-designed BR Standard Class 4 2-6-0, however both shared the {{convert|5|ft|3|in|mm|0|abbr=on}} driving wheels and the same piston stroke, and hence crank-pin throw.

In common with a number of the other BR Standard Classes, the chassis design used a number of LMS-designed components including Brake Hanger Brackets, Flexible Stretcher Brackets and Reversing Shaft Brackets.

The cylinder covers of engines as built were fitted with "screw-in" type pressure relief valves. From September 1955 revised cylinder covers were introduced for renewals incorporating "bolt-on" type pressure relief valves.Rear cylinder cover to BR drawing SL/SW/35 being superseded by SL/SW/666 and front cylinder cover to drawing SL/SW/85 being superseded by SL/SW/667 for renewals from September 1955.

Although the chassis had many almost identical parts to the LMS Ivatt Class 4 the motion brackets were derived from the design of those fitted to the LMS Ivatt Class 2 2-6-0 and LMS Ivatt Class 2 2-6-2T.

Unlike a number of the larger BR Standards the exhaust steam manifold within the smokebox saddle was a steel fabrication that was part of the welded saddle.Confirmed on original BR drawing SL/SW/616 sourced from the NRM In a number of the large BR standards (BR Standard Class 6 and Class 7 engines) the exhaust steam manifold was a steel casting welded into the saddle during manufacture.Confirmed on original BR drawing SL/DE/19620 sourced from the NRM

Only 20 were built, numbers 77000–77019, all at Swindon Works. None were preserved, though some components were saved from scrapyards for use on a project to build a new Standard Class 3 2-6-2T. They were the last steam locomotive class on British Railways to begin withdrawal.{{citation needed|date=April 2012}}

Their operations were mainly restricted to the North Eastern and Scottish Regions of British Railways, although 77014 ended service on the Southern Region as it was transferred from Northwich depot on the London Midland Region to Guildford depot on the Southern Region in March 1966; it was withdrawn in July 1967.{{sfnp|Teal|1985|page=74}}{{sfnp|Walford|2003|page=226}}

Other operations were in some more remote areas, such as 77011 which worked the Haltwhistle - Alston line from 1955.{{cite book |last= Wright |first= Ian L |title= London & North Eastern |series = Branch Line Memories |volume = 4 |publisher = Atlantic Transport Publishers |location = Truro |page= 36 |year= 1986 |isbn= 0-906899-19-2}}

{{Reflist|colwidth=35em}}

• {{cite book

|last=Teal |first=Paul

|title=BR Motive Power Allocations 1959-1968 - 1: BR Standards & Austerities

|year=1985

|publisher=Ian Allan |location=Shepperton

|isbn=0-7110-1540-6

}}

• {{cite book

|last=Walford |first=John

|editor-last=Taylor |editor-first=R.K.

|title=A Detailed History of British Railways Standard Steam Locomotives

|volume=Two: The 4-6-0 and 2-6-0 Classes

|year=2003

|publisher=RCTS |location=Peterborough

|isbn=0-901115-93-2

|chapter=Section 5.7.2 Allocation Summary

}}

• {{Cite book

|publisher=Ian Allan

|title=ABC of British Railways Locomotives

|volume=Part 3

|edition=Winter 1962

|page=175

|ref={{harvid|ABC of British Railways Locomotives|1962:3}}

}}

• {{Bradley-StdSteamBR}}

{{Commons category|BR Standard Class 3 2-6-0}}

• [http://www.railuk.info/steam/getsteamclass.php?item=BR3/1 Class BR3/1 Details] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221001165403/http://www.railuk.info/steam/getsteamclass.php?item=BR3/1 |date=1 October 2022 }} at Rail UK
• [https://sremg.org.uk/visitor/3mt.shtml BR Standard Class 3MT 2-6-0 (SEMG article)]

{{BRstds}}

3

Category:2-6-0 locomotives

Category:1′C h2 locomotives

Category:Railway locomotives introduced in 1954

Category:Scrapped locomotives

Category:Standard-gauge steam locomotives of Great Britain