Beattie well tanks

The Beattie well tanks were a series of 111 steam locomotives of seven different designs produced for the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) between 1852 and 1875.

All carried the water supply in well tanks, set low down between the frames.

Most were designed by Joseph Hamilton Beattie, the LSWR Mechanical Engineer, but the last few locomotives built to the seventh design incorporated modifications made by his son and successor, William George Beattie.

The LSWR developed an extensive network of suburban lines in south-west London between the 1840s and the 1880s.

mainly 2-2-2s, designed by John Viret Gooch, the LSWR Locomotive Superintendent.

In 1850, the LSWR decided that the London suburban passenger services should be operated using small tank locomotives.

To determine the most suitable type, Gooch's successor Joseph Hamilton Beattie, the LSWR Mechanical Engineer, prepared a series of designs for six-wheeled well tank locomotives, each of which incorporated one or more differences from the previous class.

The main frames were positioned inside the wheels, but an additional set of outside frames supported the trailing axle, and the leading axle also had outside bearings attached to springs below the slide bars.

They differed from the Tartar class in several ways, primarily in using smaller driving wheels of 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) diameter.

Other differences included the grate area of 8.9 sq ft (0.83 m2), heating surface totalling 750 sq ft (70 m2), water capacity 550 imp gal (2,500 L) and the weight was 27.1 long tons (27.5 t) in working order.

There were variations within the class: the leading and trailing wheels were 3 ft 6 in (1.07 m) for five locomotives, but nos.

[4] After use in the London area, they moved to Bishopstoke or Salisbury, and were later used at Stokes Bay, Dorchester and Bournemouth.

[5] The names were all of former admirals in the Royal Navy: 143 Nelson, 144 Howe and 145 Hood.

After use in London, they moved to other places like Dorchester, Exeter, Gosport, Guildford or Weymouth.

[7] Having chosen the most suitable characteristics, Beattie prepared a standard design of 2-4-0WT with 5-foot-6-inch (1.676 m) driving wheels and cylinders 15 by 20 in (381 by 508 mm), bore by stroke; and the LSWR began to take delivery of these in 1863.

[8] The new design eventually totalled 85 locomotives; most came from the Manchester firm of Beyer, Peacock and Company between 1863 and 1875, but three were built in the LSWR workshops at Nine Elms during 1872.