LSWR N15 King Arthur
Design and development
Robert Urie, the LSWR's last Locomotive Superintendent, designed in 1918 a substantial two-cylinder 4-6-0 with 6 ft 7 in coupled wheels for LSWR Bournemouth, Salisbury, and Western Region express work. 20 were built at Eastleigh between 1918 and 1923.
After the 1923 grouping, Maunsell took over the design at the Southern Railway, modified the cylinders and motion (giving better steaming and more power), and named the class after Arthurian knights — the prototype Urie 736 became "Excalibur". 54 more were built between 1925 and 1927 to the Maunsell pattern, totalling 74 King Arthurs.
Service and withdrawals
The King Arthurs were the Southern Railway's flagship express engines until superseded by the Lord Nelsons and Schools 4-4-0s. They worked the Bournemouth, Atlantic Coast Express, and Eastern Section expresses through the 1930s and 1940s. Withdrawal began in 1953 and was complete by 1962. SR 777 Sir Lamiel was preserved by the National Railway Museum and is operational, currently on the GCR.
Identification features
Two-cylinder 4-6-0 with 6 ft 7 in coupled wheels, leading 4-wheel bogie, large boiler, characteristic Urie/Maunsell smokebox styling. Distinctive nameplate styling for the Maunsell-built engines.
Notable locomotives
- 777 Sir Lamiel (1925, Great Central Railway — operational)