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The SRPS collection includes four examples of the 0-6-0ST 'Austerity' design, which originated with the Ministry of Supply during World War 2. Railways were important to the war effort at home and abroad, and the Ministry developed three standard designs to suit the circumstances.
Two of these were a development by R.A. Riddles of the LMS Stanier 2-8-0 heavy goods locomotive. The new designs simplified construction and reduced the required quantity of steel castings and forgings, as production of these competed with urgent armament needs. These were 2-8-0 and 2-10-0 locomotives, and were built by the North British Locomotive Company at Glasgow. The third design was for a simple 0-6-0ST, which was a development of a standard pre-war product of the Hunslet Engine Co., of Leeds. This design was manufactured by a variety of companies. Between 1943 and 1946, 377 were built, of which Barclays built 15 at Kilmarnock.
At the end of the War, seventy five of the 0-6-0ST austerity locomotives passed to the British main line railways, and others were absorbed into industrial service. Further examples, like Nos.5 and 19 at Bo'ness, were built later, in the 1950s. There are four examples in all at Bo'ness, all of which were used by the National Coal Board in Scotland. These are No.17 (built by Hunslet in 1943), No.7 (built by W.G.Bagnall in 1945), No.19 (built by Hunslet in 1954) and No.5 (built by Hunslet in 1955).
The above background information is derived from E.S. Cox, British Railways Standard Steam Locomotives, Shepperton 1966.
