NCC Class Y

The LMS Northern Counties Committee Class Y was a class of 0-6-0T steam locomotives formed when two LMS Fowler Class 3F (Nos 7456 and 7553) were regauged from standard gauge to the 5'3" Irish broad gauge in 1944 becoming NCC Nos. 18 and 19.

History.

The LMS "Fowler 0-6-0T" locomotives were developed from S. W. Johnson's Midland Railway locomotives introduced in 1899. Johnson's locomotives were originally built with round - topped fireboxes but they were all rebuilt with Belpaire fireboxes from 1919.

Developed by Sir Henry Fowler for the LMS and introduced in 1924 the new locomotives had a Belpaire firebox from new, wider side tanks, larger bunker and an extended smokebox. A ventilator was also fitted in the cab roof. This class became the LMS "standard" shunting locomotive. With the exception of a batch of 15 locomotives which were built by the former Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway workshops at Horwich, Lancashire, all were built by outside contractors.

N.C.C. No. 18, originally L.M.S. No.16539, was part of a batch of 15, numbered from 16535 to 16549, built by Bagnall & Co of Stafford in 1926/7. In the 1934 renumbering scheme it became No.7456.

N.C.C. No. 19, originally L.M.S. No.16636, was part of a large batch of 50 locomotives built by the Hunslet Engine Company of Leeds, West Yorkshire, between 1927 and 1929 and originally numbered from 16625 and 16674. It was renumbered 7553 in the 1934 renumbering scheme. Both locomotives, following regauging to 5' 3", passed to the Northern Counties Committee, being designated "Class Y", in August 1944 and were put to work on Belfast Docks.

In late Spring 1960 the U.T.A. acquired two 0-6-4T's from the former Sligo, Leitrim and Northern Counties Railway, which took over duties on Belfast docks. These became No.26 and 27 in the U.T.A. stock list and continued to carry the names "Lough Melvin" and "Lough Erne". respectively.

Main Dimensions:

• Driving Wheels : 4' 7"
• Cylinders : (2), 18" x 26"
• Boiler Pressure : 160 lb/sq.in
• Weight : 49 1/2 tons.
• Power Classification : 3F

Livery:

All over Black, red buffer beams. Lettered N.C.C. on side tank, cast number plate applied to bunker. Under the ownership of the U.T.A. that company's crest was applied to the side tanks in place of the N.C.C. lettering.