Talk:Ivatt Class 4 Group

The 82045 newsletter states "It's a shame that so few of the numerous LMSLondon Midland & Scottish Railway tanks made it into preservation: David Williams ... told me that a StanierWilliam Stanier, Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway 1932-1944 nearly made it to the SVRSevern Valley Railway from store at Lostock Hall but that the last two members of the class had gone for scrap a couple of weeks before he and colleagues visited the shed with the intention of reserving one of them. The Foreman offered them 43106 instead, and the rest is history!"

The story was somewhat different at the time. In SVRSevern Valley Railway News 10 (October 1968), David wrote in an article on 43106's arrival, "The original intention of the present writer to purchase a FairburnCharles Edward Fairburn, Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway 1944-1945 2-6-4 tank in November 1967 had failed through lack of finance. After several other considered possibilities, a meeting of 15 Society members ... in February 1968 had come to a majority decision that the only locomotive type left on BRBritish Rail or British Railways suitable for Severn Valley service was the IvattHenry George Ivatt, Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway 1946-1948. CME of BR (London Midland Region) 1948-1951 Class 4 2-6-0, ugly though it undeniably was. Our Sales Officer, Mr. John Riding who often visits his native Lancashire on business, kindly called in at Lostock Hall to find which of the six remaining 2-6-0s was in the best condition. The answer from all concerned with running and maintenance at Lostock Hall was unhesitatingly 43106."

The BRBritish Rail or British Railways Database at January 1967 shows 4 LMSLondon Midland & Scottish Railway 2-6-4 tanks at Lostock Hall but only one of them was a StanierWilliam Stanier, Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway 1932-1944:

• FairburnCharles Edward Fairburn, Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway 1944-1945 4PThe British Railways system of classifying steam locomotives by power using a number from 0, least powerful, to 9, most powerful, followed by either F for freight, P for Passenger or MT for Mixed Traffic. Withdrawn 21 Jan 1967
• FairburnCharles Edward Fairburn, Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway 1944-1945 4PThe British Railways system of classifying steam locomotives by power using a number from 0, least powerful, to 9, most powerful, followed by either F for freight, P for Passenger or MT for Mixed Traffic. Withdrawn 15 Mar 1967
• StanierWilliam Stanier, Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway 1932-1944 4PThe British Railways system of classifying steam locomotives by power using a number from 0, least powerful, to 9, most powerful, followed by either F for freight, P for Passenger or MT for Mixed Traffic. Withdrawn 01 Apr 1967
• FairburnCharles Edward Fairburn, Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway 1944-1945 4PThe British Railways system of classifying steam locomotives by power using a number from 0, least powerful, to 9, most powerful, followed by either F for freight, P for Passenger or MT for Mixed Traffic. Withdrawn 06 May 1967

It is of course possible that another StanierWilliam Stanier, Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway 1932-1944 was moved into store at Lostock Hall after being withdrawn elsewhere. All the Staniers (apart from the 3-cyl prototype at the NRMThe Railway Museum, formerly the National Railway Museum) were scrapped which accords with the 82045 article, whereas 2 Fairburns are preserved (at the L&H). It's a bit late at night to work out if and how the article should be phrased.

Just to add to the confusion, the same SVRSevern Valley Railway News article states there were 15 members at the time 43106 was acquired (and names them all), which is different from the 18 mentioned in the Railway Herald article. Of course it was all more than 50 years ago... --Robin (talk) 21:21, 9 September 2021 (UTC)