Changes

'''WD 71516 "Welsh Guardsman"''' is a WD Austerity 0-6-0ST. It arrived on the SVR in February 2020 as a temporary resident.

The At the beginning of World War 2 the War Department Austerity initially selected the [[48773|LMS 3F 0-6-0ST was the 0T 'Jinty']] as its standard World War II shunting engine, designed locomotive. However they were persuaded by the Hunslet Engine Company in that a simplified version of that company's 50550 0-6-0ST design would be more suitable. The first locomotive was completed at their Leeds works at the start of 1943, with a total of 377 being ordered during the war and built between 1942 and 1946 completed to the requirements of the Ministry of Supplyby 1947. A number of these engines were also built by Andrew Barclay, W. G. Bagnall, Hudswell Clarke, Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns, and the Vulcan Foundry, all acting as sub-contractors including WD 71516.  After the war ended, many of the military examples were sold into industry with only 90 being retained for use on military railways. 75 were also sold to the LNER who classified them as J94. At the same time construction of the type continued for use in industry; , while a further small batch was also built for the War Department in the 1950s including former SVR resident [[WD 193 Shropshire]]. A total of 485 were eventually produced, with the last examples not completed until 1964.

WD 71516 was built for the War Department by Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns in 1944 as Works Number 7170. It was delivered new to the Ministry of Fuel & Power and was based at East Cramlington in Northumberland. After wartime service ended, the locomotive was bought by the National Coal Board in 1947, working . It worked at several various locations in Northumberlandincluding Hartley Main Colliery at Killingworth, West Moor Colliery at Ashington, East Cramlington, and opencast mines at Swalwell, Widdrington and Broomhill.  In January 1959 it the locomotive was moved to Carmarthenshire in South Wales, working at Cynheidre Colliery and later in the Gwendraeth valley. The locomotive was photographed there circa 1967 by David Cooke; at the time it was out if service as no coupling rods were fitted.<gallery mode=packed heights=200px style="text-align:left">S2890_WD71516_David_Cooke.jpg |WD 71516 at Cynheidre circa 1967 (David Cooke) </gallery>  In October 1968 a further move took place to Graig Merthyr Colliery, near Pontardulais, northwest of Swansea. From 1976 until 1980 the locomotive was retained at Pontardulais as a source of spares, before being saved by the Welsh Industrial & Maritime Museum<ref name=Gwili>[https://gwili-railway.co.uk/enthusiasts/steam-locomotives/ Gwili Railway] (retrieved 28 February 2020)</ref><ref>[https://preservedbritishsteamlocomotives.com/robert-stephenson-hawthorn-works-no-7170-wd-71516-welsh-guardsman/ Preserved British Steam Locomotives website] (Retrieved 19 November 2021)</ref>.

  {{SteamNavbox}} *[[Category:Operational steam locomotives]][[Categoryhttps://preservedbritishsteamlocomotives.com/robert-stephenson-hawthorn-works-no-7170-wd-71516-welsh-guardsman/ WD 71516 on Preserved British Locomotives at Bridgnorth]]