LSWR ‘0395’ 0-6-0

Before the war: Although best known for his

‘Radial’ and ‘O2’ tank locomotives, William

Adams also designed other types, including the ‘0395’ 0-6-0. Dubbed ‘Ilfracombe Goods’, some 70 were built in two distinct batches between 1881 and 1883 and 1885-86.

The 1885-86 batch had some under-theskin tweaks and became the ‘0496’ class, although the two were outwardly identical.

Call-up: The ROD requisitioned 50 ‘0395s’ in

1916: (in numerical order) Nos. 395/96/98/99,

401-06, 156-59, 434/35/37/38/43/44,

164-66/ 27/28/30/71, 105, 134, 148, 497-505/07/08/10-15, 168, 172/74/75.

Theatre of operations: The Salonika campaign saw British and French forces fighting alongside Serbian troops against

Bulgaria and Austria. Five ‘0395s’,

Nos. 134/57/75, 435 and 511, were sent to the Salonika campaign. Nos. 156/74, 402/03/43/98 and 500/04/05 went to Mesopotamia (now Iraq/Kuwait); 36 were sent to Palestine (four were lost en route). Nos. 434/37 and 512 were transferred to Mesopotamia in 1918.

Demobilisation: Palestine Railways inherited 29 ‘0395s’. Most were scrapped in the 1920s but at least seven lasted until the late 1930s. The Mesopotamian locomotives were scrapped at roughly the same time. Five became Serbian State Railways’ property. BR inherited 18 ‘0395s’. The last, No. 30567, was withdrawn in September 1959.

Survivors: No ‘0395s’ survive in preservation.

COLOUR RAIL Adams ‘0395’ 0-6-0 No. 30567 at London Victoria on January 25 1959. This was one of the 20 ‘Ilfracombe Goods’ not requisitioned by the ROD. It was withdrawn in October 1959.