LMS Route: Birmingham West Suburban Railway

Bournville Shed: mrb4

Ex-MR 3P 0-6-4T No 2015 is seen in company with other engines in a siding alongside the shed at Bournville on Saturday 15th June 1935. They all appear to be out of use. Forty of the 0-6-4Ts were built in 1907 to replace the smaller 0-4-4Ts & 2-4-0s on the heavier commuter trains of the period. Known as 'Flatirons' for obvious reasons, all forty were rebuilt with the 'G7S' superheated boiler between 1920 and 1927. They unfortunately developed a bad name for being involved in derailments. No 2015 was one of them, becoming derailed at Halesowen Junction in February 1922, where two breakdown cranes were needed to right it. Further similar accidents in the early 1930s led to them being mothballed. The nineteen allocated to the Birmingham area were replaced on local services by former LTSR 2P 4-4-2Ts, drafted in as short term replacements before the arrival of the new LMSR standard tank classes. The Birmingham 'Flatirons' were only used when no other power was available. They were all withdrawn between 1935 and 1938, this one in March 1936.

John Dews

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