Station Name: GLOBE ROAD & DEVONSHIRE                          STREET

[Source: Nick Catford]


The Class Y4 0-4-0T locomotives have been given some coverage in the text but at the time of writing no photographs of them at work at Devonshire Street have come to light, so for the purpose of illustrating the type this view of Departmental No.33 at Stratford in February 1961 suffices. Features to note are the outside cylinders and Walschaerts valve gear, smokebox numberplate carrying the departmental number (almost invisible), toolbox ahead of the water tank, dumb buffers, cutaway in cab roof above entrance and the long overhang ahead and behind the 6ft 6in wheelebase. The cutaway in the cab roof was necessitated by the lowering in height to suit the low headroom of the bridge(s) beneath the main line at Devonshire Street. As a departmental locomotive No.33 was confined to Stratford and it would appear a crude infill of the cutaway cab roof had been implemented. The short wheelbase 0-4-0 design, which gave these locomotives a rather odd if not ungainly appearance, was to permit them to negotiate sharp curves within goods yards. The downside of this was twofold; firstly the long overhang necessitated wide dumb buffers to avoid buffer lock on curves which in turn meant harsher buffing shocks being transferred to the frame and secondly, the long overhang caused pitch and yaw on poor track which was unpleasant for the crew and caused smashed cylinder drain cocks. The latter was, however, the only recurring issue with the class which was powerful for an 0-4-0 with good adhesion (axle loading was 19 tons). No.33 had been British Railways No.68129 until 1952 and she survived until December 1963, by then having outlived her sisters by at least six years. This photograph was taken towards the end of No.33's life. In the right background stands a BTH Type 1 (later Class 15) and it appears to be No.D8239. In the left background and easily identifiable by its bodyside grilles stands an EE Type 3 (later Class 37). D8239, assuming this to be correct, was new in January 1961 and had been transferred to Stratford from Finsbury Park in April 1963. The number of the Type 3 is, obviously unknown, but at the time of writing a few members of Class 37 remained in service fifty-seven years after the type was first introduced. Class 15 was less fortunate, with D8239 being among the final class members in service, bowing out in March 1971. Four were converted to carriage preheaters and one of these, D8233, has survived into preservation. Of No.33, she managed to clock up just short of 43 years service, most of which was spent as works shunter at Stratford.
Photo by Ben Brooksbank

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