#patrick stirling

A freelance model of a Stirling-esque 4-4-2T

I know sod all about this apart from it's on display next to the RHDR's model railway at New Romney. There is literally no info about this thing online.

I'll start with what I've managed to figure about their construction. I haven't established Years/Works Numbers for all of them.

The 1870 - 1886 series;

1 (04/1870, Works No. 50 (cheated a little there, more on that later)),

8 (01/1871, Works No. 61),

33 (or 11? Renumbered? There are conflicting sources yay) (03/1871, Works No. 66),

2 (12/1871, Works No. 77),

3,

5 (08/1873, Works No. 105),

7/22/48/34/47,

53 (11/1875, Works No. 185),

62,

221 (07/1876, Works No. 212),

94 (10/1876),

69 (02/1877, Works No. 219),

98,

544 (08/1877),

545/546,

547 (01/1878),

548 (05/1878),

549/60/550/93,

95 (04/1880),

662 (1880 or 1881, dunno which but leaning to former for some reason),

663 (04/1881, Works No. 312),

664/665/666/667/668/669/670/671/771,

772 (03/1885, Works No. 380),

773 (sometime 1885),

774 (12/1885),

& 775 (sometime 1886)

The 1887 - 1893 series;

776 (03/1887),

777/778/1001,

& 1002 (12/1893)

& the 1895 series:

1003 (1895),

1004 (01/1895, Works No. 672),

1005 (1895, Works No. 673),

1006 (03/1895, Works No. 674),

1007 (03/1895, Works No. 675),

& 1008 (04/1895, Works No. 676)

Stirling did try to gain some proper standardisation across them by having them built in pairs, but they still accrued so many mods to the design (and were built over such a long period) that they weren't really standard with each other.

.

Classes:

(Ivatt introduced this system in 1900)

A1: The last 6 (1003 - 1008). (Which is the version Emily's based on)

A2: All prior.

A3: Those Ivatt fitted with Domed Boilers (I only know of No's 776 (1896), 544 (1897), 95 (1897), 221 (1899), & 1007 (1907) so far). One of them (perhaps 1007, not sure now cause I can't actually find where I read it to see if it even specified which engine) actually got fitted with a Domed Boiler from one of the others that had been withdrawn!

Withdrawal (Again, don't have all of them):

69 (06/1901)

2 (11/1902)

547 (03/1903)

772 (05/1903)

5 (01/1904)

33/11 (07/1904)

548 (09/1904)

94 (12/1904)

774 (01/1905)

663 (01/1906)

53 (04/1906)

544 (10/1906)

8 (08/1907)

1 (09/1907)

221 (08/1909)

95 (05/1911)

776 (11/1911)

1001 (1912?)

1007 (01/1913)

1008 (06/1914)

1004 (08/1914)

1006 was the last withdrawn, in February 1916.

And to round this out, A History of No. 1:

As the prototype, she initially had a shorter firebox and thus wheelbase. Now, the 'Works No. 50' cheat? Because it was a new Express design, significant numbers were wanted for it. No. 1 was easily available for the prior holder was withdrawn a while previous. The Works No. was done rather, let's say cheekily, as No's 49 & 51 were found to have been released from The Plant a few months later. So yeah, bit of a cheat. Doncaster wasn't exactly consistent with its Works Numbers, though. She ran for the best part of a year to work out the kinks, but remained unique until she was overhauled in 1880, being fitted with a new boiler (of both larger diameter and length) which also involved the frames both being lengthened at the cab end, and getting reinforced around cylinders due to cracking - the splasher slots were also filled in at this point. This also set the new "Standard" for the design, all engines built so far receiving the same mods and being inherent in all following.

She was originally withdrawn in September 1907, but in 1909 was reassembled for Exhibition - this is when the Small Tender was attached.

In May 1925 she was reinstated for S&D Centenary Parade, then displayed in York Museum, being returned to steam in June 1938 for Publicity/Rail Tours.

In July 1941 she was stored at Ferryhill for protection, being returned to York in July 1947.

In 1973 ownership was transferred from BR to the National Railway Museum with the latter's creation. She was again restored to steam on the GCR in 1980/'81 as part of an Open University show, though had limited runs there prior to returning to York in late 1982. Apparently she also ran on the NYMR! (though for 2 days in Oct '83, and 4 days in Oct '85) She also ran alongside Mallard during the celebrations of the NRM's Tenth Anniversary in 1985, being static ever since (apart from a period partaking in performances of 'The Railway Children' from 2008 to 2012, initially at the NRM but latterly at Waterloo's former Eurostar Terminal, being shunted by another engine while a fog machine made it appear in-steam).

Then finally, in 2014, the restored Large Tender was attached. That one possibly has a confused identity though..?

A Tale of Two Tenders:

That title shamelessly knicked from this NRM blog post :P

It's generally referred to as that originally off of 1002, it's history after 1002 was withdrawn (which is a time I don't know atm) seemingly not noted anywhere until getting attached to Q2 No. 3452 on 20th April 1929, staying with it until 24th February 1934 when 3452 was withdrawn. It then became Temporary Water Carrier No. 2 on 2nd August 1934, being renumbered 942080 on 23rd September 1941. Found at Connington Tip in Peterborough in the 1960s ('67 I think), apparently as a Sludge Carrier having been withdrawn by BR at an unknown time, later becoming part of the National Collection but being stored as-is until 2011, when restoration began so it could be paired to No. 1.

The other possibility (which I've only seen in this forum thread - pages 2 - 4. Interspersed with posts about 65033 itself so maybe a tad difficult to follow!) is that it's actually 1005's tender, this one ending up behind a J3 that was withdrawn in 1954 - that would make it rather more viable than 1002's Water/Sludge Carrier, but as it's the only reference to this possibility I've found (and has far less detail than 1002's) i don't really know how trustworthy it is. Again, grain of salt.