'MIGHTY MOGUL' FIT FOR THE FUTURE
During its last spell of main line running, it gained the nickname 'Mighty Mogul' - such was the power and popularity of this delightful Severn Valley Railway (SVR) based locomotive, which over the years has carried the numbers 13268, 2968 and 42968.
In a year in which its home railway is marking 50 years since it reopened as a heritage line, the unique Stanier mogul is also celebrating half a century since it was saved from the clutches of the cutter's torch.
The locomotive's owning group, the Stanier Mogul Fund (SMF), has invested in succession planning, encouraging younger members to become actively involved alongside experienced hands.
The 2-6-0 is on course to return next year from overhaul - but it will emerge in a guise which it has yet to carry in preservation - LMS black with its first number, 13268. Like SMF's organisational efforts, it is hoped the thorough overhaul will keep this delightful locomotive operating for many years to come.
History
The Stanier moguls were arguably the inaugural design oflocomotive by the LMS's new chief mechanical engineer, William Stanier.
The first Stanier mogul, No. 13245 emerged from Crewe Works on October 21, 1933. It was followed by 39 others, built as a single batch as Lot No. 104. From 1934, members of the class were renumbered in the 2945-2984 range. Following Nationalisation in 1948, BR added 40000 to their numbers.
Although the class was based on George Hughes' successful 'Horwich Crab' 2-6-0s, Stanier used a higher pressure, tapered boiler, which allowed smaller cylinders to be mounted at a more usual height above the rails. They originally had the usual low-degree superheat from 14 elements, but in common with other Stanier classes, this was later increased to 21 elements. The original nine had square topped cylinders, and these plus the tenth had their safety valves mounted on the top feed, as with GWR practice.
On the first 16, the boiler cladding sheets followed the contour of the barrel below, so that there was a parallel front section with all the taper concentrated to the rear. The next 24 had a continuous taper from smokebox to firebox, to which profile the others were eventually modified. The first 30
