SR N15 class 777 Sir Lamiel

Southern Railway 777 Sir Lamiel is an N15 “King Arthur” class 4-6-0 steam locomotive built for the Southern Railway by the North British Locomotive Company in June 1925, and withdrawn from service in October 1961. The locomotive is named after a fictional minor Knight of the Round Table named Lamiel of Cardiff. Lamiel is mentioned in Book XIX of Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, where it is said he was "a great lover".[1][2][3] At first, No. 30453 King Arthur was selected for preservation. However, the lack of a Drummond water cart tender threw those plans out the window. No. 30453 was tragically scrapped as a result of this and No. 30777 was selected for preservation instead.[4][5]

SR 777 Sir Lamiel
777 Sir Lamiel near Redmire, 30 July 2011
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
DesignerRobert Urie / Richard Maunsell
BuilderNorth British Locomotive Company
Serial number23223
Build dateJune 1925
Specifications
Configuration:
  Whyte4-6-0
  UIC2′C h2
Gauge4 ft 8 12 in (1,435 mm)
Leading dia.3 feet 1 inch (0.940 m)
Driver dia.6 feet 7 inches (2.007 m)
Length66 feet 5 34 inches (20.263 m)
Loco weight80 long tons 19 cwt (181,300 lb or 82.2 t)
Fuel typeCoal
Boiler pressure200 psi (1.38 MPa)
CylindersTwo, outside
Cylinder size20 12 in × 28 in (520 mm × 710 mm)
Performance figures
Tractive effort25,320 lbf (112.63 kN)
Career
Operators
Class
  • LSWR: N15
  • SR / BR: N15 King Arthur
Power class
  • LSWR / SR: A
  • BR: 5P
LocaleSouthern Region
WithdrawnOctober 1961
Current ownerNational Collection
DispositionUnder overhaul

Sir Lamiel is preserved as part of the National Collection,[6] under the care of the 5305 Locomotive Association, and has been based at the Great Central Railway in Loughborough since 1996.[7][8]

Until 2017, the locomotive ran regular passenger services on the preserved section of the Great Central Railway, where it is based. It appeared (as a Great Western Railway engine) in the ITV crime drama series Agatha Christie's Poirot. Series 3 episodes: The Plymouth Express and The Double Clue broadcast in 1991. In 1995 it featured in the BBC Television play Cruel Train, an adaptation of the novel La Bête Humaine telling a tale of a murderous engine driver.[9]

Following repair work at Tyseley and Loughborough, in October 2012 emerged in Southern Railway malachite livery as 777 for the first time having previously carried Southern Railway olive green as 777 and in British Railways Brunswick green as 30777 in preservation and at the GCR Autumn gala ran and at some stages double headed with fellow Maunsell and malachite engine SR V Schools class 925 Cheltenham. The locomotive continued to operate until 2017 when it was withdrawn from service, requiring another ten-yearly overhaul. Following several years of storage at Loughborough, plans to return the locomotive to service were announced in July 2020 with it scheduled to return to service in 2023.[10][11][12]

References

  1. Malory, Sir Thomas Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIX: Chapter XI.
  2. "Steam locomotive, named Sir Lamiel". Science Museum Group. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  3. Hewitt, Sam. "National collection locomotive No. 777 Sir Lamiel to undergo overhaul". The Railway Hub. Mortons Media Group Ltd. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  4. Bradley, D.L. (1987). LSWR Locomotives: The Urie Classes. Studio 4 Tollbridge Studios, Toll Bridge Road, Bath, BA1 7DE: Wild Swan Publications Ltd. ISBN 090686755X.CS1 maint: location (link)
  5. "SOUTHERN RAILWAY CLASS N15 "KING ARTHUR" 4-6-0S". RAILSPOT RELOADED. Gloucester Transport Site. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  6. "30777 Sir Lamiel (SR E777, SR 777 & BR 30777)". Preserved British Steam Locomotives. Word Press. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  7. "30777 Sir Lamiel". 5305 Locomotive Association. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  8. Holden, Michael. "Steam locomotive 777 Sir Lamiel set for 5305 Locomotive Association mainline overhaul". Rail Advent. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  9. "30777 "Sir Lamiel"". Locomotives of the Great Central Railway. Great Central Railway. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  10. https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2020/07/steam-locomotive-777-sir-lamiel-set-for-5305-locomotive-association-mainline-overhaul.html RailAdvent announcement for 30777's overhaul
  11. Sir Lamiel back on the main line in 2023 after overhaul Heritage Railway issue 270 August 2020 page 42
  12. NRM agrees Sir Lamiel overhaul... with 2023 target The Railway Magazine issue 1433 August 2020 page 8
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