NWR No.308 'William Montagu' - Info Sheet
NWR No.
308
NWR Name:
William Montagu
Wheel Arrangement
0-6-0PT
Builder
Great Western Railway (North British Loco Co.)
Class
5700
Purchased by NWR
1937 (on hire from 1931)
'Prototype' Info
The legendary GWR 5700 class needs no introduction, but how one of these useful locomotives ended up in the North West requires explanation.
In 1929, the GWR was building hundreds of pannier tanks, more than it needed at the time (due to changes in traffic demands) and Nos. 6700-6749 were put into storage. In 1931, the NWR entered into a locomotive hire contract with the GWR (as the Sudrians needed locomotives quickly) to provide several locomotives of different classes. One that was offered was 6723, but the lack of vacuum brakes was a problem, so 5741 was placed on hire instead, with 6723 coming out of storage and going to work on the GWR.
The hired locos at first sported GWR green but were gradually repainted into NWR lined blue.
As of 1937, the GWR offered to sell the locos then on hire, and the NWR accepted, 308 officially entering NWR stock in May of that year. 308 gained the name 'William Montagu' in the tradition of naming locomotives after important figures in Sudrian history.
William Montagu was King of Sodor and Mann 1333-1344.
The Model
'William Montagu' also known as 'Duck' is a fairly standard Bachmann 5700, a repainted spare body currently sitting on the NCB version chassis (hence the red rods). The lining and lettering is from Fox Transfers and the plates are from Narrow Planet.
It runs like a dream, although I need to get around to lining out the other side, fitting a crew and coaling it properly!
- 6
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