North Western Profiles

Roster page 5

(5) James

                         James is an Ex-LBSC K class designed by L.B.Billinton for mixed traffic work, however James was not an ordinary K class, rather than being built and operated by the LBSC, James would be one of the 3 LBSC moguls that wen't unfinished by the LBSC, however the L&YR  was in need of more power for their trains and, in an act of desperation, purchased James's unfinished frames and fully completed him in March 1st 1913, during his first few months in service James was put to work hauling heavy loads that turned many heads, and deputised for some of the express locomotives when they broke down, however in 1915 when the ROD needed locomotives, they requisitioned James from the L&YR and he would spend the next 3 years hauling 1,000 ton munition and supply trains for them, sustaining heavy damage in 1917 from enemy fire, after returning in late 1918, the L&YR couldn't find proper brake blocks to finish his repairs, so they stuck wooden blocks in instead, much to James's chagrin. However in 1923 when the L&YR became part of the LMS, the directors didn't like the thought of keeping a Southern Railway design in service with them, and as such James was taken out of service and put into an old dirty siding,  for the next 2 years James was forgotten about until a former member of the ROD informed Sir Topham Hatt  about him, the rest would become history. Throughout his life, James would first wear L&YR lined black with white lettering, upon joining the ROD James would be painted up in Khaki livery before being painted into ROD black, when he was repaired after his accident, he was given Red with blue and golden lining, yellow lining around his cab window, and a large yellow 5 on his tender. He was first allocated at Vicarstown MPD, but would be reallocated to Tidmouth MPD in his later years.