LMS Northern Counties Committee class U2

[Bodiam]

I was just watching a YouTube video from the NRM about the NCC U2 class 440 "Dunluce Castle" in the Ulster Transport Museum. He observed that although superficially similar to the Midland/LMS 2P class, there were actually significant differences. I believe the 2Ps were rather uninspiring performers, possibly related to the design of the valve gear - certainly as compared with the somewhat similar Southern D1 and E1 classes. The U2 class was said to be well liked by drivers. Is any information available on the class's performance, particularly as compared with the Derby 2Ps?

 

[ThirteenArches]

There are some very knowledgeable people haunt this site: (link to) Irish Railway Modeller. You'll have to sign up to ask questions, but they're a friendly lot.

I note that the 2Ps had Stephenson valve gear, the U2s Walschaerts, but I don't know how much design was Derby and how much North British. Perhaps they had longer travel valves? They also had wider fireboxes, thanks to the Irish 5'3" gauge.

 

[Rescars]

D L Smith wrote in warm terms about the work of the 2Ps on the old GSWR network, once the staff had got used to them. Though to put this in context, the range of modifications and "improvements" made to various classes had resulted in the GSWR's fleet being somewhat less than wonderful by 1923.

 

[Gloster]

I had a look through a couple of books by R.M.Arnold and Russell Currie on the NCC and its locos, but couldn’t find much. Arnold’s books have a few vague comments on trips, but no detail; they don’t have an index, so I can’t be sure that I found everything, but I doubt there is anything of use hidden away.

 

[Bodiam]

Thanks, all.