London & North Western 4ft Shunter

The “4ft Shunter” was a class of dock shunters designed by John Ramsbottom with drivers of four feet or 1,219 mm. They had an 0-4-0 wheel arrangement and a saddle tank. Their cylinders measured 14 by 20 inches and the boiler was of the launch type with cylindrical firebox. As this firebox did not project downwards, there was enough space to move the rear axle further to the rear. 26 were built at Crewe between 1863 and 1865, ten in 1870, ten in 1872 and the final ten in 1892.

Three from the final batch were rebuilt into 0-4-2ST cranes. One of these was 3248 that can be seen in the photo. Many of the unrebuilt shunters were withdrawn between 1925 and 1933. Others survived and were provided with new boilers in the thirties. Most others were withdrawn in the late forties and the last ones in the early fifties. 1439, later numbered 3042, was preserved as the only one and is on display at the Ribble Steam Railway.