Profile of S15 Class No.847

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Technical Specification or 847 in Southern Railway and BR service

No.847 in preservation

847 was saved for preservation, from Barry scrapyard by the 847 Locomotive Preservation Fund. She left Barry in 1978 and came to the Bluebell Railway, where she has been ever since. The 847 team soon merged with the rest of the Maunsell Society, in the interests of pooling resources. Nevertheless, preservation was initially put on hold as 541 was well under way. When completed though in 1983 attention switched to 847. It took a further 10 years for restoration to be completed. The boiler was in pretty good shape, and indeed still has BR tubes in. The cylinders however needed liners, and a full motion set had to be acquired. Some of the pieces were machined from new forgings, but some originals were also found and bought, or traded off with other preservation groups. There are nominally 5 Maunsell preserved S15's, but 1 (No.825 at the North Yorks Moors Rly) is definitely a spares supplier only, and a second (out own No.830) has only recently been looked on as a viable restoration job. A close look at the numbers stamped on the motion pieces is quite revealing!

The tender was originally that of 828 (as restored at Eastleigh by the late Harry Frith and his team). 828 has 830's tender! 847's 6 wheel tender (Ex No.797 King Arthur class Sir Blamor De Ganis) was bought by the Mid Hants The 847 team had to chop the flares on their tender to convert it to the later straight sided type. 847 was in fact the last S15 ever built, being completed in 1936, and with the 8 wheel tender looks as she did from when originally outshopped up until a tender change in June 1960.

When 847 entered service, it quickly became a regular, clocking up many miles in service. She looks the part, there is no doubt, and is historically appropriate to the Bluebell, and being a strong goods engine can haul the the heaviest of summer trains. She is large though and has been "winterised" as the lighter winter trains do not justify the coal costs of such an engine. When she was restored her boiler was hydraulic tested in 1988. Since then the rules of certification have changed and this date rather than first steaming is now to be the start date for the 10 year ticket. this means of course that after only 5 years service 847 will have to be withdrawn for overhaul. A return is planned however, and it will give an opportunity to turn (resurface) the wheels which were scrubbed off last year when track problems surfaced at the Bluebell.

Everyone is hoping that this popular and attractive engine will get the fast return to service it deserves.

Check progress now on our present project page.

Technical Specification

Click here to access a side on drawing by Nicky Raithby of 847

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847 in Southern Railway and BR service

Maunsell knew a good design when he saw it. He had no hesitation in adopting Robert Urie's S15 (of the LSWR). He certainly modified it to suit his own tastes, and 847 was the last S15 ever made, being outshopped in December 1936, the last of 45 made. 847 was first allocated to Exmouth shed, one of the biggest on the Southern. She was a fast goods, and occasional passenger engine on the Southerns mainline to Exeter. Things stayed this way until after nationalisation when in 1951 she was moved down the line to Salisbury, though still working the south-west main line.

In January 1960, 847 was moved to Redhill on the central section of the Southern. The shorter turntables there necessitated a change of tender, from the Lord Nelson 5000 gallon type, to a standard 4000, 6 wheel type (formerly belonging to withdrawn King Arthur no.797. (Sir Blamor De Ganis)The decking of the floor had to be adjusted to accommodate the change. Incidentally, this tender is now with U Class No.1806 on the Mid Hants railway.

A further move to Feltham shed in June 1963 was the last before withdrawal in January 1964. She completed service, ending up with the boiler from Sir Galahad(No.456). Interchange of parts between S15s and King Arthurs was common as the only real difference was the wheel size. This boiler was acquired at her last heavy general overhaul in June 1960 at Eastleigh.

Further information can be gained from info@maunsell.net

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