Furness Railway Tank Engine No. 35

The Furness Railway Company purchased engines from a variety of manufacturers. The one shown on this old postcard is Furness Railway No. 35, which was built in 1866 by Sharp Stewart & Co Limited at its Atlas Works in Manchester. This tank engine was one of six in the class B3. Numbers 21 and 22 were built in 1864, and numbers 34 to 37 were bought by the Furness Railway as a single batch in 1866. These locomotives were versatile and economical for light passenger duties.

A tank engine is a steam locomotive which carries its own fuel and water with it, instead of pulling it behind in a tender. Furness Railway No. 35 is designated as a type 2-2-2WT, ie three pairs of wheels with a well tank (underneath the locomotive) for the water.

The leading and trailing pairs of wheels were 3'6" diameter with 10 spokes, and the central driving wheels were 5'6" diameter with 18 spokes. The cylinder stroke was 18".

The postcard is one of a series illustrating Furness Railway rolling stock produced by Raphael Tuck & Sons Ltd printers.

Reference: Scalefour Society Resources, Furness Railway Locomotive Wheel Data.

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