The Mostly Overlooked British War Engines - WD Austerities

In today's video, we take a look at the often overshadowed British War Department Austerity locomotives
Please subscribe for more
This video falls under the fair use act of 1976.
This video is available to use under the appropriate Creative Commons Licence.
Any images used that fall under any Creative Commons Licence belong to their respective owners.
Picture & Information References:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WD_Aust...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KCR_ex-...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WD_Aust...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BR_ex-W...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BR_ex-W...
www.lner.info/locos/O/o7.php
kwvr.co.uk/90733-war-departme...
www.steamlocomotive.com/locob...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NS_4300
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SEK_Cla...
railwaymatters.wordpress.com/...
Ben Brooksbank
Irice3
Oxyman
Alan Murray-Rust
Bärtschi, Hans-Peter
RuthAS
discover.hubpages.com/educati...

[@TrainFactGuy]

Yes, I am aware Ruairidh MacVeigh made a video on these engines last week. This video was made in advance and scheduled to come out today. There is nobody more aware of how bad the timing of this upload was than me

[@AndrewtheLNERA1]

It’s ok

[@obelic71]

The funny part is you mention details he did not so both video's compliment each other. The nick names Jeep and little Jeep was given by the footplate crews in the Netherlands the entire network was ruined by war and those sturdy ex WD engines did rebuild our country. The only 0-10-0 who ever got a nameplate WD73755 (Longmoor, the 1000th engine shipped out abroad out of Longmoor in WW2) is the one who is on static display and a MAIN attraction in the Dutch railway museum. She was repainted back into here original WD livery when the Dutch railway museum had in 2013 the Rails to the Frontline exhibit. UK's Royal artllery and engineer corps did partly restore and transport a WW1 railway artillery gun for that exhibition. Discovery channel made a documentary about that in the series big moves.

[@SteveLego]

I actually wanted to leave a comment joking about this, when in reality I love both of you and I think a collaboration between you two will be really interesting!

[@SteveLego]

I also want to add something else: you two have two different style of describing events or objects, and it’s nice to see two sides of the same thing described by two different people, it shows just how many ways there are of telling the same story

[@mikefaulkner5306]

More videos about WD locos is always good. Both of you give different views on it, I like it ☺️

[@cedomirdjurisic3094]

"I think they deserve a little remeberence too, don't you?" Thomas and Friends outro plays.

[@corrauniverse269]

I had the same thought 😂

[@Your_Local_Express_Locomotive]

Same

[@Hybris51129]

Wooferdonk is probably one of the funniest names you could give a steam engine from a onomatopoeia stand point.

[@Combes_]

Wooferdunk, also, there's nothing that says that a dog can't play basketball...

[@ivanthevaluable2559]

Watch Hyce's episode on the subject... Leighton Moreland nearly made me choke on my crackers that time!

[@ImperatorZor]

Rail development in Australia was severely messed up during the 19th century. Before Federation, each colony in Australia was basically it's own little domain and could do things however it felt like. This included railway construction. Some went for narrow gauge railways, others went for standard gauge and others went for wide gauge. As such, you'd often have to get off your train half way through your journey and get on a new one for the rest of your trip. A similar thing happened in Brazil.

[@mattevans4377]

I feel Riddles himself is a bit of an unsung hero too. He didn't design the most glamourous locos, but they were extremely effective and did what they were designed to do, for the most part.

[@theblackleafninja3858]

The WD austerities will always be my favorite war time locomotives

[@Rookie-Ish]

New train of thought vid dropped 🔥🔥

[@Ludi_Chris]

Whoop whoop 🙌

[@JamesAnalogArchive]

As a yorkshireman, I have to correct you at 8:05, it's pronounced Keith-ley not Keeleigh! Great video though, I've been pulled by that very locomotive on the KWVR. 110% Worth a visit!

[@zacm.2342]

Was about to say the same!

[@ansonleeXD]

As a Hong Konger railfan myself, had I remembered correctly the ozzies are the last operating steam locomotives in the region, with the final one withdrawn in 1963.They were the region’s most iconic standard gauge steam locomotives and the most well known.They are in a Brunswick-like green complete with red wheels, a sight to behold.Sadly none are preserved

[@autobotoctolingthomasho3362]

Welp, blame the property companies then, since locomotive preservation needs a ton of land anyway. Just my opinion, but I think environmental organizations would probably hate steam locos as well, since steam locos cannot conbust fuel well, then boom , air pollution.

[@ansonleeXD]

I think it is due to back in the 1960s in Hong Kong, railway preservation isn’t quite a thing yet, and it is not considered for retired locomotives. The railway at that time didn’t consider the historical significance of them. But at least nowadays they preserved three EMD diesel units (a G12, G16 and G26) and a number of metro cammell emu units.

[@LucaWinstanley-ox4in]

FINALLY! A VIDEO ABOUT THE WDS! I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU TO MAKE ONE!

[@Alexeverts3]

Nice video! I have a small correction though. In The Netherlands, the ''small Jeeps'' (NS 4300 series) remain in service until 1957, the last year of steam in The Netherlands. Even in 1958 some of the remaining Jeeps were used for heating purposes, deicing switches, and some shunting. It was a very important and relevant steam locomotive class in the country. It is therefore a bit painful that the only surviving NS 4300 is now in the UK in a fantasie livery... Especially because it is the only active (hopefully soon!) mainline Dutch steam engine...

[@KeijiSuwa]

The UK may not have been very interested in the WD Austerity 2-10-0s, but they would later see the true potential of the wheel arrangement with the BR 9F, which was also designed by Robert Riddles.

[@sirmatsdubois2509]

Okay it's actually very ironic that you were talking about these engines. I actually Drew these austerity designs recently so it's fine to see so many people suddenly talking about them. Still, it's great to see Such beautiful engines getting their time in the spotlight.

[@Ludi_Chris]

I think I have a new favourite engine.

[@garryferrington811]

The 2-8-0 wheel arrangement was amazingly adaptable. You never see them on American model railways, yet they were everywhere doing everything.

[@Duck64906]

8:20 Oh it's the locomotive that is from that one Gordon image from a video from trainboy the dark side of day out with thomas

[@autobotoctolingthomasho3362]

BRO IM A HONG KONG GUY , thank GOD tenders DO run on hong kong rails before, im so sick that the government's railway preservation is to just put a tank engine in a public park and never get it working

[@eggballo4490]

That little tank engine is the only Honk Kong steam engine still around. I believe the original Canton-Kowloon Railway steam engines might have been destroyed by the Japanese and I might be safe to assume that Honk Kong saw its fair share of Japanese-built steam engines in that time. But all the steam engines on the Canton-Kowloon Railway were withdrawn and scrapped by 1962.

[@autobotoctolingthomasho3362]

@@eggballo4490 welp, this sucks, since the railway park only got a few coaches, the unoperational tank engine and static diesels. Eh, Hong Kong lacks land anyway, thanks to property companies (I hated that)

[@C.A.A93]

always a pleasure to sit down after a week of work with a new video of yours

[@harrisonallen651]

Aussies are an unusual nickname for Austerity Engines

[@red5_skywalker]

I had the same thought! Logically it makes sense, but I'm so used to "Aussie" meaning Australian so it sounds weird to me.

[@multifan75]

Looks like I found another favorite UK steam locomotive.

[@EdwardChan.999]

Hong Kong's railway museum has no mention of these locomotives 😅 Thanks for the video!

[@Jpwfranks]

It would be really cool if you would do a video on the top 5 or so longest in continuous operation steam engines in the world!

[@DennisLora2001]

Awesome video man well done 4:35

[@carltonleboss]

Very cool stuff.

[@Tom-Lahaye]

Glad that one 2-8-0 survived, they were considered the better of the 2 wheel arrangements, also in the Netherlands. Here they ran all sorts of trains including passengers, and not all WDs were withdrawn by 1952, the 2-10-0s were out of service by 1952, but the last 2-8-0 ran until almost the end of steam in 1958.

[@wilfstor3078]

If this is unintentional it's a brilliant coincidence, but I can't help but notice that the nickname "Woofer Dunk" has its first letters come from the locomotives official names as WD locos

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

I've never heard of this nickname, just the Dub Dee nickname.

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

The picture just after the titles is of Middlesbrough station which was bombed on Monday 3rd August 1942 killing 8 railway workers (amonst whom was the fireman of the locomotive) and civilians. The train was fortunately empty this August Bank Holiday (it was moved to the last Monday in August after the war) was destined for Newcastle and was hauled by V1 class 7669. Within 33 hours full service was resumed. The arch roof was neverfully repaired and was removed in the 1950s.

[@derailstudios]

the NS 4300 worked until the end of steam in 1958, only the 5000 were completely withdrawn in 1952

[@Braveplantt]

ah yes, my favorite loco, class WD, the only express steam engine that existed at my country

[@vickielawless]

No mention of the Soham explosion of June 1944, and the hero train crew who saved the town.? Loco 7337 was actually rebuilt and survived until the late 1960s.

[@6allmotivepowers363]

Since it relates to this subject, you think you might cover the Soham Rail Disaster? That story has intrigued me for years.

[@someNewYorkCentralfan]

Ah yes, the wooferdonks. Easy to maintain easy to discard.

[@BandanRRChannel]

WOOF-A-DUNK-A WOOF-A-DUNK-A WOOF-A-DUNK-A...

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

Wasn't Riddles the Director of Transportation Equipment at the Ministry of Supply?

[@AnimalsVehiclesAndMore]

I just find it very wild that, even though British Railways had a total of 733 WD Austerity 2-8-0s, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM WAS SCRAPPED after they were retired in 1967. History in the Dark (who has a very big hatred for British Railways due to the immense number of bad diesel locomotives that were built for them) even loudly exclaimed "YOU HAD 733, YOU COULDN'T HAVE SAVED ONE!?!?! YOU'VE GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!!!!" At least, we do have a single surviving WD Austerity 2-8-0, so that's something.

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

It's not BR's fault than none of the preservationists wanted to save one. But considering the state they were in, would you want to stump up the money or would you rather get something that was in good nick and capable of operation as soon as delivered? It was only after all of these locomotives had been snapped up did attention to places like Woodham's or abroad and locomotives that would need many years to restore.

[@greycatturtle7132]

Cool

[@dragonblaster-vu8wz]

It's funny how things designed to be disposable end up lasting far longer than the things meant to last forever

[@autobotoctolingthomasho3362]

The locos are giving me ugly duckling flashbacks

[@raymondleggs5508]

Battle ready locomotives

[@raymondleggs5508]

One of them exploded. 😳

[@Miguel-Thleomuy]

YonKaGor

[@stuart8663]

BEST at X1.25 speech speed.

[@jamesthomas5109]

Shame there weren't characters or plot lines introduced to remember these engines and their crews. 🚂

[@mrmorphine2003]

I love your videos. Also Keighley is really pronounced “Keith-ly” cos English words are stupid

[@41241ivatt]

It’s Keithley not key ley

[@user-hd7dr5em5u]

So you done the american and the british war loco's. I think it's time to go in the soviet and the germans maybe?

[@daystatesniper01]

Wakefield,Normanton ,and Royston were always full of dub-dees

[@FunAngelo2005]

Man 0:20

[@PowerPuppet]

Yo

[@aalcomtive]

yo

[@marcusthetenderengine699]

Yo

[@EchtInnviertler1996]

6 Days after Ruairidh MacVeigh. coincidence? i think not.