Class J94's

[Locoman69]

Member ‘Caledonian’ queried about the colour of J94’s when first seen operating in the UK. Unfortunately I’m afraid I can’t answer this but except to say that I saw my very first 0-6-0 J94 during WWII somewhere about 1944. I was a young schoolboy at the time attending a junior school in Grimsby which had a playground right alongside the Grimsby – Manchester main line.

Although trains ran by constantly I never really took any notice until one day somebody shouted “Look” and there going past on the main line was the strangest engine I had ever seen, very foreign looking compared to the normal LNER engines which passed by regularly. This was a stumpy khaki coloured little saddle tank, the type I personally had never seen before, or others either. Not sure though whether it had a WD sign on the tank. This was to be the class J94 of which quite a number would be shedded at Immingham Depot for work mostly in the Grimsby marshalling yards to cover most of, at that time, 18 different pilot workings.

My school friend, Alan, a regular train-spotter, was most informative and had that prize possession book, an Ian Allan train number book, although I’m sure these engines weren’t included. From that day I too was hooked and begged my mother 2/- to send for one of these books, which bless her, she did.

As a matter of interest, Grimsby was served, at that time, by a phalanx of various passenger engines. V2 ‘Green Arrows’ worked the through Cleethorpes – Kings Cross. The stopping trains on this route were the 4-4-0 class GN ‘Atlantic’s’. Manchester services were hauled by class B2 - B4 – B3 engines (correct me if wrong) such as Lord Kitchener and Valour. The bulk of passenger traffic was in the hands of 2-6-0 class D10 and D11’s such as Butler-Henderson- Gerard Powys Dewhurst- Prince Albert Mons – Zeebrugge – Somme - Jutland - Ypres and how could I ever forget 5511 Marne.

Little did I realise then, that 10 years later I would be firing J94’s around Grimsby and Immingham, even allowed to drive them. Superb little engines compared to the other shunting engines at that time J50’s – N5s and the little J63’s with their very short wheel-base, ideal for travelling the narrow streets on Grimsby Fish Docks.

Just three years later while serving my National Service in the Royal Engineers, stationed at Longmoor, Hants on the Longmoor Military Railway, I would be firing those same J94 type, but this time painted a deep blue and lined, fitted with Westinghouse brakes so that they could haul passenger trains on the eight mile length of track between Liss and Bordon. Travelling at speed on a top-heavy saddle tank engine was quite an experience, believe me, when in the hands of some of the regular young soldier driver’s. Other engines there at the time were, Austerity type 2-8-0 ‘Gordon’ and several 2-10-0’s, but these were oil burners.

Finally, 8 Railway Squadron, which I served in, was a unit assigned during warfare to rebuild and operate railway systems as quickly as possible following the enemies demolition of such, while in retreat. However, for training purposes, the unit would be assigned to various Command Ammunition Depots in different parts of the UK to take over their railway systems for a three-month period and operate them. These were actually massive WD area’s which, connected to a BR branch line, existed at Bramley near Reading, Kineton near Banbury and Cairnryan near Stranraer in Scotland. All the engines operating theses railways were the ubiquitous class J94’s and in my opinion, a great little engine to work on. Pleased to see so many have been preserved.