NCC Class W

The Northern Counties Committee (NCC) Class W was a class of locomotives introduced in 1933 and allocated to express passenger duties from York Road, Belfast.

Design and build
The design was attributed to the NCC's Chief Mechanical Engineer H. P. Stewart who was with the permission of William Stanier able to draw on designs and parts from the NCC's owners, the London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS). The resultant design is understood to have been an Irish 5ft 3in gauge tender version of the LMS Fowler 2-6-4T tank engine with 6 ft diameter wheels which were three inches wider than its predecessor.

Operations and performance
On introduction the Class W moguls took over the principal main line expresses of the NCC. They proved capable of speeds of over 80 mph. while coal consumption of the locomotives was considered extremely economical.

The class was the motive power for the North Atlantic Express introduced in 1934 with the opening of the Greenisland Loop Line and the fastest services to Portrush taking a mere 80 minutes. In 1937 the North Atlantic Express was scheduled from Ballymena to Belfast York Road at an average speed of 58.1 mph making it the fastest schedule in Ireland; that time being reduced by a further minute in 1938 to achieve a scheduled 60 mph start to stop.

The locomotive remained on former NCC lines until the introduction of diesel railcars on services to Londonderry in 1958 whereupon some were shifted to other lines including cross border trains to Dundalk and occasional excursions to Dublin. The final six remaining locomotives of the class were withdrawn in 1965.

Livery and naming
When new the locomotives were painted in LMS crimson lake red livery until the NCC was absorbed into Ulster Transport Authority (UTA) in the later forties whereafter repaints were black with red and yellow lining. The original plans were to name the class after Irish Chieftains, however there were concerns this might not be acceptable to some sections of the community. In the event the naming split between British Nobility and geographical locations, the class lead was named Duke of Abercorn after the governor of Northern Ireland.

New build option
While none of the original class have survived, the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland possesses a spare set of driving wheels and motion and are being used to re-construct the next locomotive of the class, to be numbered 105. It will also use a spare tender that the group have numbered 43.