North Western Profiles

Roster Page 27

(27) Harvey

                         Harvey is an Ex-LSWR class B4 0-4-0T, designed by William Adams for working in tightly curved dockyards, and for work as a station pilot. B4 number 87 was built at Nine Elms and was delivered in 1982, upon arrival 87 would be put straight to work as a station pilot at Eastleigh with 2 of his other siblings. During his time stationed there, number 87 would be bossed around the yards and station by the larger locomotives waiting on their trains, and unfortunately he couldn't muster up the courage to stand up to them during the  7 years he worked as a station pilot, (being moved briefly to Exeter until 1899). However, in 1899, the W&S railway saw a need for a dock shunter at Brendam during an increase in traffic, preparing for the end of the year celebrations,  and 87 fit the bill they were looking for. It took a few days to sign off the paper work, but eventually the LSWR would send 87 to the W&S railway, (having sold them locomotives up to this point), and he would be sent to Brendam strait away (Being their number 8). While he was still a very timid, and reserved engine, he would eventually have an encounter with a kind Furness K2 who had been brought in in 1913, (Now being 1 month since the NWR was formed). The K2 began to break the small dock shunter out of his shell over the course of a few long months, and he would eventually begin forming connections with the other engines, staff, and even with the dock manager who would eventually teach him to 'give service with a smile'. In 1918, at the end of WW1,  number 9 would eventually be given a name like some of his other siblings, being named "Harvey' after the HMS Harvey built for the Sudrian military at Barrow-in-Furness, and would be given a brown livery with yellow stripes and nameplates. Throughout his time on the NWR, Harvey would be based at Brendam for the first  19 years, but would eventually be moved to Knapford MPD to work at the large docks there.