EFE Rail is off to a flying start with new ‘OO’ and ‘N’ gauge products arriving in the same month as their announcement. A highlight for ‘OO’ is the revival of the ‘J94’ 0-6-0ST with an upgraded motor and DCC interface. MIKE WILD investigates.
THE HUNSLET’ AUSTERITY’ 0-6-0ST was a product of the Second World War. The first was built in 1943 by Hunslet of Leeds to fulfil a requirement from the War Department for a standard shunting engine. They were simple, rugged locomotives designed with ease of maintenance and operation in mind.
Such was the demand for shunting engines at that time, 377 were built during the Second World War, including a number subcontracted to Andrew Barclay, Bagnall, Hudswell Clarke, RSH and Vulcan Foundry. Further locomotives were built from the late 1940s for industrial customers and in total 485 had been completed by the time the last example was delivered in 1964.
After the end of the Second World War, the War Department sold off its surplus locomotives with the London North Eastern Railway (LNER) purchasing 75 which became ‘J94s’ – ‘J’ being the LNER classification for 0-6-0s. These remained in service through nationalisation with the last being withdrawn in 1967. On the industrial side, Hunslet’s rug…
