The NBR K Class is a class of 4-4-0 steam locomotive of the North British Railway. The first batch (later LNER Class D26) was designed by Matthew Holmes in 1902 and had driving wheels for express passenger work. Three more batches (later LNER Classes D32, D33, and D34) were designed by William P. Reid with driving wheels for mixed traffic work. This included perishable goods, such as fish from Mallaig and Aberdeen. They had inside cylinders and Stephenson valve gear. The D34 locomotives, commonly known as the Glen Class, were built with superheaters. The LNER later fitted superheaters to all D26, D32, and D33 engines as well. All engines of the K class are sometimes known as the Glen Class, although the designation is strictly reserved to the fourth (D34) batch.

LNER classes

The LNER divided the NBR K class into four classes, as below. It was common practice for the North British Railway to assign similar engines to the same class group, whereas the LNER system allowed only identical engines to bear the same class designation.

LNER Class D26 Twelve engines ordered in March 1902 and built at Cowlairs railway works in 1903. Three were withdrawn in 1922, leaving nine to enter LNER ownership in 1923. These nine had all been withdrawn by July 1926.

LNER Class D32 Twelve engines ordered in 1905 and built at Cowlairs in 1906–07. The LNER began to fit superheated boilers in 1923 and classified the superheated locomotives D32/2. The non-superheated locomotives were classified D32/1.

LNER Class D33 Twelve engines built at Cowlairs in 1909–10. The LNER fitted superheaters to all the D33s between 1925 and 1936.

LNER Class D34 Ten engines built at Cowlairs in 1913. Twenty-two engines built between 1917 and 1920. All the D34s were built with superheaters. They are known as the Glen Class, as all engines in the group were named after Scottish glens.

Post-NBR The locomotives passed to the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) in 1923 and, some of them, to British Railways (BR) in 1948. BR numbers Ian Allan ABC of British Railways Locomotives, 1948 edition, part 4, page 20 were:

D32, five locomotives, 62445-62454 (with gaps) D33, nine locomotives, 62455-62466 (with gaps) D34, thirty locomotives, 62467-62498 (with gaps)

Accidents and incidents

On 28 December 1906, locomotive No. 324 was hauling an express passenger train that was in a rear-end collision with a passenger train at , Forfarshire. Twenty-two people were killed and eight were injured.

Names The D34s were named after Scottish Glens: +Roster of D34sBuild date (month/year)NBR no.NameLNER 1st no.LNER 2nd no.BR no.Withdrawal date (month/year)Notes9/1913149Glenfinnan91492467624678/1960Only D34 with its name written as a singular word.9/1913221Glen Orchy92212468624689/19589/1913256Glen Douglas925624696246912/1962Preserved.9/1913258Glen Roy92582470624703/195910/1913266Glen Falloch92662471624716/196012/1913307Glen Nevis930724726247210/195912/1913405Glen Spean94052473(62473)5/1949Withdrawn before BR number could be applied.12/1913406Glen Croe94062474624746/196112/1913407Glen Beasdale94072475624756/195912/1913408Glen Sloy94082476(62476)2/1950Withdrawn before BR number could be applied.5/1917100Glen Dochart910024776247710/19595/1917291Glen Quoich929124786247812/19595/1917298Glen Sheil92982479624796/19616/1917153Glen Fruin915324806248010/19597/1917241Glen Ogle92412481(62481)9/1949Withdrawn before BR number could be applied.3/1919242Glen Mamie92422482624823/19603/1919270Glen Garry92702483624834/19594/1919278Glen Lyon927824846248411/19614/1919281Glen Murran92812485624853/19604/1919287Glen Gyle92872/1946Withdrawn before its 1946 number could be applied. Carried the name Glen Lyon for about a month at the end of 1941.4/1920504Glen Aladale950424886248810/19605/1920503Glen Arklet95032487624879/19595/1920505Glen Cona9505249112/1947Withdrawn before nationalisation.5/1920490Glen Dessary949024896248912/19595/1920502Glen Fintaig95022490624902/19596/192034Glen Garvin90342492624926/19596/192035Glen Gloy90352493624936/19607/1920492Glen Gau (until 7/1925) Glen Gour (from 7/1925)94922494624944/1959Originally named Glen Gau, but since no glen of that name exists, it was renamed in July 1925, becoming Glen Gour.7/1920493Glen Luss94932495624954/19618/1920494Glen Loy949424966249611/19618/1920495Glen Mallie94952497624972/19609/1920496Glen Moidart94962498624983/1960

Railway Roundabout

In May 1959, the two cameramen of Railway Roundabout, Patrick Whitehouse and John Adams, visited the West Highland Line in Mallaig, and arranged a filming special taking place on a double-headed train from Glasgow Queen Street to Fort William. The two engines used, nos. 62496 Glen Loy and 62471 Glen Falloch (the pilot and train engine respectively), were cleaned up and were in immaculate condition for the cameras. Photographs of the trip in color show Glen Loy and Glen Falloch with red smokebox numberplates and red siderods. The filming special had taken place over several days and used three runs of the trip in the process. The first trip saw a Southern Railway luggage van at the front of the consist and many lineside shots were possible. Filming on the third train showed a view from the back of the train approaching Rannoch. When the film was ready for broadcasting, it was entitled Two Glens to Fort William and was broadcast on 8 December 1959.

This film, along with 100 others, was purchased from Patrick Whitehouse and John Adams by the National Railway Museum and can still be seen today in the National Railway Museum at York.

Preservation

Withdrawals began in 1946 and all the D34s had been withdrawn by 1961. One, 256 Glen Douglas (BR number 62469) has been preserved by the Scottish Railway Preservation Society. It is now on display at the Riverside Museum in Glasgow.

Models PDK Models, Crownline, and Gem Loco Kits all produce model kits of the D34 in 4mm (OO gauge) scale.

Jack Morgan of Rails of Sheffield announced on 15 July 2025 the release of OO gauge models of the D34s in partnership with Sonic Models. Equipped with 21-pin DCC ready socket, fitted speakers, among other features, the models are planned to be in stock come October of 2026, and all products can be seen in the table below. +Sonic Models' D34 rosterProduct Ref.NumberNameLiveryS4103-01221Glen OrchyNBR olive brown; full lining with coat of armsS4103-02291Glen QuoichNBR olive brown; full liningS4103-039493Glen LussLNER lined grass greenS4103-049307Glen NevisLNER lined grass greenS4103-059153Glen FruinLNER black; red liningS4103-0662488Glen AladaleBR lined black; pre-1957 crestS4103-0762467GlenfinnanBR lined black; post-1957 crestS4103-08256Glen DouglasNBR dark olive greenS4103-09*62496Glen LoyBR lined black; pre-1957 crestS4103-09*62471Glen FallochBR lined black; post-1957 crest *Released together as part of the BBC Film Special May 1959 twin pack.

References

External links

Photos of Glen Douglas LNER database Class D34 Class D34 Details at Rail UK