The “King Arthurs”

The N15 Class were originally built by the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) as a 2 cylinder 4-6-0 express passenger locomotive. They were designed by Robert W Urie and represented a refinement of the H15 class. There were 3 different sub classes and were constructed from 1918 to 1927. The first batch were built for the LSWR to haul express trains to the south coastal ports and further afield to Exeter. After the Lord Nelson class they were the biggest 4-6-0 passenger locomotives on the Southern Railway.

The construction of the first Batch would later become known as the Urie Arthurs. The construction was delayed until mid-1918 due to wartime control of war materials. They were built in two engine batches at Eastleigh Works between 1918-1919 and 1922-1923. This marked a milestone in being the LSWR’s first knew class of locomotive since 1914. The prototype, No 736, entered service in 1918 on 31st August.

In 1923 the “Grouping Act” came into effect which would see many of the 120 different railway companies merged in to what became known as the “Big 4”. This saw the LSWR become part of the Southern Railway.

The publicity department of the Southern Railway gave the N15s names associated with the Arthurian Legend, this saw the class becoming known as King Arthurs. Richard Maunsell, the Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Southern Railway, modified the Urie design and increased the number of locomotives to 74.

Maunsell’s modifications were proved through trials with No. 442 in 1924 and showed that by altering the steam circuit, drafting arrangements and valve travel, better performance could be achieved. The new locomotives were built between Eastleigh and Glasgow. This lead to each batch being known as “Eastleigh Arthurs” and “Scotch Arthurs”.

In 1926 the “King Arthurs” became the first batch of steam locomotives to be fitted with smoke deflectors following a number of experiments. The class continued to operate under British Railways before being retired at the end of 1962.

The tables below shows the entire list of King Arthur’s to be built. At the bottom of the page is a condensed table showing the withdrawals of the class.

Urie Arthurs

BR No.	SR No.	Name	Builder	Built	Withdrawn	Notes
30736	736	Excalibur	LSWR, Eastleigh	Aug-18	Nov-56	Lemaître exhaust
30737	737	King Uther	LSWR, Eastleigh	Oct-18	Jun-56	Lemaître exhaust
30738	738	King Pellinore	LSWR, Eastleigh	Dec-18	Mar-58
30739	739	King Leodegrance	LSWR, Eastleigh	Feb-19	May-57
30740	740	Merlin	LSWR, Eastleigh	Apr-19	Dec-55	Deliberately involved in crash staged for film at Longmoor Military Railway
30741	741	Joyous Gard	LSWR, Eastleigh	Apr-19	Feb-56	Lemaître exhaust
30742	742	Camelot	LSWR, Eastleigh	Jun-19	Feb-57
30743	743	Lyonnesse	LSWR, Eastleigh	Aug-19	Oct-55
30744	744	Maid of Astolat	LSWR, Eastleigh	Sep-19	Jan-56
30745	745	Tintagel	LSWR, Eastleigh	Nov-19	Feb-56
30746	746	Pendragon	LSWR, Eastleigh	Jun-22	Oct-55
30747	747	Elaine	LSWR, Eastleigh	Jul-22	Oct-56
30748	748	Vivien	LSWR, Eastleigh	Aug-22	Sep-57
30749	749	Iseult	LSWR, Eastleigh	Sep-22	Jun-57
30750	750	Morgan le Fay	LSWR, Eastleigh	Oct-22	Jul-57
30751	751	Etarre	LSWR, Eastleigh	Nov-22	Jun-57
30752	752	Linette	LSWR, Eastleigh	Dec-22	Dec-55	Lemaître exhaust
30753	753	Melisande	LSWR, Eastleigh	Jan-23	Mar-57
30754	754	The Green Knight	LSWR, Eastleigh	Feb-23	Feb-53
30755	755	The Red Knight	LSWR, Eastleigh	Mar-23	May-57	Lemaître exhaust

Eastleigh Arthurs

BR No.	SR No.	Name	Builder	Built	Withdrawn	Notes
30448	448	Sir Tristram	SR, Eastleigh	May-25	Aug-60
30449	449	Sir Torre	SR, Eastleigh	Jun-25	Dec-59
30450	450	Sir Kay	SR, Eastleigh	Jun-25	Sep-60
30451	451	Sir Lamorak	SR, Eastleigh	Jun-25	Jun-62	Boiler preserved on the Mid-Hants Railway,
30452	452	Sir Meliagrance	SR, Eastleigh	Jul-25	Aug-59
30453	453	King Arthur	SR, Eastleigh	Feb-25	Jul-61
30454	454	Queen Guinevere	SR, Eastleigh	Mar-25	Oct-58
30455	455	Sir Lancelot	SR, Eastleigh	Mar-25	Apr-59
30456	456	Sir Galahad	SR, Eastleigh	Apr-25	May-60
30457	457	Sir Bedivere	SR, Eastleigh	Apr-25	May-61
30793	793	Sir Ontzlake	SR, Eastleigh	Mar-26	Sep-62
30794	794	Sir Ector de Maris	SR, Eastleigh	Mar-26	Aug-60
30795	795	Sir Dinadan	SR, Eastleigh	Apr-26	Aug-62
30796	796	Sir Dodinas le Savage	SR, Eastleigh	Apr-26	Mar-62
30797	797	Sir Blamor de Ganis	SR, Eastleigh	Jun-26	May-59
30798	798	Sir Hectimere	SR, Eastleigh	Jun-26	Jun-62
30799	799	Sir Ironside	SR, Eastleigh	Jul-26	Feb-61	Boiler preserved at the Mid-Hants Railway, fitted on S15 506 and steamed.
30800	800	Sir Meleaus de Lile	SR, Eastleigh	Sep-26	Sep-61
30801	801	Sir Meliot de Logres	SR, Eastleigh	Oct-26	Apr-59
30802	802	Sir Durnore	SR, Eastleigh	Oct-26	Jul-61
30803	803	Sir Harry le Fise Lake	SR, Eastleigh	Nov-26	Sep-61
30804	804	Sir Cador of Cornwall	SR, Eastleigh	Dec-26	Feb-62
30805	805	Sir Constantine	SR, Eastleigh	Jan-27	Jun-59
30806	806	Sir Galleron	SR, Eastleigh	Jan-27	Apr-61	Suffered bomb damage from a V-1 flying bomb on August 16, 1944, but was later repaired.

Scotch Arthurs

BR No.	SR No.	Name	Builder	Built	Withdrawn	Notes
30763	763	Sir Bors de Ganis	North British Loco 23209	May-25	Oct-60
30764	764	Sir Gawain	North British Loco 23210	May-25	Jul-61
30765	765	Sir Gareth	North British Loco 23211	May-25	Sep-62
30766	766	Sir Geraint	North British Loco 23212	May-25	Dec-58
30767	767	Sir Valence	North British Loco 23213	May-25	Jun-59
30768	768	Sir Balin	North British Loco 23214	May-25	Nov-61
30769	769	Sir Balan	North British Loco 23215	Jun-25	Mar-60
30770	770	Sir Prianius	North British Loco 23216	Jun-25	Nov-62	This locomotive was the subject of a spelling mistake, as the Knight of the same name in the book Le Morte d’Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory was Sir Priamus.
30771	771	Sir Sagramore	North British Loco 23217	Jun-25	Feb-61
30772	772	Sir Percivale	North British Loco 23218	Jun-25	Sep-61
30773	773	Sir Lavaine	North British Loco 23219	Jun-25	Feb-62
30774	774	Sir Gaheris	North British Loco 23220	Jun-25	Jan-60
30775	775	Sir Agravaine	North British Loco 23221	Jun-25	Feb-60
30776	776	Sir Galagars	North British Loco 23222	Jun-25	Jan-59
30777	777	Sir Lamiel	North British Loco 23223	Jun-25	Oct-61	Preserved as part of the National Collection. Operational base is the Great Central Railway (preserved). Currently being overhauled for new boiler ticket at the GCR.
30778	778	Sir Pelleas	North British Loco 23224	Jul-25	May-59
30779	779	Sir Colgrevance	North British Loco 23225	Jul-25	Jul-59
30780	780	Sir Persant	North British Loco 23226	Jul-25	Jul-59
30781	781	Sir Aglovale	North British Loco 23227	Aug-25	May-62
30782	782	Sir Brian	North British Loco 23228	Jul-25	Sep-62
30783	783	Sir Gillemere	North British Loco 23279	Aug-25	Mar-61
30784	784	Sir Nerovens	North British Loco 23280	Sep-25	Oct-59
30785	785	Sir Mador de la Porte	North British Loco 23281	Sep-25	Oct-59
30786	786	Sir Lionel	North British Loco 23282	Sep-25	Aug-59
30787	787	Sir Menadeuke	North British Loco 23283	Sep-25	Feb-59
30788	788	Sir Urre of the Mount	North British Loco 23284	Sep-25	Feb-62
30789	789	Sir Guy	North British Loco 23285	Sep-25	Dec-59
30790	790	Sir Villiars	North British Loco 23286	Sep-25	Nov-61
30791	791	Sir Uwaine	North British Loco 23287	Sep-25	May-60
30792	792	Sir Hervis de Revel	North British Loco 23288	Sep-25	Feb-59

Withdrawals

Year	Quantity in Service at year start	No. Withdrawn in Year	Total No. Withdrawn	Locomotive Numbers
1953	74	1	1	30754
1954	73	0	1	–
1955	73	4	5	30740/43/46/52
1956	69	6	11	30736/36/41/44/45/47
1957	63	8	19	30739/42/48-51/53/55
1958	55	3	22	30454, 30738/66
1959	52	17	39	30449/52/55, 30767/76/78-80/84-87/89/92/97, 30801/05
1960	35	9	48	30448/50/56, 30763/69/74/75/91/94
1961	26	14	62	30453/57, 30764/68/71/72/77/83/90/99, 30800/02/03/06
1962	12	12	74	30451, 30765/40/43/81/82/88/93/95/96/98, 30804