NS 4300

The Austerity 2-8-0 was based on the LMS Class 8F, which had been the government's standard design until that point. Several changes were made to the 8F design by R.A. Riddles to prioritize low cost over the life of the design. These included a boiler of simpler construction that was parallel rather than tapered and a round-topped firebox instead of a Belpaire firebox. The firebox was made of steel rather than the rare and more expensive copper. == Construction ==

Construction was divided between two companies. The North British Locomotive Company (NBL) in Glasgow built 545 locomotives (divided between their two workshops in Hyde Park and Queen's Park) and the Vulcan Foundry (VF) in Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire, built 390 locomotives. The North British Locomotive Company also built the larger NS 5000 WD. == Preservation ==

There are no locomotives of this series left in the Netherlands. One of the original WD 2-8-0 is preserved on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway in Yorkshire. It was built by the Vulcan Foundry as No. 5200. The locomotive was purchased from the Swedish State Railways (Statens Järnvägar). It was classified there as SJ Class G11 No. 1931. In 2007 the locomotive was restored to its original condition, with a new cab and tender having to be built. The locomotive then became British Railways (BR) No. 90733 and after a few test runs, 90733 ran its first passenger train on the KWVR on June 23, 2007. == Gallery ==

File:X35783-160892 (1).jpg|Locomotive from the series 4300 ("Austerities") of the N.S. with a train at the railway station in Waalwijk. File:NS 4376 Tilburg.jpg|Locomotive NS 4376 of the series 4300 ("Austerities", ex-WD 77495) at the NS station of Tilburg. File:X127430-NS9606.jpg|Locomotive from the series 4300 - NS 4520 ("Austerities", ex-WD) of the N.S. with a spray truck of the weed control train (spray train) in Utrecht. File:NS 4300-NS4535.jpg|Locomotive NS 4535 (series 4300 "Austerities", ex-WD 77188) with a train consisting of unloaders with gravel (ballast) for the track reinforcement between Amsterdam and Utrecht. File:NS 4300 - NS 4310.jpg|Locomotive NS 4310 (series 4300 "Austerities", ex-WD 70863) at the central workshop in Tilburg, with decorations due to the fact that this was the last steam locomotive to be overhauled in the workshop in Tilburg. File:HUA-151454-Afbeelding van de stoomlocomotief nr. 4416 van de N.S. (serie 4300-4400-4500, "Austerities", ex War Department nr. 77234).jpg|Steam locomotive no. 4416 of the N.S, ex War Department no. 77234. (Between 1945 - 1946) File:HUA-160569-Afbeelding van een stoomlocomotief uit de serie 4300-4400-4500 ("Austerities", ex War Department) van de N.S. met een reizigerstrein te Hilversum.jpg|Steam locomotive from the series 4300 of the N.S. with a passenger train in Hilversum. (Between 1945 - 1955) File:HUA-160448-Afbeelding van de stoomlocomotief nr. 4439 (serie 4300-4400-4500, "Austerities", ex War Department nr. 77475) van de N.S. met een zandtrein.jpg|Steam locomotive NS 4439 with a sand train. (Between 1945 - 1950) File:NS 4300 - NS 4445.jpg|Steam locomotive NS 4445 (ex War Department no. 78545) station Baarn. (August 1945) File:HUA-164232-Afbeelding van de stoomlocomotief nr. 4416 van de N.S. (serie 4300-4400-4500, "Austerities", ex War Department nr. 77234) te Utrecht.jpg|Steam locomotive NS 4416 (ex War Department no. 77234) in Utrecht. (Between 1945 - 1946) File:HUA-155480-Afbeelding van een groepje spoorlieden bij de versierde stoomlocomotief nr. 4310 van de N.S. (serie 4300-4400-4500, "Austerites", ex War Department nr. 70863), vermoedelijk te Gorinchem of Giessendam,.jpg|A group of railwaymen at the decorated steam locomotive NS 4310 (ex War Department no. 70863), presumably in Gorinchem or Giessendam, during the farewell of this steam locomotive (depot Rotterdam RMO). A diesel-electric train set DE 3 (series 11-50) passes on the right. (28-09-1957) File:HUA-151415-Afbeelding van de stoomlocomotief nr. 4310 (serie 4300-4400-4500, "Austerities", ex War Department nr. 70863) van de N.S.bij de centrale werkplaats te Tilburg, met versieringen vanwege het feit dat di.jpg|Steam locomotive NS 4310 (ex War Department no. 70863) at the central workshop in Tilburg, with decorations due to the fact that this was the last steam locomotive to be overhauled in the workshop in Tilburg. (07-06-1955) File:NS 4300 - NS 4312.jpg|View of the second platform of the N.S. station in Valkenburg. with a train approaching train on the left pulled by the steam locomotive NS 4312 (ex War Department). (03-07-1947) == Sources and references ==