Description
Many L&YR locomotives were equipped with screw jacks principally for the rerailing of goods stock, and most contemporary photographs of locomotives show them to be carried. They were not standard issue but were available on demand from sheds. Jacks were positioned on the running plate anywhere between the cab and the buffer beam wherever there were no fixtures present beneath such as vacuum pipes, steam pipes, lubricating pipes etc. Some locomotives are known to have carried two jacks. Study photographs of your chosen locomotive. It would appear that the practice of carrying jacks died out in the early LMS period. As far as is known the larger locomotives (4-4-2, 0-8-0, 7’3” 4-4-0 and 4-6-0) did not carry jacks. However at least one ex-ROD 2-8-0 had a jack.
Jacks of this pattern were also frequently used on industrial and narrow gauge locomotives.