Mathew and Neilson

Mathew (No: 8) and Neilson (No: 9) are twin express engines that were built for Tri-ang Railways (TR) in 1889 by Neilson and Co. of Glasgow, Scotland. They were once the major express locomotive for TR but were replaced after their express, 'The Nerlishman', was cancelled following WWII and were replaced by Blue Comet.

Bio
Built as a response to increased workloads on 'The Nerlishman' express, which McConnell was struggling to keep up, Mathew and Neilson were ordered from Neilson & Co. of Glasgow, Scotland, and built in 1889. Both were based upon two designs by William Adams for the London & South Western Railway (L&SWR) by using spare wheels and boilers of a tank engine class being built there. Mathew became TR's first 4-4-0 and first new express locomotive since 1854. Both locomotives proved to be popular by their crews and proved to be superior to McConnell in everyway, allowing him to put onto suburban passenger and shunting duties.

By 1904, both had established themselves as the railway's top link express locomotives even after the First World War, an era when new 4-6-0s began taking over from their kind on Mainland Britain. In 1930, to strike a new deal with a mainland railway, Neilson (along with six "Third-Gens") was loaned to the Dark Railway (DR) for a decade while Mathew stayed behind. Neilson's absence and Mathew's struggles with 'The Nerlishman' made the railway realise they needed another locomotive, resulting in County of Bedford's arrival in 1931.

Livery
Mathew and Neilson wear TR's version of the Highland Railway (HR)'s yellow livery, earning their nickname as "Highlander" class after the yellow livery. Both have brass numberplates with red backing and two brass and black builders plates on their front splashers.

Neilson once wore Dark Railway (DR) green from 1930 to 1946, when he was loaned to the railway for a decade due to a locomotive shortage but was extended due to WWII. He was returned to TR's yellow livery when he was returned to Nerland in 1947.

Basis
Mathew and Neilson appear to be a hybrid of a LSWR T3 4-4-0 and the LSWR (0)415 class 4-4-2T, both designed by William Adams and both closely share a similar shape and same year of introduction, 1882. Today, only one of each class is preserved, No: 563 of the T3 4-4-0 (former National Collection, now owned by Swanage Railway) and No: 488 (0488, East Kent light Railway No: 5, SR No: 3488 and BR No: 30583) of the 415 class 4-4-2T (owned by the Bluebell Railway since withdrawal and one of the first engines on the heritage railway).

Filming models
Mathew and Neilson's models are made from Hornby LSWR (0)415 class 4-4-2Ts with the bunker and trailing wheels removed and given LSWR T3-style splashers and front while featuring a scratch-built NER-style windowed cab. The tender is a re-casting of a CR 123 class 4-2-2 tender from the 1960s.

Trivia
Unlike most engines of the period, Mathew and Neilson have a windowed cab, rather than a curved cab. This could because of TR requirements for a better covered cab to suit Scotland's harsh weather.

Neilson is named after Neilson Reid & Company of Glasgow, his and Mathew's builder. This famed locomotive builder was grouped with Dubs & Co. and Sharp, Steward & Co. (Alexandra's builder) into the North British Locomotive Company (Glasgow's builder).

Unlike his younger brother Neilson, Mathew has undergone modifications because of "performance issues" while Neilson was only ever modified (secretly) by the DR for improvements to his sanding gear.

Mathew is the only TR locomotive that has operated outside of the UK under TR ownership, which was during the 1990s when he was sent to Japan as part of a technology fair to demonstrate Britain's contribution to the nation's railways.