LMS Princess Royal Class

Princess Royal Class
6210 Lady Patricia at its birthplace, Crewe Works, in 1948, still in LMS livery and carrying its LMS number.
hideType and origin Power type Steam Designer William Stanier Builder LMS Crewe Works Build date 1933 (2), 1935 (10) Total produced 12
hideSpecifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 4-6-2  • UIC 2′C1′ h4 Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) Leading dia. 3 ft 0 in (0.914 m) Driver dia. 6 ft 6 in (1.981 m) Trailing dia. 3 ft 9 in (1.143 m) Minimum curve 6 chains (121 m) normal 4+1⁄2 chains (91 m) dead slow Wheelbase 63 ft 10 in (19.456 m)  • Engine 37 ft 9 in (11.506 m)  • Drivers 15 ft 3 in (4.648 m)  • Tender 15 ft 0 in (4.572 m) Length 74 ft 4+1⁄4 in (22.663 m) Width 9 ft 0 in (2.743 m) Height 13 ft 3 in (4.039 m) Axle load 22.50 long tons (22.86 t)  • Leading 21.00 long tons (21.34 t)  • Coupled 22.50 long tons (22.86 t)  • Trailing 16.00 long tons (16.26 t)  • Tender axle Front: 18.60 long tons (18.90 t) Middle: 17.80 long tons (18.09 t) Rear: 18.25 long tons (18.54 t) Adhesive weight 67.50 long tons (68.58 t) Loco weight 104.50 long tons (117.04 short tons; 106.18 t) 46202: 110.55 long tons (123.82 short tons; 112.32 t) Tender weight 54.65 long tons (61.21 short tons; 55.53 t) Fuel type Coal Fuel capacity 9.00 long tons (10.08 short tons; 9.14 t) later 10.00 long tons (11.20 short tons; 10.16 t) Water cap 4,000 imp gal (18,000 l; 4,800 US gal) Firebox type    • Firegrate area 45 sq ft (4.2 m2) Boiler: ​  • Model LMS type 1  • Tube plates 19 ft 3 in (5.867 m)  • Small tubes 2+3⁄8 in (60 mm), 32 off  • Large tubes 5+1⁄8 in (130 mm), 123 off Boiler pressure 250 psi (1.7 MPa) Heating surface    • Tubes and flues 2,299 sq ft (213.6 m2)  • Firebox 190 or 217 sq ft (17.7 or 20.2 m2) Superheater: ​  • Heating area 584 sq ft (54.3 m2) Cylinders 4 Cylinder size Production Models: 16+1⁄4 in × 28 in (413 mm × 711 mm) Valve gear Walschaerts 6205 had outside Walschaerts with rocking shafts operating inside valves. Valve type Piston valves
hidePerformance figures Tractive effort 40,286 lbf (179.20 kN) (production engines)
hideCareer Operators London, Midland and Scottish Railway British Railways Power class 7P reclassified 8P in 1951 Numbers (4)6200/1/3–12 Nicknames Lizzies Locale London Midland Region Withdrawn 1961 (6), 1962 (6) Preserved 6201, 6203 Disposition Two preserved, remainder scrapped

The London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) Princess Royal Class is a class of express passenger 4-6-2 steam locomotive designed by William Stanier. Twelve examples were built at Crewe Works, between 1933 and 1935, for use on the West Coast Main Line. Two are preserved.

Overview[]

The Princesses are related to the GWR King Class, the general outline essentially being a King with a larger firebox supported by additional trailing wheels. This origin is explained by the designer William Stanier coming from the GWR to the LMS.

When originally built, they were used to haul the famous Royal Scot train between London Euston and Glasgow Central.

Construction[]

A prototype batch of three locomotives was to be constructed in 1933. Two were constructed as drawn but the third set of frames was retained as the basis for an experimental turbine locomotive.^{[1][2] [3]}

Turbomotive[]

The third prototype was constructed with the aid of the Swedish Ljungstrom turbine company and known as the Turbomotive, although not named. It was numbered 6202, in sequence with the Princess Royals. Although 'generally similar' to the rest of the Princess Royals,^[1] and 'not all that much different',^[4] it used a larger 40 element superheater to give a higher steam temperature, more suitable for turbine use.^{[2][5][note 1]} This boiler was also domeless as would later be used for the second batch of the Princess Royals. The continuous exhaust of the turbine, rather than the sharper intermittent blast of the piston engine, also required changes to the draughting and the use of a double chimney.^[6][7] It entered service in June 1935 on the London–Liverpool service.^[8]

This Turbomotive was rebuilt in 1952 with conventional 'Coronation' cylinders and named Princess Anne, but was soon destroyed in the Harrow and Wealdstone rail crash.^[7]

Later production[]

A second batch of eleven locomotives was constructed later.^[9]

Accidents and incidents[]

• Main article: 1948 Winsford railway accident
  On 17 April 1948 a passenger train hauled by locomotive No.6207 Princess Arthur of Connaught was halted after a passenger pulled the communication cord. It was then hit from behind by a postal train, which a signalman's error had allowed into the section, resulting in the deaths of 24 passengers.
• Main article: Weedon rail crashes
  On 21 September 1951, locomotive No.46207 Princess Arthur of Connaught was hauling an express passenger train that was derailed at Weedon, Northamptonshire due to a defective front bogie on the locomotive. Fifteen people were killed and 35 were injured.

Naming[]

Each locomotive was named after a princess, the official name for the class was chosen because Mary, Princess Royal was the Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Scots. However, the locos were known to railwaymen as "Lizzies", after the second example of the class, named for Princess Elizabeth, who later became Queen Elizabeth II. Later examples of 4-6-2 express passenger locomotive built by the LMS were of the related but larger, Coronation Class.

Withdrawal[]

The class was withdrawn in the early 1960s in line with British Railways' modernisation plan.

Details[]

Preservation[]

Two examples, 6201 Princess Elizabeth and 6203 Princess Margaret Rose are preserved and both have operated on the mainline in preservation. They were named after the two children of Prince Albert, Duke of York (later King George VI), and his wife, Elizabeth, Duchess of York (later Queen Elizabeth, and after the king's death, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother). Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary (later Queen Elizabeth II) was seven years old in 1933 when her namesake was built, and Princess Margaret Rose was nearly five in July 1935 when her namesake was completed. At the time, they were third and fourth in line to the throne. 'Princess Margaret Rose' is owned by The Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust and is on static display at the West Shed Museum, Midland Railway-Butterley, Ripley, Derbyshire.

Number		Name	Built	Withdrawn	Service Life	Livery	Location	Owners	Status	Mainline Certified	Photograph	Notes
LMS	BR
6201	46201	Princess Elizabeth	Nov 1933	Oct 1962	28 Years, 11 Months	LMS Crimson Lake	Carnforth MPD	6201 Princess Elizabeth Society	Stored	No		Withdrawn July/August 2021 due to cracked firebox.
6203	46203	Princess Margaret Rose	Jul 1935	Oct 1962	27 Years, 3 Months	BR Crimson Lake, Late Crest	Butterley	Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust	Static Display	No

Gallery[]

• 

  46201 Princess Elizabeth at Carlisle awaiting scrapping. The locomotive was later preserved.

• 

  Princess Margaret Rose at Swanwick West Shed in 2006.

Media[]

• 6201 at Langho on Whalley Bank – sound recording.

References[]

• Ian Sixsmith The Book of the Princess Royal Pacifics ISBN 1-903266-02-5
• Hugh Longworth British Railway Steam Locomotives 1948–1968 ISBN 0-86093-593-0
• Rowledge, J.W.P. (1975). Engines of the LMS, built 1923–51. Oxford: Oxford Publishing Company. ISBN 0-902888-59-5.
• David Hunt, Bob Essery and Fred James LMS Locomotive Profiles No. 4: The "Princess Royal" Pacifics

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to LMS Princess Royal Class.

• 6201 Princess Elizabeth Locomotive Society LTD
• Princess Royal Locomotive Trust
• 46201 in the Railuk database
• 46203 in the Railuk database
• Butlins steam locomotives
• 6207 A Study In Steel at YouTube