Midland Railway 115 Class

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Midland Railway 115 Class
Midland 4-2-2 No. 673 Rainhill 1980 – edited.jpg
No. 673 at the Rainhill Trials 150th anniversary cavalcade in 1980
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
DesignerSamuel Waite Johnson
BuilderDerby Works
Build date1896–97 (5), 1899 (10)
Total produced15
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte4-2-2
 • UIC2′A1 n2
Gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Leading dia.3 ft 6 in (1.067 m)
Driver dia.7 ft 9+1⁄2 in (2.375 m)[1]
Axle load18 long tons 10 cwt (18.8 t)
Loco weight47 long tons 6+1⁄2 cwt (48.08 t)
Tender weight41 long tons 4 cwt (41.9 t) loaded
Total weight88 long tons 10+1⁄2 cwt (89.95 t)
Fuel typeCoal
Fuel capacity4 long tons 0 cwt (4.1 t)
Water cap3,500 imp gal (16,000 l; 4,200 US gal)
BoilerMR type E
Boiler pressure170 psi (1.17 MPa)
CylindersTwo, inside
Cylinder size19+1⁄2 in × 26 in (495 mm × 660 mm)[1]
Performance figures
Tractive effort15,279 lbf (68.0 kN)
Career
Operators
Class115
Numbers
  • New: 115–121, 123–128, 130–131
  • 1907: 670–684
Disposition1 preserved, 14 scrapped

The Midland Railway 115 Class is a class of 4-2-2 steam locomotive, nicknamed "Spinners". They were designed by Samuel Waite Johnson and a total of 15 of the class were built between 1896 and 1899. They were capable of reaching speeds of up to 90 miles per hour (145 km/h).[2]

Construction history[]

The fifteen locomotives in the class were built in two batches, both at Derby Works.

Table of orders and numbers[3]
Original No. 1907 (& LMS) No. Derby Works
Order No.		 Year Notes
115–119 670–674 1474 1896–97
120, 121, 123–128, 130, 131 675–684 1659 1899

Service history[]

It was quite common for this engines of this class to pull a typical Midland express weighing 200 and 250 long tons (203 and 254 t; 224 and 280 short tons), which suited the Class 115 perfectly. Given a dry rail they could maintain a tight schedule with 350 long tons (356 t; 392 short tons). Speeds up to 90 mph were not uncommon, and the sight of their large, spinning driving wheels earned them the nickname "Spinners". Thanks to the Midland's practice of building low powered locomotives and relying on double-heading to cope with heavier trains many enjoyed working lives of up to 30 years. They made ideal pilot engines for the later Johnson/Deeley 4-4-0 classes.

Renumbering[]

In the Midland Railway 1907 renumbering scheme, they were assigned numbers 670–684. During World War I most were placed in store but, surprisingly, pressed into service afterwards as pilots on the Nottingham to London coal trains. Twelve locomotives survived to the 1923 grouping, keeping their Midland Railway numbers in London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) service. Nevertheless, by 1927 only three of the class remained, with the last engine, 673 (formerly 118) being withdrawn in 1928 and preserved.

Table of withdrawals[3]
Year Quantity in
service at
start of year		 Quantity
withdrawn		 Locomotive numbers Notes
1921 15 2 675, 684
1922 13 1 681
1925 12 2 674, 676
1926 10 8 670–672, 677, 678, 680, 682, 683
1928 2 2 673, 679

Preservation[]

No. 673 is the sole survivor of its class. It was steamed around 1976–1980 when it took part in the Rainhill Trials 150th cavalcade but is currently a static exhibit in the National Railway Museum in York.

Gallery[]

  • Caption: "A Jubilee Year Record-Maker. Midland Railway No. 116."
    In 1897, no 116 (shown here in photographic grey) reached a speed of 90 mph while under full load, at that time the highest recorded speed in the UK.[4]

  • Preserved No 673 in Midland Railway crimson lake livery at the Rocket 150 celebration in Rain­hill in May 1980.

  • Model of No 117. Note the differences to No 673, both in con­struc­tion (smokebox door, hand­rail) and livery (base of smokebox red lined with yellow; boiler bands picked out in yellow; springs red lined with yellow; wheel spokes red; different lining on tender sides; number, coat of arms and MR initials in different locations.

References[]

  1. ^ a b Essery & Jenkinson 1988, p. 170.
  2. ^ Train: The Definitive Visual History. DK Publishing. 2014. p. 96. ISBN 9781465436580. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  3. ^ a b Baxter 1982, pp. 134–135.
  4. ^ Charles Rous-Marten: "Notable Speed-Trials of British Locomotives." In The Engineering Magazine, vol. XV, no. 1, April 1898, New York, p. 97.
  • Baxter, Bertram (1982). Baxter, David (ed.). British Locomotive Catalogue 1825–1923. Vol. 3A: Midland Railway and its constituent companies. Ashbourne, Derbyshire: Moorland Publishing Company. ISBN 9780903485524.
  • Herring, Peter (2000) Classic British Steam Locomotives, Enderby: Abbeydale, ISBN 1-86147-057-6
  • Casserley, H.C.; Johnston, Stuart W. (1974) [1966]. Locomotives at the Grouping 3: London, Midland and Scottish. Shepperton, Surrey: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0554-0.
  • Essery, R. J & Jenkinson, D. (1988). An Illustrated Review of Midland Locomotives, Volume 2: Passenger tender classes. Didcot: Wild Swan Publications. ISBN 0-906867-59-2.


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