Locomotives of the Midland Railway
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The Midland Railway's locomotives (which it always referred to as engines), followed its small engine policy. Perhaps best summed up by the poem:
- M is for Midland with engines galore
- Two on each train and asking for more
It is likely that loading gauge and roundhouses played a role in making the decision. The policy was later adopted by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, and contrasted with the London and North Western Railway's policy.
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Numbering and classification
Numbering was somewhat erratic. When new locomotives took the numbers of old engines, the old engines were placed on the duplicate list and had an A suffix added to their numbers.
The Midland classified their stock into three classes numbered 1 to 3 with 1 the least powerful and three the most. Stock were also split into passenger and freight engines. Just before grouping class 4 was introduced. This system formed the basis for the subsequent LMS and BR classification systems.
Engines inherited from consituent companies
Midland formed in 1844 from the the Midland Counties Railway, the North Midland Railway and the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway. See
- locomotives of the Midland Counties Railway
- locomotives of the North Midland Railway
- locomotives of the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway
Engines built by the Midland
Kirtley
See Matthew Kirtley
Johnson
See Samuel W. Johnson. Classes include:
Deeley (1900-1909)
See Richard Deeley
Fowler (1909-1923)
See Henry Fowler
Liveries
Prior to 1883 painted green. After 1883 the Midland adopted its distinctive crimson lake livery for passenger engines, with unliked black for goods engines.
Influence on LMS locomotive policy
The LMS continued the Midland's small engine policy until William Stanier arrived in 1933 and sorted it out. The last new Midland design was Stanier 0-4-4T of 1932/3 but some Fowler 4Fs were constructed as late as 1940.
Preservation
Five original Midland locomotives have survived, these being:
- 156 Class 2-4-0 no. 158A. (LMS 20002)
- 4-2-2 no. 673
- Midland Compound no. (4)1000
- 1377 Class "Johnson half-cab" no. (4)1708
- 4F 0-6-0 no (4)3924
In addition, there are 13 engines of two classes built by the LMS to essentially Midland designs:
- 4Fs nos (4)4027 (4)4123 and (4)4422
- 3F Jinties nos 16576/(4)7493, (4)7279 (4)7324, (4)7327, (4)7357, (4)7383 (4)7406 (4)7445 (4)7564 and (4)7298
And two engines built by the Midland for the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway:
- S&DJR 7F 2-8-0 nos 88 and 89.
Further, there are several more engines to later non-Midland designs built at Derby which have survived.
References
- Bob Essery and David Jenkinson An illustrated review of Midland locomotives from 1883
- Vol. 1 - A general survey
- Vol. 2 - Passenger tender classes
- Vol. 3 - Tank engines
- Vol. 4 - Goods tender classes
External links
- Some photographs of Midland engines from the Midland Railway Society (http://webp1.mimas.ac.uk/~zzaascs/mrsoc/gallery/coll/)