LMS Princess Royal Class
Princess Royal Class | |
---|---|
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Withdrawn | 1961 (6), 1962 (6) |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 designer of the class, William Stanier, had previously been Works Manager of the Great Western Railway's depot at Swindon Works, and had been recruited with a brief to replace the LMS's miscellany of locomotives inherited from its constituent companies. He made extensive use of Great Western features in his designs.
To match the power and speed and especially the prestige of the
Design
The class was based on GWR 111 The Great Bear, a design produced in 1907 for the Great Western by George Jackson Churchward.[1] The smokebox and cylinders were closely based on those of the GWR 6000 Class (also known as the King Class).[2] The inside cylinders were abreast the leading bogied wheels and drove cranks on the leading coupled axle, the outside cylinders were abreast the rear bogie wheels (which made substantial cross bracing necessary to brace the cylinders and the locomotive frame together) and drove crank pins on the centre coupled axle.[3] Each of the four cylinders had its own set of Walschaerts valve gear.
Other minor details, such as corks to close oil boxes, closely followed Great Western practice.
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.[4][5][6]
Turbomotive
The third prototype was constructed with the aid of the Swedish
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.[10]
Later production
A second batch of eleven locomotives was constructed later.[12] The first two locomotives of the class to be produced had a firebox combustion volume too small for the grate area, and the subsequent locomotives had enlarged fireboxes.[2]
Accidents and incidents
- 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.