Midland Railway 115 Class

Midland Railway 115 Class
Power type	Steam
Designer	Samuel W. Johnson
Build date	1896–1899
Total produced	15
Configuration	4-2-2
UIC classification	2′A1 n
Gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Driver diameter	7 ft 9 1⁄2 in (2.375 m)[citation needed]
Fuel type	Coal
Boiler pressure	170 psi (1.17 MPa)
Cylinders	Two, inside
Cylinder size	19 × 26 in (483 × 660 mm)[citation needed]
Tractive effort	15,279 lbf (68.0 kN)
Career	Midland Railway, London, Midland and Scottish Railway
Class	115
Number	670–684 from 1907

No. 673 in steam at the Rainhill Trials 150th anniversary cavalcade in 1980.

The Midland Railway 115 Class is a class of 4-2-2 steam locomotive. They were known as "Spinners", possibly because of the wheelslip that the single large driving wheel caused. They were designed by Samuel W. Johnson and a total of 15 of the class were built between 1896-1899.

It was quite common for this class of engine to pull a typical Midland express weighing 200 and 250 tons which suited the Class 115 perfectly. Given a dry rail they could maintain a tight schedule with 350 tons. Speeds up to 90 mph were not uncommon and the sight of their whirring huge 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 40 years. They made ideal pilot engines for the later Johnson/Deeley 4-4-0 classes.

In the Midland Railway 1907 renumbering scheme, they were assigned numbers 670–684. During the World War one 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 service. Nevertheless by 1927 only three of the class remained, with the last engine, 673 (né 118) being withdrawn in 1928 and preserved.

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.

External links

• Preserved locomotive database entry for 673

References

• Classic British steam Locomotives
• Casserley, H.C.; S. W. Johnson (1966, 1974). Locomotives at the Grouping 3: London, Midland and Scottish Railway. Shepperton, Surrey: Ian Allan Limited. ISBN 0-7110-0554-0.