The Midland Railway Class 3 4-4-0 was a series of 80 steam engines built by the Midland railway at the Derby locomotive works between 1900 and 1905.
They were designed for express passenger trains, earlier types not being powerful enough for the new heavier trains. They were the first of that railway's engines to be built new with Belpaire fireboxes, and the engines were generally known as "Belpaires".
Overview
There were only minor differences between the four groups. All had 6 ft 9 in driving wheels with inside cylinders of 19½ in diameter with 26 in stroke. Seventy-three received type G8AS superheated boilers between 1913 and 1926. The remaining 7 continued in service with non-superheated boilers.
Accidents and Incidents
On 13 October, 1928, locomotive No. 714 of the class was hauling a night mail train from Leeds to Bristol, when it failed to stop at a signal near Charfield railway station. It collided with a freight train, which was hauled by GWR 4300 Class no. 6381. Another freight train, hauled by an 0-6-0 on the opposite line, was partially derailed. In total, 16 people were killed and 41 people were injured. No. 714 was scrapped as a result of the accident. [1]
Disposal
The 7 non-superheated locomotives were withdrawn in 1925/6. No. 714, was destroyed in the Charfield railway disaster of October 1928[2] and the remainder withdrawn between 1935 and 1953. None has been preserved.
Numbering
Original numbers
Post-1907 numbers
Year built
Boiler
2606–2610, 800–804
700–709
1900–1901
GX - 175 psi
2781–2790, 810–839
710–749
1902–1904
G8 - 180 psi
840–849
750–759
1904
G8 - 180psi
850–869
760–779
1904–1905
G8A - 200psi
References
^Gerard, Malcolm; Hamilton, J. A. B. (1981) [1967]. Trains to Nowhere. London: George Allen & Unwin. pp. 45–49. ISBN0-04-385084-7.