LNWR Greater Britain Class
LNWR Greater Britain class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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![]() LNWR No. 2053 Greater Britain | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The London and North Western Railway (LNWR) Greater Britain class was a class of ten 2-2-2-2 steam locomotives designed for express passenger work by F. W. Webb.
History
The first of the ten locomotives was built in October 1891, and a second followed in May 1893; the remaining eight came from Crewe Works in April and May 1894.
They were three-cylinder compound locomotives: the two outside high pressure cylinders drove the trailing drivers via Howe-Stephenson valve gear, the one inside low pressure cylinder drive the leading drivers via a slip eccentric. There was no connection between the two sets of drivers.
All the locomotives were named; one unusual feature (shared with the John Hick class) was that the names were split over two nameplates, one on each driving wheel splasher. This necessitated the use of two-word names, rather than some of the abbreviated names the LNWR had previously used.
They continued in service until Webb's retirement. His successor, George Whale preferred simple superheated locomotives; consequently they were all scrapped between 1906 and 1907.
Fleet list
LNWR No. |
Name | Crewe Works No. |
Date built |
Date scrapped |
Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2525 | Greater Britain | 3292 | Oct 1891 | Jul 1907 | Renumbered 2053 in Dec 1891 |
3435 | Queen Empress | 3435 | May 1893 | Jun 1906 | Renumbered 2054 in Jan 1894 |
2051 | George Findlay | 3472 | Apr 1894 | Jul 1907 | |
2052 | Prince George | 3473 | May 1894 | Sep 1906 | |
525 | Princess May | 3474 | May 1894 | Sep 1906 | |
526 | Scottish Chief | 3475 | May 1894 | Mar 1906 | |
527 | Henry Bessemer | 3476 | May 1894 | Jan 1907 | |
528 | Richard Moon | 3477 | May 1894 | Mar 1906 | |
529 | William Cawkwell | 3478 | May 1894 | Sep 1906 | |
772 | Richard Trevithick | 3479 | May 1894 | Apr 1906 |
References
- ^ Baxter 1979, p. 196.
- Baxter, Bertram (1979). Baxter, David (ed.). British Locomotive Catalogue 1825–1923, Volume 2B: London and North Western Railway and its constituent companies. Ashbourne, Derbyshire: Moorland Publishing Company. ISBN 0-903485-84-2.
External Links
- LNWR Society Photographs of the Webb 2-2-2-2 Greater Britain class steam locomotives.