A number of different numbering and classification schemes were used for the locomotives owned by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) and its constituent companies.
The LNWR inherited its numbering system from one of its constituents, the Grand Junction Railway. Locomotives were numbered in a series commencing at 1. No gaps were allowed in the series, so a new locomotive would either be numbered at the end of the series or would reuse the number of an older locomotive.
Older locomotives would then be either withdrawn or renumbered into the 'duplicate list' series used for those no longer in capital stock but which not yet completely life expired. These engines were numbered in various series over time: initially they took an 'A' suffix to the original number, then from 1862 they were renumbered above 1100, from 1870 above 1800, and from 1886 in the 3xxx series.
The GJR and LNWR also named their passenger tender locomotives (all locomotives were named until 1858), and often the same name and number combinations would be applied to new locomotives as they replaced older ones. The removal of names attached to freight engines after 1863 allowed them to be re-applied to the increasing stock of passenger engines, including those running on the former London and Birmingham Railway area of the LNWR, where locomotives had not been named.
Midland Railway
The MR undertook a wholesale renumbering of its locomotive stock in 1907 based on usage, wheel arrangement, power classification (see classification section below), and age, with locomotives of the same class numbered together. The least powerful and oldest classes took the lowest numbers and locomotives were renumbered in order of age.
When the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway (LTSR) was absorbed by the MR in 1912, its locomotives were renumbered into this scheme. It had only two tender engines, both 0-6-0 types, and these became 2898 and 2899. The rest were tank locomotives of varying wheel arrangements, which required the adoption of new number ranges at the end of the tank engine series. In all, the number ranges used by the MR were as follows:
While the majority of ex-MR locomotives were left unrenumbered by the LMS at Grouping in 1923, the ex-LTSR locomotives were subject to several renumberings to clear space for new stock, which changed the number ranges set out above.
Post-grouping numbering
Shortly after the LMS was formed in 1923, it developed a new numbering scheme for all the locomotives that it had inherited. The scheme dealt with two key problems faced by the new company:
There were many locomotives with the same number, as each of the constituent companies had used a series starting at number 1
Many of the constituent companies had numbered their locomotives in a somewhat random way, and the renumbering allowed for all locomotives in the same class to be given consecutive numbers and similar classes to be numbered in blocks
These advantages more than overcame the disadvantage of the effort involved in renumbering almost every locomotive and giving them a number that usually bore no relation to its pre-Grouping identity, except for the Midland Railway locomotives that had been renumbered along similar lines in 1907 and mostly retained their numbers.
The system comprised four groups of numbers into which locomotives from a set of railways were numbered:
Within each group, locomotives were numbered in blocks which ran (low to high numbers) as set out below. Within each block, the least powerful locomotives took the lowest numbers.
Block description
MR etc. numbers
LNWR etc. numbers
LYR etc. numbers
Scottish numbers
Passenger tender locomotives
1–1199
5000–6399
10000–10599
14xxx
Passenger tank locomotives
1200–1499 / 2000–2219
6400–6999
10600–11199
15xxx
Freight tank locomotives
1500–1999 / 2220–2289
7xxx
11200–11999
16xxx
Freight tender locomotives
2290–4999
8xxx-9xxx
12xxx
17xxx
When the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway locomotives were absorbed in 1930, they were mostly allocated numbers in the Midland Railway series (appropriate, since the SDJR had been jointly owned by the Midland Railway and many MR designs had been used on the SDJR), though some took numbers in the former LNWR series.
New-build LMS locomotives were not allocated any particular numbers, but were fitted into the most appropriate division. The unallocated 13xxx series of numbers were also used for new build LMS types.
1932 renumbering
In 1932, as older locomotives had been withdrawn and new standard LMS designs were becoming more common, it was decided that modifications should be made to the numbering system. In short, all LMS-built locomotives were to have numbers in the 1–9999 series, with pre-Grouping locomotives being renumbered out of that series as required to accommodate them.
The introduction of this scheme involved renumbering both new and old locomotives to put them in the appropriate sequences. During the remainder of the 1930s, numbers were cleared for new locomotives by simply adding 20000 to the numbers of old locomotives.
Diesel shunters, which started to appear from the early 1930s onwards, were numbered in the same series as steam locomotives. Originally a series commencing at 7400 was planned, but it was soon evident that this would not provide sufficient space and it was replaced by a series commencing at 7050. The prototype mainline diesel locomotives, the first of which was introduced at the end of 1947 just prior to Nationalisation were given the 'significant numbers' 10000 and 10001.
Former LMS diesel locomotives were numbered in the 10xxx series (mainline locomotives) and 12xxx series (shunters).
Locomotives numbered above 20000 by the LMS were renumbered into the 58xxx series, in order to avoid number conflicts with ex-LNER locomotives.
Classification
LMS system
The Midland Railway introduced a system of locomotive classification based on the power output represented by a locomotive's tractive effort at 50mph (passenger locomotives) or 25mph (goods locomotives). This is the continuous tractive effort and is much lower than the starting tractive effort which is the figure usually quoted in technical publications.
This system was adopted by the LMS and also, from 1948 the nationalised British Railways. The classification was made up of a number (representing the power output - 0 being low power and 9 high power) and a letter (representing the type of work the locomotive was intended for), e.g. 4F. Over the years there were some modifications to the system, but the basics remained the same.
The principal downside with this method of classification was that it did not distinguish between particular classes of locomotive, so many very different types would have been classified '4F' for instance.
A single number without a suffix letter was originally used by the LMS on locomotives that were not of Midland Railway origin until 1928. Thereafter, it was used to indicate a mixed traffic locomotive. Where a mixed traffic locomotive fell into different power ranges, dual classification was used, e.g. 5P4F. From 1953 until 1957 (but remaining painted on locomotives until much later), the suffixes 'FA' and 'FB' were sometimes used to distinguish between freight locos with different load limits due to their braking characteristics on unfitted goods trains.
The Locomotives of the Midland Railway, followed its small engine policy. The policy was later adopted by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, and contrasted with the London and North Western Railway's policy. The small engine policy was partly the consequence of a difference in the background of senior managers. In most railway companies, the elite position was the design, construction and maintenance of locomotives. Bigger engines brought more prestige and allowed longer trains. In the Midland, the marketing department was paramount. They recognised that people wanted more frequent, shorter trains rather than an infrequent service. It concentrated on very light, very fast and frequent trains.
The steam locomotives of British Railways were used by British Railways over the period 1948–1968. The vast majority of these were inherited from its four constituent companies, the "Big Four".
A number of different numbering and classification schemes have been used for carriages and wagons on Britain's railways, and this page explains the principal systems. Carriages and wagons have frequently had similar arrangements for classification and numbering, so are considered together. There are also links to other pages that deal in greater depth with the particulars of individual types.
The London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) Hughes Crab or Horwich Mogul is a class of mixed-traffic 2-6-0 steam locomotive built between 1926 and 1932. They are noted for their appearance with large steeply-angled cylinders to accommodate a restricted loading gauge.
The London and North Western Railway (LNWR) Webb Coal Tank is a class of 0-6-2T steam locomotive. They were called "Coal Tanks" because they were a side tank version of Webb's standard LNWR 17in Coal Engine, an 0-6-0 tender engine for slow freight trains.
The Midland Railway (MR) 2441 Class was a class of steam locomotive. They were introduced by Samuel Johnson in 1899, originally with round-topped fireboxes. Henry Fowler later rebuilt them with Belpaire fireboxes. They were given the power classification 3F. The LMS Fowler Class 3F of 1924 was based on this design.
The Midland Railway (MR) 3835 Class is a class of 0-6-0 steam locomotives designed for freight work. The first two were introduced in 1911 by Henry Fowler. After the grouping in 1923, the designs were slightly modified and continued to be built up to 1941 by the LMS as the LMS Fowler Class 4F.
The Midland Railway 1000 Class is a class of 4-4-0 steam locomotive designed for passenger work. They were known to reach speeds of up to 85 mph.
The London and North Western Railway (LNWR) Improved Precedent Class or Renewed Precedent Class is a class of 2-4-0 steam locomotives originally designed for express passenger work. They later gained the nickname of Jumbos.
A number of different numbering and classification schemes were used for the locomotives owned by the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) and its constituent companies. This page explains the principal systems that were used. The following abbreviations for the constituent companies are used on this page:
The LNWR 380 Class was a class of 0-8-4T steam tank locomotives designed by H. P. M. Beames. Although designed under the LNWR regime they appeared as LMS locomotives after the 1923 grouping. They were essentially an extended version of the 1185 Class 0-8-2T with a longer bunker, and were also related to the 0-8-0 freight engines. Their main area of work was to be in South Wales.
The London and North Western Railway (LNWR) Prince of Wales Class was a class of express passenger locomotive. It was in effect, a superheated version of the Experiment Class 4-6-0.
The London and North Western Railway (LNWR) George the Fifth Class was a class of 4-4-0 passenger steam locomotive.
The London and North Western Railway (LNWR) Experiment Class was a class of 4-6-0 steam locomotive designed by George Whale.
The London and North Western Railway (LNWR) Claughton Class was a class of 4-cylinder express passenger 4-6-0 steam locomotives.
The London, Tilbury and Southend Railway (LTSR) 79 Class is a class of 4-4-2T suburban tank engines. They were designed by Thomas Whitelegg, as a development of the earlier 37 Class. They could reach a top speed of 65 mph.
The LTSR 37 class was a class of 4-4-2T suburban tank engines built for the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway in 1897–98. They were designed by Thomas Whitelegg as a development of the earlier LT&SR 1 Class.
The London and North Western Railway (LNWR) Waterloo Class was a class of 2-4-0 steam locomotives that was also known as the Whitworth Class.
The LNWR 18-inch Goods was a class of 310 0-6-0 freight steam locomotives built by the London and North Western Railway at their Crewe Works between 1880 and 1902.
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