LNWR Greater Britain Class

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LNWR Greater Britain class
LNWR engine No.2053 'Greater Britain'.jpg
LNWR No. 2053 Greater Britain
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
Designer F. W. Webb
Builder Crewe Works
Serial number3292, 3435, 3472–3479
Build date1892–1894
Total produced10
Specifications
Configuration:
   Whyte 2-2-2-2
   UIC 1AA1 n3vS
Gauge 4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm)
Leading dia. 3 ft 10+12 in (1,181 mm), plus 3 in (76 mm) tyres
Driver dia.6 ft 10 in (2.083 m)
Trailing dia. 3 ft 10+12 in (1,181 mm), plus 3 in (76 mm) tyres
Wheelbase
  • 8 ft 5 in (2.565 m) +
  • 8 ft 3 in (2.515 m) +
  • 7 ft 3 in (2.210 m)
Loco weight52 long tons (53 t)
Fuel typeCoal
Water cap.2,000 imp gal (9,100 L; 2,400 US gal)
Boiler:
  Diameter4 ft 3 in (1.295 m)
  Tube plates18 ft 6 in (5.639 m)
Heating surface1,505.7 sq ft (139.88 m2)
Cylinders Three, compound: two outside high pressure for trailing drivers, one inside low pressure for leading drivers
High-pressure cylinder15 in × 24 in (381 mm × 610 mm)
Low-pressure cylinder30 in × 24 in (762 mm × 610 mm)
Valve gear Stephenson, Slip-eccentric.
Career
Operators London and North Western Railway
ScrappedMarch 1906 – July 1907
DispositionAll scrapped

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.

Contents

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

Related Research Articles

George Whale was an English locomotive engineer who was born in Bocking, Essex, and educated in Lewisham, London. He worked for the London and North Western Railway (LNWR).

Locomotives of the London and North Western Railway. The London and North Western Railway (LNWR) Locomotive Department was headquartered at Crewe from 1862. The Crewe Works had been built in 1840–43 by the Grand Junction Railway (GJR).

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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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LNWR Whale Precursor Class</span> Type of steam locomotive

The London and North Western Railway (LNWR) "Precursor" Class was a type of 4-4-0 ("American") steam locomotive designed by the company's Chief Mechanical Engineer, George Whale. Introduced in 1904, it should not be confused with the LNWR 2-4-0 "Precursor" Class of 1874 designed by Francis Webb, the last example of which was scrapped in 1895. In 1906, a 4-4-2T ("Atlantic") tank variant of Webb's engine, the "Precursor Tank" Class, also entered service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LNWR Jubilee Class</span>

The London and North Western Railway (LNWR) Jubilee Class was a class of 4-4-0 4-cylinder compound locomotives by F.W. Webb. A total of forty were built from 1897–1900.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LNWR Class C1</span>

The London and North Western Railway (LNWR) Class C1 was a class of 0-8-0 steam locomotives. 34 were rebuilt by Charles Bowen Cooke from Class A 3-cylinder compounds between 1909 and 1912.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LNWR Class E</span>

The London and North Western Railway (LNWR) Class E was a class of 2-8-0 steam locomotives in service between 1904 and 1928.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LNWR Class F</span>

The London and North Western Railway (LNWR) Class F was a class of 2-8-0 steam locomotives in service between 1906 and 1928.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LNWR Webb Experiment Class</span>

The London and North Western Railway Experiment Class was a series of 30 three-cylinder 2-(2-2)-0 compound locomotives designed by Francis Webb for the London and North Western Railway between 1882 and 1884. They were Webb’s first large-scale experiment with a class of express compound locomotives, and the first engine was named accordingly. They were followed by a class of similar, but larger locomotives, that featured larger boilers and smaller driving wheels – the LNWR Dreadnought Class.

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-2-2-0 usually represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, four powered but uncoupled driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels, but can also be used to represent two sets of leading wheels two driving wheels, and no trailing wheels. Some authorities place brackets around the duplicated but uncoupled wheels, creating a notation 2-(2-2)-0, or (2-2)-2-0, as a means of differentiating between them. Others simply refer to the locomotives 2-2-2-0.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2-2-2-2</span> Locomotive wheel arrangement

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-2-2-2 could represent either the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels, four powered but uncoupled driving wheels, and two trailing wheels; or of two independent leading axles, two driving wheels, and two trailing wheels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LNWR 4ft Shunter</span>

The London and North Western Railway (LNWR) 4ft Shunter was a class of 0-4-0ST steam locomotives. Introduced in 1863 by Ramsbottom, 26 were built in 1863–1865, 10 in 1870, 10 in 1872, and 10 in 1892. The last three of the latter batch were soon rebuilt as 0-4-2ST crane tanks. They survived into LMS ownership in 1923 and the last one was withdrawn in 1933.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LNWR DX Goods class</span>

The London and North Western Railway (LNWR) DX Goods class was a class of 0-6-0 steam locomotive, designed by John Ramsbottom for freight duties. 943 were constructed, making them the largest single class of steam locomotives built in the United Kingdom. Despite this, none were preserved.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LNWR Lady of the Lake class</span>

The London and North Western Railway (LNWR) 7 ft 6 in Single 2-2-2 class was a type of express passenger locomotive designed by John Ramsbottom. The class is better known as the Problem class for the first locomotive built, or the Lady of the Lake class for the example that was displayed at the International Exhibition of 1862.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LNWR Dreadnought Class</span> Class of British 2-2-2-0 locomotives

The LNWR Dreadnought class was a class of 40 passenger three-cylinder compound 2-2-2-0 locomotives designed by F. W. Webb for the London and North Western Railway, and manufactured by them in their Crewe Works between 1884 and 1888. The railway also commissioned the Beyer, Peacock and Company to construct an additional locomotive of the design for the Pennsylvania Railroad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LNWR Teutonic Class</span>

The LNWR Teutonic class was a class of 10 passenger three-cylinder compound 2-2-2-0 locomotives designed by F. W. Webb for the London and North Western Railway, and manufactured by them in their Crewe Works between 1889 and 1890.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LNWR Webb Precursor Class</span>

The London and North Western Railway (LNWR) Precursor class was a class of forty 2-4-0 steam locomotives designed by F. W. Webb and built at the railway's Crewe Works between 1874 and 1879.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LNWR John Hick Class</span>

The London and North Western Railway (LNWR) John Hick class was a class of ten 2-2-2-2 steam locomotives designed for express passenger work by F. W. Webb.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LNWR 18in Goods Class</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LNWR 5ft 6in Tank Class</span>

The LNWR 5ft 6in Tank was a class of 160 passenger 2-4-2T locomotives manufactured by the London and North Western Railway in their Crewe Works between 1890 and 1897. The "5ft 6in" in the title referred to the diameter of the driving wheels – although the stated dimension was for the wheel centres – the nominal diameter including the tyres was 5 ft 8+12 in (1,740 mm).

References

  1. Baxter 1979, p. 196.