The London, Midland and Scottish Railway had the largest stock of steam locomotives of any of the 'Big Four' Grouping, i.e. pre-Nationalisation railway companies in the UK. Despite early troubles arising from factions within the new company, the LMS went on to build some very successful designs; many lasted until the end of steam traction on British Railways in 1968. For an explanation of numbering and classification, see British Rail locomotive and multiple unit numbering and classification.
The London, Tilbury and Southend line, also known as Essex Thameside, is a commuter railway line on the British railway system. It connects Fenchurch Street station, in central London, with destinations in east London and Essex, including Barking, Upminster, Basildon, Grays, Tilbury, Southend and Shoeburyness.
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; this page explains the principal systems that were used.
The London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) Stanier Class 2 0-4-4T was a class of 10 light passenger locomotives built in 1932. Ostensibly designed under new Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) William Stanier, they were in fact the last new design of the Midland Railway's school of engineering.
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 2228 Class was a class of 0-4-4T side tank steam locomotive designed by Samuel Johnson. They were given the power classification 1P.
The LMS Stanier Class 4P 3-Cylinder 2-6-4T is a class of steam locomotives designed for work over the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway route. All 37 were built in 1934 at Derby Works and were numbered 2500–2536. The third cylinder was provided to allow increased acceleration between the many stops on the L.T.&S.R. line. From 1935 the LMS switched to constructing a very similar, albeit simpler, 2-cylinder design.
The Glasgow and South Western Railway (G&SWR) 403 Class was a class of 2-6-0 (mogul) steam locomotive designed by Peter Drummond, of which 11 were built in 1915 by the North British Locomotive Company at its Queens Park works. Originally built as the 403 class, as a result of renumbering they became known as the 33 Class in 1916 and then 51 Class in 1919, before passing to the London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) on its formation in 1923, where they were given power classification 4F.
The Midland Railway 483 Class 4-4-0 was a class of steam locomotive designed by Henry Fowler for passenger work on the Midland Railway. The class were nominally "rebuilds" of various earlier classes designed by Samuel W. Johnson, although the '483' class engines were, unquestionably, 'accountancy rebuilds'
. This design formed the basis for the later LMS Class 2P 4-4-0.
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 London, Tilbury and Southend Railway 51 class was a class of 4-4-2T steam locomotives. Twelve were built by Sharp, Stewart and Company to the design of Thomas Whitelegg for the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway in 1900, with North British Locomotive Company supplying an additional six in 1903. The LTSR numbered them 51–68, and named them places in London and Essex.
The London, Tilbury and Southend Railway (LT&SR) 2100 Class was a class of 4-6-4T steam locomotives. Eight were built in 1912, the year the Midland Railway took over the LT&SR, to the design of Robert Harben Whitelegg. Hence, they were numbered in the Midland numbering system as 2100–2107, and none received a name. The Midland gave them the power classification 3P. All subsequently passed into LMS ownership in 1923. They were all withdrawn 1929–1934, and all were scrapped.
From its opening in 1854, the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway (LTSR) hired locomotives from the Eastern Counties Railway (ECR), and this arrangement continued after the ECR amalgamated with other railways in 1862 to create the Great Eastern Railway (GER). In 1880 the LTSR bought its first locomotive, saving on hiring costs from the GER and further engines followed that year. The LTSR principally operated tank engines, which it named after towns on the route. The railway's first locomotive superintendent was Thomas Whitelegg, who in 1910 was succeeded by his son Robert. The LTSR became part of the Midland Railway (MR) in 1912, but nevertheless continued to be operated independently. The Midland removed locomotive names and renumbered engines. The Midland, and its successor the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS), continued to build some LTSR designs until 1930.
The LT&SR 49 class was a class of 0-6-0 steam locomotives. They were the only tender engines used by the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway. They were originally ordered by the Ottoman Railway in Turkey, however that order was cancelled after they had been built and instead they were sold to the LT&SR in 1898. The LT&SR numbered them 49 and 50.
The Midland Railway 1252 class was a class of thirty 0-4-4T locomotives built by Neilson and Company in 1875–1876 to the design of Samuel Waite Johnson. They were a development of the 6 Class. Originally numbers 1262–1281 and 1252–1261. Under the Midland Railway's 1907 renumbering scheme they became 1236–1265.
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, Tilbury and Southend Railway 1 class was a class of 4-4-2T suburban tank engines. Thirty-six were built between 1880–1892, by Sharp, Stewart and Company and Nasmyth, Wilson and Company. They were the first locomotives owned by the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway and were the first 4-4-2T locomotives to operate in Britain.
The North Staffordshire Railway built or had constructed for it, approximately 350 locomotives. Until the company established Stoke railway works at Stoke-upon-Trent in 1864, a variety of engineering firms supplied locomotives. The company became more self-reliant as time went on, and by the beginning of the 20th century virtually all new engines were produced at Stoke works.
The London and North Western Railway (LNWR) Class G2 is a class of 0-8-0 steam locomotives. 60 were built at Crewe Works in 1921–1922. Uniquely amongst classes of LNWR 8-coupled tender engines, they were not rebuilt from or into other classes. Somewhat confusingly, the LNWR Class G2a is sometimes considered a subclass, but not in this article. They were classified by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) as 5, from 1928 7F.
The Glasgow and South Western Railway 540 Class were 4-6-4T steam tank locomotives designed by Robert Whitelegg and built in 1922, shortly before the G&SWR was absorbed into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS). They were referred to in official G&SWR publicity as the Baltic Class, although they were also known more prosaically to enginemen as the 'Big Pugs'.
