New Six-Coupled Express Locomtive for the L. and N.W. Railway from the 1905 Railway Times. [Click on image to enlarge it.]
Commentary from The Railway Times
Some twelve months ago, it will be remembered, Mr. George \Vhale, the chief mechanical engineer of the London and North Vt'estern'Railway Company, introduced a new type of four-wheel coupled “Precursor” locomo_ tives for hauling the heavy express trainloads of the \Vest Coast route. The first of these locomotives was quickly followed by others of the same type, and at the present time there are numerous locomotives of this design in operation on the London and North Western Railway. Although the “Precursor” locomotives have proved entirely successful for the work for which they were designed, they are not altogether suitable for hauling single- handed heavy trainloads on the stretch 'of line between Crewe and Carlisle, on which is encountered the severe climb of about I in 75 for a distance of 4 miles on the Shap Fells, and, accordingly, a new type of six-wheeled coupled bogie locomotive was recently designed by Mr. George. \Vhale (who has kindly placed the accompanying plans “pitched” 8ft. 7in. above rail level. The working pressure is 175lb. per sq. in., and the grate area 25 sq. ft., the total heating surface being 2,041 sq. ft., to which the tubes, which number 299, contribute 1,908 sq. ft., and the firebox the remaining 133 sq. ft. The distance from rail level to top of chimney stack is 13ft. 45in. In working order the engines of the “Experiment” class will weigh 65 tons 15 cwt., distributed thus :—On truck wheels, 19 tons; on driving wheels, 18 tons 5 cwt. ; on the intermediate wheels, 15 tons 5 cwt.; and on the trailing wheels, 13 tons 5 cwt. The tender is built entirely of steel, and runs upon three pairs of wheels, each 3ft. in diameter, and is fitted with the “pick-up " apparatus for taking water whilst the engine is travelling, the water scoop being operated from the footplate by a hand-wheel and double-threaded screw. The tender, which has a total wheelbase of 13ft. 6in., has a carrying capacity of 3,000 gallons of water and 6 tons of coal, and, in working order, weighs 37 tons, which is dis- tributed—on the front wheels, 12 tons; on the middle New Six-Coupled Express Locomotive for the L. & N. W. Railway. and illustration at our disposal) for working the heavy \Vest Coast Scotch express trains between Crewe, Preston, and Carlisle. This engine has very appropriately been named “ Experiment " and bears precisely the same number, “66,” as that borne by Mr. \Vebb's “ Experiment ” locomotive of the well-known three-cylinder type. The first of these engines was completed at the Crewe works some few weeks ago. The leading end of the engine is carried on a four-wheeled radial truck, the centre of which is fitted with a radial axle-box and side controlling springs. The cylinders are 19in. diameter by 26in. stroke, placed between the frames, Joy’s valve gear being used.- The distance apart of the cylinders, Centre to centre, is 1ft. win, the maximum travel of the valve being 5in., and the lead of valve 3-16in., whilst the lap of the valve is 11-16in. The truck wheels have a diameter of 3ft. 9in., the diameter of the driving and coupled wheels being 6ft. 3in., the thickness of tyres on the tread being 3in. The distance between the centre of truck and the centre of the driving wheels is 10ft. ; the centre of truck wheels, 6ft. 3in. ; the centre of driving to centre of intermediate wheels, 6ft. 9.12m; and the centre of intermediate to centre of trailing wheels, 6ft. 95in. The total wheelbase of the engine is 26ft. 8iin., and the total wheelbase of engine and tender, 48ft. +1 in. The boiler has a length of barrel of 12ft. 73in, and a maximum diameter (outside) of 5ft. 2in., and a minimum diameter (outside) of 4ft. 115in. The plates are gin. in thickness, and the centre line of the boiler barrel is tons 5 cwt.; and on the trailing-wheels, 12 tons 15 cwt. The total weight of engine and tender, in running order, is therefore 102 tons 15 cwt. In the course of some official trials this locomotive hauled a train of empty coaches, weighing (exclusive of engine and tender) 373 tons 9 cwts. 3 qrs., from Creweto Carlisle and return.
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Bibliography
“A New Experiment”. The Railway Times. (6 July June 1905): 42. Hathi Trust online version of a copy in the Cornell University Library. Web. 7 September 2018.
Last modified 7 September 2018