The London and North Western Railway (LNWR) Experiment Class was a class of 4-6-0 steam locomotive designed by George Whale.
Career They were an extended version of the Whale Precursor Class 4-4-0, with slightly smaller driving wheels. The first of the class, 66 Experiment was built in 1905 and a total of 105 were constructed until 1910. The LNWR reused numbers and names of withdrawn locomotives, resulting in a haphazard numbering system. The 19in Express Goods Class with smaller driving wheels was also built from 1906. From 1911 the Prince of Wales Class, a superheated version, was built.
In 1915, 1361 Prospero was experimentally rebuilt with four cylinders, Dendy Marshall valve gear and superheated. The conversion was not repeated. Only two other engines were given superheaters; 2624 Saracen and 1993 (LMS 5472) Richard Moon.
All entered London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) stock upon grouping in 1923. The LMS gave them the power classification 3P. They were renumbered into a more manageable series of 5450–5553 according to date of construction. An exception was made for 1361 Prospero which became 5554. Not all survived long enough to receive their LMS numbers — withdrawals had started in 1925. In 1934 the remaining thirteen had 20000 to their numbers to make room for Black Five, Patriot and Jubilee class locomotives. The final engine was withdrawn and scrapped the following year.
Fleet list +Table of locomotives LNWRNo. Name CreweWorksNo. Built LMSNo. With-drawn Notes 66 Experiment 4505 5450 306 Autocrat 4506 5451 353 Britannic 4507 5452 372 Germanic 4508 5453 Renamed Belgic from October 1914 507 Sarmatian 4509 5454 565 City of Carlisle 4550 5455 LMS number never applied 893 City of Chester 4551 5456 Renumbered 25456 in 19351074 City of Dublin 4552 5457 1357 City of Edinburgh 4553 5458 1669 City of Glasgow 4554 5464 165 City of Lichfield 4555 5459 828 City of Liverpool 4556 5460 978 City of London 4557 5461 1405 City of Manchester 4558 5462 1575 City of Paris 4559 5463 1986 Clanricarde 4620 5465 LMS number never applied1987 Glendower 4621 5466 1988 Hurricane 4622 5467 1989 Lady of the Lake 4623 5468 Name removed in December 19281990 North Western 4624 5469 1991 Palmerston 4625 5470 1992 President 4626 5471 1993 Richard Moon 4627 5472 Superheated December 1926 to January 19321994 Scottish Chief 4628 5473 Renumbered 25473 in 19351995 Tornado 4629 5481 LMS number never applied 61 Atalanta 4630 5474 222 Ivanhoe 4631 5475 291 Leander 4632 5476 667 Mazeppa 4633 5477 1304 Prometheus 4634 5478 1676 Prince of Wales 4635 5479 Renamed Shakespeare from July 19111709 Princess May 4636 5480 2027 Queen Empress 4637 5482 2052 Stephenson 4638 5483 2269 William Cawkwell 4639 5484 496 Harlequin 4680 5485 830 Phosphorus 4681 5486 LMS number never applied 902 Combermere 4682 5487 937 Princess Alice 4683 5488 2112 Victoria 4684 5490 1014 Henry Bessemer 4685 5489 1135 Prince George 4686 5491 1361 Prospero 4687 5554 Rebuilt with 4 cylinders in March 19151526 Sanspareil 4688 5492 2161 Jeanie Deans 4689 5493 LMS number never applied 322 Adriatic 4770 5494 884 Greater Britain 4771 5495 887 Fortuna 4772 5496 1020 Majestic 4773 5497 1483 Red Gauntlet 4774 5498 1490 Wellington 4775 5499 1553 Faraday 4776 5500 1571 Herschel 4777 5501 2076 Pheasant 4778 5502 Renumbered 25502 in 19342116 Greystoke 4779 5503 LMS number never applied2621 Ethelred 4780 5504 Renumbered 25504 in 19342622 Eunomia 4781 5505 2623 Lord of the Isles 4782 5506 2624 Saracen 4783 5507 Superheated from February 1926; LMS number never applied2625 Buckland 4784 5508 Renumbered 25508 in 19352626 Chillington 4785 5509 Renumbered 25509 by LMS2627 President Lincoln 4786 5510 2628 Banshee 4787 5511 Renumbered 25511 in 19352629 Terrier 4788 5512 2630 Buffalo 4789 5513 1406 George Findlay 4830 5514 Renumbered 25514 by LMS1413 Henry Cort 4831 5515 LMS number never applied1477 Hugh Myddleton 4832 5516 1498 Thomas Savery 4833 5517 LMS number never applied1566 John Penn 4834 5518 1603 Princess Alexandra 4835 5519 1649 Sisyphus 4836 5520 1661 Wordsworth 4837 5521 1781 Lightning 4838 5522 2022 Marlborough 4839 5523 2637 Babylon 4840 5524 2638 Byzantium 4841 5525 Renumbered 25525 in 19342639 Bactria 4842 5526 2640 Belisarius 4843 5527 LMS number never applied2641 Bellona 4844 5528 Renumbered 25528 in 19352642 Berenice 4845 5529 2643 Bacchus 4846 5530 LMS number never applied2644 Berengaria 4847 5531 Renumbered 25531 in 19342645 Britomart 4848 5532 Renumbered 25532 in 19342646 Boniface 4849 5533 1412 Bedfordshire 4850 5534 1418 Cheshire 4851 5535 1420 Derbyshire 4852 5536 1455 Herefordshire 4853 5537 1611 Hertfordshire 4854 5538 LMS number never applied1618 Lancashire 4855 5539 1624 Leicestershire 4856 5545 1652 Middlesex 4857 5546 1689 Monmouthshire 4858 5547 1703 Northumberland 4859 5548 71 Oxfordshire 4860 5540 275 Shropshire 4861 5541 677 Staffordshire 4862 5542 1002 Warwickshire 4863 5543 1534 Westmorlandshire 4864 5544 LMS number never applied1471 Worcestershire 4865 5549 1561 Yorkshire 4866 5550 1618 Carnarvonshire 4867 5551 1621 Denbighshire 4868 5552 Renumbered 25552 by LMS1658 Flintshire 4869 5553
Accidents and incidents
On 15 October 1907, a mail train hauled by No. 2052 Stephenson was derailed at , Shropshire due to excessive speed on a curve. Eighteen people were killed. On 5 July 1923, an express passenger train hauled by 1406 George Findlay was involved in a rear-end collision with a freight train at , Lancashire due to confusion by the driver of the freight train over flag signals. Four people were killed.
References
External links LNWR Society Photographs of the Whale 4-6-0 Experiment class steam locomotives.