The Midland Railway Class 3 4-4-0 was a series of 80 steam engines built by the Midland railway at the Derby locomotive works between 1900 and 1905.
They were designed for express passenger trains, earlier types not being powerful enough for the new heavier trains. They were the first of that railway's engines to be built new with Belpaire fireboxes, and the engines were generally known as "Belpaires".
Overview There were only minor differences between the four groups. All had 6 ft 9 in driving wheels with inside cylinders of 19½ in diameter with 26 in stroke. Seventy-three received type G8AS superheated boilers between 1913 and 1926. The remaining 7 continued in service with non-superheated boilers.
Accidents and incidents On 13 October, 1928, locomotive No. 714 of the class was hauling a night mail train from Leeds to Bristol, when it failed to stop at a signal near Charfield railway station. It collided with a freight train, which was hauled by GWR 4300 Class no. 6381. Another freight train, hauled by an 0-6-0 on the opposite line, was partially derailed. In total, 16 people were killed and 41 people were injured. No. 714 was scrapped as a result of the accident.
Disposal The 7 non-superheated locomotives were withdrawn in 1925/6. No. 714, was destroyed in the Charfield railway disaster of October 1928 and the remainder withdrawn between 1935 and 1953. None has been preserved.
Numbering Original numbers Post-1907 numbers Year built Boiler 2606–2610, 800–804 700–709 1900–1901 GX - 175 psi 2781–2790, 810–839 710–749 1902–1904 G8 - 180 psi 840–849 750–759 1904 G8 - 180 psi 850–869 760–779 1904–1905 G8A - 200 psi
References
Sources
Bob Essery and David Jenkinson An Illustrated Review of Midland Locomotives from 1883 (Didcot, Oxon: Wild Swan Publications) Vol. 2 – Passenger tender classes (1988)
Stephen Summerson Midland Railway Locomotives – Irwell Press Vol. 4 – Johnson classes part 2 : the goods and later passenger tender engines, Deeley, Fowler and LTSR classes.