Sir William Stanier's London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) Class 4P 2-Cylinder 2-6-4T was a class of 206 steam locomotives built between 1935 and 1943.

Numbering numbers Lot No. date built Built atLMSBR 2425–75 42425–75 128 1937 Derby 2476–94 42476–94 128 1936 Derby 2537–44 42537–44 127 1935 Derby 2545–2609 42545–609 133 1936 North British 24301–365 2610–17 42610–17 133 1937 North British 24366–373 2618–51 42618–51 144 1938 Derby 2652 42652 144 1939 Derby 2653 42653 148 1940 Derby 2654–62 42654–62 148 1941 Derby 2663–70 42663–70 148 1942 Derby 2671/2 42671/2 148 1943 Derby

The LMS numbered them 2425–94, and then 2537–672, BR adding 40000 to their numbers to make them 42425–94, and then 42537–672. The LMS classified them 4P, BR 4MT. They were the basis for the LMS Fairburn 2-6-4T.

Accidents and incidents

On 15 August 1953, locomotive No. 42474 was hauling a passenger train which collided with an electric multiple unit that overran signals at Irk Valley Junction, Manchester, Lancashire. The junction is on a viaduct, and one of the carriages of the electric multiple unit plunged into the River Irk. Ten people were killed and 58 were injured.

Film use No. 2429 had a starring role as Celia Johnson's branch line engine in the 1945 film Brief Encounter, which was made at Carnforth station during the winter of 1944–45. The BR numberplate (42429) was sold at a BR auction held in the old Refreshment Room at Southport Chapel Street station.

Withdrawal The first withdrawal was in 1960, with the last in 1967. None have been preserved (though the original of the 3-Cylinder 2-6-4T version, number 2500, is preserved at the National Railway Museum, and two examples of the nearly identical LMS Fairburn 2-6-4T are also still in existence).

+ Table of withdrawals Year Quantity inservice atstart of year Quantitywithdrawn Locomotive numbers 1960 206 2 42450/90. 1961 204 17 42427–28/38/67/71/75/79, 42539/45/49/52/70,42627/35/37/48/69. 1962 187 43 42429/33/43/48/52/54/57/70/72–73/76/83,42537–38/40–41/44/53/68/75–76/78–80/85/91/93/96/99,42600/15/21/24/38/41–42/46/53/58/61/66/71–72. 1963 144 29 42425/40/58/66/69/80/85–87/91,42543/47/56–57/61/63/71/82/92/95/98,42603/17/32/36/43/55/59/68. 1964 115 51 42434/37/41/44–46/49/51/53/61/63/74/81/89/93,42550–51/59–60/62/65/69/72–73/84/86/88–89/94,42602/05/07–08/12/14/19–20/23/28–31/33/39–40/51–52/54/57/62/70. 1965 64 38 42426/30/32/35/39/42/47/56/59–60/64–65/68/77–78/82/85/92/94,42542/54–55/58/64/66–67/90/97,42601/04/09/18/26/34/45/49/60/67. 1966 26 11 42431/36/55/62/84, 42581/83, 42606/10/25/64. 1967 15 15 42546/48/74/77/87, 42611/13/16/22/44/47/50/56/63/65.

Models In 2008, Hornby Model Railways released Stanier's 4MT as a OO gauge ready-to-run model. Two versions were due to be released; one in LMS Black, the other in BR Black (early and late).

A pre-war O gauge model of this locomotive was produced by Marklin for Bassett-Lowke models in 1937; this continued in UK production by Winteringham until 1957. This model has been reproduced in O gauge by ACE Trains in 2009; both LMS and BR black versions have been manufactured.

References

Further reading