LMS Fowler Class 4F

The London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) Fowler Class 4F is a class of 0-6-0 steam locomotive designed for medium freight work. They represent the ultimate development of Midland Railway's six coupled tender engines. Many trainspotters knew them as "Duck Sixes", a nickname derived from their wheel arrangement.[1]

LMS Fowler Class 4F
44444 at Stockport, 1950
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
DesignerHenry Fowler
Builder
Build date1924–1941
Total produced575
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte0-6-0
 • UICC h2
Gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Driver dia.5 ft 3 in (1.600 m)
Length52 ft 0+1⁄8 in (15.853 m)
Loco weight48.75 long tons (49.53 t; 54.60 short tons)
Tender weight41.20 long tons (41.86 t; 46.14 short tons)
Fuel typeCoal
Fuel capacity4 long tons (4.1 t; 4.5 short tons)
Water cap.3,500 imp gal (16,000 L; 4,200 US gal)
Firebox:
 • Firegrate area		21 sq ft (2.0 m2)
BoilerLMS type G7S
Boiler pressure175 lbf/in2 (1.21 MPa)
Heating surface:
 • Tubes and flues		1,034 sq ft (96.1 m2)
 • Firebox124 sq ft (11.5 m2)
Superheater:
​
 • Heating area252 sq ft (23.4 m2) later 246 sq ft (22.9 m2)
CylindersTwo, inside
Cylinder size20 in × 26 in (508 mm × 660 mm)
Valve gearStephenson
Valve typepiston valves
Performance figures
Tractive effort24,555 lbf (109.23 kN)
Career
Operators
Power class4F
Numbers
  • LMS: 4027–4606
  • BR: 44027–44606
Axle load classBR: Route Availability 5
LocaleLondon Midland Region
Withdrawn1959–1966
Disposition3 Preserved, remainder scrapped
An earlier view of 44458, this time passing Water Orton.

Background

The 4F was based on the 197-strong Midland Railway 3835 Class of 1911, with only a few modifications, primarily the adoption of left-hand drive instead of right-hand drive. They originally had been designed by Henry Fowler, who from 1925 became CME of the LMS.

Midland Railway locomotives were notorious for their short axle-box bearings, which were prone to overheating. This design feature was perpetuated in the LMS 4F. The problem was eventually solved with the fitting of mechanical lubricators.

Construction
4129 with number on the tender, pre-1928

The LMS constructed 530 of the locomotives between 1923 and 1928, numbered sequentially from where the Midland engines left off from 4027. A further 45 examples were reluctantly authorised by William Stanier in 1937 at the behest of the operating department.

Construction table
LMS nos. BR nos. Lot No. Date built Built by
4027–4034 44027–44034 7 1924 Derby
4035–4056 44035–44056 7 1925 Derby
4057–4081 44057–44081 8 1925 North British Loco
4082–4106 44082–44106 9 1925 Kerr Stuart
4107 44107 10 1924 Crewe
4108–4158 44108–44158 10 1925 Crewe
4159–4176 44159–44176 10 1926 Crewe
4177–4178 44177–44178 11 1924 St. Rollox
4179–4206 44179–44206 11 1925 St. Rollox
4207–4216 44207–44216 29 1925 Derby
4217–4287 44217–44287 29 1926 Derby
4288–4301 44288–44301 29 1927 Derby
4302–4311 44302–44311 28 1926 Crewe
4312–4322 44312–44322 30 1927 St. Rollox
4323–4331 44323–44331 30 1928 St. Rollox
4332–4342 44332–44342 31 1926 Kerr Stuart
4343–4356 44343–44356 31 1927 Kerr Stuart
4357–4361 44357–44361 32 1926 Andrew Barclay
4362–4381 44362–44381 32 1927 Andrew Barclay
4382–4399 44382–44399 33 1926 North British Loco
4400–4406 44400–44406 33 1927 North British Loco
4407–4436 44407–44436 42 1927 Derby
4437–4446 44437–44446 43 1927 Crewe
4447–4456 44447–44456 43 1928 Crewe
4457–4466 44457–44466 44 1928 Horwich
4467–4476 44467–44476 45 1928 St. Rollox
4477–4506 44477–44506 46 1927 North British Loco
4507–4556 44507–44556 56 1928 Crewe
4562–4575 44562–44575 137 1937 Crewe
4577–4586 44577–44586 146 1939 Derby
4587–4596 44587–44596 147 1939 Derby
4597–4604 44597–44604 147 1940 Derby
4605–4606 44605–44606 147 1941 Derby

The missing numbers (4)4557–61 relate to five locomotives built for the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway to the Midland Railway 3835 Class design in 1922, and taken into LMS stock in 1930.

All entered British Railways stock in 1948. BR added 40000 to their numbers. They were all withdrawn between 1959 and 1966.

Accidents and incidents
  • On 12 February 1929, locomotive No. 4491 was hauling a freight train that was in a head-on collision with an express passenger train, hauled by LNWR Claughton Class 4-6-0 No. 5977, at Doe Hill station, Derbyshire due to a signalman's error. Two people were killed.[2]
  • On 4 September 1942, locomotive No. 4541 was hauling a freight train that overran the end of a loop in blackout conditions at Todmorden, Yorkshire and was derailed.[3]
  • On 6 June 1961, a locomotive of the class was running light when it was in a head-on collision with a freight train at Carlisle Citadel station, Cumberland.[3]

Withdrawal

Withdrawals from stock occurred between 1959 and 1966.

Preservation
Preserved 44422 pulls into Holt station on the North Norfolk Railway.

Three LMS-built 4Fs survive, with the first-built LMS 4F, No. (4)4027, being part of the National Collection.

Numbers Built Builder Withdrawn Service Life Location Condition
LMS BR
4027 44027 Nov 1924 Derby Works Nov 1964 40 Years Vale of Berkeley Railway[4] Overhaul in progress following the loco's arrival at Sharpness.
4123 44123 Jul 1925 Crewe Works Jun 1965 39 Years, 11 months Avon Valley Railway Restoration in progress.
4422 44422 Oct 1927 Derby Works Jun 1965 37 Years, 8 months Churnet Valley Railway[5] Under overhaul. Returned to the CVR in December 2019 following the termination of its previous loan agreement with the West Somerset Railway.

Models

The 4F has been modelled by Lima (O, HO and N Gauge) and Graham Farish (N Gauge, still produced under the Bachmann label). Airfix produced a tender drive model of the 4F in OO Gauge in 1978. Production of this was continued by Dapol after it acquired Airfix models in 1985, and were subsequently sold to Hornby in the late 1990s. They upgraded the model to loco drive in 2012. Bachmann have produced a version of the Midland railway variant of the 4F since 2012.

References
  1. Platforms Souls (Chap.1), Whittaker, Nicholas, Gollancz, London, 1995
  2. Earnshaw, Alan (1991). Trains in Trouble: Vol. 7. Penryn: Atlantic Books. p. 22. ISBN 0-906899-50-8.
  3. Earnshaw, Alan (1990). Trains in Trouble: Vol. 6. Penryn: Atlantic Books. pp. 27, 39. ISBN 0-906899-37-0.
  4. "4F 4027". Vale of Berkeley Railway. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
  5. Holden, Michael (3 December 2019). "Steam locomotive 44422 arrives at the Churnet Valley Railway". RailAdvent. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
Sources
  • David Hunt, John Jennison Bob Essery & Fred James LMS Locomotive Profiles No.10: The Standard Class 4 Goods 0-6-0s ISBN 1-905184-35-2 (pictorial supplement ISBN 1-905184-37-9)
  • Rowledge, J.W.P (1975). Engines of the LMS, built 1923–51. Oxford: Oxford Publishing Company. ISBN 0-902888-59-5.
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