LNWR Webb Experiment Class

The London and North Western Railway Experiment Class was a series of 30 three-cylinder 2-(2-2)-0 compound locomotives designed by Francis Webb for the London and North Western Railway between 1882 and 1884. They were Webb’s first large-scale experiment with a class of express compound locomotives, and the first engine was named accordingly. They were followed by a class of similar, but larger locomotives, that featured larger boilers and smaller driving wheels – the LNWR Dreadnought Class.

LNWR Experiment Class
No.301 Economist
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
DesignerF. W. Webb
BuilderCrewe Works
Serial number2500, 2625–2628, 2669–2673, 2734–2753
Build date1882–84
Total produced30
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte2-(2-2)-0
 • UIC1AA n3v
Gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Leading dia.3 ft 6 in (1.067 m)
Driver dia.6 ft 6 in (1.981 m)
Loco weight38 long tons (39 t)
Fuel typeCoal
Heating surface1,083.5 sq ft (100.66 m2)
CylindersThree: two high pressure outside, driving rear wheels; one low pressure inside, driving front drivers
High-pressure cylinder13 in × 24 in (330 mm × 610 mm)
Low-pressure cylinder26 in × 24 in (660 mm × 610 mm)
Valve gearJoy valve gear for HP, and slip-eccentric valve gear for LP.
Career
OperatorsLondon and North Western Railway
Withdrawn1903–1904
Scrapped1904–1905
DispositionAll scrapped

After Webb's retirement, his successor, George Whale, withdrew the Experiment class locomotives soon after he took up office in 1903.

Accidents and incidents
Main article: Chelford rail accident
  • On 22 December 1894, a gust of wind blew a wagon into a rake of wagons at Chelford, Cheshire. They were derailed and fouled the main line. Locomotive No. 520 Express was one of two hauling an express passenger train that collided with the wagons and was derailed. 14 people were killed and 48 were injured.

Locomotives
Table of locomotives
LNWR
No.		NameCrewe
Works
No.		Date
built		Date
scrapped		Notes
66Experiment2500January 1882February 1905
300Compound2625February 1883July 1905
301Economist2626March 1883October 1904
302Velocipede2627April 1883July 1905
303Hydra2628April 1883January 1905
305Trentham2669July 1883June 1904
306Knowsley2670July 1883July 1905
307Victor2671July 1883February 1905
520Express2672July 1883April 1905
519Shooting Star2673July 1883February 1905
311Richard Francis Roberts2734January 1884July 1905
315Alaska2735February 1884July 1905
321Servia2736February 1884January 1905
323Britannic2737February 1884March 1905
333Germanic2738February 1884November 1904
353Oregon2739February 1884July 1905
363Aurania2740February 1884February 1905
365America2741March 1884April 1905
366City of Chicago2742March 1884May 1905
310Sarmatian2743March 1884November 1904
1102Cyclops2744May 1884October 1904
1120Apollo2745June 1884December 1905
1104Sunbeam2746June 1884January 1905
1113Hecate2747June 1884August 1904
1111Messenger2748June 1884February 1905
1115Snake2749July 1884March 1905
1116Friar2750July 1884August 1905
1117Penguin2751July 1884October 1904
372Empress2752July 1884June 1905
374Emperor2753July 1884September 1905

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to LNWR Experiment class (Webb).
    • Baxter, Bertram (1979). Baxter, David (ed.). British Locomotive Catalogue 1825–1923, Volume 2B: London and North Western Railway and its constituent companies. Ashbourne, Derbyshire: Moorland Publishing Company. p. 194. ISBN 0-903485-84-2.
    This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.