Midland Railway 115 Class

The Midland Railway 115 Class was the third of four classes of 4-2-2 steam locomotive, nicknamed "Spinners", designed by Samuel Waite Johnson. A total of 15 of the class were built between 1896 and 1899. They were capable of reaching speeds of up to . One engine, No. 673, is preserved in the National Collection.

Classes of Midland Railway 4-2-2 locomotives

Single-driver locomotives had been superseded in the late 19th century as loads increased, but were then reintroduced when steam sanding allowed better adhesion. Five similar classes were built, with slight enlargements each time, and details as follows:

Midland Railway 4-2-2 classesTemplate:Sfn

Class	Quantity	Years built	Driving wheels	Cylinders	Boiler pressure
25 class	18	1887–90		, slide valves
1853 class	42	1889–93		, slide valves
179 class	10	1893–96		, piston valves
115 class	15	1896–99		, piston valves
2601 class	10	1899–1900

Construction history

The fifteen locomotives in the 115 class were built in two batches, both at Derby Works.

Table of orders and numbersTemplate:Sfn

Original No.	1907 (& LMS) No.	Derby Works Order No.	Year	Notes
115–119	670–674	1474	1896–97
120, 121, 123–128, 130, 131	675–684	1659	1899

Service history

It was quite common for the class to pull an express weighing , which suited them perfectly. Given a dry rail, they could maintain a tight schedule with . Speeds up to Template:Cvt were not uncommon, and the sight of their large, spinning driving wheels with no visible connecting rods earned them the nickname "Spinners". Due to the Midland's practice of building low-powered locomotives and relying on double-heading to cope with heavier trains, many had working lives of up to 30 years. They made ideal pilot engines for the later Johnson/Deeley 4-4-0 classes.

Renumbering

In the Midland Railway 1907 renumbering scheme, they were assigned numbers 670–684. During World War I most were placed in store, but were then pressed into service afterward as pilots on the Nottingham to London coal trains. Twelve locomotives survived to the 1923 grouping, keeping their Midland Railway numbers in LMS service. Nevertheless by 1927 only three of the class remained, with the last engine, 673 (formerly 118) being withdrawn in 1928 and subsequently preserved.

Table of withdrawalsTemplate:Sfn

Year	Quantity in service at start of year	Quantity withdrawn	Locomotive numbers	Notes
1921	15	2	675, 684
1922	13	1	681
1925	12	2	674, 676
1926	10	8	670–672, 677, 678, 680, 682, 683
1928	2	2	673, 679

Preservation

No. 673 is the sole survivor of its class. It was steamed around 1976–1980 when it took part in the Rainhill Trials 150th cavalcade but is currently a static exhibit in the National Railway Museum in York but not on display currently.

Gallery

• Caption: "A Jubilee Year Record-Maker. Midland Railway No. 116." In 1897, No. 116 (shown here in photographic grey) reached a speed of Template:Cvt while under full load, at that time the highest recorded speed in the UK.[3]
  Caption: "A Jubilee Year Record-Maker. Midland Railway No. 116."
  In 1897, No. 116 (shown here in photographic grey) reached a speed of Template:Cvt while under full load, at that time the highest recorded speed in the UK.
• Preserved No. 673 in Midland Railway crimson lake livery at the Rocket 150 celebration in Rain­hill in May 1980.
  Preserved No. 673 in Midland Railway crimson lake livery at the Rocket 150 celebration in Rain­hill in May 1980.
• Model of No. 117. Note the differences to No. 673, both in con­struc­tion (smokebox door, hand­rail) and livery (base of smokebox red lined with yellow; boiler bands picked out in yellow; springs red lined with yellow; wheel spokes red; different lining on tender sides; number, coat of arms and MR initials in different locations.
  Model of No. 117. Note the differences to No. 673, both in con­struc­tion (smokebox door, hand­rail) and livery (base of smokebox red lined with yellow; boiler bands picked out in yellow; springs red lined with yellow; wheel spokes red; different lining on tender sides; number, coat of arms and MR initials in different locations.

References

• Template:Baxter-BritishLocoCat3A
• Herring, Peter (2000) Classic British Steam Locomotives, Enderby: Abbeydale, Template:ISBN