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LT&SR 1 Class

Class of British steam locomotives

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The London, Tilbury and Southend Railway 1 class was a class of 4-4-2T suburban tank engines. Thirty-six were built between 1880-1892, by Sharp, Stewart and Company and Nasmyth, Wilson and Company. They were the first locomotives owned by the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway and were the first 4-4-2T locomotives to operate in Britain.

01Background

Prior to 3 July 1880, all train services on the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway (LT&SR) had been run by the Great Eastern Railway (GER) under contract. An injunction prevented the GER from building locomotives for the LT&SR after this date. The railway therefore approached William Adams, a former locomotive superintendent of the GER, then working for the London and South Western Railway who supervised the new design which was officially ascribed to Thomas Whitelegg.

02Design

The design was based on William Adams's 46 class 4-4-0T but with 6 ft 1 in (1.854 m) driving wheels and an extended coal bunker supported by a radial axle making them the first 4-4-2 tanks to be used in the United Kingdom.

Eighteen locomotives were built by Sharp, Stewart and Company in 1880-1881, followed by a further twelve in 1885, and a final batch of six by Nasmyth, Wilson & Co. in 1895. They were used on the railway's commuter services between London Fenchurch Street railway station and Upminster, Southend and Tilbury. The class proved successful and most survived in service for fifty years or more. One member of this class was recorded as having hauled a train of 240 t (236 long tons; 265 short tons) at an average of 82.2 km/h (51.1 mph) to Southend with water taken during runs.

The merit of the engines was such that enlarged versions, the LT&SR 37 Class, LT&SR 51 Class and LTSR 79 Class, were produced in 1897, 1900 and 1909 respectively, and the LMS built further examples of the 79 Class as late as 1930. In total, 97 engines of the four classes were built over a 50 year period.

03Numbering

On the LTSR they were numbered 1-36 and named for places on or near their railway line. In 1912, the LTSR was absorbed by the Midland Railway and the locomotives were renumbered 2110-2145 and the names removed. At the grouping in 1923, all passed to the London, Midland and Scottish Railway and at first retained their former MR numbers. However between 1923 and 1927 twenty-five were progressively renumbered, 2110-19 to 2200-09 in 1923, 2120-24 to 2210-14 in 1925, and 2125-34 to 2190-99. In 1930, all 36 were renumbered in the 2056-2091 range.

Retirements started in 1929, and by 1936, all had been withdrawn and scrapped.

04Fleet details

LTSR
No.
LTSR NameBuilderBuilt MR No. & 1st
LMS No.
LMS 1923-27
Renumber
LMS 1930
No.
Withdrawn
1SouthendSharp Stewart 288018802110220020771930
2GravesendSharp Stewart 288118802111220120781935
3TilburySharp Stewart 288218802112220220791935
4BromleySharp Stewart 288318802113220320801932
5PlaistowSharp Stewart 288418802114220420811930
6Upton ParkSharp Stewart 288518802115220520821933
7BarkingSharp Stewart 288618802116220620831935
8RainhamSharp Stewart 288718802117220720841933
9Tilbury DocksSharp Stewart 288818802118220820851930
10GraysSharp Stewart 288918802119220920861930
11StanfordSharp Stewart 289018802120221020871930
12PitseaSharp Stewart 289118802121221120881930
13Black Horse RoadSharp Stewart 296918812122221220891932
14LeighSharp Stewart 297018812123221320901935
15East HamSharp Stewart 297118812124221420911933
16Low StreetSharp Stewart 301818812125219020671934
17Thames HavenSharp Stewart 301918812126219120681935
18Burdett RoadSharp Stewart 302018812127219220691930
19DagenhamSharp Stewart 321718842128219320701935
20HornchurchSharp Stewart 321818842129219420711932
21UpminsterSharp Stewart 321918842130219520721932
22Commercial RoadSharp Stewart 322018852131219620731935
23LaindonSharp Stewart 322118852132219720741930
24OckendonSharp Stewart 322218852133219820751935
25StiffordSharp Stewart 322318852134219920761935
26West ThurrockSharp Stewart 322418852135, 20561932
27WhitechapelSharp Stewart 322518852136, 20571932
28RomfordSharp Stewart 322618852137, 20581935
29StepneySharp Stewart 322718852138, 20591932
30FenchurchSharp Stewart 322818852139, 20601934
31St. PancrasNasmyth Wilson 42518922140, 20611933
32LeytonNasmyth Wilson 42618922141, 20621933
33WansteadNasmyth Wilson 42718922142, 20631935
34TottenhamNasmyth Wilson 42818922143, 20641930
35West HamNasmyth Wilson 42918922144, 20651933
36WalthamstowNasmyth Wilson 43018922145, 20661932
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Sources and credits

This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article LT&SR 1 Class, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

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