The LMS Stanier Class 4P 3-Cylinder 2-6-4T is a class of

steam locomotive A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, oil or, rarely, wood) to heat water in the locomot ...

s designed for work over the

London, Tilbury and Southend Railway The London, Tilbury and Southend Railway (LT&SR), was a British railway company, whose network connected Fenchurch Street railway station, Fenchurch Street station, in central London, with destinations in east London and Essex, including , , , T ...

route. All 37 were built in 1934 at

Derby Works The Derby Works comprised a number of British manufacturing facilities designing and building locomotives and rolling stock in Derby, England. The first of these was a group of three maintenance sheds opened around 1840 behind Derby station. Th ...

and were numbered 2500–2536. The third cylinder was provided to allow increased acceleration between the many stops on the L.T.&S.R. line. From 1935 the LMS switched to constructing a very similar, albeit simpler, 2-cylinder design.

Production

The 37 three-cylinder express passenger tank locomotives were designed specifically for the London Tilbury and Southend line of the London Midland & Scottish railway (LMS) where extra power was needed to operate the heavy outer suburban trains to tight schedules. The inside cylinder and valve gear created additional maintenance and was deemed unnecessary for other duties. The locomotives were built in 1934 at LMS Derby Works.

Withdrawal

The class were withdrawn from 1960 to 1962.

Preservation

The first member of the class to be built, No. 2500 has survived and is on static display at the

National Railway Museum The National Railway Museum is a museum in York forming part of the Science Museum Group. The museum tells the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It is the home of the national collection of historically significant r ...

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

. It is the sole survivor of this class and is painted in LMS lined black livery.

References

External links

Class 4P-F Details
at ''Rail UK'' 4 Stanier 2-6-4T (3-cyl) 2-6-4T locomotives Preserved London, Midland and Scottish Railway steam locomotives Railway locomotives introduced in 1934 Standard gauge steam locomotives of Great Britain 1′C2′ h3t locomotives Passenger locomotives {{England-steam-loco-stub