LMS Ivatt Class 4
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The LMS Ivatt Class 4 2-6-0 is a class of steam locomotive primarily designed for medium freight work but also widely used on secondary passenger services. The
London, Midland and Scottish Railway The London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMSIt has been argued that the initials LMSR should be used to be consistent with London and North Eastern Railway, LNER, Great Western Railway, GWR and Southern Railway (UK), SR. The London, Midland an ...
(LMS) ordered 162 of this type between 1947 and 1952, but only three were built by the LMS before nationalisation in 1948. Designed by
George Ivatt Henry George Ivatt (4 May 1886 – 4 October 1972), known as George Ivatt, was the post-war Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London Midland and Scottish Railway. He was the son of the Great Northern Railway locomotive engineer Henry Ivatt. ...
, they were classified 4F by the LMS and 4MT by British Railways (BR). In BR days they were used extensively across the system, being prevalent on the London Midland region and to a lesser extent elsewhere, notably on the
Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway The Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway (M&GNJR) was a railway network in England, in the area connecting southern Lincolnshire, the Isle of Ely and north Norfolk. It developed from several local independent concerns and was incorporated i ...
, an East Anglian line that had previously been joint owned by the LMS and LNER, where they became the dominant locomotive type. They were also used for a short period on the
Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway The Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway (S&DJR, also known as the S&D, S&DR or SDJR), was an English railway line Joint railway, jointly owned by the Midland Railway (MR) and the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) that grew to connect Bat ...
, but were quickly transferred elsewhere, never to return, because of poor steaming on the line's long and steep gradients – this was before modifications were made to the design which improved steaming notably.


Numbering

The first three engines were numbered 3000–3002 by the LMS, but became 43000–43002 when renumbered by BR – 40000 was added to the running number to indicate an ex-LMS locomotive. The remaining 159, built by BR, continued the number sequence: 43003–43161. Construction was divided between different locations, 75 were completed at
Horwich Works Horwich Works was a railway works built in 1886 by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (LYR) in Horwich, near Bolton, in North West England when the company moved from its original works at Miles Platting, Manchester. Buildings Horwich Work ...
, 50 at
Doncaster Works Doncaster Railway Works is a railway workshop located in Doncaster, England. Also referred to as ''The Plant'', it was established by the Great Northern Railway (England), Great Northern Railway in 1853, replacing the previous works in Boston, ...
and 37 at Darlington Works. The class was also sometimes called ''mucky ducks'' or ''doodlebugs'' or even ''flying pigs''.


Design

The design was noted for its American looks – the running-plates were positioned at a high level and a gap left ahead of the cylinders. Because of this, many locomotive enthusiasts considered it to be the ugliest British locomotive produced, especially the first 50 locomotives, which were outshopped with double chimneys; however, these gave poor performance and were quickly replaced with single chimneys. The locomotives also incorporated new mechanical features intended to reduce maintenance costs. The utilitarian appearance was a deliberate design decision as there are sketches which show the locomotive with conventional curved running plates. The BR Standard Class 4 2-6-0 was based on this design. Its looks were improved somewhat by the re-design of the outside foot-plating, to include a sloping plate to fill the gap ahead of the cylinders.


Accidents and incidents

*On 8 August 1952, locomotive No. 43142 rolled off a
turntable A phonograph, later called a gramophone, and since the 1940s a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogue reproduction of sound. The sound vibration waveforms are recorded as corresponding phys ...
in South Lynn and fell into a muddy ditch. The incident became the inspiration for
Gordon Gordon may refer to: People * Gordon (given name), a masculine given name, including list of persons and fictional characters * Gordon (surname), the surname * Gordon (slave), escaped to a Union Army camp during the U.S. Civil War * Gordon Heuck ...
's accident in ''
The Railway Series ''The Railway Series'' is a series of British books about a railway known as the North Western Railway, located on the fictional Sodor (fictional island), Island of Sodor. There are 42 books in the series, the first published in May 1945 by Wi ...
'' story ''Off The Rails'', as well as the televised series' episode of the same name. *On 15 November 1964, locomotive No. 43072 was hauling a freight train which ran away and crashed at Adolphus Street Goods Yard,
Bradford Bradford is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in West Yorkshire, England. It became a municipal borough in 1847, received a city charter in 1897 and, since the Local Government Act 1972, 1974 reform, the city status in the United Kingdo ...
,
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. The locomotive was subsequently scrapped ''
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''.


Withdrawal

The class were withdrawn between 1963 and 1968.


Preservation

Only one example survived into preservation: No. 43106, the final member of the class in service, which was based at
Lostock Hall Lostock Hall is a suburban village within the South Ribble borough of Lancashire, England. It is located on the south side of the River Ribble, some south of Preston and north of Leyland. It is bordered on its southeastern side by the in ...
depot, near Preston. Its last operational turn was just before Easter in 1968, but its last turn was interrupted by a derailment in Colne Goods Yard. Since 43106 had already been selected as the best of the remaining small group, a 'search party' was despatched on Easter Tuesday to survey the damage. It was felt that damage was so minimal the prospective owners would investigate the ease of a repair. On its return to Lostock Hall, the locomotive was repaired by fitters from Carnforth, that repair exists to this day. However, it derailed again at Lostock Hall when being prepared for a test run in late July. It was steamed for the final time by British Railways on 1 August 1968 and departed at about 15:30 with one member of its new owning consortium on board. This was only after lengthy discussions to get the locomotive moved in live steam before 4 August, the end of steam operation on BR. The journey was carefully routed to limit movement 'under the wires', via Frodsham, Chester and Shrewsbury. The journey through the West Midlands continued via Wolverhampton High Level towards Bescot and Pleck Junction, where after a movement around a triangular junction to ensure it arrived the 'right way round' the light engine continued on to Stourbridge Junction where it was stabled overnight in the exchange sidings, now part of the extensive car park. On 2 August, it continued on to its new life in preservation on the
Severn Valley Railway The Severn Valley Railway is a standard gauge, standard-gauge heritage railway in Shropshire and Worcestershire, England. The single-track line runs from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster, calling at four intermediate stations and three request stop ...
appearing on the front page of the Shropshire Journal with three of its new owners giving it a much needed clean. It is affectionately known as the ''Flying Pig'', although many railwaymen referred to the Ivatt Class 4s as ''Doodlebugs''. Between 1975 and 1983, No. 43106 saw use on the mainline hauling railtours. In 1975, it attended the Rail 150 celebrations in
Shildon Shildon is a town and civil parish in County Durham (district), County Durham, in England. The population taken at the 2011 Census was 9,976. The town has the Locomotion Museum, due to it having the first , built in 1825, and locomotive works on ...
and in 1980 it took part in the Rocket 150 celebrations at
Rainhill Rainhill is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens, Merseyside, England. The population at the 2011 census was 10,853. Historically part of Lancashire, Rainhill was a township in the ecclesiastical parish of Prescot ...
. On a small number of occasions between 1980 and 1983, the engine saw use on a limited number of railtours, on some occasions double heading with fellow SVR based engines including: 5000, 7812 Erlestoke Manor and 80079. A major overhaul of the locomotive was completed in 2009, but shortly afterwards suffered a derailment at Hampton Loade and required repairs. It received further repairs to the boiler in 2013, which included a renewed boiler ticket. This expired in January 2024 with a final appearance before withdrawal at the SVR's Winter Gala.


Gallery

Image:Ashchurch 10 railway geograph-2166093.jpg, No. 43014 stood at Ashchurch, July 1949 Image:Clapham Stewarts Lane geograph-2668824-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg, No. 43121 passing Clapham Stewarts Lane, February 1958 Image:Birmingham New Street LMS Ivatt 2-6-0 geograph-2778484-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg, No. 43049 at Birmingham New Street, October 1959 Image:Basford North railway station geograph-2168588.jpg, No. 43059 at Basford North on a passenger service, August 1963 Image:43046 cab.jpg, Close-up of the cab of 43046. Note the power classification of 4 on the cab side. File:Ivatt 4MT 2-6-0 43027 1968.jpg, Ivatt 4MT 2-6-0 43027 dumped at Lostock Hall shed, July 1968 File:43106 and Ruston & Hornsby 0-4-0 at Bridgnorth station.jpg, 43106 of Saltley MPD stands on platform 2 at Bridgnorth station on the
Severn Valley Railway The Severn Valley Railway is a standard gauge, standard-gauge heritage railway in Shropshire and Worcestershire, England. The single-track line runs from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster, calling at four intermediate stations and three request stop ...
File:Ivatt 4MT 43106 - geograph.org.uk - 2566315.jpg, On the
North Norfolk Railway The North Norfolk Railway (NNR) – also known as the "Poppy Line" – is a heritage railway, heritage steam railway in Norfolk, England, running between the towns of Sheringham and Holt, Norfolk, Holt. The North Norfolk Railway is owned ...
in 2011


References


Bibliography

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Further reading

* * {{LMS Locomotives 4 Ivatt Class 4 2-6-0 locomotives 1′C h2 locomotives Preserved London, Midland and Scottish Railway steam locomotives Railway locomotives introduced in 1947 Standard-gauge steam locomotives of Great Britain