LMS Fowler Class 4F

44252 at Coalville MPD, June 1955. It is in unlined BR black livery with the early crest on its tender.

44458 waits at Stanton Gate, 1965. Note the yellow cabside stripe that indicates that it is prohibited from the electrified West Coast Main Line south of Crewe where it is out-of-gauge.

An earlier view of 44458, this time passing Water Orton.

44088 on southbound goods at Rowsley September 1958.

44441 light engine, stopped near Elstree Tunnel by a signal, June 1960. This has the later BR crest on its tender.

The London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) Fowler 4F is a class of 0-6-0 steam locomotive designed for medium freight work. They represent the ultimate development of Midland Railway's six coupled tender engines.

Background

The 4F was based on the 197-strong Midland Railway 3835 Class of 1911, with only a few modifications, primarily the adoption of left-hand drive in favour of right-hand drive. They originally had been designed by Henry Fowler, who from 1925 became CME of the LMS.

Reluctantly because of they were part of the Midland's small engine policy adopted by the LMS but reversed by Stanier, and incoportated certain poor design features, particularly in ill-advise attempt at standardisation, the adoption of Midland standard small axle boxes.

Construction

The LMS constructed 530 of the locomotives between 1923 and 1928, numbered sequentially from where the Midland engines left off from 4027. A further 45 examples were reluctantly authorised by William Stanier in 1937 at the behest of the operating department.

Numbers		Lot No.	Date built	Built by
LMS	BR
4027-34	44027-34	7	1924	Derby
4035-56	44035-56	7	1925	Derby
4057-81	44057-81	8	1925	North British
4082-106	44082-106	9	1925	Kerr Stuart
4107	44107	10	1924	Crewe
4108-58	44108-58	10	1925	Crewe
4159-76	44159-76	10	1926	Crewe
4177/8	44177/8	11	1924	St. Rollox
4179-4206	44179-4206	11	1925	St. Rollox
4207-16	44207-16	29	1925	Derby
4217-87	44217-87	29	1926	Derby
4288-301	44288-301	29	1927	Derby
4302-11	44302-11	28	1926	Crewe
4312-22	44312-22	30	1927	St. Rollox
4323-31	44323-31	30	1928	St. Rollox
4332-42	44332-42	31	1926	Kerr Stuart
4343-56	44343-56	31	1927	Kerr Stuart
4357-61	44357-61	32	1926	Andrew Barclay
4362-81	44362-81	32	1927	Andrew Barclay
4382-99	44382-99	33	1926	North British
4400-6	44400-6	33	1927	North British
4407-36	44407-36	42	1927	Derby
4437-46	44437-46	43	1927	Crewe
4447-56	44447-56	43	1928	Crewe
4457-66	44457-66	44	1928	Horwich
4467-76	44467-76	45	1928	St. Rollox
4477-506	44477-506	46	1927	North British
4507-56	44507-56	56	1928	Crewe
4562-75	44562-75	137	1937	Crewe
4577-86	44577-86	146	1939	Derby
4587-96	44587-96	147	1939	Derby
4597-604	44597-604	147	1940	Derby
4605/6	44605/6	147	1941	Derby

The missing numbers 44557-44561 relate to locomotives built to Midland Railway design for the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway in 1922.

All entered British Railways stock in 1948. BR added 40000 to their numbers. They were all withdrawn between 1959 and 1966.

Preservation

The first-built LMS 4F, No. 4027 in steam at the Rainhill Trials 150th anniversary calvacade, May 1980.

Preserved 44422 stands in the rain on the East Lancs Railway.

Three LMS-built 4Fs survive. The first-built LMS 4F No. (4)4027 is part of the National Railway Collection. Classmates (4)4123 and (4)4422 have also escaped the cutter's torch. In addition, one of the Midland-built 4Fs, (4)3924 also survives.

Numbers		Location	Condition	Link to preserved locomotive database
LMS	BR
4027	44027	Midland Railway Centre	Restoration in progress	44027
4123	44123	Avon Valley Railway	Restoration in progress	44123
4422	44422	East Lancashire Railway	Operational	44422

Models

Hornby Produce a 00 gauge model using the old Dapol (formerly Airfix) tooling. In 0 gauge Bachmann brassworks produce an accurate model and Finally in N Gauge Graham Farish produce a model of the class.

External links

• Railuk database
• The 44422 Locomotive Fund
• The London Midland Society