Liverpool & Manchester 0-4-2 Locomotives in Great_Britain

Class Lion (Locobase 21029)

Data from "An Eighty Year Old Locomotive", Locomotive Magazine, Volume 31 (15 January 1923), p. 10; supplemented by "LMR 57 Lion" in Wikipedia at [], last accessed 4 July 2022. See also N P Burgh, Link-Motion and Expansion-Gear Practically Considered (London: William Clowes and Sons, 1881), pp. 12-13; Anthony Dawson,Locomotives of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway (Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England: Pen & Sword Books Ltd, 2021), pp. 99-102.

The builder, the first iteration of the of the world-famous Kitson & Company, produced engines that combined the basic layout of Stephenson's patent for a 2-2-2 layout but introduced several of Locomotive Superintendent John Melling. He added a second driving axle, fitted his own patent radial valve gear, recycled waste steam from his safety valve as a water pre-heater, and included water bars in the firebox.

(See Dawson for an extended description of the Melling locomotives.)

Burgh's 1881 history of the link motion stated that Melling introduced his expansion-gear design in 1830. In essence, it featured a stud in the middle of the connecting rod's length that could be raised or dropped to shift a link connected to small crank shafts inside the plates. Although initially greeted with approval by the "leading railway engineers", Burgh wrote, its actual path was an ellipse meant "the motion imparted to the valve by this arrangement is the slowest when it should be the quickest, such as for 'supply steam' and cut-off'". He added: "[H]ence it was neveer universally adopted.")

Wikipedia states that the Lion and Tiger served as "luggage" engines for working goods trains. Dawson's table gives the engine weight for the Tiger, which is used for Locobase's value.

Edge Hill shops substantially modified the Lion in 1841 with a new longer boiler, longer frame, 12" x 18" cylinders, new valves, valve chests, and William Buddicom's valve gear. Cylinder volume increased slightly (7%), but the stroke-to-bore ratio decreased from an overlong 182% to a more typical 150%. It was this version that LM's 1923 report described.

Lion remained in service until 1857. In 1859 the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board as a stationary engine. Fitted with a new boiler in 1865 and 14 1/8" cylinders at some later date.

It was rescued from oblivion in 1928 and "restored". Wikipedia reports the substantial makeover included "a new chimney; new smokebox doors; new wheel splashers; new foot plate and cab guard rails; new boiler lagging; new boiler tubes; the fitting of a mechanical lubricator; new boiler fittings." And the cylinders were rebored.

Its film career began in 1937 with an appearance in Victoria the Great. Best known as the title locomotive in 1953's Titfield Thunderbolt. Its last self-propelled appearance came in 1988, after which it went on display first at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester and ultimately the Museum of Liverpool.