Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire 4-4-0 Locomotives in Great_Britain


Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

Class 6B (Locobase 1094)

Data from "Express Engine, Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire (Now Great Central Railway)", Locomotive Magazine, Volume 18 (14 December 1912), pp. 255-256.

Designed by Charles Sacre'. Twenty-seven express engines with outside slotted frames that carried forward to the front buffer beam. The LM article claimed that the class's boiler was "one of the largest in this country at the time." The rear axle had bearings in both frames while the front driving axle had only outside bearings. Weight savings came in the form of 3 slots cut in the frame; this also improved accessibility.

They were designed for fast running east of Sheffield and satisfied that requirement for several years. But a serious flaw in the Smith simple vaccuum braking system, which dumped brake pressure if the brake line was cut, led to engine 434's fatal accident in 1884 in which 24 passengers died and 60 passengers were injured. Only in 1887 did the MS&L begin installing automatic braking systems.

After Sacre's retirement, the class was relegated to secondary service. The class was reboilered in the late 1890s with more and narrower tubes.

Twelve of the 27 were numbered by the LNER in 1923.


Class unknown (Locobase 9755)

Data from "Express Passenger Locomotive", Engineer, Volume 77 (13 April 1894), p. 304; Angus Sinclair, "The Manchester, Sheffield & Lancashire [sic] Railway Locomotive," Locomotive Engineering, Volume IX, No 12 (December 1896), p. 905 and "Ratio of Heating Surface to Grate Area and Cylinder Volume," Locomotive Engineering, Volume X, No. 4 (April 1897), pp. 316-318. See also Clement Edward Stretton, The Locomotive Engine and its Development (London: Crosby Lockwood and Son, 1896), p. 239-240.

This class was based on Parker's last express engine, but designed by Harry Pollitt in 1895 in anticipation of the opening of the MS&L's London trunk line in a year or two. When it did open in 1897, the railway changed its name to the Great Central. Stretton reported the first twelve to go into service operated between Manchester and Grantham.

Sinclair cited this design as typical of the British engines that were so economical in coal use by comparison to American engines of the same period. In its express-passenger service, he claimed, the M S & L locomotive used only 24 lb/train mile operating at 50 mph pulling 250 tons of train. In his earlier account, Sinclair's comments betray a veiled skepticism: "It would be very interesting to find out how an engine with 1,300 feet of heating surface is able to make steam with a nozzle 5 3/8 inches diameter, and how she can haul a fast train on a coal consumption of 24 pounds to every train-mile."

His disbelief emerges with the next sentence: "As far as we can learn, there are very few locomotives on this side of the Atlantic which use less than double per mile when working fast express trains."

In the later article, Sinclair attributed their economy to short ports in the cylinders which didn't allow a wastage of steam. This conflicts with later received wisdom that emphasized the superiority of long-port steam chests. He did not comment on Pollitt's use of piston valves, which were a novelty in both countries at the time.


Class unknown (Locobase 14820)

Data from "Address of Mr Edward Woods, President", Minutes of Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Volume 87 (Session 1886-1887, Part I--9 November 1886), p. 57.


Class unknown (Locobase 20754)

Data from "Express Passenger Engine, Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway" Engineer , Volume 77 (6 April 1894), p. 288. See also "Notes on English Railways - Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Ry", Engineering News, Volume 25 (25 April 1891), p. 391.

The last of Thomas Parker's express passenger locomotives to be produced, this class used bigger boilers and a somewhat larger grate to serve drivers that stood 6" (152 mm) taller. The classic design had full splashers over the drivers, a straight boiler, and inside

cylinders. They served the Manchester-King's Cross trains and were described as "very economical."

Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Middle Run Media
Class6Bunknownunknownunknown
Locobase ID1094 9755 14820 20754
RailroadManchester, Sheffield & LincolnshireManchester, Sheffield & LincolnshireManchester, Sheffield & LincolnshireManchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire
CountryGreat BritainGreat BritainGreat BritainGreat Britain
Whyte4-4-04-4-04-4-04-4-0
Number in Class2736
Road Numbers423-446, 128-129, 4696687
GaugeStdStdStdStd
Number Built2736
BuilderGortonGortonGortonGorton
Year1877189618851890
Valve GearStephensonStephensonStephensonStephenson
Locomotive Length and Weight
Driver Wheelbase (ft / m)8 / 2.449 8.58 / 2.62 8.58 / 2.62
Engine Wheelbase (ft / m)20.80 / 6.3422.1721.75 / 6.6322.75 / 6.93
Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase 0.38 0.41 0.39 0.38
Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m)44.67
Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg)36,62433,600 / 15,24136,624 / 16,612
Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg)65,072 / 29,51670,44871,792 / 32,564
Engine Weight (lbs / kg)91,952 / 41,709105,05691,952 / 41,709103,040 / 46,738
Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg)90,72078,400 / 35,562
Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg)195,776181,440 / 82,300
Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML)48003600 / 13.643696 / 14
Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT) 5.50 2.75 / 3 4.50 / 4
Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m)54 / 2759 / 29.5060 / 30
Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
Driver Diameter (in / mm)75 / 190584 / 214675 / 190581 / 2057
Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa)140 / 970170 / 1210140 / 970170 / 1170
High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)17.5" x 26" / 445x66018.5" x 26" / 457x66017" x 26" / 432x66018" x 26" / 457x660
Tractive Effort (lbs / kg)12,634 / 5730.6915,308 / 6943.6011,922 / 5407.7315,028 / 6816.59
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) 5.15 4.60 4.78
Heating Ability
Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm)175 - 2" / 51233 - 1.75" / 0233 - 1.75" / 44
Flues (number - dia) (in / mm)
Flue/Tube length (ft / m)10.08 / 3.0711.3711.06 / 3.37
Firebox Area (sq ft / m2)94 / 8.73109 / 10.1394 / 8.7399 / 9.20
Grate Area (sq ft / m2)15.64 / 1.4520 / 1.8615.50 / 1.4418.85 / 1.75
Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1016 / 94.391318 / 122.491016 / 94.391278 / 118.73
Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2)
Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1016 / 94.391318 / 122.491016 / 94.391278 / 118.73
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume140.37162.94148.75166.89
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation2190340021703205
Same as above plus superheater percentage2190340021703205
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area13,16018,53013,16016,830
Power L13593548138075314
Power MT243.46343.05326.37

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