LMS Princess Royal Class

Princess Royal Class

One of the two preserved Princess Royals, 6201 Princess Elizabeth at Castleton South Junction.

Type and origin Power type Steam Designer William Stanier Builder LMS Crewe Works Build date 1933 (2), 1935 (10), 1952 (1 rebuilt from Turbomotive) Total produced 13

Specifications Gauge 4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Leading dia 36 in (914 mm) Driver diameter 78 in (1,981 mm) Trailing dia 45 in (1,143 mm) Length 74 ft 4 ^1⁄4 in (22.66 m) Loco weight 104.5 long tons (117.0 short tons; 106.2 t) 110.55 long tons (123.82 short tons; 112.32 t) (Turbomotive) Tender weight 54.65 long tons (61.21 short tons; 55.53 t) Fuel type Coal Fuel capacity 9 long tons (10 short tons; 9.1 t), later 10 long tons (11 short tons; 10 t) Water cap 4,000 imp gal (18,000 l; 4,800 US gal) Firebox:  • Firegrate area 45 sq ft (4.2 m^2) Boiler LMS type 1 Boiler pressure 250 psi (1.7 MPa) superheated Heating surface:  • Firebox 190 sq ft (18 m^2) or 217 sq ft (20.2 m^2) Cylinders 4 Cylinder size 16 ^1⁄4 in × 28 in (413 mm × 711 mm) Valve gear Walschaerts (piston valves) 6205 had outside Walschaerts with rocking shafts operating inside valves.

Performance figures Tractive effort 40,285 lbf (179.20 kN)

Career Operators London, Midland & Scottish Power class 7P reclassified 8P in 1951 First run 1933 Withdrawn 1952 (1), 1961 (6), 1962 (6) Disposition Two preserved, remainder scrapped

The London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) Princess Royal Class is a class of an express passenger steam locomotive designed by William Stanier. They were Pacifics (i.e. had a 4-6-2 wheel arrangement). Thirteen examples were built at Crewe Works, between 1933 and 1935 and two are preserved.

Overview

When originally built, they were used to haul the famous Royal Scot train between London Euston and Glasgow Central.

Construction

A prototype batch of three locomotives was to be constructed in 1933. Two were constructed as drawn but the third set of frames was retained as the basis for an experimental turbine locomotive.^{[1][2] [3]}

Turbomotive

The third prototype was constructed with the aid of the Swedish Ljungstrom turbine company and known as the Turbomotive, although not named. It was numbered 6202, in sequence with the Princess Royals. Although 'generally similar' to the rest of the Princess Royals,^[1] and 'not all that much different',^[4] it used a larger 40 element superheater to give a higher steam temperature, more suitable for turbine use.^{[2][5][note 1]} This boiler was also domeless as would later be used for the second batch of the Princess Royals. The continuous exhaust of the turbine, rather than the sharper intermittent blast of the piston engine, also required changes to the draughting and the use of a double chimney.^[6][7] It entered service in June 1935 on the London–Liverpool service.^[8]

This Turbomotive was rebuilt in 1952 with conventional 'Coronation' cylinders and named Princess Anne, but was soon destroyed in the Harrow and Wealdstone rail crash.^[7]

Later production

A second batch of eleven locomotives was constructed later.^[9]

Accidents and incidents

• On 21 September 1951, locomotive No.46207 Princess Arthur of Connaught was hauling an express passenger train that was derailed at Weedon, Northamptonshire due to a defective front bogie on the locomotive. Fifteen people were killed and 35 were injured.

• On 8 October 1952, an express passenger train overran signals and was in a rear-end collision at Harrow and Wealdstone station, Middlesex. Locomotive No. 46202 Princess Anne was one of two hauling an express train which ran into the wreckage. A total of 112 people were killed and 340 were injured. The locomotive was consequently scrapped.

Naming

Each locomotive was named after a princess, the official name for the class was chosen because Mary, Princess Royal was the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Scots. However, the locos were known to railwaymen as "Lizzies", after the second example of the class named for Princess Elizabeth who later became Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. Later examples of 4-6-2 express passenger locomotive built by the LMS were of the related but larger, Coronation Class.

Withdrawal

The class were withdrawn in the early 1960s in line with British Railways' modernisation plan.

Details

LMS No.	BR No.	Name(s)	Date Built	Date Withdrawn	Notes
6200	46200	The Princess Royal	July 1933	November 1962	.
6201	46201	Princess Elizabeth	November 1933	October 1962	Preserved.
6203	46203	Princess Margaret Rose	July 1935	October 1962	Preserved. Owned by the Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust.
6204	46204	Princess Louise	July 1935	October 1961	.
6205	46205	Princess Victoria	July 1935	November 1961	Fitted with modified valve gear in 1947. Converted back to normal in 1955
6206	46206	Princess Marie Louise	August 1935	October 1962	.
6207	46207	Princess Arthur of Connaught	August 1935	November 1961	Appeared in the 1930s classic documentary film No. 6207 A Study In Steel which showed the production of the locomotive from molten steel to the finished product.
6208	46208	Princess Helena Victoria	August 1935	October 1962	.
6209	46209	Princess Beatrice	August 1935	September 1962	.
6210	46210	Lady Patricia	September 1935	October 1961	.
6211	46211	Queen Maud	September 1935	October 1961	.
6212	46212	Duchess of Kent	October 1935	October 1961	.

Preservation

Two examples, 6201 Princess Elizabeth and 6203 Princess Margaret Rose are preserved. They were named after the two children of Prince Albert, Duke of York (later King George VI), and his wife, Elizabeth, Duchess of York (later Queen Elizabeth, and after the king's death, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother). Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary (later Queen Elizabeth II) was seven years old in 1933 when her namesake was built, and Princess Margaret Rose was nearly five in July 1935 when her namesake was completed. At the time, they were third and fourth in line to the throne. 'Princess Margaret Rose' is owned by The Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust and is on static display at the West Shed Museum, Midland Railway-Butterley, Ripley, Derbyshire.

Gallery

• 

  46201 Princess Elizabeth at Carlisle awaiting scrapping. The locomotive was later preserved.

• 

  Princess Margaret Rose at Swanwick West Shed in 2006.

Media

• 6201 at Langho on Whalley Bank – sound recording.

References

1. This trifurcated superheater design was later used on the Duchess class.^[2]

1. Nock, p. 114
2. Cook, A.F. (1999). Raising Steam on the LMS. RCTS. pp. 126–127. ISBN 0-901115-85-1.
3. Rowledge, J.W.P. (1987). "3: The Princess Royal Class – The First Two". The LMS Pacifics. David & Charles. pp. 24–35. ISBN 0-7153-8776-6.
4. Fryer 1990, p. 165
5. Rowledge, J.W.P. (1987). "4: The 'Turbomotive'". The LMS Pacifics. David & Charles. p. 47. ISBN 0-7153-8776-6.
6. "9: Unconventional Locomotives 1929-1935". The British Steam Railway Locomotive. II: from 1925 to 1965. Ian Allan. 1966. pp. 112–117. ISBN 0-7110-0125-1.
7. "18: Stanier's 'Turbomotive'". Experiments With Steam. Patrick Stephens Limited. 1990. pp. 163–171. ISBN 1-85260-269-4.
8. Fryer 1990, p. 167
9. Rowledge, J.W.P. (1987). "5: The Princess Royal Class – Modifications, and the 1935 Batch". The LMS Pacifics. David & Charles. pp. 44–51. ISBN 0-7153-8776-6.

• Ian Sixsmith The Book of the Princess Royal Pacifics ISBN 1-903266-02-5
• Hugh Longworth British Railway Steam Locomotives 1948-1968 ISBN 0-86093-593-0
• Rowledge, J.W.P. (1975). Engines o0f the LMS, built 1923–51. Oxford: Oxford Publishing Company. ISBN 0-902888-59-5.
• David Hunt, Bob Essery and Fred James LMS Locomotive Profiles No. 4: The "Princess Royal" Pacifics

External links

• 6201 Princess Elizabeth Locomotive Society LTD
• Princess Royal Locomotive Trust
• 46201 in the Railuk database
• 46201 in the Preserved Locomotive database
• 46203 in the Railuk database
• 46203 in the Preserved Locomotive database
• Butlins steam locomotives
• 6207 A Study In Steel at YouTube