The Furness Railway Class 21, was a class of 4-4-0 "Eight-Wheeler" type tender steam locomotives. Nicknamed Larger Seagulls, they were built by the Sharp, Stewart and Company of Glasgow between 1896 and 1900. The author Bob Rush gave them the more commonly known unofficial classification of K2 in his book.
History[]
Characteristics[]
To replace the earlier Class 120 (unofficial classification K1; also known as Seagulls) on the heavier and more important trains, Sharp, Stewart supplied a class of 4-4-0 locomotives derived (according to Rush) from "an anonymous design by James Manson of the Great North of Scotland Railway "*.
They had driving wheels 6 feet 0 inches (1.829 m) in diameter and cylinders 18 inches by 24 inches (457 mm × 610 mm). The boilers had flush fireboxes and were also the largest yet used.
The tenders of this series were the first modern locomotives to be built and were also used on the 0-6-0 Class 7 (unofficial classification D3) goods locomotives. Straight sides with flared tops were used and there were no coal rails, although some tenders were later fitted with them. The springs were located under the running board, with splayed anchoring links, so that for the first time a full width body could be used. They ran on six wheels with an even wheelbase of 12 feet and carried 2,500 gallons and 3½ tons of coal weighing 28¼ tons. Twenty of these tenders were built, eight for the 21s and the rest for the 7s.
Service[]
The first six locomotives were delivered in 1896 (W/Nos. 4174-4179) and were numbered 21, 22, 34, 35, 36 and 37. In 1900, two more locomotives were added (W/Nos. 4651/2), numbered 124 and 125 respectively. In this case, the urgency of delivery was paramount and the order for the next six locomotives of Class 126 (unofficial classification K3) was changed to four locomotives of Class 126 and two locomotives of Class 21 in order to get them into service as quickly as possible.
In 1913, two class locomotives, Nos. 37 and 34, were fitted with Phoenix superheaters on a trial basis, as were four Class 1 locomotives (unofficial classification D5; which were still under construction). This apparatus, which required a greatly extended smokebox and a chimney sitting right at the front, completely detracted from the neat appearance of the locomotives. Ultimately, the experiment proved unsuccessful, bringing no benefit or advantage to steam quality, and was removed from all six locomotives in 1914. After that, the company never superheated their locomotives again.
The numbering of this class is somewhat complicated, as a significant number of renumberings took place during their time on the Furness Railway. At one point, Nos. 21, 22, 34 and 35 were renumbered in the range 44-47 respectively.
In the early 1920s, the more powerful and superior Class 115 Baltic tanks took over from Class 21s on railway's top express services and relegated them to secondary duties.
In 1922, when the Furness Railway became one of several components of the newly formed London, Midland and Scottish Railway, eight locomotives were still in service, numbered 10135 to 10142 in the LMS series. The locomotives were then used for secondary duties on the main line between Barrow-in-Furness and Whitehaven. They soldiered on in this role until the last locomotive was withdrawn from service in 1931.
Preservation[]
All members of the class were scrapped.
Notes[]
*It should be noted that Sharp, Stewart did not supply the GNSR with locomotives but may have submitted an unsuccessful tender and based the Furness locomotives on it.
List of Locomotives[]
| Image: | FR No. | LMS No. | Built: | Builder: | Builder's No. | Status: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44(Formerly No.21) | 10135 | 1896 | Sharp, Stewart & Co. | 4174 | Scrapped. | |
| 45(Formerly No.22) | 10136 | 1896 | Sharp, Stewart & Co. | 4175 | Scrapped. | |
|
46(Formerly No.34) | 10137 | 1896 | Sharp, Stewart & Co. | 4176 | Scrapped. |
| 47(Formerly No.35) | 10138 | 1896 | Sharp, Stewart & Co. | 4177 | Scrapped. | |
|
36 | 10139 | 1896 | Sharp, Stewart & Co. | 4178 | Scrapped. |
|
37 | 10140 | 1896 | Sharp, Stewart & Co. | 4179 | Scrapped. |
|
124 | 10141 | 1900 | Sharp, Stewart & Co. | 4651 | Scrapped. |
| 125 | 10142 | 1900 | Sharp, Stewart & Co. | 4652 | Scrapped. |
Trivia[]
- This class was immortalised by Rev. W. Awdry; it served as the basis for the character Edward the Blue Engine in the Railway Series books and later in Britt Alcroft's Thomas & Friends television series, in which he became one of the main characters. Edward differs, however, in that he has a cab with double-glazed side windows, much more characteristic of North Eastern Railway locomotives. The tapered, non-circular spectacle windows and higher boiler line are unmistakably those of the NER class R1. He is also coupled with a Fowler tender.