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LNWR DX Goods Class

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The London and North Western Railway (LNWR) DX Goods class was a class of 0-6-0 steam locomotive, designed by John Ramsbottom for freight duties. 943 were constructed making them the largest single class of steam locomotives built in the United Kingdom. Despite this, none were preserved.

History[]

File:LNWR engine No.2022 Special DX.jpg

No. 2022 Francis Webb rebuild, Special DX in photographic grey livery

The "DX" goods engine was the first original design produced by Ramsbottom, shortly after becoming Locomotive Superintendent of the Northern Division. An experimental prototype was developed at Longsight whilst Ramsbottom was only in charge of the North-Eastern Division. The first regular example was completed at Crewe Works in September 1858, and was given the running number 355. This was the 399th locomotive built at Crewe, but it was the practice of the LNWR to reuse the numbers of withdrawn locomotives.

The first DX, No. 355, was named Hardman, and carried the name on a curved brass plate above the driving wheels. It was painted in the same dark green livery as used by Ramsbottom's predecessor, Francis Trevithick, but edged with a single black line. Fifty-four of the early DX locomotives were given names, but all were removed by 1864, with some re-used on passenger locomotives.

Four 0-4-2 versions of this locomotive type were built by Robert Stephenson and supplied to the Sydney Railway Company in 1855 as the first motive power for the new railway company. They were virtually identical in specification, except for slightly larger driving wheels at 5 ft diameter and cylinders being a smaller 16 inch bore than the 17 inch of the original design.

857 examples of Ramsbottom’s standard goods design were built for the LNWR at Crewe Works between 1858 and 1872. The class has been described as ‘the earliest example of standardization and mass productions of locomotives on a large scale,' and ‘a remarkable instance of standardisation at a time when most railways had many different classes, each class with only few engines.’. During the 1870s driving cabs were added. 278 examples of a saddle tank version of the design were built after 1870, known as the LNWR Special Tank.

In addition to the 857 examples used by the LNWR, a further 86 examples of the original design were constructed at Crewe for the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (LYR) between 1871 and 1874. This alarmed independent locomotive manufacturers, who sought an injunction to stop the practice; it was granted on 16 December 1875.

The 943 locomotives were all built at Crewe as follows:

Construction
Years built Crewe numbers Quantity Notes
1858–1859 399–423 25
1860 430–439 10
1860 444–463 20
1861 469–488 20
1861 494–523 30
1862 534–583 50
1863 604–623 20
1863 634–673 40
1864 690–729 40
1864 740–759 20
1864 770–779 10
1865 790–829 40
1865 850–879 30
1866 890–919 30
1866 930–979 50
1866–1868 1000–1159 160
1868–1869 1180–1279 100
1870 1320–1329 10
1870–1871 1340–1379 40
1871 1386–1433 48 last 6 sold to LYR after initial use on LNWR
1872 1489–1498 10 new to LYR
1872 1499–1508 10 Webb modifications
1872 1512–1531 20 Webb modifications
1872 1532–1541 10 new to LYR
1872 1542–1561 20 Webb modifications
1872 1582–1601 20 Webb modifications
1873 1602–1621 20 Webb modifications; new to LYR
1873–1874 1722–1761 40 Webb modifications; new to LYR

Crewe numbers 1428–33 (total 6), delivered new to the LNWR in October 1871, were sold to the LYR in November 1871. Crewe numbers 1489–98, 1532–41, 1602–21 and 1722–61 (total 80) were delivered new to the LYR. Most of those built from 1872 onwards (total 130) incorporated modifications by Francis Webb such as being fitted with cabs.

From April 1881, Webb rebuilt 500 examples with a new 150 psi boiler and vacuum brakes for working passenger trains. These became known as ‘Special’ (or vacuum) DX’s.

Accidents and incidents[]

On 12 January 1899, locomotive 1418 was hauling a freight train that was derailed at Penmaenmawr, Caernarfonshire due to the trackbed being washed away in a storm. Both locomotive crew were killed.

Withdrawals[]

Withdrawals began in 1902, but there were still 88 engines in existence at the time of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway's formation in 1923. The last survivor was withdrawn in 1930. Despite the large number of the class produced, all were scrapped.

Engines converted to other uses[]

The chassis of a withdrawn DX Goods locomotive was repurposed as a stationary engine on the Sheep Pasture Incline of the Cromford and High Peak Railway in February 1884 but was replaced by an electric winch in 1964.

Engines sold abroad[]

Between 1900 and 1901, four LNWR Special DX were sold to the Société Anonyme du Chemin de Fer International de Malines à Terneuzen, a private railway between Belgium and the Netherlands. They were renumbered 15, 16, 17 and 18. Three of them were rebuilt between 1910 and 1911 with larger cabs of Belgian design and all of them were fitted with Westinghouse brakes sometimes after 1911. One of them (number 15) was still on the active roster in 1948 when the Malines - Terneuzen was taken over by SNCB. All the M.T. engines were then scrapped.

London North Western Railway Classes
2-2-2 6ft "Single" Class • 173 Cornwall • 7ft "Large Bloomer" Class • 7ft "Single" Class • "Patent" Class • 6ft 6in "Small Bloomer" Class • H "Special Bloomer" Class • 7ft 6in "Problem"/"Lady of the Lake" Class
2-4-0 6ft "Samson"/"Curved Link Passenger" Class • 6ft 6in "Newton"/"Curved Link Passenger" Class • 5ft 6in "Precursor" • 6ft 6in "Precedent" Class • 2234 "Chopper" Class • "Improved Precedent" Class • "Small Jumbo"/"Waterloo"/"Whitworth" Class • "Crewe Goods" Class
2-4-2 4ft 6in Class • 5ft 6in Class
2-2-2-0 "Experiment" Class (F. W. Webb) • "Dreadnought" Class • "Teutonic" Class
4-2-2-0 No.3026
2-2-2-2 No.687 • No.600 • "Greater Britain" Class • 6ft 3in "John Hick" Class
2-2-4-0 No.2974
4-4-0 "Metropolitan" Class • LNWR "Jubilee" Class • "Alfred the Great" Class • "Benbow" Class • 6ft 9in "Precursor" Class • "Renown" Class • "Queen Mary" Class • "George the Fifth" Class
0-6-2 5ft 3in "Watford" Class • 17in "Coal Tank"
4-6-0 "Experiment" (G. Whale) • "Prince of Wales" Class • "Claughton" Class • No.1361 Prospero • 1400 "Bill Bailey" Class • 19in "Express Goods" Class
4-4-2 "Metropolitan Tank" (Rebuild) • 6ft "Precursor Tank"
4-6-2 2665 "Prince of Wales Tank"
0-6-0 271 Class • DX "Goods" Class • D "Early Goods" Class • "Ostrich" Class • "Wolverton Express Goods" Class • "Special Tank" Class • 17in "Coal Engine" Class • 5ft/18in "Express Goods"/"Crested Goods"/"Cauliflower" Class • DX "Special Goods" Class • 4ft 3in "Square Saddle Tank" Class
0-4-0 "Tram" Class • 4ft 835 "Shunter" Class • 4ft 1201 "Shunter" Class • 2360 Class
0-4-2 835 "Crane Tank" Class • 317 "Bissel" Class
0-8-0 No.2524 • A Class • B Class (F. W. Webb) • C Class • C1 Class • D Class • G Class • G1 Class • G2 Class • G2A Class • G3 Class
2-8-0 E Class • F Class • MM Class
0-8-2 1185 "Shunter" Class
0-8-4 380 Class
2-2-0 "Bury Bar-Frame" Class • B Class (E. Bury)
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