LNWR Whale Precursor Class

The Precursor Class was essentially a larger version of the LNWR "Improved Precedent" Class, being Whale's first attempt at producing a locomotive which would remove the requirement for express trains to be double headed (then standard practice on the LNWR).{{cite book |last=Steel |first=Wilfred L. |date=1914 |title=The History of the London & North Western Railway |url=https://archive.org/details/cu31924030117307/page/467/mode/1up |location=London |publisher=The Railway and Travel Monthly |pages=467–470 |via=Internet Archive}} 130 examples of the class were constructed at Crewe Works between March 1904 and August 1907,{{cite book |last=Williams |first=C. |date=1922 |title=A Register Of All Locomotives Now In Use On The London & North Western Railway |url=https://archive.org/details/registerofallloc00will/page/n4/mode/1up |location=Crewe |publisher=C. Williams |via=Internet Archive}} their introduction allowing Whale to phase out the unreliable compound locomotives favoured by his predecessor, Francis Webb.{{cite book|last=Reed |first=M. C. |date=1996 |title=The London & North Western Railway: A History |url=https://archive.org/details/londonnorthweste0000reed/mode/1up |url-access=registration |location=Penryn |publisher=Atlantic Transport Publishers |isbn=0906899664 |pages=178–180 |via=Internet Archive}}{{cite book|last=Griffiths |first=Denis |date=1991 |title=Locomotive Engineers of the LMS and its Major English Constituent Companies |url=https://archive.org/details/locomotiveengine0000grif/mode/1up |url-access=registration |location=Sparkford |publisher=Patrick Stephens |isbn=1852601426 |pages=64,69 |via=Internet Archive}}{{cite book |last=Yeadon |first=Willie B. |date=1995 |author-link=Willie Yeadon |title=A Compendium of LNWR Locomotives 1912–1949. Part One: Passenger Tender Engines |location=Nottingham |publisher=Booklaw/Railbus |isbn=1899624368 |page=39}} As built, they were saturated, although a small number were fitted with superheaters between February 1913 and September 1919.

File:LNWR Whale Precursor Class No 1117.jpg, soon after emerging from Crewe Works in November 1904 (from an old postcard).{{cite book |last=Patrick |first=David J. |date=2007 |title=The Railway Photographs of P. W. Pilcher |location=Chester |publisher=London & North Western Railway Society |isbn=9780954695149 |pages=12,75}}]]

Whilst the Precursors created issues for crews as some of the cab controls were difficult to operate or reach,{{sfnp|Griffiths|1991|page=63}} they were generally successful in terms of operating performance.{{cite magazine |author= |date=28 October 1904 |title=Railway Matters |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_engineer_july-1-december-30-1904_98/page/419/mode/1up |magazine=The Engineer |volume=98 |location=London |page=419 |via=Internet Archive}} However, having apparently experienced difficulty keeping time on trials between Crewe and {{rws|Carlisle}}, they were not used on heavier gradients such as the climb to Shap.{{efn|A photograph in The Railway Magazine also shows a Webb compound "Jubilee" Class locomotive piloting 282 Alaric on a London to Holyhead express near Harrow in 1917.{{cite magazine |last=Mackay |first=F. E. |date=1917 |title=London and North Western Railway |url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=njp.32101076428851&view=1up&seq=421 |magazine=The Railway Magazine |volume=41 |location=London |page=399 |via=HathiTrust}}}} A consequence of this was the introduction of an extended version of the Precursors, the 4-6-0 "Experiment" Class, in 1905.{{cite magazine |last=Lake |first=Charles S. |date= |title=British Locomotive Practice in 1905 |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_engineering-and-boiler-house-review_1905-08_13_8/page/174/mode/1up |magazine=The Engineering Review |volume=8 |number=8 |series=New series |pages=174–177 |via=Internet Archive}} Nevertheless, double heading was still necessary on many trains north of Preston due to accelerated schedules and increased loads.{{sfnp|Griffiths|1991|page=150}}

In 1910, the Precursors were developed by Whale's successor, Charles Bowen-Cooke, into the {{nowrap|4-4-0}} superheated "George the Fifth" Class.{{cite magazine |author= |date=7 October 1910 |title=Superheating on London and North-Western Locomotives |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_engineer_july-december-1910_110/page/394/mode/1up |magazine=The Engineer |volume=110 |location=London |page=394 |via=Internet Archive}} The main visual difference was that the Precursors had separate splashers over each of the driving wheels while the Georges had combined splashers that covered both pairs.

The LNWR reused numbers and names from withdrawn locomotives, with the result that the numbering system was completely haphazard. Starting with the first of the class 513 "Precursor" in 1913, were given superheaters, the process continuing until just after grouping in 1923. Most of the superheated engines were also converted from having slide valves to piston valves.

This resulted in two main subclasses; saturated locomotives with {{convert|19|x|26|in}} cylinders, and superheated locomotives with {{convert|20.5|x|26|in}} cylinders. The LMS gave them the power classification 3P. The saturated engines were given the LMS numbers in the 5187–5266 series, though not all survived long enough to receive them. The superheated engines were given the LMS numbers 5270–5319 (5267–5269 were not used).

The LMS continued to superheat engines until 1926, these rebuilds retained their LMS number. Also, three superheated engines became saturated via boiler swaps.

Withdrawals of the saturated engines started in 1927 and the last engine in as built condition was withdrawn in 1935. The four superheated engines which retained slide valves were withdrawn from 1931 to 1936. Withdrawals of the superheated engines with piston valves began in 1935. Those not withdrawn had 20000 added to their numbers from 1934 to 1937 to make room for Black Fives.

By the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939, only 11 Precursors were still in service.{{harvp|Yeadon|1995|pp=41–42,49}} A single example, 25297 "Sirocco", was inherited by British Railways in 1948, but this was withdrawn in June 1949 before the number it had been allocated (58010) could be applied.{{cite book |last=Casserley |first=H. C. |author-link=H. C. Casserley |date=1973 |title=Steam Locomotives of British Railways |url=https://archive.org/details/steamlocomotives0000cass/page/73/mode/1up |url-access=registration |location=London |publisher=Hamlyn Publishing |isbn=0600022102 |pages=73,342 |via=Internet Archive}}{{harvp|Yeadon|1995|p=48}}

None were preserved.

On 17 June 1932, locomotive number 5278 Precursor was hauling the 7:23{{nbsp}}p.m. {{rws|Crewe}} to {{rws|Stafford}} and {{rws|Birmingham New Street}} express passenger service when, at around 7:52{{nbsp}}p.m., the engine and all four coaches derailed just to the south of {{rws|Great Bridgeford}} station, Staffordshire.

Of the 70 to 80 passengers on board the train, three were killed immediately and a fourth died in hospital the next day. Together with the driver and fireman, 9 passengers received injuries serious enough to require hospital care, whilst a further 18 were treated at the scene and able to continue their journeys.{{cite book |last=Hoole |first=Ken |authorlink=Ken Hoole |title=Trains in Trouble |volume=3 |year=1982 |publisher=Atlantic Books |location=Redruth |isbn=0906899052 |page=29}}{{cite report |last=Mount |first=A. H. L. |date=5 January 1933 |title=Report on Train Accidents – London, Midland and Scottish Railway |url=https://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/documents/BoT_GreatBridgeford1932.pdf |location=London |publisher=Ministry of Transport}}

• Locomotives of the London and North Western Railway

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{{Commonscat|LNWR Whale Precursor class}}

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Precursor (Whale)

Category:4-4-0 locomotives

Category:Railway locomotives introduced in 1904

Category:Standard-gauge steam locomotives of Great Britain

Category:Scrapped locomotives