Midland Railway 115 Class

Single-driver locomotives had been superseded in the late 19th century as loads increased, but were then reintroduced when steam sanding allowed better adhesion.{{cite book |title=Midland Steam |date=1973 |author=W.A.Tuplin |publisher=David and Charles |pages=66–71 }} Five similar classes were built, with slight enlargements each time, and details as follows:

The fifteen locomotives in the 115 class were built in two batches, both at Derby Works.

It was quite common for the class to pull an express weighing {{convert|200|-|250|LT|t ST|0}}, which suited them perfectly. Given a dry rail, they could maintain a tight schedule with {{convert|350|LT|t ST|0}}. Speeds up to {{cvt|90|mph|km/h}} were not uncommon, and the sight of their large, spinning driving wheels with no visible connecting rods earned them the nickname "Spinners". Due to the Midland's practice of building low-powered locomotives and relying on double-heading to cope with heavier trains, many had working lives of up to 30 years. They made ideal pilot engines for the later Johnson/Deeley 4-4-0 classes.

In the Midland Railway 1907 renumbering scheme, they were assigned numbers 670–684. During World War I most were placed in store, but were then pressed into service afterward as pilots on the Nottingham to London coal trains. Twelve locomotives survived to the 1923 grouping, keeping their Midland Railway numbers in LMS service. Nevertheless by 1927 only three of the class remained, with the last engine, 673 (formerly 118) being withdrawn in 1928 and subsequently preserved.

No. 673 is the sole survivor of its class. It was steamed around 1976–1980 when it took part in the Rainhill Trials 150th cavalcade but is currently a static exhibit in the National Railway Museum in York but not on display currently.

Midland Railway No. 116; A Jubilee Year Record-Maker. The Engineering Magazine, XV-1, April 1898, New York, p. 97 – With caption.jpg|Caption: "A Jubilee Year Record-Maker. Midland Railway No. 116."
In 1897, No. 116 (shown here in photographic grey) reached a speed of {{cvt|90|mph|km/h|lk=on}} while under full load, at that time the highest recorded speed in the UK.Charles Rous-Marten: "[https://archive.org/stream/factoryindustria15newy/factoryindustria15newy#page/97/mode/1up Notable Speed-Trials of British Locomotives.]" In The Engineering Magazine, vol. XV, no. 1, April 1898, New York, p. 97.

MR 4-2-2 673, Rocket 150, Rainhill, May 1980 Slides184 (9859805644) – edited.jpg|Preserved No. 673 in Midland Railway crimson lake livery at the Rocket 150 celebration in Rain­hill in May 1980.

Hugh llewelyn 115 (6241296834).jpg|Model of No. 117. Note the differences to No. 673, both in con­struc­tion (smokebox door, hand­rail) and livery (base of smokebox red lined with yellow; boiler bands picked out in yellow; springs red lined with yellow; wheel spokes red; different lining on tender sides; number, coat of arms and MR initials in different locations.

{{commons category|Midland Railway 115 Class}}

{{reflist}}

• {{Baxter-BritishLocoCat3A}}
• Herring, Peter (2000) Classic British Steam Locomotives, Enderby: Abbeydale, {{ISBN|1-86147-057-6}}
• {{cite book |last1=Casserley |first1=H.C. |first2=Stuart W. |last2=Johnston |title=Locomotives at the Grouping 3: London, Midland and Scottish |location=Shepperton, Surrey |publisher=Ian Allan |orig-year=1966 |year=1974 |isbn=0-7110-0554-0 |author-link1=H. C. Casserley }}
• {{cite book |last1=Essery |first1=R. J |author1-link=Bob Essery |last2=Jenkinson |first2=D. |author2-link=David Jenkinson |name-list-style=amp |year=1988 |title=An Illustrated Review of Midland Locomotives, Volume 2: Passenger tender classes |location=Didcot |publisher=Wild Swan Publications |isbn=0-906867-59-2 }}

{{Midland Railway Locomotives}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Midland Railway 0115 Class}}

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Category:4-2-2 locomotives

Category:Railway locomotives introduced in 1896

Category:Standard-gauge steam locomotives of Great Britain

Category:Passenger locomotives in the United Kingdom