Based on the class 240 locomotives, Matthew Kirtley developed the class 480. They had inner and outer frames, with the outer frames being curved. They later formed the basis for the class 700 with 17-inch cylinders. Johnson modernized them, enlarging the cylinders from 16.5 to 17 inches, and on some locomotives to 18 inches. In 1907, 205 of the original 232 machines were still in use. When the LMS was founded, the locomotives were grouped into power class 1F. Most locomotives were retired around 1930.

From 1869, the Midland Railway had tank locomotives built with two coupled axles and a trailing, two-axle bogie for the London suburban routes. The first six came from Beyer, Peacock & Co. in 1869 and are known as class 690. 20 more came in 1870 from Dübs, which were almost identical in construction and were designated class 780.

No. 781 as built

Locomotive Magazine, October 1903

They had a double frame that also served as a water tank. All locomotives initially had a condensing apparatus, which was later mostly removed. Johnson later rebuilt it with a new boiler and cab. In the 1923 grouping, all came to the LMS except for one, which had been retired in 1921. Their decommissioning took place between 1924 and 1935.

The Midland Railway's class 700 consisted of 315 0-6-0 goods locomotives designed by Matthew Kirtley. Most of the class was built by Dübs from 1869 onwards. Typical of this time, they had double frames and inside cylinders.

The Italian Rete Mediterranea bought 50 of these machines from the Midland, but they were only delivered after the FS was founded in 1905. There they were called gruppo 380 and were phased out in the 1920s at the latest. During the First World War, 78 Midland locomotives were put into military service. The last machines were taken over by British Railways and decommissioned by 1951.

Until 1880 the Great Eastern took over the operation on the lines of the LT&SR and thus also provided the locomotives. When this agreement expired, Thomas Whitelegg began developing a new passenger tank locomotive for the suburban trains. He enjoyed the help of William Adams, who was the former superintendent of GER and was now with the London & South Western.

The result was based on the LSWR class 46 tank locomotive with a 4-4-0T wheel arrangement. The same driving wheel diameter was used and a trailing axle was added, giving a 4-4-2T wheel arrangement for the first time on a British tank locomotive. Although the trailing axle was mounted directly in the frame, the axle bearings were radially adjustable and thus reduced the rigid wheelbase of the locomotive. As with the class 46, the cylinders were on the outside.

The first production lot was 18 locomotives, delivered by Sharp, Stewart & Co. in 1880 and 1881. The same company supplied twelve more in 1885. It was not until 1895 that Nasmyth, Wilson & Co. supplied another six. From 1902 at least four were equipped with a condensation device, while some received a roof specially adapted to tunnels. All locomotives not only came to the Midland Railway in 1912, but also to the LMS in 1923. Their decommissioning took place between 1929 and 1936.

After the Midland Railway had already procured 70 examples of express locomotives in the 4-2-2 wheel arrangement in the late 1880s, the era of express locomotives without a second coupled axle was already considered over. However, the Midland followed the strategy of using smaller locomotives, which were then supported by a second locomotive when required. Then, when steam-powered sanders were introduced, Samuel Waite Johnson developed another single express locomotive.

Inner and outer frames were used to safely transmit the forces of a powerful express locomotive to just one axle. Thus, the driven axle had four bearings and could easily withstand the forces of the internal cylinders. After five examples of the class 115 built in 1896 and 1897, another ten units were built in 1899.

Also in 1899, the class 2601 was presented, of which ten examples were built. The driving wheels were half an inch larger, the boiler pressure was increased from 170 to 180 psi, and the firebox was larger. In addition, the slide valves were replaced with piston valves. Instead of the previous three-axle tender, now a four-axle one was used.

Schematic drawing of class 2601

Die Lokomotive, December 1904

The locomotives were basically used on main routes without significant gradients. There they typically hauled express trains weighing between 200 and 250 long tons and could reach speeds of 90 mph. Some of them were also used in front of trains with 350 long tons and proved their worth there, as long as there were no difficult adhesion conditions. Later, when they could no longer cope with the increased train weights, they were still used as pilot locomotives, sometimes even in front of coal trains. Their service life ended in the late twenties.

For the increased weight of express trains at the turn of the century, Johnson developed the class 3 with the 4-4-0 wheel arrangement. It was the first locomotive on the Midland Railway to have a Belpaire firebox, which increased its heating surface and therefore also power. Between 1900 and 1905, 80 were built, of which the last 15 received a slightly larger boiler.

Between 1913 and 1926, 73 of the locomotives received a new standard boiler with superheater. The remaining seven remained in use without superheaters until 1925 or 1926. Number 714 was destroyed in the Charfield accident in October 1928, in which 16 people died and 41 were injured. The decommissioning of the remaining ones began in 1935 and was not completed until 1953, when the last ones had already been taken over by the British Railways.

In 1902, the Midland Railway had five express locomotives built, numbered 2631 to 2635, designed by Samuel White Johnson. The special feature was the power plant, which consisted of three cylinders with compound action. The high-pressure cylinder was below the smoke box, while the low-pressure cylinders were on the outside and got their steam from a common receiver. All three cylinders acted on the first driving axle. 

From 1905, Johnson's successor Richard Deeley had 30 more pieces built, which were initially numbered 1000 to 1029. They had some simplifications, especially in the area of valve gear. In 1907, the first five were renumbered 1000 through 1004, while the re-ordered machines were numbered 1005 through 1029. Ten more followed in 1908 and 1909, bringing the total to 45.

Sectional drawing

Locomotive Magazine, February 1902

With train weights typically ranging from 250 to 300 long tons, the locomotives reached average speeds in excess of 50 mph. On the incline between Settle and Carlisle, it was now possible to do without double-heading in some cases, while speeds of up to 85 mph could be ran downhill. Superheaters were retrofitted from 1914, saving 25.9 and 22.3 percent on coal and water, respectively. All 45 examples survived the formation of British Railways, but by 1953 all were gone.

The Midland Railway's class 2000 was a heavy suburban tank locomotive designed in the tradition of the popular 0-4-4T wheel arrangement, but with an additional driving axle. The water tanks extended to the smokebox and, in conjunction with the shape of the side windows in the cab, led to the nickname “flatiron”. Another feature was the cutouts in the water tanks, which guaranteed accessibility to the inside motion.

The boiler was replaced between 1920 and 1926 with a new one with superheater and Belpaire firebox. In order to guarantee sufficient curve negotiation, the first driving axle was designed with lateral play. This was probably the cause for the oscillations at higher speeds, which led to several derailments. They were soon only used in freight service and were withdrawn between 1935 and 1938.

Cecil Paget, the superintendent of the Midland Railway, had a steam motor locomotive built to his own design in 1908. It had eight uniflow cylinders located between the axles and controlled by a rotating shaft. They drove jackshafts, which in turn acted on three axles. The boiler was also special, having a large diameter and a firebox similar to the Wootten fireboxes used in the United States.

The financing of the locomotive was supposed to come entirely from Paget's private funds, but when these were not sufficient the Midland Railway had to intervene. Although the locomotive was tested on public lines, its existence was kept secret from the public. This was probably also due to the fact that Richard Deeley, locomotive superintendent at the time, did not believe in the success of the locomotive.

During testing, problems arose regularly, which mainly affected the valve gear. The locomotive was stored since 1912 and was no longer tested. It was apparently scrapped in 1918 in Paget's absence when he was in charge of the Railway Operating Division in France. The only known photograph appeared only after the 1923 grouping.

The class 79 of the London, Tilbury & Southend Railway was a 4-4-2T tank locomotive for fast suburban trains. It was designed by Thomas Whitelegg on the basis of his class 37, that has in turn been designed based on William Adams' class 1. What all had in common was that they had outside cylinders and inside valve gear and a saturated boiler. With their 6 ft 6 in drivers, they could reach 65 mph (105 km/h).

The LT&SR only ordered four from Robert Stephenson & Co. which were delivered in 1909. When the Midland Railway took over the LT&SR in 1912, they were assigned to power class 3P. The next order of ten was placed by the MR, but only delivered directly to the LMS after the grouping in 1923. 25 more were ordered by the LMS in three additional batches and delivered between 1925 and 1930.

No. 80 “Southend-on-Sea”, later “Thundersley”, on a colorized post card

What was special was that even the last batch of this class was built in 1930 with a saturated boiler. Later they were removed from the earlier LT&SR network and used in the East Midlands. British Railways had taken over all 39 locomotives and withdrew them between 1951 and 1960. No. 80 from the first batch is the only one that's existing today. It is on static display at Bressingham and again carries its original livery.