LNWR John Hick Class

The London and North Western Railway (LNWR) John Hick class was a class of ten 2-2-2-2 steam locomotives designed for express passenger work by F. W. Webb.

LNWR John Hick class
LNWR No. 20 John Hick
Type and origin Power type Steam Designer F. W. Webb Builder Crewe Works Serial number 3505, 3858–3866 Build date 1894–1898 Total produced 10
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 2-2-2-2  • UIC 1AA1 n3v Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) Leading dia. 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm), plus 3 in (76 mm) tyres Driver dia. 6 ft 0 in (1.829 m) Trailing dia. 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm), plus 3 in (76 mm) tyres Wheelbase 8 ft 5 in (2.565 m) + 8 ft 3 in (2.515 m) + 7 ft 3 in (2.210 m) Loco weight 52 long tons (53 t) Fuel type Coal Water cap. 2,000 imp gal (9,100 L; 2,400 US gal) Boiler: ​  • Pitch 7 ft 8+1⁄4 in (2.343 m)  • Diameter 4 ft 3 in (1.295 m)  • Tube plates 18 ft 6 in (5.639 m) Heating surface 1,505.7 sq ft (139.88 m2) Cylinders Three, compound: two outside high pressure for trailing drivers, one inside low pressure for leading drivers High-pressure cylinder 15 in × 24 in (381 mm × 610 mm) Low-pressure cylinder 30 in × 24 in (762 mm × 610 mm) Valve gear Stephenson, Slip-eccentric.
Career Operators London and North Western Railway Scrapped October 1907 – May 1912 Disposition All scrapped

History

They were broadly similar to the earlier Greater Britain class, the principal difference being smaller driving wheels, as their intended use was on the more-steeply graded Northern Section.

The first of the ten locomotives was built in February 1894, and the remaining nine came from Crewe Works between January and April 1898.

They were three-cylinder compound locomotives: the two outside high-pressure cylinders drove the trailing drivers via Howe-Stephenson valve gear, the one inside low-pressure cylinder drive the leading drivers via a slip eccentric. There was no connection between the two sets of drivers.

All the locomotives were named; one unusual feature (shared with the Greater Britain class) was that the names were split over two nameplates, one on each driving wheel splasher. This necessitated the use of two-word names, rather than some of the abbreviated names the LNWR had previously used. The names chosen continued the Greater Britain theme.

They continued in service until Webb's retirement. His successor, George Whale, preferred simple superheated locomotives; consequently they were all scrapped between 1907 and 1912.

Fleet list

Table of locomotives

LNWR No.	Name	Crewe Works No.	Date built	Date scrapped	Notes
20	John Hick	3505	Feb 1894	Apr 1910
1505	Richard Arkwright	3858	Jan 1898	May 1912
1512	Henry Cort	3859	Feb 1898	Oct 1907
1534	William Froude	3860	Feb 1898	Dec 1909
1535	Henry Maudsley	3861	Feb 1898	Aug 1910	Name misspelt
1536	Hugh Myddleton	3862	Mar 1898	Feb 1909
1548	John Penn	3863	Mar 1898	Mar 1909
1549	John Rennie	3864	Mar 1898	Aug 1909
1557	Thomas Savery	3865	Mar 1898	Mar 1909
1559	William Siemens	3866	Apr 1898	Oct 1910

See also

• LNWR Whale Experiment Class
• LNWR George the Fifth Class

References

• Baxter, Bertram (1979). Baxter, David (ed.). British Locomotive Catalogue 1825–1923, Volume 2B: London and North Western Railway and its constituent companies. Ashbourne, Derbyshire: Moorland Publishing Company. ISBN 0-903485-84-2.

External links

• LNWR Society Photographs of the Webb 2-2-2-2 John Hick class steam locomotives.