42424 - New Build Fowler Tank

Announced in the new 'Steam Railway' magazine that after the completion of the Patriot, the group (LMS Patriot Project) will turn their attention to a building a new 2-6-4T Fowler Tank.

Will be an intresting one to see progress, and another potentially useful tank engine for preserved use!

 

Not forgetting Banking Duties on Shap ! so MAINLINE as well !!! (Excellent choice )

 

Another very worthwhile project - and another parallel-boilered one to boot, so the design work for the boiler should be fairly straightforward.
I'll be in on that one with some scheckels I think!

Richard.

 

Yes! The news is now officially out there! As you most likely have seen in all my posts for the last 3 years i have been harping on about wanting to build one and we have come to the decision to finally announce that it will be our next engine once 45551 is working. Obviously we will NOT be distracted by the tank until this time. So we are actively looking for different people to step forward to help with the "42424 Project" who will do back ground work getting drawings from the NRM and Ireland. With then some people from 45551 who naturally want to work with her, others are more interested in fundraising and the build rather than the upkeep of a loco. Any questions please dont hesitate to ask!

Gavin.

 

Going for a replica then, rather than a new member of the class. Was this dictated by the lack of a spare number, as for 45551?

Dave

 

It's a cost-saving measure - they can utilise design work already done for Beachy Head's smokebox number, with minimal rework required

Tom

 

"Official announcement"

The LMS-Patriot Company is pleased to announce its intention to build a new Fowler 2-6-4T, once 45551 'The Unknown Warrior' is up and running.

The new tank engine will feature a parallel boiler and will be numbered 42424. Fundraising will not begin until 'The Unknown Warrior' is completed.

Founder and Chairman of the LMS-Patriot Project David Bradshaw has, with many others, long harboured an ambition to build a Fowler tank engine, as with the Patriot class all were scrapped by British Railways. David said, "The Fowler 2-6-4T is another of the missing classes of which none were preserved. It was a hugely successful design and was the forerunner of other 2-6-4Ts which were built over a period of 25 years".

Using the skills and experience gained from building the new Patriot 4-6-0, the construction of a Fowler 2-6-4T is thought to be a more straightforward task. No change is required to the constitution of the LMS-Patriot Company for the building of 42424. The sooner ‘The Unknown Warrior’ is completed, the sooner the Fowler 2-6-4T Project can commence.

Why number 42424?

42424 was the last of a batch of 29 Fowler 2-6-4 Tanks which incorporated glazed side windows on the cab and other detail changes initiated by Stanier. It is this design which the LMS-Patriot Company plans to build. No 42425 was the first of a batch of Stanier 2-6-4 2 cylinder Tanks engines and it is for this reason that it is planned to reuse the last number in the Fowler 2-6-4T series.

The original batch of Fowler tanks were built in 1927 with a superheated parallel boiler designated G8S, based on that fitted to the 1902 Midland Class 3 4-4-0’s together with long travel piston valves. These engines were the first truly modern locomotives to emerge from Derby (the Royal Scots being a joint NBL/Derby effort) and it was this successful design which led to the Stanier 2 and 3 cylinder versions, the shorter wheelbase Fairburn examples and later the ubiquitous British Railway's Standard Class 4 version built from 1951, which numbered 155 examples.

As has already been shown by the new Standard 3 Tank, which is under construction at Bridgnorth, there is a huge interest in Tank engines of this type. Tank engines are ideal sized engines for many Heritage lines and have lower running and maintenance costs compared to bigger tender engines. The new Fowler 2-6-4T will follow the same philosophy and will be built to run on Heritage lines only, albeit to main line running standard. If enough interest is shown further engines could be built.

A number of drawings and some parts already exist as the Irish Northern Counties Committee WT 2-6-4T class were based on the Sir Henry Fowler version, albeit to the 5'3" Irish gauge. One of these locomotives No.4, has been preserved by the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland. It is currently stored awaiting overhaul at the RPSI's Whitehead depot in County Antrim in N. Ireland.

Whilst we are not planning for actual construction to start until after ‘The Unknown Warrior’ is completed and running we would be interested in hearing from anyone interested in researching the class and locating drawings for which we have a full drawing list. Please email: chairman@lms-patriot.org.uk

 

For those of us not well-versed in matters LMS, does anyone fancy having a go at (or suggesting an online source) tracing the design evolution of the Fowler - Stanier - Fairburn - Riddles 2-6-4 tanks? What changed at each iteration to get from Fowler to Riddles over a period of 30-odd years?

Tom

 

Tom is this any use for you?

Http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LMS/BR_Class_4_2-6-4T_locomotives

 

That link doesn't work try this one http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LMS/BR_Class_4_2-6-4T_locomotives

 

Haha. Yes spotted that! For some reason it wouldnt copy and paste on my phone so i have had to write it down and type manually!

 

Sounds a great project!

Look forward to seeing this take shape once 45551 is in service!

Chris

 

This is excellent news, and when formally launched at some point in the future is something I will support. But...don't rush the launch, finish the big'un first!

Would look totally in place tootling down the Severn Valley....

46118

 

With the LMS coaches of course!

 

Indeed!

I suppose logically after a second parallel boiler LMS loco, to complete the set you need a Fowler 2P 4-4-0?

But that is rather getting ahead of one's self isn't it!!

 

would be in demand and thus quite a money spinner. This is going to have to happen (and how about a 3F 0-6-0 to complete the S&D scene?

 

Quite frankly, NO-ONE needs a 2P 4-4-0!

 

You would have to ask Kevin West 45551s CME. He would love a 2P!
"A POUND FOR THE PATRIOT OR 2 POUNDS FOR THE 2P! lol.

But in all seriousness 45551 has to be completed and working correctly to prove we have the ability to start the second. We are pretty good at the fundraising side and the skills we have gained along the way building 45551 (so far) should put us in great shape to build 42424 in a very short time scale (for preserved railways of course) so that people live long enough to actually see their money in action. I can imagine that 42424 "could" be built before some of the newbuilds that have started recently "if" Tornados P2 project is anything to go by. But of course only time will tell! Then we can have the discussion of which fowler engine to build next! The 2P, original Royal Scot, 4P, Fury, Big Bertha, Austin 7......

 

Fury would be interesting. I'll certainly watch this one - from a long way away, though!

 

How long before we see it paired up with 44422?
Only 2 numbers on view.