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Stanier Princess Coronation class

Discussion in 'Photography' started by neildimmer, Feb 7, 2021.

  1. neildimmer

    neildimmer Resident of Nat Pres

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    The London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) Coronation Class is a class of express passenger steam locomotives designed by William Stanier. They were an enlarged and improved version of his previous design, the LMS Princess Royal Class, and on test were the most powerful steam locomotives ever used in Britain at 2,511 dbhp. The locomotives were specifically designed for power as it was intended to use them on express services between London Euston and Glasgow Central; their duties were to include the hauling of a proposed non-stop express, subsequently named the Coronation Scot. The first ten locomotives of the Coronation class were built in a streamlined form in 1937 by the addition of a steel streamlined casing. Five of these ten were specifically set aside to pull the Coronation Scot. Although a later batch of five unstreamlined locomotives was produced in 1938, most of the ensuing Coronation class were outshopped as streamliners. Eventually, from 1944 to 1949, all-new engines would be built in unstreamlined form and all the streamliners would have their casings removed. The very last of the 38 locomotives was completed in 1948.

    The Coronation class was probably painted in more styles of livery than any other engine class; seven in the LMS era up to 1947 and five more during the British Railways era from 1948 onwards. That does not mean that all 38 locomotives were painted in all these different styles; many were specific to just a few engines. The only style that all 38 bore was the British Railways lined Brunswick Green and the entire class was turned out thus between 1955 and 1958.

    It was customary on all British mainline journeys to change engines at convenient locations to avoid the lengthy process of re-coaling. The Coronation locomotives were therefore strategically stationed at key points between London and Glasgow and they would be assigned to the shed at that location. The chosen locations were at London (Camden shed), Crewe (Crewe North), Carlisle (Upperby) and Glasgow (Polmadie). It was only in the latter days of steam that the mix of shed assignments became more fluid.

    Whilst the Coronation class was represented at the 1948 British Railways locomotive exchange trials, designed to compare the performances of similar locomotives from all four of the pre-nationalised companies, the representative engine performed disastrously. Gone was any hint of the power that could be unleashed by these engines; instead, uncharacteristically low coal consumption was the target. If the trials were forgettable, other achievements of the class are certainly memorable. Firstly, No. 6220 Coronation held the British steam speed record between 1937 and 1938, 114 miles per hour. It held that record until the record was shattered by 4468 Mallard in 1938. Secondly, No. 6234 Duchess of Abercorn holds the record to this day for the greatest British power output to be officially recorded on an attached dynamometer car, achieved in 1939.[4] Unfortunately, the most memorable event in the history of the class was the Harrow and Wealdstone rail crash precipitated by 46242 City of Glasgow. This was the second worst rail crash in British history, the death toll being 112.

    After a successful decade of operations in the 1950s, the 1960s' modernisation plan was the ultimate undoing of the Coronations. Not only did the increasing use of diesel locomotives make many of the class redundant, but the electrification of the main line between London Euston and Crewe also resulted in their banishment from this important section of the main line as there was insufficient clearance between the locomotives and the live wires. With no useful role to play, the survivors were scrapped en masse from late 1962 to late 1964


    This collection features the LMS era
    Including this photo of a filthy loco in Wartime black livery
    6248 City of Leeds in what looks like very filthy wartime black livery
    https://tinyurl.com/vmagmfh0
    New photos start here with
    6231 Duchess of Atholl
    https://tinyurl.com/4sfgrhoc

    Neil.
     
  2. ssk2400

    ssk2400 New Member

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    why did it do so badly in the 1948 locomotive exchange trials
     
  3. Romsey

    Romsey Part of the furniture

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    The 1948 trials were looking for economic operation and maintenance. The Coronations came "mid field" for economic operation.
    How the individual crew were briefed by their shedmasters (on behalf of Regional CMEE's) probably skewed the results.
    Southern crews were trained to drive for timekeeping and other railways the coal consumption was important and time keeping didn't matter too much.
    I'm going to leave the idea there because after 72 years, the loco exchange trials still wind some enthusiasts up.

    Cheers, Neil
     
  4. Fred Kerr

    Fred Kerr Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    141 / 141 = Tebay awaiting banker ?
     
  5. neildimmer

    neildimmer Resident of Nat Pres

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    I have added some new photos to the collection of Stanier Princess Coronation class locos
    This collection features 46220-46224 built in 1937
    Including this night photo of 2 Princess Coronation class locos side by side
    46221 Queen Elizabeth on the right, along with 46231 Duchess of Atholl at Glasgow Central 14th April 1956
    https://tinyurl.com/5hhhx5ft
    Full collection of new photos starts here with
    46220 Coronation
    https://tinyurl.com/1kzex1sw

    Neil.
     
  6. neildimmer

    neildimmer Resident of Nat Pres

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    I have added some new photos to the collection of Stanier Princess Coronation class locos
    This collection features 46225-46227 built in 1938
    Including this photo of
    46227 Duchess of Devonshire (still with semi smokebox) with the up 'Midday Scot at Tebay August 1949
    https://tinyurl.com/2uhohokb

    Full collection of new photos starts here with
    46225 Duchess of Gloucester at Lancaster with the 11.00am Euston to Carlisle service 23rd June 1963
    https://tinyurl.com/1ich50qm

    Neil.
     
  7. neildimmer

    neildimmer Resident of Nat Pres

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    I have added some new photos to the collection of Stanier Princess Coronation class locos
    This collection features 46228-46230 built in 1938
    Including this photo of
    46228 Duchess of Rutland still with semi smokebox at Northchurch with a Euston to Barrow & Whitehaven service 16th August 1952
    https://tinyurl.com/4d96xb8f
    New photos start here with
    46228 Duchess of Rutland approaching Ashton with a parcels service 16th January 1964
    https://tinyurl.com/4d96xb8f

    Neil.
     
  8. 46203

    46203 Member

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    It is southbound, downhill... Terraced houses are the clue, they are still there, still on the east side of the line.
     
  9. neildimmer

    neildimmer Resident of Nat Pres

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    Last edited: Feb 26, 2021
  10. 46223

    46223 Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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  11. 46203

    46203 Member

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    Agreed. Couldn't have been 6233 due to the design of the front end.
     
  12. neildimmer

    neildimmer Resident of Nat Pres

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    I have added some new photos to the collection of Stanier Princess Coronation class locos
    This collection features 46235-46237 built in 1939
    Including these colour photos by Tony Gillett of (the now preserved 46235)
    46235 City of Birmingham on a freight service at Preston 8/2/64
    https://tinyurl.com/4tr2p46e
    https://tinyurl.com/4csk9t5r
    Over 47 new photos start here with
    46235 City of Birmingham (still with semi-streamlined smokebox)
    https://tinyurl.com/yuc9zadf
    46236 City of Bradford Bay Horse 24th September 1955
    https://tinyurl.com/8azypu8
    46237 City of Bristol (with semi smokebox) still in wartime black livery and with LMS on tender c1948
    https://tinyurl.com/3pk7a874

    Neil.
     
  13. neildimmer

    neildimmer Resident of Nat Pres

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    60017 likes this.
  14. neildimmer

    neildimmer Resident of Nat Pres

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    keith6233 likes this.
  15. Fred Kerr

    Fred Kerr Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    43 / 52 = Penrith [as for 33/52]
     
  16. neildimmer

    neildimmer Resident of Nat Pres

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    I have added a lot of new photos of Staniers’s Princess Coronation class locos
    This collection features 46240-46242 built 1940
    Including these 2 photos of
    46240 City of Coventry being cleaned up for Royal Train Duty at Camden July 1962
    https://tinyurl.com/nynpec6m
    https://tinyurl.com/45urrpfr
    New photos start here with
    46240 City of Coventry
    https://tinyurl.com/ynyaudsd
    new photos of 46241 City of Edinburgh start here
    https://tinyurl.com/e97yytjk
    new photos of 46242 City of Glasgow start here
    https://tinyurl.com/533s38bj

    Neil
     
    keith6233 likes this.
  17. Fred Kerr

    Fred Kerr Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    51/61 = Scout Green
     
  18. neildimmer

    neildimmer Resident of Nat Pres

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    I have added some new photos of Stanier Princess Coronation class Pacifics in the LMS era
    Including this photo of
    6227 Duchess of Devonshire at Shrewsbury on a Crewe works running in service
    https://tinyurl.com/a2mnhb28
    7 new photos start here with

    6221 Queen Elizabeth Berkhampstead 5th August 1946
    https://tinyurl.com/5fc4upe3

    Neil
     
  19. neildimmer

    neildimmer Resident of Nat Pres

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  20. neildimmer

    neildimmer Resident of Nat Pres

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