L&YR Class 26

L&YR Class 26
Type and origin Power type Steam Designer Henry Hoy Builder Horwich Works Order number Lot 49 Serial number 861–880 Build date October 1903 – August 1904 Total produced 20
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 2-6-2T  • UIC 1′C1′ n2t Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) Leading dia. 3 ft 7+3⁄4 in (1.111 m) Driver dia. 5 ft 8 in (1.727 m) Trailing dia. 3 ft 7+3⁄4 in (1.111 m) Length 42 ft 4 in (12.9 m) Loco weight 77.5 long tons (78.7 t) Fuel type Coal Fuel capacity 3.75 long tons (3.81 t) Water cap. 2,000 imp gal (9,100 L; 2,400 US gal) Firebox: ​  • Grate area 26.0 sq ft (2.42 m2) Boiler pressure 175 lbf/in2 (1.21 MPa) Heating surface 2,038.6 sq ft (189.39 m2) Cylinders Two, inside Cylinder size 19 in × 26 in (483 mm × 660 mm) Valve gear Joy
Performance figures Tractive effort 19,797 lbf (88.1 kN)
Career Operators Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway → London, Midland and Scottish Railway Power class LMS: 3F Withdrawn December 1920 – August 1926 Disposition All scrapped

The L&YR Class 26 was a class of 20 2-6-2T passenger steam locomotives of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway designed by Henry Hoy and introduced in 1903. Most passed to the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) at the grouping in 1923 though they were withdrawn soon afterwards with none remaining in service after 1926.

Design and construction

Hoy intended the class to work Manchester, Rochdale, Oldham and Bury services where heavier trains and on lines gradients were giving difficulties to the Aspinall 2-4-2T radial tank locomotives. To a degree they were an evolutionary design based on the enlarged version of the 2-4-2T radial tanks with six-coupled wheels and the belpaire firebox used on the Aspinall Atlantic High Flyers and Coal engine 0-8-0 types.

Service

On their introduction in 1903 they were allocated to Liverpool to Southport workings covering a temporary shortage of electric stock; they were subsequently placed on their intended routes where they had an initially successful introduction, but problems with the class shortly emerged. Their heavy weight was not good for the track and the long rigid wheelbase put pressure on rails with severe curves in sidings. The flanges were removed from the centre driving wheels which eased some issues but increased the risk of derailment on track which was slightly out of alignment and most notably at junctions. This is due to flangeless driving wheels working better on smaller wheels placed closer together. The side tanks tended to badly leak and they gained a reputation for poor stopping ability.

Where George Hughes produced a superheated upgrade to the L&YR Class 5 2-4-2Ts, they were able to perform the services allocated to the 2-6-2Ts and the latter were removed from passenger services in 1913. They were then placed on banking and shunting duties with water pickup equipment and coal rail removed for increased visibility for these duties. However they were not well-suited to these duties due to large 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) driving wheels and flangeless centre-wheels.

Numbering

Table of locomotives

L&YR no.	Built	LMS no.	Withdrawn	Notes
202	Oct 1903	—	Dec 1920
387	Nov 1903	11700	May 1925
404	Nov 1903	—	Dec 1920
454	Nov 1903	11701	Jan 1926
467	Dec 1903	11702	May 1925
527	Jan 1904	11703	Mar 1926
712	Feb 1904	11704	Aug 1926
744	Feb 1904	11705	Aug 1926
837	Mar 1904	11706	Jun 1925
125	Mar 1904	—	May 1923
1441	Apr 1904	11707	Aug 1926
1442	Apr 1904	11708	Jul 1925
1443	May 1904	11709	Jun 1925
1444	May 1904	11710	Jan 1925
1445	Jun 1904	11711	Sep 1924
1446	Jun 1904	11712	Aug 1926
1447	Jul 1904	11713	Feb 1926
1448	Jul 1904	11714	Feb 1925
1449	Jul 1904	11715	1924
1450	Aug 1904	11716	Aug 1926

Withdrawal

One was withdrawn with unrepairable cracked frames in 1920. A total of three, Nos 202, 404 and 125 were withdrawn before being allocated a LMS number in 1923. In the event only two (11704 and 11711) actually carried their allocated LMS number and all members of the class were withdrawn by 1926. All had been scrapped by 1928 and none have been preserved.

Sources

• Baxter, Bertram (1982). Baxter, David (ed.). British Locomotive Catalogue 1825–1923, Volume 3B: Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway and its constituent companies. Ashbourne, Derbyshire: Moorland Publishing Company. ISBN 0-903485-85-0.
• Casserley, H. C. & Johnston, Stuart W. (1966). Locomotives at the Grouping 3: London, Midland and Scottish Railway. Shepperton, Surrey: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0554-0.
• Lane, Barry C. (2010). Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Locomotives. Pendragon. ISBN 9781899816170.