LNWR Bloomer Class explained

LNWR "Bloomer" Class
Powertype:	Steam
Designer:	James McConnell
Builder:	(a.): Sharp, Stewart & Co. (25); Kitson & Co. (5); Wolverton Works (10) (b.): R and W Hawthorn (7); Vulcan Foundry (4); Wolverton Works (20) (c.):Wolverton Works (3)
Builddate:	1851–1862
Totalproduction:	(a.): 40 (b): 31 (c): 3
Whytetype:	2-2-2
Uicclass:	1A1
Leadingdiameter:	(a.): 4feet (b.): 4feet (c.): 4feet
Driverdiameter:	(a.): 7feet (b.): 6feet (c.): 7feet
Trailingdiameter:	(a.) & (b.): 4feet (c.): 4feet
Locoweight:	(a.): 29.5LT; (b.): 23.65LT; (c.): 34.75LT
Boilerpressure:	1002NaN2 later increased to 1502NaN2
Totalsurface:	(a.): 1448.5square feet (b.): 1230square feet (c.): 1222.8square feet
Cylindercount:	Two, inside
Cylindersize:	(a.): 16x; (b.): 16x; (c.): 18x
Valvegear:	Stephenson
Tractiveeffort:	various between 5700lbf and 11016lbf
Operator:	LNWR Southern Division
Withdrawndate:	1866, 1876–1888
Disposition:	Original locomotives all scrapped. Replica for static display completed 1991. Full-size working engine under construction

Bloomer was a name used to refer to three similar classes of 2-2-2 express passenger locomotives designed by James McConnell for the Southern Division of the London and North Western Railway (LNWR). A total of seventy-four were built between 1851 and 1862. The classes were similar in design and layout but differed in dimensions.

History

The name "Bloomer" was at first a nickname, but was quickly adopted officially. The nickname was a topical one in the autumn of 1851 when the first engine arrived on the line, because of the current popular excitement aroused by the appearance of women wearing trousers, as advocated by Mrs Amelia Bloomer. The widespread belief that they were awarded this nickname because they showed more of their wheels than earlier engines makes no sense: most earlier engines on the line had naked wheels.

Another enduring myth is that until 1862 the Bloomers (and other Southern Division engines) were painted vermilion. They were not, although some were painted a very dark plum-red from 1861, before the standard livery reverted to green in the following year, and then changed to black from 1873.

In April 1862, the Southern Division locomotives were renumbered into the all-LNWR series by the addition of 600 to each engine's number.

Apart from two of the 6 ft 6 in engines which were scrapped in 1866, all the Bloomers were given nameplates in 1872; the names awarded were of the usual miscellaneous variety customary on the LNWR.

(a) 7 ft driving wheel Bloomers ('Large Bloomers' from 1862)

The design of these was derived from six successful 2-2-2 locomotives supplied to the railway by Bury, Curtis and Kennedy in 1848. McConnell substituted plate frames, provided larger boilers and 7feet driving wheels. The first twenty were built by Sharp, Stewart and Company in 1851–1853. A further twenty examples were built in 1861/2: five by Sharp Stewart & Co., five by Kitson and Company, and ten at the Wolverton railway works of the LNWR.^[1]

They were numbered 247–256, 287–296 and 389–408 until 1862, when they were renumbered by the addition of 600, becoming 847 to 1008.

The locomotives were primarily used on express passenger services between London and Birmingham and, from 1860, also from Rugby to Stafford.

During the 1860s and 1870s, most of the class were rebuilt with new (Crewe) boilers; the original 2,000 gallon tenders were reduced to hold 1,700 gallons because of the introduction of water troughs on the main line. Withdrawals took place between June 1876 and November 1888.


1854 Southern Division No.	Maker	Serial number	Date built !	1862 LNWR No.	1872 name	Date scrapped	Notes
247	Sharp Brothers	677		847	Odin
248	Sharp Brothers	678		848	Hecate
249	Sharp Brothers	679		849	Aeolus		Involved in Atherstone collision of 16 Nov 1860 and Easenhall bridge boiler explosion of 4 July 1861
250	Sharp Brothers	680		850	Columbine		Involved in Harrow collision of 26 Nov 1870
251	Sharp Brothers	681		851	Apollo
252	Sharp Brothers	682		852	Basilisk
253	Sharp Brothers	683		853	Vulture
254	Sharp Brothers	684		854	Dalemain
255	Sharp Brothers	685		855	Sandon
256	Sharp Brothers	686		856	Ingestre
287	Sharp Brothers	700		887	Knowsley
288	Sharp Brothers	701		888	Hydra
289	Sharp Brothers	702		889	Camilla
290	Sharp Brothers	703		890	Helvellyn
291	Sharp Brothers	704		891	Duke
292	Sharp Brothers	705		892	Polyphemus
293	Sharp Brothers	710		893	Harpy		Renumbered 1817 in Dec 1884
294	Sharp Brothers	712		894	Trentham
295	Sharp Brothers	713		895	Torch		Renumbered 1828 in Dec 1884 and 3050 in Nov 1886
296	Sharp Brothers	715		896	Daedalus
399	Sharp, Stewart	1289		999	Medusa		Renumbered 1898 in Dec 1884
400	Sharp, Stewart	1290		1000	Umpire		Renumbered 1902 in Dec 1884
401	Sharp, Stewart	1291		1001	Leviathan
402	Sharp, Stewart	1292		1002	Theseus
403	Sharp, Stewart	1293		1003	Tamerlane		Renumbered 1905 in Dec 1884
404	Kitson & Co.	899		1004	Lucifer
405	Kitson & Co.	900		1005	Achilles
406	Kitson & Co.	901		1006	Proserpine
407	Kitson & Co.	902		1007	President
408	Kitson & Co.	903		1008	Rowland Hill		Renumbered 1907 in Dec 1884
389	Wolverton Works	—		989	Archimedes		Renumbered 1853 in Dec 1884 and 3071 in Nov 1886
390	Wolverton Works	—		990	Alaric		Renumbered 1881 in Dec 1884
391	Wolverton Works	—		991	Japan
392	Wolverton Works	—		992	Stork		Renumbered 1882 in Dec 1884 and 3023 in May 1887
393 *	Wolverton Works	—		993	Burmah
394 *	Wolverton Works	—		994	Ariel
395 *	Wolverton Works	—		995	Briareus
396 *	Wolverton Works	—		996	Raglan
397 *	Wolverton Works	—		997	Baronet
398 *	Wolverton Works	—		998	Una		Renumbered 1897 in Dec 1884

Number assigned, but possibly never carried

(b) 6 ft 6 in driving wheels ('Small Bloomers')

Eleven smaller examples were built with 6feet driving wheels in 1854 for use on secondary fast main-line trains and branch lines of the Southern Division. These engines were originally intended by McConnell to be a 7 ft-wheel variant of his Patent class, but the design was altered by order of the directors to a smaller version of the successful Bloomers. Like them, the design was closely based on the Bury, Curtis & Kennedy 6 ft single of 1848; McConnell called the Small Bloomer design 'Bury's Improved'.

Seven were built by R and W Hawthorn and four by Vulcan Foundry. A further twenty of this design were built at Wolverton Works between 1857 and 1861.^[1] Numbers originally carried were an assortment from 2 to 381, renumbered 602 to 981 in 1862. Two were withdrawn in 1866, but the others were rebuilt between 1868 and 1876; the last one was scrapped in 1887.

Table of locomotives
1854 Southern Division No.	1856 Southern Division No.	Maker	Serial number	Date built !	1862 LNWR No.	1872 name	Date scrapped	Notes
310	13	Vulcan Foundry	358		613	—
311	14	Vulcan Foundry	359		614	Wyre
312	15	Vulcan Foundry	360		615	Lune
313	17	Vulcan Foundry	361		617	Partridge
314	23	R. & W. Hawthorn	842		623	Medea
315	24	R. & W. Hawthorn	843		624	—
316	25	R. & W. Hawthorn	844		625	Mastodon
317	26	R. & W. Hawthorn	845		626	Earl
318	27	R. & W. Hawthorn	846		627	Bulldog
319	29	R. & W. Hawthorn	847		629	Swan
320	30	R. & W. Hawthorn	865		630	Ribble
—	7	Wolverton Works	—		607	Inglewood
—	21	Wolverton Works	—		621	Bela
—	103	Wolverton Works	—		703	Osprey
—	140	Wolverton Works	—		740	St. David		Renumbered 1947 in Nov 1884
—	238	Wolverton Works	—		838	Petrel
—	240	Wolverton Works	—		840	Lonsdale
—	2	Wolverton Works	—		602	Caliban
—	165	Wolverton Works	—		765	Herald		Renumbered 1952 in Nov 1884
—	168	Wolverton Works	—		768	Glyn
—	180	Wolverton Works	—		780	Bucephalus
—	3	Wolverton Works	—		603	Langdale		Renumbered 1941 in Nov 1884
—	66	Wolverton Works	—		666	Pheasant
—	117	Wolverton Works	—		717	Swift
—	189	Wolverton Works	—		789	Cadmus
—	317	Wolverton Works	—		917	Napier
—	377	Wolverton Works	—		977	Sultan		Renumbered 1954 in Nov 1884
—	378	Wolverton Works	—		978	Mammoth		Renumbered 1957 in Nov 1884
—	379	Wolverton Works	—		979	Wasp
—	380	Wolverton Works	—		980	Vandal		Renumbered 1816 in Dec 1884 and 3038 in Nov 1886
—	381	Wolverton Works	—		981	Councillor		Renumbered 1925 in Dec 1883

(c) 7 ft 6 in driving wheel (H-class 'Special Bloomers')

Three examples were built by Wolverton Works with 7feet driving wheels together with McConnell’s patented firebox in 1861, which were intended for the fastest expresses. They were heavier than had been planned, so a further two engines, ordered and under construction, were cancelled in February 1862. This led to McConnell’s immediate resignation. The three completed engines (Nos. 372/3/5) went into store, so hardly ran in their original state. One of them (No. 373) was put on show at the 1862 International Exhibition in South Kensington from May to November 1862.

After rebuilding with normal boilers in 1866/7, they worked until withdrawal in 1880 and 1882. Many years later, they were described as "Extra-large Bloomers".

Table of locomotives
Southern Division No.	1862 LNWR No.	1865 Duplicate No.	1871 Capital No.	1872 Name	1879 Duplicate No.
372	972	1152	1198	Delamere	1940
373	973	1155	1199	Caithness	1885
375	975	1166	1200	Maberley	1871

Replicas

An accurate full-size, non-working replica was built, by apprentices, for static display outside Milton Keynes station in 1991. It represented the type as in 1873–76 condition, was numbered '1009' as if to follow the last of the class, 1008, and was named 'Wolverton' to commemorate the Southern Division Works, although no engine was so named on the LNWR. It was taken into Wolverton Works (then owned by Alstom and later by Railcare) in 2006 for renovation and repainting. The renovation was funded and carried out by the various owners of Wolverton works and latterly by Knorr-Bremse RailServices at Wolverton Works. The Wolverton and Greenleys Town Council and the Wolverton Arts and Heritage Society wanted the replica to have a position on Stratford road outside the Railway works but this was not viable and led to much delay in the re-siting the model. On 3 March 2017, the replica was moved to its new home at Milton Keynes Museum.

A full-size working engine as in original Southern Division condition (pre-1862) was begun at Tyseley in 1986 and was 90% completed by 1990. It has never been finished; however, the LNWR Bloomer project was launched in June 2019 in order to complete the locomotive.

References

- Book: Jack, Harry . 2001 . Locomotives of the LNWR Southern Division . . 0-901115-89-4 .

Notes and References

London and North Western Railway Society.