LNWR 18in Goods Class explained

LNWR 18-inch Goods (“Cauliflower”)
Powertype:Steam
Designer:Francis Webb
Builder:Crewe Works
Serialnumber:2379, 2576–2584, 2926–2935, 3002–3011, 3272–3281, 3536–3545, 3561–3570, 3576–3595, 3616–3655, 3706–3715, 3786–3805, 3908–3927, 3956–3965, 3985–3994, 4005–4024, 4035–4044, 4065–4124, 4145–4154, 4165–4174, 4215–4224
Builddate:June 1880 – May 1902
Totalproduction:310
Whytetype:0-6-0
Uicclass:C n2
Driverdiameter:5feet
Wheelbase: 
Drivers:15feet
Wheelspacing:7feet +
8feet
Boilerpressure:150lbf/in2
Cylindercount:Two, inside
Cylindersize:18x
Valvegear:Joy
Tractiveeffort:158652NaN2
Powerclass:2F
Nicknames:Cauliflowers
Withdrawndate:1922–1955
Disposition:All scrapped

The LNWR 18-inch Goods was a class of 310 0-6-0 freight steam locomotives built by the London and North Western Railway at their Crewe Works between 1880 and 1902.[1]

They were also known officially as the Express Goods 5 ft 0in, and unofficially as the Crested Goods or Cauliflower Class, due to the application of the large LNWR crest on the middle splasher in the original livery.

Design

The design featured a boiler pressed to 1502NaN2 delivering saturated steam to two 18by cylinders connected by Joy valve gear to the driving wheels.

The dimensions quoted in the class title could be misleading: several locomotives ran for a period with 17or cylinders; and the “5ft 0in” referred to the diameter of the wheel centres – measured of the tyres the diameter was 5feet.

A tank locomotive version was also produced as the LNWR 18in Tank Class 0-6-2T.

Service

Two locomotives were withdrawn before the 1923 Grouping, leaving 308 to pass to the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, who gave them power classification 2F, and renumbered them 8315–8624. The LMS later added them to the duplicate list by the addition of 20000 to their numbers to make room for additional Class 8F locomotives.

Sixty-nine locomotives entered British Railways (BR) stock in 1948. BR allocated them the numbers 58362–58430, as adding 40000 to their numbers as was done with most ex-LMS locomotives would have taken them into the 6xxxx ex-LNER series. The last one was withdrawn from British Railways service in 1955. None were preserved.

References

  1. Web site: Goods Engines of LNWR - 18in Goods .