MIDLAND RAILWAY LOCO PORTRAITS
Over the last 20 years I've built up a stock of Midland Railway locomotives to operate on Halifax Midland. They are intended to represent the last few years of the Midland Railway before the grouping into the big four companies in 1923. The Midland became part of the LMS.
The first thing to be said is that they are not intended to be highly detailed models but are "layout locos" that have to cope with very sharp curves. I'm one of those modellers who has no desire to produce showcase models but prefers to build models that give the impression of the prototype. There are numerous compromises necessary to get them to run on the layout such as slightly under scale wheels on front bogies on the 4-4-0 locos. Lining of the locos is done using marker pens and overhead projector pens whilst transfers are 4mm scale ones so in some cases are slightly too small.
Some of the locos have been built using Alan Gibson etched brass kits, whilst in some cases just some of the etchings have been used. A number of the locomotives have been scratchbuilt out of brass, plastic sheet or cardboard.
The locomotives are motorised in various ways. Many of the tender locomotives use re-wheeled Airfix Royal Scot tender drive units with the locos being free rolling. Other tender locomotives use two Mashima motors and Markits gearboxes in the tender driving one axle each. The tank locos use either RG4 coreless motors or the Mashima/ Markits combination.
Midland Railway locos exhibited many common characteristics which will be obvious in the photos but with differences in boilers, fireboxes, cabs and tenders they give the modeller enormous scope for variations.
The construction of some of the models shown below have been described in more detail elsewhere on this website.
No. 254 is a Johnson 2-4-0 and in 1921 was allocated to Skipton shed.
The loco was built in 1887 and scrapped in 1939
No. 360 is a 2P round top firebox 4-4-0 and was allocated to Leeds Holbeck shed in 1921.
The loco was built as a 1738 class in 1885 and rebuilt with a H boiler 1907 and withdrawn in 1926.
No. 361 is similar to No. 350 but has a Belpaire boiler and was allocated to Leeds Holbeck shed in 1921.
The loco was built as 1738 class in 1885, rebuilt with a H boiler in 1907 and the received a G7 Belpaire boiler in 1910. It was withdrawn in 1929.
No. 483 is a 2P 4-4-0. In 1921 483 was allocated to Nottingham shed.
It was built in 1897 and rebuilt with a G7 boiler in 1912 and was withdrawn in 1949.
No. 606 is a "Spinner" 4-2-2 and was allocated to Normanton shed in 1921.
It was built in 1888 and was withdrawn in 1922.
No. 771 is a 3P 4-4-0 running with a Johnson tender and in 1921 was allocated to Leeds Holbeck shed.
It was built in 1905 and was withdrawn in 1935.
No. 990 is a 4P 4-4-0 built for the Settle and Carlisle line and was allocated to Carlisle Durranhill shed in 1921.
It was built in 1909 and withdrawn in 1925.
No. 1040 is a Deeley Compound 4-4-0 and is used for the Halifax to St. Pancras expresses. In 1921 the locomotive was allocated to London Kentish Town shed.
It was built in 1909 and withdrawn in 1952.
No. 1278 is a Johnson 1P 0-4-4Ts which was allocated to Leeds Holbeck shed in 1921.
It was built in 1881 and withdrawn in 1951.
No. 1356 is another Johnson 1P 0-4-4Ts which was allocated to Bradford Manningham shed in 1921
It was built in 1892 and withdrawn in 1935.
No. 1725 is a Johnson 1F 0-6-0T and was allocated to Bradford Manningham shed in 1921.
It was built in 1883 and withdrawn in 1955.
No. 2714 is a Kirtley double framed 0-6-0 which was allocated to Leeds Holbeck shed in 1921.
The loco was built in 1871 and scrapped in 1931. This loco served in France with the War Department from 1917-1919.
No. 2979 is a former 1142 class 0-6-0 that had received a G6 boiler with Belpaire firebox and was allocated to Carlisle shed in 1921.
The loco was built in 1876 and rebuilt with a G6 boiler 1918. It was withdrawn in 1946.
No. 3004 is a former 1142 class 0-6-0 with original round top firebox and allocated to Carlisle shed in 1921.
The loco was built 1876 and kept its original boiler (as here) until 1923 when it received a G6 boiler. It was withdrawn in 1935.
No.3502 is a 1798 class 0-6-0 rebuilt with a G7 boiler with a Belpaire firebox and was allocated to Carnforth shed in 1921.
The loco was built in 1896, was rebuilt with a round top firebox H boiler in 1910 and later received a G7 boiler in 1918. It was withdrawn in 1959.
No. 3830 is seen with its H boiler round top firebox boiler. It was allocated to Carlisle shed.
The loco was built in 1908 and is seen in this condition shortly before it was rebuilt with a G7 Belpaire firebox boiler in 1921.
No 3837 is a Fowler No. 4 Goods 0-6-0 and was allocated to Toton shed near Nottingham in 1921.
It was built in 1917 and withdrawn in 1957.