LNWR Whale Experiment Class
# LNWR Whale Experiment Class

The London and North Western Railway (LNWR) Experiment Class was a class of 4-6-0 steam locomotive designed by George Whale.

## Career

They were an extended version of the Whale's Precursor Class 4-4-0, with slightly smaller driving wheels. The first of the class, 66 Experiment was built in 1905 and a total of 105 were constructed up until 1910. The LNWR reused numbers and names of withdrawn locomotives, with the result that the numbering system was completely haphazard. A 19in Express Goods Class with smaller driving wheels was also built from 1906. From 1911, a superheated version, the Prince of Wales Class was built.

In 1915, 1361 Prospero was experimentally rebuilt with four cylinders, Dendy Marshall valve gear and superheated. The conversion was not repeated. Only two other engines were given superheaters; 2624 Saracen and 1993 (LMS 5472) Richard Moon.

All entered London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) stock upon grouping in 1923. The LMS gave them the power classification 3P. The LMS renumbered them into a more logical series of 5450–5553 according to date of construction. An exception was made for 1361 Prospero which became 5554. Not all however survived long enough to receive their LMS numbers — withdrawals had started in 1925. In 1934 the thirteen then remaining were renumbered with the addition of 20000 to their numbers make room for Black Five, Patriot and Jubilee class locomotives. The final engine was withdrawn the following year and none were preserved.

## Fleet list

Table of locomotives :

| LNWR No. | Name | Crewe Works No. | Built | LMS No. | With- drawn | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 66 | Experiment | 4505 | Apr 1905 | 5450 | Jul 1931 | |
| 306 | Autocrat | 4506 | Jul 1905 | 5451 | Dec 1930 | |
| 353 | Britannic | 4507 | Jun 1905 | 5452 | Dec 1930 | |
| 372 | Germanic | 4508 | Jun 1905 | 5453 | Sep 1928 | Renamed Belgic from October 1914 |
| 507 | Sarmatian | 4509 | Jun 1905 | 5454 | Sep 1932 | |
| 565 | City of Carlisle | 4550 | Jan 1906 | 5455 | Jun 1925 | LMS number never applied |
| 893 | City of Chester | 4551 | Jan 1906 | 5456 | Aug 1935 | Renumbered 25456 in 1935 |
| 1074 | City of Dublin | 4552 | Jan 1906 | 5457 | Sep 1934 | |
| 1357 | City of Edinburgh | 4553 | Jan 1906 | 5458 | Dec 1933 | |
| 1669 | City of Glasgow | 4554 | Feb 1906 | 5464 | Dec 1930 | |
| 165 | City of Lichfield | 4555 | Jan 1906 | 5459 | Dec 1930 | |
| 828 | City of Liverpool | 4556 | Feb 1906 | 5460 | Oct 1934 | |
| 978 | City of London | 4557 | Feb 1906 | 5461 | May 1934 | |
| 1405 | City of Manchester | 4558 | Feb 1906 | 5462 | Nov 1934 | |
| 1575 | City of Paris | 4559 | Feb 1906 | 5463 | Sep 1928 | |
| 1986 | Clanricarde | 4620 | Sep 1906 | 5465 | Oct 1925 | LMS number never applied |
| 1987 | Glendower | 4621 | Sep 1906 | 5466 | Nov 1934 | |
| 1988 | Hurricane | 4622 | Sep 1906 | 5467 | Sep 1928 | |
| 1989 | Lady of the Lake | 4623 | Sep 1906 | 5468 | Dec 1929 | Name removed in December 1928 |
| 1990 | North Western | 4624 | Oct 1906 | 5469 | Mar 1932 | |
| 1991 | Palmerston | 4625 | Oct 1906 | 5470 | Feb 1928 | |
| 1992 | President | 4626 | Oct 1906 | 5471 | Dec 1933 | |
| 1993 | Richard Moon | 4627 | Oct 1906 | 5472 | Dec 1933 | Superheated December 1926 to January 1932 |
| 1994 | Scottish Chief | 4628 | Oct 1906 | 5473 | Sep 1935 | Renumbered 25473 in 1935 |
| 1995 | Tornado | 4629 | Oct 1906 | 5481 | Sep 1925 | LMS number never applied |
| 61 | Atalanta | 4630 | Nov 1906 | 5474 | Dec 1933 | |
| 222 | Ivanhoe | 4631 | Nov 1903 | 5475 | Jul 1935 | |
| 291 | Leander | 4632 | Nov 1903 | 5476 | Aug 1931 | |
| 667 | Mazeppa | 4633 | Nov 1903 | 5477 | Dec 1933 | |
| 1304 | Prometheus | 4634 | Nov 1906 | 5478 | Aug 1931 | |
| 1676 | Prince of Wales | 4635 | Nov 1906 | 5479 | Nov 1934 | Renamed Shakespeare from July 1911 |
| 1709 | Princess May | 4636 | Nov 1906 | 5480 | Feb 1928 | |
| 2027 | Queen Empress | 4637 | Nov 1906 | 5482 | Oct 1931 | |
| 2052 | Stephenson | 4638 | Dec 1906 | 5483 | Dec 1930 | |
| 2269 | William Cawkwell | 4639 | Dec 1906 | 5484 | Aug 1931 | |
| 496 | Harlequin | 4680 | Sep 1907 | 5485 | Aug 1930 | |
| 830 | Phosphorus | 4681 | Sep 1907 | 5486 | Jul 1925 | LMS number never applied |
| 902 | Combermere | 4682 | Sep 1907 | 5487 | Oct 1934 | |
| 937 | Princess Alice | 4683 | Sep 1907 | 5488 | Mar 1934 | |
| 2112 | Victoria | 4684 | Sep 1907 | 5490 | Dec 1930 | |
| 1014 | Henry Bessemer | 4685 | Sep 1905 | 5489 | Mar 1928 | |
| 1135 | Prince George | 4686 | Sep 1907 | 5491 | Jun 1934 | |
| 1361 | Prospero | 4687 | Oct 1907 | 5554 | Jun 1933 | Rebuilt with 4 cylinders in March 1915 |
| 1526 | Sanspareil | 4688 | Oct 1907 | 5492 | Nov 1928 | |
| 2161 | Jeanie Deans | 4689 | Oct 1907 | 5493 | Aug 1925 | LMS number never applied |
| 322 | Adriatic | 4770 | Dec 1908 | 5494 | Jun 1929 | |
| 884 | Greater Britain | 4771 | Dec 1908 | 5495 | Dec 1930 | |
| 887 | Fortuna | 4772 | Jan 1909 | 5496 | Mar 1932 | |
| 1020 | Majestic | 4773 | Jan 1909 | 5497 | Nov 1934 | |
| 1483 | Red Gauntlet | 4774 | Jan 1909 | 5498 | Dec 1933 | |
| 1490 | Wellington | 4775 | Jan 1909 | 5499 | Dec 1933 | |
| 1553 | Faraday | 4776 | Jan 1909 | 5500 | Oct 1931 | |
| 1571 | Herschel | 4777 | Jan 1909 | 5501 | Jan 1929 | |
| 2076 | Pheasant | 4778 | Jan 1909 | 5502 | Oct 1934 | Renumbered 25502 in 1934 |
| 2116 | Greystoke | 4779 | Jan 1909 | 5503 | Jul 1925 | LMS number never applied |
| 2621 | Ethelred | 4780 | Feb 1909 | 5504 | Nov 1934 | Renumbered 25504 in 1934 |
| 2622 | Eunomia | 4781 | Feb 1909 | 5505 | Apr 1928 | |
| 2623 | Lord of the Isles | 4782 | Feb 1909 | 5506 | Mar 1934 | |
| 2624 | Saracen | 4783 | Feb 1909 | 5507 | Feb 1928 | Superheated from February 1926; LMS number never applied |
| 2625 | Buckland | 4784 | Feb 1909 | 5508 | Aug 1935 | Renumbered 25508 in 1935 |
| 2626 | Chillington | 4785 | Feb 1909 | 5509 | May 1935 | Renumbered 25509 by LMS |
| 2627 | President Lincoln | 4786 | Feb 1905 | 5510 | May 1928 | |
| 2628 | Banshee | 4787 | Feb 1909 | 5511 | Jul 1935 | Renumbered 25511 in 1935 |
| 2629 | Terrier | 4788 | Mar 1909 | 5512 | Feb 1928 | |
| 2630 | Buffalo | 4789 | Mar 1909 | 5513 | Mar 1932 | |
| 1406 | George Findlay | 4830 | Apr 1909 | 5514 | Aug 1935 | Renumbered 25514 by LMS |
| 1413 | Henry Cort | 4831 | Apr 1909 | 5515 | Sep 1925 | LMS number never applied |
| 1477 | Hugh Myddleton | 4832 | May 1909 | 5516 | Apr 1928 | |
| 1498 | Thomas Savery | 4833 | May 1909 | 5517 | Sep 1925 | LMS number never applied |
| 1566 | John Penn | 4834 | May 1909 | 5518 | Dec 1933 | |
| 1603 | Princess Alexandra | 4835 | May 1909 | 5519 | Dec 1930 | |
| 1649 | Sisyphus | 4836 | May 1909 | 5520 | Aug 1932 | |
| 1661 | Wordsworth | 4837 | May 1909 | 5521 | Jun 1928 | |
| 1781 | Lightning | 4838 | May 1909 | 5522 | May 1930 | |
| 2022 | Marlborough | 4839 | May 1909 | 5523 | Apr 1934 | |
| 2637 | Babylon | 4840 | Jun 1909 | 5524 | Jan 1932 | |
| 2638 | Byzantium | 4841 | Jun 1909 | 5525 | Jun 1934 | Renumbered 25525 in 1934 |
| 2639 | Bactria | 4842 | Jun 1909 | 5526 | Apr 1934 | |
| 2640 | Belisarius | 4843 | Jun 1909 | 5527 | Sep 1925 | LMS number never applied |
| 2641 | Bellona | 4844 | Jun 1909 | 5528 | Aug 1935 | Renumbered 25528 in 1935 |
| 2642 | Berenice | 4845 | Jun 1909 | 5529 | Dec 1933 | |
| 2643 | Bacchus | 4846 | Jun 1909 | 5530 | Oct 1927 | LMS number never applied |
| 2644 | Berengaria | 4847 | Jun 1905 | 5531 | Aug 1934 | Renumbered 25531 in 1934 |
| 2645 | Britomart | 4848 | Jul 1909 | 5532 | Sep 1934 | Renumbered 25532 in 1934 |
| 2646 | Boniface | 4849 | Jul 1909 | 5533 | Sep 1928 | |
| 1412 | Bedfordshire | 4850 | Nov 1909 | 5534 | Jan 1932 | |
| 1418 | Cheshire | 4851 | Nov 1909 | 5535 | Dec 1931 | |
| 1420 | Derbyshire | 4852 | Nov 1909 | 5536 | Dec 1933 | |
| 1455 | Herefordshire | 4853 | Nov 1909 | 5537 | Dec 1933 | |
| 1611 | Hertfordshire | 4854 | Nov 1909 | 5538 | Sep 1925 | LMS number never applied |
| 1618 | Lancashire | 4855 | Nov 1909 | 5539 | Mar 1934 | |
| 1624 | Leicestershire | 4856 | Nov 1909 | 5545 | Dec 1933 | |
| 1652 | Middlesex | 4857 | Nov 1909 | 5546 | Dec 1933 | |
| 1689 | Monmouthshire | 4858 | Dec 1909 | 5547 | Mar 1932 | |
| 1703 | Northumberland | 4859 | Dec 1909 | 5548 | Mar 1934 | |
| 71 | Oxfordshire | 4860 | Dec 1909 | 5540 | Apr 1928 | |
| 275 | Shropshire | 4861 | Dec 1909 | 5541 | Sep 1928 | |
| 677 | Staffordshire | 4862 | Dec 1909 | 5542 | Dec 1933 | |
| 1002 | Warwickshire | 4863 | Dec 1909 | 5543 | Dec 1930 | |
| 1534 | Westmorlandshire | 4864 | Dec 1909 | 5544 | Sep 1925 | LMS number never applied |
| 1471 | Worcestershire | 4865 | Jan 1910 | 5549 | Mar 1932 | |
| 1561 | Yorkshire | 4866 | Jan 1910 | 5550 | Sep 1928 | |
| 1618 | Carnarvonshire | 4867 | Jan 1910 | 5551 | Mar 1934 | |
| 1621 | Denbighshire | 4868 | Jan 1910 | 5552 | Jun 1935 | Renumbered 25552 by LMS |
| 1658 | Flintshire | 4869 | Jan 1910 | 5553 | Jul 1931 | |

## Accidents and incidents

* On 15 October 1907, a mail train hauled by No. 2052 Stephenson was derailed at Shrewsbury, Shropshire due to excessive speed on a curve. Eighteen people were killed.
* On 5 July 1923, an express passenger train hauled by 1406 George Findlay was involved in a rear-end collision with a freight train at Diggle, Lancashire due to confusion by the driver of the freight train over flag signals. Four people were killed.
