LNWR Bloomer Class


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. 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 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, known as 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 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.
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 boilers; the tenders which originally contained 2000 gallons were reduced to hold 1700 gallons because of the introduction of water troughs on the main line.
Withdrawal took place between June 1876 and November 1888.
1854
Southern
Division
No.		MakerSerial
number		Date
built		1862
LNWR
No.		1872
name		Date
scrapped		Notes
247Sharp Brothers677847Odin
248Sharp Brothers678848Hecate
249Sharp Brothers679849AeolusInvolved in Atherstone collision of 16 Nov 1860 and Easenhall bridge boiler explosion of 4 July 1861
250Sharp Brothers680850ColumbineInvolved in Harrow collision of 26 Nov 1870
251Sharp Brothers681851Apollo
252Sharp Brothers682852Basilisk
253Sharp Brothers683853Vulture
254Sharp Brothers684854Dalemain
255Sharp Brothers685855Sandon
256Sharp Brothers686856Ingestre
287Sharp Brothers700887Knowsley
288Sharp Brothers701888Hydra
289Sharp Brothers702889Camilla
290Sharp Brothers703890Helvellyn
291Sharp Brothers704891Duke
292Sharp Brothers705892Polyphemus
293Sharp Brothers710893HarpyRenumbered 1817 in Dec 1884
294Sharp Brothers712894Trentham
295Sharp Brothers713895TorchRenumbered 1828 in Dec 1884 and 3050 in Nov 1886
296Sharp Brothers715896Daedalus
399Sharp, Stewart1289999MedusaRenumbered 1898 in Dec 1884
400Sharp, Stewart12901000UmpireRenumbered 1902 in Dec 1884
401Sharp, Stewart12911001Leviathan
402Sharp, Stewart12921002Theseus
403Sharp, Stewart12931003TamerlaneRenumbered 1905 in Dec 1884
404Kitson & Co.8991004Lucifer
405Kitson & Co.9001005Achilles
406Kitson & Co.9011006Proserpine
407Kitson & Co.9021007President
408Kitson & Co.9031008Rowland HillRenumbered 1907 in Dec 1884
389Wolverton Works—989ArchimedesRenumbered 1853 in Dec 1884 and 3071 in Nov 1886
390Wolverton Works—990AlaricRenumbered 1881 in Dec 1884
391Wolverton Works—991Japan
392Wolverton Works—992StorkRenumbered 1882 in Dec 1884 and 3023 in May 1887
393 *Wolverton Works—993Burmah
394 *Wolverton Works—994Ariel
395 *Wolverton Works—995Briareus
396 *Wolverton Works—996Raglan
397 *Wolverton Works—997Baronet
398 *Wolverton Works—998UnaRenumbered 1897 in Dec 1884

Eleven smaller examples were built in 1854 with driving wheels intended for 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.
Numbers originally carried were an assortment from 2 to 381, renumbered 602 up 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.
1854
Southern
Division
No.		1856
Southern
Division
No.		MakerSerial
number		Date
built		1862
LNWR
No.		1872
name		Date
scrapped		Notes
31013Vulcan Foundry358613—
31114Vulcan Foundry359614Wyre
31215Vulcan Foundry360615Lune
31317Vulcan Foundry361617Partridge
31423R. & W. Hawthorn842623Medea
31524R. & W. Hawthorn843624—
31625R. & W. Hawthorn844625Mastodon
31726R. & W. Hawthorn845626Earl
31827R. & W. Hawthorn846627Bulldog
31929R. & W. Hawthorn847629Swan
32030R. & W. Hawthorn865630Ribble
—7Wolverton Works—607Inglewood
—21Wolverton Works—621Bela
—103Wolverton Works—703Osprey
—140Wolverton Works—740St. DavidRenumbered 1947 in Nov 1884
—238Wolverton Works—838Petrel
—240Wolverton Works—840Lonsdale
—2Wolverton Works—602Caliban
—165Wolverton Works—765HeraldRenumbered 1952 in Nov 1884
—168Wolverton Works—768Glyn
—180Wolverton Works—780Bucephalus
—3Wolverton Works—603LangdaleRenumbered 1941 in Nov 1884
—66Wolverton Works—666Pheasant
—117Wolverton Works—717Swift
—189Wolverton Works—789Cadmus
—317Wolverton Works—917Napier
—377Wolverton Works—977SultanRenumbered 1954 in Nov 1884
—378Wolverton Works—978MammothRenumbered 1957 in Nov 1884
—379Wolverton Works—979Wasp
—380Wolverton Works—980VandalRenumbered 1816 in Dec 1884 and 3038 in Nov 1886
—381Wolverton Works—981CouncillorRenumbered 1925 in Dec 1883

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

Three examples were built by Wolverton Works in 1861 with driving wheels together with McConnell’s patented firebox, 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 went into store, so hardly ran in their original state. One of them was put on show at the 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".
Southern
Division
No.		Date
built		1862
LNWR
No.		1865
Duplicate
No.		1871
Capital
No.		1872
Name		1879
Duplicate
No.		Date
scrapped
37297211521198Delamere1940
37397311551199Caithness1885
37597511661200Maberley1871

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 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 was begun at Tyseley in 1986 and was 90% completed by 1990. It has never been finished.