LNWR DX Goods class


The London and North Western Railway DX Goods class was a class of 0-6-0 steam locomotive, designed by John Ramsbottom for freight duties. 943 were constructed making them the largest single class of steam locomotives built in the United Kingdom. Despite this, none were preserved.

History

The "DX" goods engine was the first original design produced by Ramsbottom, shortly after becoming Locomotive Superintendent of the Northern Division. An experimental prototype was developed at Longsight whilst Ramsbottom was only in charge of the North-Eastern Division. The first regular example was completed at Crewe in September 1858, and was given the running number 355. This was the 399th locomotive built at Crewe, but it was the practice of the LNWR to reuse the numbers of withdrawn locomotives.
The first DX, No. 355, was named Hardman, and carried the name on a curved brass plate above the driving wheels. It was painted in the same dark green livery as used by Ramsbottom's predecessor, Francis Trevithick, but edged with a single black line. Fifty-four of the early DX locomotives were given names, but all were removed by 1864, with some re-used on passenger locomotives.
Four 0-4-2 versions of this locomotive type were built by Robert Stephenson and supplied to the Sydney Railway Company in 1855 as the first motive power for the new railway company. They were virtually identical in specification, except for slightly larger driving wheels at diameter and cylinders being a smaller bore than the of the original design.
LNWR
No.		NameCrewe
Works
No.		Date
built		Notes
355Hardman399
357Terrier400
358Falstaff401
359Glowworm403
87Eden404
39Tantalus405
428Trevithick406
429Roberts407
447Whitworth408
210Alchymist409
369Banshee410
240Bee418
120Samson419
261Hercules420
266Sutherland422
245Ellesmere423
206Menai432
531Lady of the Lake433Renumbered 494 and name removed in Feb 1862
345Turk434
215Spitfire435
283Croxteth436
296Bellerophon437
293Quick Silver438
312Tubal439
192Hero444
211Onyx445
220Waterloo446
221Trafalgar448
52Diomed449
2Hecla450
237Blenheim451
121Buffalo452
123Victory453
183Theorem454
177Chimera455
216Ambassador456
224Violet469
280Glendower470
278Locke471
442Forerunner479
236Hawkstone483
356Memnon485
568Stewart498
129Martin510
65Charon513
125Soho522
130Heron523
325Chandos547
147Woodlark548
135Bat549
343Etna550
368Majestic551
34Phoebus552
532Grasmere553

857 examples of Ramsbottom’s standard goods design were built for the LNWR at Crewe works between 1858 and 1872. The class has been described as ‘the earliest example of standardization and mass productions of locomotives on a large scale,' and ‘a remarkable instance of standardisation at a time when most railways had many different classes, each class with only few engines.’. During the 1870s driving cabs were added.
278 examples of a saddle tank version of the design were built after 1870, known as the LNWR Special Tank.
In addition to the 857 examples used by the LNWR, a further 86 examples of the original design were constructed at Crewe for the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway between 1871 and 1874. This alarmed independent locomotive manufacturers, who sought an injunction to stop the practice; granted on 16 December 1875.
In April 1881 Francis Webb rebuilt 500 examples with a new 150 psi boiler and vacuum brakes for working passenger trains. These became known as ‘Special’ DX’s.

Accidents and incidents

Withdrawals began in 1902 but there were still 88 in existence on the formation of the London Midland and Scottish Railway in 1923. The last survivor was withdrawn in 1930. Despite the large number of the Class produced, all were scrapped.

Engines sold abroad

Between 1900 and 1901, four LNWR Special DX were sold to the Société Anonyme du Chemin de Fer International de Malines à Terneuzen, a private railway between Belgium and the Netherlands. They were renumbered 15, 16, 17 and 18. Three of them were rebuilt between 1910 and 1911 with larger cabs of Belgian design and all of them were fitted with Westinghouse brakes sometimes after 1911. One of them was still on the active roster in 1948 when the Malines - Terneuzen was taken over by SNCB. All the M.T. engines were then scrapped.