Midland Railway 1377 Class


The Midland Railway 1377 Class was a class of 185 0-6-0T tank locomotives. They were introduced in 1878 by Samuel W. Johnson, and were almost identical to the 1102 class of 1874; the latter having fully enclosed cabs, while the 1377 class were built without a rear to the cab and only a short cab roof, hence their nickname "half-cabs". They were given the power classification 1F.

Construction history

Up to 1891, 185 were built: 165 by Derby Works and the last 20 by the Vulcan Foundry. Originally they were built with type A boilers with round-topped fireboxes, but many later received type G5 boilers with Belpaire fireboxes.
Original No.1907 No.ManufacturerWorks Nos.QtyYearNotes
1377–13861660–1669Derby Works101878
1387–13961670–1679Derby Works101878
1347–13561680–1689Derby Works101879
1420–1427, 220, 2211690–1699Derby Works101879
1410–14191700–1709Derby Works101880
1552–15611710–1719Derby Works101882Originally built as "1552 Class" variant with cut-down boiler mountings and cab.
210–212, 215, 216,
218, 219, 1397–1399		1720–1729Derby Works101883
1677–16861730–1739Derby Works101884
1090–1092,
1094, 1095		1740–1744Derby Works51884
1687–16961745–1754Derby Works101884
1096–11001755–1759Derby Works51885
200, 201, 213, 214, 217,
222, 223, 1093, 1101, 1431		1760–1769Derby Works101889–90
1843–18471770–1774Derby Works101890
85–87, 11, 141775–1779Derby Works101890Renumbered 1102–1106 in 1891
203, 1848–1852, 1973–19761780–1789Derby Works101890
1977–19811790–1794Derby Works51890
880–8891795–1804Derby Works101890
1982–19911805–1814Derby Works101891Originally built as "1552 Class" variant with cut-down boiler mountings and cab.
1992, 1107–11151815–1824Derby Works101891
1993–20121825–1844Vulcan Foundry1355–1374201892

Service history

All 185 passed to the London, Midland and Scottish Railway at the grouping in 1923. Withdrawals started in 1927 and by 1948 when the railways were nationalised, 72 locomotives passed into British Railways ownership in 1948 and they allocated numbers 40000 higher than their LMS numbers, although 14 were withdrawn before the new numbers were applied. Withdrawals continued and by 1961 only 11 remained; the last five were withdrawn in September 1965. The class had only lasted as long as it had because the Midland Railway had signed a contract in 1866 to provide shunting engines to Staveley Ironworks for 100 years; the 1Fs, as they were by then, were the only locomotives suitable to perform this duty.
YearQuantity in
service at
start of year		Quantity
withdrawn		Locomotive numbersNotes
192718511791
192818411684
19291830–
1930183131673, 1701/07/22–23/37/44/74/84,
1801/21/28/43
193117051677, 1729/87, 1800/08
1932165531663/67/75/80/83/85/87–88/97–98,
1703/09/15–16/19/21/28/31–32/35–36/41/50/56–58,
1760/62/64–65/71/76/83/86/90/92/97–98,
1806–07/09/12–13/15/17/19–20/22–23/31/34/37/40		1831 rebuilt as diesel shunter
1933112151662/78/89/93,
1704–05/33/61/72/75/82/89,
1825/36/41		10 reinstated: 1756/62/71/97,
1807/13/15/17/19–20
193410731679/92, 1766
193510451669/91/94, 1717/46
19369931696, 1730, 1817
19379641665, 1796, 1819/30
19389251670, 1740/99, 1807/27
19398721743, 1832
1940–5850–
19468561681, 1742/51/55/71, 1816
19477971700/38/78/85, 1802/10/15
19487281668/74, 1714/18/59/62, 1818/42
19496441676, 1756/68/88
1950600–
19516061690, 1781, 41745/67/93, 41824
195254441727/94, 41820/29
195350641660/64/66/95, 41770/80
195444541711/47, 41811/13/33
195539541671–72/82, 41713/25
195634841686, 41720/77, 41805/14/26/38–39
195726741699, 41706/10/48/53/79, 41803
195819241724/52
195917441661, 41726/95/97
196013241754/73
1961110–
196211341702/49/69
19638141739
19647241712, 41844
19655541708/34/63, 41804/35

Conversion

In 1932, the frames of 1831 were used for LMS diesel shunter 1831.

Preservation

One of the Staveley engines, 1418, has survived to preservation at Barrow Hill Engine Shed. Before Barrow Hill this engine was preserved on the Midland Railway - Butterley, the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, and the Swanage Railway respectively. The surviving engine became the inspiration of the Bachmann Branchline OO scale model of the class introduced in 2014. The model, the dispute and the class had an extensive write up in Model Rail during 2014. No. 41708 has been bought by Barrow Hill and have pledged to return the locomotive to working order and hope to start in 2020 when the locomotive turns 150.