LMS Route: Birmingham West Suburban Railway

Central Goods Yard: mrcgy928b

Close up of image 'mrcgy928' showing an unidentified Midland Railway 1377 class locomotive on duty shunting the metal shed siding. This class of locomotive was to be seen at the yard for many decades. Introduced in 1878 by Samuel W Johnson, the 1377 class were based on an earlier 1874 design. Up to 1891 some 185 were built with 165 being built by Derby works and the last 20 by the Vulcan Foundry. Most were built with half-cabs as seen above, hence their nickname 'half-cabs', though about 40 were built with full cabs. Originally they were built with round-topped fireboxes, but many later received Belpaire fireboxes. Withdrawals began in 1928, five years after the Midland had been absorbed into the LMS. In 1932, the frames of No 1831 were used by the LMS for their prototype diesel shunter No 1831. Eighty-seven locomotives passed into British Railways ownership in 1948 and were numbered by British Railways as No 41660 to No 41895 although there were gaps in the running numbers. Withdrawals continued and by 1961 only eleven remained with five remaining in use until 1965 due to an accident of history - a contract signed by the Midland Railway in 1866 to provide shunting engines to Staveley Ironworks for 100 years. Because of this contract one of the Staveley engines, No 41708, has survived to eventually be preserved.

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