LMS Route: Rugby to Tamworth

Trent Valley Lineside - Newbold on Avon: lnwr_nupa1204

LMS 4-6-2 'Turbomotive' No 6202 is seen picking up water at Newbold Troughs whilst at the head of an up express in August 1937. Based on the Princess Royal class' chassis and boiler No 6202 was designed with a non-condensing boiler and was powered by turbines not cylinders and connecting rods etc as was the case with reciprocating engines. The forward turbine was much more powerful than the reverse turbine as the latter was only required to move the locomotive and not coaching stock. Both turbines were mounted along the footplate with the reverse turbine seen on this side of the locomotive. The forward turbine was on the opposite side and the portion above the running plate ran from above the bogie to the firebox. To reverse the locomotive the driver simply engaged a dog-clutch. A number of experimental locomotives were built by the LMS in an attempt to improve on the efficiency of the steam engine and No 6202 was arguably the most successful of all attempts.

However being a single class member meant that the scales of economy were not only never achieved but actually resulted in the locomotive being in the works for very long periods as no spares were available as was the case for the standard reciprocal powered engines. This was one of the few experimental turbines which really did beat conventional engines on thermal efficiency, despite having no condenser. Built by Crewe works in June 1935 No 6202 covered over 300,000 miles between 1936 and 1945 despite being in the 'shops' for long periods and was finally taken out of turbine service in 1949. It was rebuilt by Crewe in 1952 by British Railways as No 46202 'Princess Anne', a conventional 4-6-2 Pacific locomotive, and was only in service for a few weeks before it was involved in the horrific multiple train accident at Harrow with damage so severe it was written off.

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