LMS Route: Rugby to Tamworth

Tamworth Station: lnwr_tam3128

British Railways built Class 4MT 2-6-0 No 43003 stands at Tamworth on an up local passenger service for Rugby. Between 1947 and 1952 the LMS built one hundred and sixty-two locomotives of this type, but only three were built by the LMS before nationalisation in 1948. Designed by HG Ivatt, they were classified 4F by the LMS and 4MT by British Railways. In British Railways days they were used extensively across the system, being prevalent on the London Midland region and to a lesser extent elsewhere, notably on the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway, an East Anglian line that had previously been joint owned by the LMS and LNER, where they became the dominant locomotive type. They were also used for a short period on the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway, but because of poor steaming on the line's long and steep gradients were quickly transferred elsewhere, never to return – this was before modifications were made to the design which improved steaming notably. The first three engines, No 3000, No 3001 and No 3002, were built by the LMS before the railways nationalised. They were renumbered by adding 40,000 to their numbers becoming No 43000, No 43001 and No 43002. The remaining one hundred and fifty-nine locomotives built under the direction of British Railways, continued the new 40,000 sequence: numbered 43003 to 43161 inclusive. Construction was carried out at seven different works within British Railways including: seventy-five at Horwich Works; fifty at Doncaster Works; and thirty-seven at Darlington Works. The class was also sometimes called 'Mucky Ducks' or 'Doodle-bugs' or even 'Flying Pigs'.

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